lcoast

Okay guys, in the interest of learnin, sharing and just general discussion, tell me your thoughts on bears. The season is open here. Just waiting for the lazy little fellers to wake up . Weather is unreal hot, skunk cabbages have been in bloom for quite awhile but not one bear in any of my spots. Weird.

Anyway, what method you guys use for hunting them? I mostly like spot and stalk. Try to be above them.

This year I wanna smoke my bear in a smoke house. Gotta build the smoke house first.

=keith=

lcoast

Hmmm, no bear hunters here huh?

I wonder why? Is there no bears in the areas you can access or is something ya never thought of?

It is a lot of fun. They can look dumb and clumsy but they really ain't. There nose is extremly good and their hearing is to be envied. Some say their eyesight is pretty poor. Well it works. Ya gotta move careful. When a bear wants he can ghost through the brush and he can move fast, make Ben Johnson look slow and they can do it uphill or down. For adrenelin there ain't too much better than stalking a bruin on foot.


=keith=

LBR

Never been bear hunting, but would like to try it one of these days. Very few bears in MS, and you would get put under the jail if you were caught harming one.

Chad

Kip

I probably like bear hunting better than deer hunting. I have only hunted them over bait, but would love to try spot and stalk. I have been fortunate enough to shoot 3 bears, 1 of which was with a bow. I am hoping this year I will draw another tag, and be able to hunt with my longbow.
I have set up several people for bears, and our biggest so far is a 520 pound dressed male that was 18 years old. Suprisingly, he was just as good eating as the younger bears.
The last bear I shot, I cut the normal steaks and chops, and then used the rest to make summer sausage. That stuff was excellent. I took 25 pounds of that sausage to deer camp, and it was gone in no time, so I guess everyone else liked it too.

mysticguido

if you can put out some grease, dounuts, fish...

KevAK

Im in southeast alaska and there are lots of critters wakin up and moving around. Been a few spotted right on the outside of town. Heard of a nice 700 pounder was shot north of town at the sports shop here. Not bad for a spring brown. Got to fly in a supercub and see lots of tracks of them coming out of thier holes. Hoping to try and stick one with my bow this spring or fall.

Kev

lcoast

Kip, have you tried it smoked? I am going to build a smoker this year. Bear is awesome smoked. I had a buddy up in Atlin, he smoked the whole bear.

Mysticguido, rendered bear fat makes the best donut cooking grease there is.

Kev, glad to hear the bears are waking up in your part of the world. I am sure they are here as well, just not in my hunting areas yet.

I like to find them on the high slopes and get above them and come down on them. Keep the wind from them to you and go slow and silent.

They will come to a predator call also. I got a buddy who makes a bear cub call and brings the boars right in to himself. I am hoping to get him to teach me that one.

Chad, I hope you get an opportunity at them one day.


=keith=

Tuffcity

They're starting to poke their furry noses out here on the BC coast. Haven't hunted them for several years but I think I'll pick up a tag this spring (gotta love OTC ) as my daughter wants to try for one. Spot & stalk here, but I have called bears in with a fawn in distress call. Smoked hams are great, as is jerky, sausages, pepperoni...

RC

Floxter

Biggest bear I've ever seen while hunting (about 350lbs) came in to a rabbit squealer. Unfortunately, he never offered a clean shot.

lcoast

Hey tuffcity, I am just up the Island aways. I was out again this afternoon and still no sign in my areas. Grass is tall and the skunk cabbage flowers are falling over.

That is very kewl your daughter wants to shoot one. Hope she does okay.

I have called them in with a rabbit in distress call also. Wanna get a fawn call, it will work on Mountain Lion as well.

=keith=