Spring Bear/Sitka Camo
Bears
Contributors to this thread:
Is Sitka worth it for spring Bear in Canada? Will it double fine for Midwest whitetail hunting?
I do not have much green camo and thought based on past posts here I would try Sitka. But the price has me hesitating. Thanks.
The Sitka Elevated 2 camo is some of the best, well thought out treestand camo made. Wether it is worth the price tag or not is up to the individual. For the features this clothing offers, it is absolutely worth it to me.
Me too Kota,
I love the Sitka clothing! I wish I had more money :)
Scar.
I wouldn't buy SItka for spring bear hunting unless it came with a healthy dose of hiking. Stick with layering wool and fleece. Anything that matches mottled grays/browns will work if you are concerned about that sort of thing. A Thermacell will be the most important gear you haul into the stand.
Shot two bears in Ontario wearing a blue and black and a green and black plaid flannel shirt. Most camo will do just fine.
I've worn camo and nothing but a flannel shirt in both the spring & fall from Ontario to Alberta. Honestly, I wouldn't buy anything expensive. The bears know you're there.
Get the Sitka Fanatic Hoody! You put the hood on and your neck is protected from bugs. It has a built in face mask as well. My favorite piece for bear hunts! Good luck!
Any camo will work fine, its more about movement anyway. I killed one of my largest mature book bear wearing a tan long sleeve t-shirt and solid green pants. Long story but it turned out just fine.
Depends on which pieces and what time of the year you are hunting. I'd say a lot of the early season clothes in the whitetail line would be awesome for spring bear.
Owl...Sitka EV2 is not for hiking. It is made for sitting.
Yeah, I know, kota-man. Let me be more specific, I would not drop the coin for Sitka gear for sitting. To me, the ROI for their gear is found in active hunting. The OP was a query of "worth." My answer is, "No."
People worry more about camo than critters do, bears don't care what you wear. The hoody Charlie mentioned is great but not cause it's camo, it has the face mask and is tight around the cuffs keeping the black flies from getting up your sleeves.
Mosquitos will bite right through the Fanatic hoody. Sitka is all I wear. I have killed my last three bears wearing the older early season Elevated which has a lot of green. Great stuff. In Saskatchewan last year, the first two days were in mid 70's then temp dropped to 35 for two days. Good thing I had a Fanatic vest and hoody in my pack to get me through the day.
i try to locate my stands so that hunters blend in well with the background making them harder to spot. I think it helps them get away with some movement, a reason guys get busted by big bears.
About 1/2 the pics I post go sideways on me. Like most of my elk hunting trips.
I really, really like Sitka.
That being said, don't worry too much about your camo pattern for spring bear hunting from a tree stand or ground blind. Like Rob says, assure that you are not "skylined", but also, it's better if you try to position yourself out of the arriving bear's direct line of vision. Then intently watch the bear and move absolutely only at the right time.
Moving only at the correct moments, and the bugs, and the bear's eating activity will take care of his sense of hearing. Then, if you're dealing with a wary bear, you'll have his unbelievable nose to factor in, LOL!
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the help.
This is the third year going back. Last year I had a really nice bear that fed laying on his belly facing me and looking directly at me the entire time. I have great camo for late season (Cabela's Instinct) but have tried bear hunting with just my early season whitetail mix and match stuff. I thought maybe the bear, besides their great nose, knew I was there because the camo did not blend well enough? He was obviously mature.
I am very good about remaining still, and have two thermacells (one for back-up in the pack). Can I use Ozonics in Manitoba, and would you recommend it?
Thanks again for all of your help!
Wear a dunkin donuts outfit, no need for camo..
Elite,
I think that would be illegal. If I did, and got caught, you could start another thread about it:)