Brainstorming our first black bear hunt

[swede8200]

Trying to plan our first bear hunt. I've been reading through the bear forum on here and ending up with more questions than answers. I have hunted elk in southern Colorado a handful of times and have never seen bears or sign. Obviously there are better areas in Colorado for bears than that area and I have been looking in to other parts of the state, possibly northern to northwest part of the state. Colorado is attractive because it is a lot closer.
That being said, we are looking at Idaho due to possibility to bait. This is where I start running in to questions. It seems there is conflicting opinions about how long a bait needs to be in place before it really starts working. Is baiting a waste of time and effort for a 5-7 day hunt? What is the "on the ground" opinion of the ratio of black bears to grizzlies in the central to northern parts of Idaho? That alone could deter us from messing with bait. If that is the case then I will start focusing on glassing and logging roads. Thanks

 

[timberjack86]

I'm looking at Idaho with an outfitter. Currently talking with several.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

So you currently have little to no confidence in being able to find bear in CO but yet have enough confidence to find a viable bait site in ID?

Strongly recommend researching what is actually involved in legally and effectively baiting for bear.

Comes down to where and how you want to hunt bear. You can invest your time and energy in learning to bait bear. This strategy will work where baiting is legal but doesn't necessarily carry over well to places you cannot bait. You can invest your time and energy in learning to hunt bear without baiting. This strategy will work where bear hunting in legal including places where you can bait.

 

[TaperPin]

For a first spring bear hunt I‘d say Colorado isn’t a bad choice. You may have never seen a bear in the summer or fall, but spring is a different time. There also aren’t a lot of people out and about other than on major hiking trails. In many areas bears are out traveling around for food - sometimes as many go up a game trail as down, or cross a clear cut left or right, and there are a lot of opportunities to glass.

Baiting sounds fun, until the logistics of setting it up, keeping it stocked well enough to keep bears coming back and the hassle of cleaning it up afterward sinks in. Pack stock makes setting back country baits much more doable. That’s probably a better option after getting to know an area where it helps more than it hurts, but many of us have to do it once to get it out of our system. Lol

For instance, there is a heavily wooded brushy drainage that always has bear and we bump into one about every 4 trips up a certain game trail. A bait in a small opening near this trail, easily accessible from down wind to a shooting position 100-200 yards away makes sense. A number of baits in different drainages that also have good bear populations increases odds of having one that’s active when the season opens. Any other random drainage and random clearing is not an effective use of time unless you live nearby and have a lot of time.

If your heart is set on baiting, do it, but research areas and techniques, or all you’ll be doing is fattening up local coyotes.

Bears are driven by their stomachs, so learn what is available in the spring. Seek ing out biologists, game wardens or researchers can produce some useful information since they aren’t over run with spring hunters as they are in the fall. Bears are like any animal - go to where bears are normally found and stay away from bearless areas - don’t try to catch fish in a bathtub just because it‘s full of water.

 

[stanginthe11s]

baiting is usually thought of as a pile of food, but it can be many things. research densities for the areas you want to hunt and find the habitat that typically holds bear. learn about honey burns and eat a good breakfast in the woods (maple bacon) and the bear will find you pretty quickly if their around.

 

[DenimChicken]

If you're baiting, plan on sitting the bait all day. I have limited experience baiting, but found the bears were very specific about when they were coming in, and would be in and out quickly.

 

[swede8200]

So you currently have little to no confidence in being able to find bear in CO but yet have enough confidence to find a viable bait site in ID?

Strongly recommend researching what is actually involved in legally and effectively baiting for bear.

Comes down to where and how you want to hunt bear. You can invest your time and energy in learning to bait bear. This strategy will work where baiting is legal but doesn't necessarily carry over well to places you cannot bait. You can invest your time and energy in learning to hunt bear without baiting. This strategy will work where bear hunting in legal including places where you can bait.

