2024 California Bear

[David Gough]

Archery season starts in thirteen days, so lets get this thread started. My hunting partner and I set cameras in late May and both had our firstborns come into our lives within a week. After surviving the newborn stage we checked cameras yesterday and the bears....aren't a big fan of our trail cameras in their home. Five of the eight cameras had been messed with by bears and two were broken. One camera was ripped in half and the bear tried chewing on the batteries.

It's looking to be a promising opener. Post your pictures, videos, stories, and questions here for the 2024 California bear season. I'll start with some screenshots of our videos.

A big bear I've been trying to catch up with for years is still alive.





Similar looking sow on the same balsamroot bush.

Different sow with just one cub.



Several bears hit this pond. The larger one is either a younger boar or older sow. Pond is now dry just like clockwork.







Last but not least, we got our first bobcat on camera during the daytime.

 

[JNDEER]

Congrats to you and your buddy … kids are great!

I believe A zone rifle opens Saturday with the rifle opener. Bears are few in the area I am in- but if I see one I have a tag.

 

[David Gough]

Congrats to you and your buddy … kids are great!

I believe A zone rifle opens Saturday with the rifle opener. Bears are few in the area I am in- but if I see one I have a tag.

True, I always forget about A zone. Most rifle tags don't start until September or October.

 

[Deer&Ducks527]

I had one rip a camera off that was held on with a python lock, snapped the plastic where it looped through.

 

[David Gough]

I had one rip a camera off that was held on with a python lock, snapped the plastic where it looped through.

The strength per pound of a bear is phenomenal.

 

[TheYukiYama]

I won’t make it out until Aug 23 to hunt and check other 3 cams but have a few from the one cell cam where there was a bit of service. Pretty excited as it’s my first year bear hunting.

That’s a good lookin bear, good luck! No pictures from July/August? Cameras too beat up or bears stop showing or just didn’t include?

 

[David Gough]

I won’t make it out until Aug 23 to hunt and check other 3 cams but have a few from the one cell cam where there was a bit of service. Pretty excited as it’s my first year bear hunting.

That’s a good lookin bear, good luck! No pictures from July/August? Cameras too beat up or bears stop showing or just didn’t include?

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Good luck! Not really any other pictures that are great. They stopped hitting the meadow. The big pond dries up in July every year. We have cameras on a spring bear the meadow and the bears ****** with them instantly. That’s where the big boar ripped a camera in half. My camera was moved three different times by bears.


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[JohnnyB]

Haven't serviced my cameras since last October so tomorrow I am heading up to change batteries and SD cards. Thanks for posting these! Congrats on the baby, best thing in life (most days).

It will probably take me a good week or so to go through my images but I hope to post some then.

 

[TheYukiYama]

Haven't serviced my cameras since last October

Do you usually leave cameras up over winter? I was trying to decide if I wanted to take them down after season or not and set them back up in spring. It takes about 22 boot miles to get them all so really considering leaving them out...

 

[JohnnyB]

Do you usually leave cameras up over winter? I was trying to decide if I wanted to take them down after season or not and set them back up in spring. It takes about 22 boot miles to get them all so really considering leaving them out...

I leave them out year round. They are usually inaccessible till late June or July. The snow pack will cover them in the winter and they wake up in the spring/summer (usually). I have had straps deteriorate and had to search the path of snow melt to find the camera.

The lithium batteries have been a game changer for me.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I’m impressed with y’all’s camera game.

 

[David Gough]

I’m impressed with y’all’s camera game.

Where I hunt water is key. They have to hit it almost daily in scorching temps.

 

[j3h8]

Congrats to you and your buddy … kids are great!

I believe A zone rifle opens Saturday with the rifle opener. Bears are few in the area I am in- but if I see one I have a tag.

Might want to check the regs for bear zones. I think most of A Zone South is closed to bear hunting except the southern end. (Map attached)

 

[Yoteassasin]

Might want to check the regs for bear zones. I think most of A Zone South is closed to bear hunting except the southern end. (Map attached)

The regs are BS on this and I hope it changes soon but where I’m at we can’t shoot bears but 5 miles north they can . FYI the dividing line is highway 128 from the coast to I-5

 

[David Gough]

Opening day of archery is tomorrow. Good luck!

 

[j3h8]

The regs are BS on this and I hope it changes soon but where I’m at we can’t shoot bears but 5 miles north they can . FYI the dividing line is highway 128 from the coast to I-5

The regs don't even make the "zone" clear. I only found this information about 2 years ago.

 

[Mata]

Archery season starts in thirteen days, so lets get this thread started. My hunting partner and I set cameras in late May and both had our firstborns come into our lives within a week. After surviving the newborn stage we checked cameras yesterday and the bears....aren't a big fan of our trail cameras in their home. Five of the eight cameras had been messed with by bears and two were broken. One camera was ripped in half and the bear tried chewing on the batteries.

It's looking to be a promising opener. Post your pictures, videos, stories, and questions here for the 2024 California bear season. I'll start with some screenshots of our videos.

A big bear I've been trying to catch up with for years is still alive.

View attachment 745504
View attachment 745505
View attachment 745506

Similar looking sow on the same balsamroot bush.View attachment 745507

Different sow with just one cub.

View attachment 745508

Several bears hit this pond. The larger one is either a younger boar or older sow. Pond is now dry just like clockwork.

View attachment 745509

View attachment 745510

View attachment 745511

Last but not least, we got our first bobcat on camera during the daytime.

View attachment 745512

Awesome, ya it looks like it’s going to be an exciting year for you guys, I’m out of commission this season but going to hit it hard next year, good luck and congrats on the baby.


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[TheYukiYama]

This camera was looking promising until a ton of cattle moved in...

 

[TheYukiYama]

Lion and bobcat were cool to see. The light colored bear was only walking on three legs (won't let me upload the video here). Wasn't using his left hind leg at all.

 

[TheYukiYama]

This camera wasn't up super long before a bear made it inoperable...