Tracking bears
01-24-2016, 02:30 PM
#2
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
If you have enough property it's possible. If you're property size is limited, and the bear leaves the property you're out of luck. I've only been bear hunting the last couple seasons. And I figure when I finally get snow during the season it will be my best chance at getting one. I often cut tracks in the winter. But my season is mid November and I haven't hunted a season with snow yet.
-Jake
-Jake
01-24-2016, 02:46 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 26
There's virtually no terrain size limit so this won't be an issue. There's a spring and autumn season but I doubt there would be any snow. I'll have to track from feces, tracks, bedding etc.
Sounds like a cool challenge, let's see if it will still be that cool then
Sounds like a cool challenge, let's see if it will still be that cool then
01-24-2016, 03:08 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I seriously doubt that anyone could track a bear when there is no snow on the ground. I have property and a lot of other huntable land up in northern MI in good bear country and hardly ever see a track or any other evidence of them even being around. I've actually only run into a couple in the 43 years I've had the property and one was last year just at daylight on the way to my first set in May during our turkey season.
01-25-2016, 05:09 AM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
Bait and dogs are illegal in Colorado. So we have a few choices to hunt bears.
One is to try and still hunt into natural food areas. It's mostly what I uses. I scout before the season for berries, and come hunting season I try to catch one feeding.
The second way is probably the most popular. Spot and stalk. Just like you'd do for elk and deer.
The 3rd way is to call them in. This can be exciting and i've tried it. If you can get a bar to come in to a call it will either come in sneaky and you have to be careful it doesn't come in behind you. That seldom happens, because if you're playing the wind right the bear will catch your scent long before you see them. Sometimes a bog boar will come charging straight into you. Be ready, because it thinks you're a meal.
To just find tracks and try to track one? That's a real longshot. I doubt you'd ever be successful. Bears are way too smart for that and they have a nose better than any other game. Plus, they cover so much ground you'd be tracking forever and never catch up. Without you ever being aware of it the bear would be tracking you. Are you talking grizzly or black bear?
Of course you're always looking for bear tracks to see if they're in the area, but not so much to follow them unless they're headed for a known food source that you know about. Then it's time to put on the sneak.
One is to try and still hunt into natural food areas. It's mostly what I uses. I scout before the season for berries, and come hunting season I try to catch one feeding.
The second way is probably the most popular. Spot and stalk. Just like you'd do for elk and deer.
The 3rd way is to call them in. This can be exciting and i've tried it. If you can get a bar to come in to a call it will either come in sneaky and you have to be careful it doesn't come in behind you. That seldom happens, because if you're playing the wind right the bear will catch your scent long before you see them. Sometimes a bog boar will come charging straight into you. Be ready, because it thinks you're a meal.
To just find tracks and try to track one? That's a real longshot. I doubt you'd ever be successful. Bears are way too smart for that and they have a nose better than any other game. Plus, they cover so much ground you'd be tracking forever and never catch up. Without you ever being aware of it the bear would be tracking you. Are you talking grizzly or black bear?
Of course you're always looking for bear tracks to see if they're in the area, but not so much to follow them unless they're headed for a known food source that you know about. Then it's time to put on the sneak.
01-25-2016, 12:43 PM
#9
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
When I was a young 20 yr old hunter I cut a nice bear track in the snow. I followed it and went through some of the thickest nasty swamps and thickets. I continued on for hours and the tracks came to a tree and the bear wasn't up there. I couldn't figure it out and then looked close at the tracks and the bear must have known I was following and back tracked for about 100 ft then jumped over a blow down and was off on another direction. I continued to follow and came to a steep hill. I went slowly along the track and finally came to the top. I could see a big area where the bear sat and watched me meandering along its track way below before I even got to the hill. I was getting tired and knew I wouldn't catch it and went back to camp. When I told the story to a couple of old timers who were the owners of the camp they burst out laughing and said ....boy...don't you know you can't track down a bear they are too smart. I am thinking they were right and never tried again.