Spot and stalk black bears?
Bears
Have a pretty noticable influx of black bears in my area from the burn scars providing optimal food. I'll have a tag this year for them during my elk hunt, so I doubt I'll see any! But taking a bear is on my list and I definitely won't pass on an opportunity.
Just curious how many of you have taken Bears spot and stalk. Details would be appreciated (range, tactic, recovery, any charged after shot?). Do you pull all the meat, or just specific cuts?
Did a spot and stock bear hunt a couple years ago in Colorado. Bears don't see real well but they hear and smell very well. I found the food source(acorn brush) and that's where the bears were. We had the wind right and a big boar heard us sneaking in and mock charged us a couple of times thinking we were other bears trying to invade his food source. Finally he mocked and stood up in the brush and gave me a frontal chest shot. He bled heavily and didn't go far. 11.5 year old boar. We took all the meat made roasts out of some and burger out of the rest. Very good meat but needs to be cooked well.
Take a varmint call, and if spotted they can be called in. When they start coming in keep calling, as soon as you stop calling they stop coming in.
Terry
That's a good idea coyote. I've actually called in a little sow a few years ago with a turkey call. Just picked up a predator call while I was in Texas, thanks for reminding me gonna have to test it!
There's a lot of guys here on Bowsite with much more experience bear hunting than myself, but I've been able to kill three spot n stalk black bears in the last four years. Here's my experience(s):
1. Like any big game bow hunting, I try to get as close as I can, my goal is to get inside 40 yards - and of course, the wind and your movement, play a big part of a spot n stalk bear hunt.
2. Lots of scouting first! Since you're elk hunting, lots of glassing!! Given the wind, I try to have them come to me, if possible. If not possible, movement is not your friend!
3. My limited experience says bears can see better than most think, but movement is a deal breaker. Of course, they can smell and hear really, really well, but if they see movement - game over!
4. Recovery on two was a combined 30 yards, about 15 yards each, one a double lung, one a heart shot. The third one went about a hundred yards, and because we were losing light, we recovered it the next morning.
5. None of them charged, but two of them ran right past me (within 5 yards) and dropped within 15 yards past me.
6. I like to save and process all meat, or as much as I can. Two were excellent, roasts, backstraps, ground meat - all of it very fresh and great tasting. The one that was recovered the next day was ok, not fantastic, but not bad either - just ok (the backstraps were kind of tasteless).
Hope this helps - good luck!!
One grizzly at 23 in AK and a black in NFLD at 15. Neither charged when hit. Grizzly ran about 120 yards and the black similar.
One grizzly at 23 in AK and a black in NFLD at 15. Neither charged when hit. Grizzly ran about 120 yards and the black similar.
grizzly at 23 above
Cool picture Bou' bound!!
Key I think is the spot part. Have done two wilderness pack in hunts for black bear..... eaten two tags....
Find the food and you find the bears. Where i was the droughts changed the food patterns and bears were scarce. But I believe what Bohunner said... very doable when you see them first and conditions are right. Late summer/early fall, if they are on a food source they are fairly preoccupied.
Bou'bound that pic will fire a guy up
I stalked 6 different grizzlies this spring and I don't think there is a bigger rush than that, except maybe a brown bear which I will hopefully experience this fall. Being within bow range of these bears is something one cannot explain.
Bou, that picture is awesome!
That's also a great pict Nick Muche.
