Locating Mountain Black Bears

[brant89]

I went through about ten pages of this thread and did a search for "spot and stalk" and didn't come up with much regarding tips, tricks, or techniques other than just spending a lot of time on glass. I thought it would be cool to start a "knowledge dump" thread regarding spot and stalk for mountain black bears, spring and fall.

I'll kick it off with my very limited experience and hopefully a bunch of you seasoned veterans will chime in.

My experience is limited to the fall season. Areas that consistently produced bears or bear sign have been grassy basin areas adjacent to thick cover. Every bear we have spotted has been within a half mile of running water. There is one basin in particular that we have glassed numerous times as it has lush grassy areas with multiple little ponds/water holes and thick cover on the north facing slope, but we have never spotted a single bear in there, so I'm thinking they prefer running water over standing water. Aside from finding berry patches in late summer or early fall, we've also seen them frequently browsing on willows in lower areas, meandering through aspen stands, and turning over rocks on the edge of the aspen stands. Contrary to what most people tell me, we've glassed up more bears mid-morning than any other time of day, but perhaps that is due to the types of areas we are glassing.

What's your best piece of spot and stalk black bear scouting advice?

 

[Bearman375]

I kill lots in the spring, a few in the fall. Dogz told me long ago to continue to glass berry bushes even after they dried up, I guess coming out of habit? Like a bear checking a bait site that's empty. Watch the tall bushes for movement, bushes are shaking, usually something big in there. Glass the rocks too, up high. Bears eat moths in the fall and are always digging. My personal 4 biggest bears were glassed up between 11am and 3pm. Best time is after 6 pm in the spring as the thermals start dropping.
You can cold call too. Get in a good spot and wail on a varmint call. Try to emulate a dog getting hit by a car, lots of emotions involved.

 

[Plinker147]

Best advice is know your bear feed in your area at the time of year there on those feed sources. Locate the food source there on, where water is(this is key in south west) and set up where you can glass those spots. For us August/sept their on acorns, October, November they move to piñon nuts and juniper berries, and pickley pear. In years when no acorn crops they will hit prickley pears early. We can't hunt in spring so just fall food sources.

 

[BALLISTICJESUS]

Black bears are as simple as it gets.

Food = Bears.

 

[nube2.0]

I'd start with south facing slopes and not north. Most growth is going to be in the sun. Up north they clear up from snow first and green up first

 

[rharfo]

Predator call if your state allows.

 

[cutting_edge]

Just leave your ice chest outside the camper with sealed food inside and they'll find you. Ask me how I know?

 

[jamie eaton]

Im your huckleberry , how do you know ? There has got to be a funny story !

 

[sp6x6]

I favor avalanche chutes and green up in spring.But there are good bears lower as it greens up first, clear cut and low grassy closed roads, bears locking for winter kill.You just walk the roads look for scat,good for bowhunting, have wind in favor for that.Fall the bears way more spread output Huckle berry season, that will put you right in them.As other said glass high also, eve seen many on top a snowy ridge and in real cliffy areas where you would never think to look.Tracked many that would go straight down a vertical avalanche chute that you could never stand up on.If you have some big lush bottoms with the river area low country, bears follow this type terrain in spring too.

 

[brant89]

Just leave your ice chest outside the camper with sealed food inside and they'll find you. Ask me how I know?

Quads make good bait as well…

 

[HARPERC]

Spring equals long days, meaning they have to move a bit in the light. South sides will green up first. They tend to not like direct sunlight, so the shade line is usually good. Although depending on density, sub adults may avoid the big boars by mid day feeding in the open.

Of course while every one else is wearing out boot leather hang out in camp LOL!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Spring equals long days, meaning they have to move a bit in the light. South sides will green up first. They tend to not like direct sunlight, so the shade line is usually good. Although depending on density, sub adults may avoid the big boars by mid day feeding in the open.

Of course while every one else is wearing out boot leather hang out in camp LOL!View attachment 723976

Hmmmm I was told by a Canadian outfitter that bears do not eat bear meat that they toss into a dump. I guess that idea isn't universal.

 

[sp6x6]

Bears eat ANYTHING. Id tend to say they don't favor it ..

 

[cutting_edge]

Im your huckleberry , how do you know ? There has got to be a funny story !

My hunting partner and I hunt in the national forest in Colorado. We had never seen a bear, nor had we gotten one on camera in the area we hunt. Never even much bear sign. We camp in a 1965 3/4 ton Chevy with a pop up cab over. We also set up a tent for changing clothes and such. For the past few years we have camped in the same spot with no issues. We typically leave the 110 quart ice chest next to the tent with only sealed food inside.

This past fall we got back from hunting. I was filling up the generator and I noticed our ice chest tipped over. The bear was considerate, and didn't damage it, just plopped it over and took hamburger, ham... and he took my freaking pancakes. So obviously we made some immediate changes to food storage and set up cameras. The next evening when we came back from hunting he was just getting into camp and we saw him. I made some "super loud" noises and he ran off. 2 nights later he climbed the tree we had our trash tied in and we had a huge mess to clean up.

More people had been camping in the area we use the previous summer. That bear knew exactly how to open an ice chest. First year in several that I hadn't applied for a bear tag. I'll not make that mistake again.