Best Books for Bear

[madtinker]

I’m considering a DIY bear hunt for this fall. Does anyone have a favorite book on bear and/or cougar hunting? They are some of the few OTC hunts in my state and I’ve heard the meat is tasty.

 

[Grape]

Whereabouts? If in the PNW there is a book by Douglas Boze called "The ultimate guide to black bear hunting". It's not a literary masterpiece by any measure but rather a book by a regular bear hunter. It is a good compilation of basic bear hunting tactics and general black bear behavior. He mainly focuses on tactics specific to western Washington but also touches on other useful tactics for hunting bear anywhere.

 

[madtinker]

Whereabouts? If in the PNW there is a book by Douglas Boze called "The ultimate guide to black bear hunting". It's not a literary masterpiece by any measure but rather a book by a regular bear hunter. It is a good compilation of basic bear hunting tactics and general black bear behavior. He mainly focuses on tactics specific to western Washington but also touches on other useful tactics for hunting bear anywhere.

I’m in New Mexico, so still the west, but much drier than Washington. I’ve seen both black and brown bears on my trail cameras, but maybe that book is close enough to get me started.

 

[bhw2d]

Hunting American Bears by Frank Hibben covers some hound hunting in NM. It's very entertaining and there's some useful information about finding bears in that country. There are probably a dozen books on hound hunting for bear and cougar in New Mexico.

A Shadow in the Forest: Idaho's Black Bear by Beecham and Rohlman is written by bear biologists and has pretty good information about western bears that may be useful.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

A Shadow in the Forest: Idaho's Black Bear by Beecham and Rohlman is written by bear biologists and has pretty good information about western bears that may be useful.

Came here to recommend this book. I think its quite a bit beyond "pretty good". Ive actually bought a couple extra copies for friends that are interested in bear hunting. Granted, idaho panhandle bears probably have a bit different circumstances than southwestern bears, but still a very good book with a ton of info. Not a "how to hunt bears" book, but if you read it and absorb it, itll be a big help in figuring out bears in general.

 

[madtinker]

Hunting American Bears by Frank Hibben covers some hound hunting in NM. It's very entertaining and there's some useful information about finding bears in that country. There are probably a dozen books on hound hunting for bear and cougar in New Mexico.

A Shadow in the Forest: Idaho's Black Bear by Beecham and Rohlman is written by bear biologists and has pretty good information about western bears that may be useful.

Don’t have a dog, and my friend who does says his dog is “scared of ducks” so hounds probably aren’t an option. Is there info on other methods?

 

[6mm Remington]

I've eaten both mountain lion, black bear, and grizzly bear and I liked them all. The steaks we rolled in flour and friend in butter on my Alaska Brooks Range grizzly bear hunt was delicious!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m in New Mexico, so still the west, but much drier than Washington. I’ve seen both black and brown bears on my trail cameras, but maybe that book is close enough to get me started.

You've seen brown bears in New Mexico?

 

[madtinker]

You've seen brown bears in New Mexico?

They’re colored brown. Could be a light color black bear. Let me go dig out my trail cam pics…

 

[thinhorn_AK]

They’re colored brown. Could be a light color black bear. Let me go dig out my trail cam pics…

There was a guy here a few years ago who said he saw a Mexican grizzly in NM, thats why I was asking.

 

[ledflight]

I love this book:

Tracking the American Black Bear

Check out the deal on Tracking the American Black Bear at 3Rivers Archery Supply

www.3riversarchery.com

 

[Grape]

They’re colored brown. Could be a light color black bear. Let me go dig out my trail cam pics…

That's a nice looking color phase black bear. Maybe you could reposition the camera down a bit and be able to identify the sex. Being able to see the muzzle and relative leg length to body size usually helps. Bear move around a lot, try to find where the bear show up on your trailcams during the hunting season dates. Where I chase bear, I tend to not get the same bear on a trailcam for more than a couple months at a time before they move up/down the mountain.

 

[bhw2d]

Education of a Bear Hunter by Ralph Flowers is good too. He was a professional hunter and killed bears for the timber companies in Washington. There is a lot of information about bear hunting solo, with hounds and even trapping. It's a good read and usually easy to find used.