Spot and Stalk Bears

[sreekers]

Teach me all that you know about spot and stalk bear hunting in the spring. I have never done it before, but I know a lot of you have.

1. What type of terrain do I look for?
2. Vegetation?
3. Elevations?

 

[Gerald Martin]

1.Remote, open hillsides. Grass grows quickest around cliffs and rocks that retain the warmth of the sun's rays.
2. Grass, primarily and other green vegetation.
3. Follow the snowline. The newest green patches below snowline,(within 200-300') seem to be most attractive.
4. The edges of closed logging roads that have been reseeded can be productive.
5. Glass and glass and glass.
6. Evenings are best.

 

[chuckyd313]

This could be a helpful thread i plan on doing some S and S in the fall here in Az.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Chucky, fall and spring seasons are a completely different game. Bears are not feeding on grass in the fall.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

everything as noted in gerald martins post,,,also look for purple flower patches that are wild onions that they really like,also skunk cabbage meadows once the yellow center blooms,,,generally snow line to 1000 feet below snow line,the bears will follow the snow up in the spring,,nice days make them more active also.watch your wind,they will get out if they smell ya,good luck.

 

[Gerald Martin]

More in depth information can be found by reading this...


http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=254075

 

[Goldtip]

I have always seemed to do well right after an afternoon rain. Seems the bears of both types seem to just come out of the woodwork, 10-15 minutes after an afternoon rain. And all the rest of Geralds advice. Also dandelions, find an old reseeded logging road with dandelions sprouting up, and there will be an inordinate amount of sign on that road. Stalk very slowly up the road and keep eyes peeled.

 

[chuckyd313]

.

Chucky, fall and spring seasons are a completely different game. Bears are not feeding on grass in the fall.

Well then im going to need a plan B. The few ive seen were always by accident. Thats not a good plan HAHA.

 

[sreekers]

I have read all of the things about grass before, good confirmation, thanks guys.

Where I am going to be hunting should provide a lot of area with receding snow line and new grass.

What type of cover should I look for them around?

 

[Gerald Martin]

chucky13- In the fall bears will be concentrating on nuts and berries primarily. If it is hot they may tend to be more nocturnal than in the spring. I don't know what kind of food sources you have there in AZ, in Virginia the bears loved white oak acorns, here in Montana they eat mostly berries untl they are all gone. Find the food sources, your biologists should be able to tell you what they concentrate on in the fall.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Sreekers, I don't think bears are structure or land profile orientated like whitetails are. In the spring they will be keying into the grass in areas where they are not often disturbed. They do not travel far until the breeding season hits in late May and early June. Then you will often see boars covering a lot of ground looking for females.
I like to find an open ridge or clearcut that butts up against several ridges of dark timber. Here in NW Montana, dark timber dominates the terrain. When you find an open ridge with grass, it tends to concentrate the bears. I don't know what the terrain is like in WY where you are hunting. If it is all grassy and sparsely timbered it may be as simple as finding the best grass in places like avalanche chutes. One advantage to hunting open country is that bears can be seen from a looong ways away.
If you see a bear in an area one evening, odds are that he'll be there the next evening as well.

 

[sbhooper]

This could be a helpful thread i plan on doing some S and S in the fall here in Az.

Seriously consider using a predator call in the fall. The bears also work the areas where prickly pear meet the timber areas. If you know anyone in the Meza Varmint Callers, they can probably give you some good tips, I went to a seminar put on by one of their founders years ago and it was fantastic. I never had the opportunity to try the tips out while I lived there, though.

 

[sreekers]

Sreekers, I don't think bears are structure or land profile orientated like whitetails are. In the spring they will be keying into the grass in areas where they are not often disturbed. They do not travel far until the breeding season hits in late May and early June. Then you will often see boars covering a lot of ground looking for females.
I like to find an open ridge or clearcut that butts up against several ridges of dark timber. Here in NW Montana, dark timber dominates the terrain. When you find an open ridge with grass, it tends to concentrate the bears. I don't know what the terrain is like in WY where you are hunting. If it is all grassy and sparsely timbered it may be as simple as finding the best grass in places like avalanche chutes. One advantage to hunting open country is that bears can be seen from a looong ways away.
If you see a bear in an area one evening, odds are that he'll be there the next evening as well.

My plan is subalpine area, looks very similar to pictures in the other thread. Thanks Gerald!

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Or you could just throw the left over Crispy Cremes out ......