Caribou Gear

Don't overlook CA for big bear

C

crazyoldguy

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Joined
Oct 22, 2016
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5
Location
N CA
1987 Bear.jpg

A much younger me took this bear in N CA 1987. Since then I have taken a dozen more all spot and stalk (passed up many times that number). 2/3 have been over 300lbs, another pushing 500lbs and this bruin was an honest to goodness 600 pounder verified by CF&G. The CA biologist estimates conservatively there are now over 40,000 bears in CA. Some weekends one sees more bears than deer and certainly more bear than bucks. Just a thought if you were dreaming of a bear rug without leaving the country or paying for a guided hunt with hounds or bait. Contrary to some opinions when taken in late fall (the only time I harvest a bear) after feeding on acorns bear meat is excellent. All our friends, (nonhunters) expect I will host dinner every time I take a bear.
 
Impressive bear. Yeah, CA is lousy with them but I always see them when unprepared.
 
100% agree. I have been watching this same bear the last 2 seasons with 1 opportunity late last year at a shot but could not take it. I have seen the same bear this year several times but my priority was searching for bucks. Plan on heading back up mid November to go after it again. The bear has an awesome coat, blondish head and shoulders with the rest a deep chocolate.
 
Just went last week in D7 and saw plenty of sign but not one bear even calling. Earlier this season a friend of mine harvested a just over 400 lbs beast. Nice part is I still have time to get one! Going back out next week. Beautiful bear dude.
 
As someone who has never hunted in CA and all I have heard are the horror stories, I am nearly certain I'll never chase a bear there. I feel for you guys who do live there and have to have a background check for ammo now.
 
Nice bear!
Funny how folks think CA is just Dizzyland or a Rainbow coalition too...lol
Bet you have more hippies & rainbow folks per capita around the Bitteroot & Mizlou than there is around Bishop or Hanford combined...lol
Hunted there for 45 yrs.
Biggest blackbears,pigs,turkeys,blacktails I have ever seen or taken have been there, with a few muley bucks making me wonder if I was in UT or CO instead of the Sierra's.
The only place where there are the 3 remaining elk types too. Only place with Tules in the wild I know of.

I hunted them in A-zone & D7 for years. Bears that is.
Yeah some of the BS has gotten out of hand and I did move to NM 8 yrs ago. But that was planned for 50 yrs and the problems came from the tourists who never left.....
 
hank4elk said:
Nice bear!
Funny how folks think CA is just Dizzyland or a Rainbow coalition too...lol
Bet you have more hippies & rainbow folks per capita around the Bitteroot & Mizlou than there is around Bishop or Hanford combined...lol
Hunted there for 45 yrs.
Biggest blackbears,pigs,turkeys,blacktails I have ever seen or taken have been there, with a few muley bucks making me wonder if I was in UT or CO instead of the Sierra's.
The only place where there are the 3 remaining elk types too. Only place with Tules in the wild I know of.

I hunted them in A-zone & D7 for years. Bears that is.
Yeah some of the BS has gotten out of hand and I did move to NM 8 yrs ago. But that was planned for 50 yrs and the problems came from the tourists who never left.....
Click to expand...

I grew up in N. Cal. ( Yuba city) back in the late 70's and 80's when I got the big game bug. I remember as a young man seeing several bucks of the shooter type every day. I just went back to visit and just seen a couple does. Things have certainly gone downhill in N Cal.
 
This is an old thread, but I'd like to bring this topic back up. The hunt zones in the eastern Sierra Nevada (X9A, X12, and X9B) are well known for muley hunting, but our bear hunting is under rated. The bear population has grown dramatically in the last 10 years. The habitat provides for excellent spot and stalk bear hunting, hounds and bait are illegal. There are great opportunities to take bears in the frontcountry or backcountry. There are some big bears out there. Most of the bears are not black. They are brown, cinnamon, and/or blonde. A nonresident bear tag and hunting license is under $500. Shoot me a message if anyone wants more info. I study these bears for a living and our region could use some population management. I'll point you in the right direction and maybe even find time to help you pack out.
 
I'm amazed that NV guys put in now and wait a lifetime for an opportunity for something I could put them on almost daily. Many CA guys like me spend $500 a year just building points in other states and I'm not rich... so many opportunities here for black bear.
 
TheHunterBiologist said:
This is an old thread, but I'd like to bring this topic back up. The hunt zones in the eastern Sierra Nevada (X9A, X12, and X9B) are well known for muley hunting, but our bear hunting is under rated. The bear population has grown dramatically in the last 10 years. The habitat provides for excellent spot and stalk bear hunting, hounds and bait are illegal. There are great opportunities to take bears in the frontcountry or backcountry. There are some big bears out there. Most of the bears are not black. They are brown, cinnamon, and/or blonde. A nonresident bear tag and hunting license is under $500. Shoot me a message if anyone wants more info. I study these bears for a living and our region could use some population management. I'll point you in the right direction and maybe even find time to help you pack out.
Click to expand...

I hunted one of the units you mentioned above in 2012 and saw a huge black American black bear. At first I thought that it was one of the range cattle that are in the area. Nope! I have enough points to have a 60% chance of drawing it again this year and hope to. Would love some bear information. Before seeing that animal I never had an interest in bear, but that coupled with a field biologist strongly encouraging me to take bear in the area due to the population density has changed my mind.
 
I was camping up by Tahoe Donner subdivision last summer and seen a big black bear crossing the road in the dark, and my first thought was who would let a shaggy donkey run free up here. Then I seen the rear paws. I bet it was 500 or so. I seen more bears up in that area, than NW Montana.
 
I know CA has a well deserved reputation regarding hunting but there are plenty of opportunities, particularly with black bears. We also have not hit our annual quota since dogs were banned. If anyone is interested in hunting black bears, please consider CA. The state needs you and I will immediately pass along quality information!
 
California does produce some very large black bears. For nonresident bear hunters it may very well offer the best and most economical opportunity to take an oversized or possibly record book black bear. Unfortunately, most California bears don't attain very large or record book size , there is no spring season and the license fees are not as competitive as Idaho with its' liberal two bear limits and reduced black bear tag fees. If California was sincerely interested in attracting nonresident bear hunters to the Golden State it will need to adopt a more progressive and competitive approach which would probably mean a more liberal bag limit, reduced priced nonresident tag fees and possibly a spring bear season.
 
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