I think your reading in to my post a bit much and getting off in to the weeds...I don't know as I have never done a bear hunt anywhere before. I have no confidence in the areas I'm familiar with in Colorado and I have read about the laws of baiting in Idaho. I am fully aware that there is no baiting in Colorado. I'm also aware that both methods are effective given the right location and the appropriate amount of time. I don't have a ton of time due to work and I'm trying to learn what to look for so I can narrow down a few locations. I have been doing all the internet research I can with regards to how and where to bait bears. None of these are my questions. I'm trying to work out the conflicting opinions on which method would be most effective for the amount of time I have to try to make this a reality. Both might be a complete waste of time for a guy from Kansas that is trying to figure it out with a little help from the guys that know.

 

[swede8200]

I'm looking at Idaho with an outfitter. Currently talking with several.

We have been looking into a guided hunt as a possible backup.

 

[swede8200]

For a first spring bear hunt I‘d say Colorado isn’t a bad choice. You may have never seen a bear in the summer or fall, but spring is a different time. There also aren’t a lot of people out and about other than on major hiking trails. In many areas bears are out traveling around for food - sometimes as many go up a game trail as down, or cross a clear cut left or right, and there are a lot of opportunities to glass.

Baiting sounds fun, until the logistics of setting it up, keeping it stocked well enough to keep bears coming back and the hassle of cleaning it up afterward sinks in. Pack stock makes setting back country baits much more doable. That’s probably a better option after getting to know an area where it helps more than it hurts, but many of us have to do it once to get it out of our system. Lol

For instance, there is a heavily wooded brushy drainage that always has bear and we bump into one about every 4 trips up a certain game trail. A bait in a small opening near this trail, easily accessible from down wind to a shooting position 100-200 yards away makes sense. A number of baits in different drainages that also have good bear populations increases odds of having one that’s active when the season opens. Any other random drainage and random clearing is not an effective use of time unless you live nearby and have a lot of time.

If your heart is set on baiting, do it, but research areas and techniques, or all you’ll be doing is fattening up local coyotes.

Bears are driven by their stomachs, so learn what is available in the spring. Seek ing out biologists, game wardens or researchers can produce some useful information since they aren’t over run with spring hunters as they are in the fall. Bears are like any animal - go to where bears are normally found and stay away from bearless areas - don’t try to catch fish in a bathtub just because it‘s full of water.

Thank you very much! This is the kind of advice/pep talk I am looking for. We've been talking about the logistics of trying to set up a bait and maintain it. Your comment about fattening up the coyotes makes a ton of sense especially since we don't know enough to be dangerous. You've got me thinking that going into an area cold and trying to find a decent bait sight in a weeks time is probably a pretty tall order. Thanks again, you've given me more to think on.

 

[colby12]

Are you thinking next spring or this fall for this?

 

[swede8200]

baiting is usually thought of as a pile of food, but it can be many things. research densities for the areas you want to hunt and find the habitat that typically holds bear. learn about honey burns and eat a good breakfast in the woods (maple bacon) and the bear will find you pretty quickly if their around.

I have been reading up on different types of baits and why. I think IF we do a bait hunt then we will use trail mix with and attractant and probably do a quick bacon and marshmallow burn. I've been scouring books, magazine articles, and forums on how and where to bait but I know from other hunts that it all looks good until you get boots on the ground and nothing looks like it did on google maps. Thanks you!

 

[swede8200]

Are you thinking next spring or this fall for this?

We are leaning pretty hard on next spring.

 

[swede8200]

If you're baiting, plan on sitting the bait all day. I have limited experience baiting, but found the bears were very specific about when they were coming in, and would be in and out quickly.

This is good information. I thought it was pretty much a late afternoon/evening hunt. I have noticed that several of the outfitter websites talk about only hunting in the evenings. I assumed they are hunting peak travel times and the thought is the bears are holed up in the heat of the day and they are afraid of bumping them in the mornings. I suppose if the bears are hungry then they'll be moving all day. Thank you!

 

[colby12]

We are leaning pretty hard on next spring.

