Good idea, but where I hunt there's a gazillion creeks everywhere.

I've had my best luck trying to catch one at natural food. When that fails I try to call one in. Kind of spooky when hunting alone. I always feel one is sneaking up behind me. Along with cats doing the same thing.

But bear won't use all of them. Normally bear will water in a place where they have thick cover nearby and along the routes to the food sources. If you locate their preferred watering places then you have an ace in the hole. Often they water after dark so you set up on the travel routes from food sources or cover and take them enroute to the water.

This is a tough area to hunt bears. I see enough sign, but last year only one bear was taken for all seasons.

I think the smart bears live near me. I'll keep trying though.

Bears are really a very secretive animal and you don't see them often even where there's a decent population of them like in upper MI. I've hunted up around my place in northern MI for 40+ years and have only run into one last year just as it was getting light during a Spring turkey hunt and one right at dark years ago when I was coming back into the cabin from an evening deer stand.

I agree 100%. The first year I had I hunted in WV I was lucky enough to have 5 different bears come in bow range of me. Most were smaller bears, 100-125 range, a 300lb sow with cubs and a real nice one came in after it was to dark to shoot. Last year I didn't have as much time to go down and only saw one. I did take a small 8 pt buck during gun season. I'm looking for something a little closer to home. I made 7 trips the first year, lol.

It's more than that. One bear killed in my area, and 70 killed in another area. I can't kill what isn't there.

I'm not new at this. ;)

I actually love the challenge. You know me. I hate easy hunts.

If you're seeing sign, as you claim, then the bear are there. You're just not hunting them right. You're down by Buena Vista aren't you? Spend a lot of time checking out avalanche slide areas. I hunted Mtn Goat over by Mt Huron and we glassed several bear feeding on berries in slides while looking for a big billy. Bear like slide areas because they keep the thick trees wiped out and a lot of berries grow in them. Not many hunters think to look over those areas.

I live in Buena Vista and I know how to hunt for bear. I've been doing it for 6 decades. I never asked how to hunt. I simply stated it's a tough area to get a bear. 300 hunters and one bear shows that.

Forget about me. Do you think all 300 hunters don't know how to hunt? I see some sign now and then. Not much. Try to find one in 100,000 acres. Maybe it's bigger. It's 5 units.

I invite you to come hunt for bear here. The tags are simple to get with no points. That should tell you something. Let me know how it works out for you.


btw Talk to the local warden. Ask him about hunting the area for bear. He'll tell you to forget it.



With all that said I called in two bears last year, but they circled me and caught my scent. I'll get one. I'd prefer to still hunt into one of them, but it's difficult. Too many hunters around.

Well, excuse the heck out of me for giving a tip that led me to see several bear in your area. But then I forgot, you do seem to know so much more than all the rest of us. Enjoy your bowl of tag soup if you won't accept a little input from others.

I don't know why I even bother with you. By the way, didn't you say you put me on ignore?

You offered help when I didn't ask for it. I said it's a tough area to hunt for bear and the stats prove that.

I never said I know everything, but you seem to think you do. Of course you've seen bear here. You've hunted the whole world and tell us constantly.

Whether I do or don't put you on ignore is my business.


btw I never said I didn't get bears here. Unlike you, I don't talk about my hunts/kills.