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Big woods bears- food sources?

Planning a hunt for bear in the fall and due to logistics won’t be baiting. I’ve been told the best strategy is to locate and focus on food sources.

While scouting, either physically or Google Earth/maps etc, what’s the best way to ID food sources/locations?? Thanks in advance, Mike

I would look for beech and acorns. I hunt big woods in upstate PA for deer. Whenever we have a strong mast crop the bears are concentrated in those areas. If those foods sources are available where you are hunting that’s where I’d be.

Thanks, yes this is a fall hunt in NY

Hopefully the logistical reason you won't be baiting in NY is that it is illegal. I've had some success with NY bears. Will you be hunting the early bear season or the regular season? The food sources change pretty dramatically between the two, and even over the course of the seasons.

Find beech nuts, you will find bear up here. No oaks here. They love mountain ash too. A bear and deer will desert an orchard if there is a good beechnut crop. I had a bait set up for a guy and we had a good mountain ash crop. I had the hunter sit overlooking the mountain ash. He shot a nice bearthat bear never touched the bait. Have a good wild blueberry or blackberry crop and bear go nuts. If there is a good beechnut crop, I too go nuts, I love them. I was on my hands and knees gathering them years ago when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was a young bear doing what I was doing. We were 100 feet from each other and kept on gathering and eating. I have seen as many as 3 bear up in the tops of beeches at one time. Every big beech on my land is scarred from bears climbing.

Overland, yes there’s that and I also don’t have the time or resources to maintain a bait site.

Thanks again for all the responses. Lots of great info!

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