I could be wrong if they changed something recently but Colorado isn’t an option for spring, or it wasn’t in the recent past. I’ve never hunted bait but I don’t really like sitting in a stand or blind, or anything like that. I’ll sit for hours glassing over large areas, not sure why it’s different but I find that it is. I’ve hunted Colorado successfully in the fall and it turned into sitting water and waiting. Spring in Montana and Alaska spot and stalk were much more enjoyable. Idaho is on the list as well. If it were me I’d look for areas you can glass and hunt that way. Leaves you some more flexibility than being tied to a bait station and going all in on that.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

There is no spring bear hunting in CO

 

[swede8200]

I could be wrong if they changed something recently but Colorado isn’t an option for spring, or it wasn’t in the recent past. I’ve never hunted bait but I don’t really like sitting in a stand or blind, or anything like that. I’ll sit for hours glassing over large areas, not sure why it’s different but I find that it is. I’ve hunted Colorado successfully in the fall and it turned into sitting water and waiting. Spring in Montana and Alaska spot and stalk were much more enjoyable. Idaho is on the list as well. If it were me I’d look for areas you can glass and hunt that way. Leaves you some more flexibility than being tied to a bait station and going all in on that.

You are correct on Colorado having no spring season. Idaho has been at the forefront of our conversation, partly due to tag cost, but after reading some of the advice tonight that might change. I totally agree with the sitting in a stand vs glassing from a mountain side. Being from Kansas we are obviously deer hunters and I've never enjoyed stand hunting but it is what it is in our neck of the woods. Montana isn't completely off the radar. A coworker has hunted in Montana and gave me the run down on their spot but out of 5 guys only 1 tagged a bear. That was a hand full of years back and I'm not sure on how much fluctuation there is in bear populations year to year. It's a strong plan B. Alaska would be ideal but the logistics and cost have us looking closer to home. Having hunted Colorado for bears, was it pretty busy with other hunters; do you hunt bears in the same type of areas where the deer and elk hunters are? Our last hunt in Colorado was so busy with other hunters that we ended up calling it quits a day early. We could change locations because my wife had drawn her tag for that unit. Thank you!

 

[Pdzoller]

Forget bait. Learn food sources and be patient. Nature supplies everything you need to find bears. Can’t tell you much about Colorado or Idaho but I too had trouble finding bears at first. I researched, listened and learned a few tricks of my own. Not saying I kill giants but I don’t have trouble finding them anymore.

 

[Poser]

Most Colorado “bear hunters” are just doing add on tags for opportunistic bear kills while hunting elk or deer. In terms of specifically targeting bear, you don’t really perceive pressure from elk hunters unless you are going to popular trailheads in romanticized elk country. Sept bear hunting is the most predictable time of year with the most readily identifiable primary foodsource. You do still have to put in time, lots of time, but it’s a great time to hunt.

 

[swede8200]

Most Colorado “bear hunters” are just doing add on tags for opportunistic bear kills while hunting elk or deer. In terms of specifically targeting bear, you don’t really perceive pressure from elk hunters unless you are going to popular trailheads in romanticized elk country. Sept bear hunting is the most predictable time of year with the most readily identifiable primary foodsource. You do still have to put in time, lots of time, but it’s a great time to hunt.

I've kind of understood that buying the add on bear tag is something a lot of the locals do. Of the handful of times I've hunted elk in Colorado I've never talked to a dedicated bear hunter there, not that I've talked to a LOT of hunters but I know a few of the old timers from that area pretty well and they never talked about hunting bears or knowing anyone that does. I've read about the natural food sources but need to study up more on it. Thank you!

 

[TaperPin]

Thank you very much! This is the kind of advice/pep talk I am looking for. We've been talking about the logistics of trying to set up a bait and maintain it. Your comment about fattening up the coyotes makes a ton of sense especially since we don't know enough to be dangerous. You've got me thinking that going into an area cold and trying to find a decent bait sight in a weeks time is probably a pretty tall order. Thanks again, you've given me more to think on.

I knew less than you do, talked some friends into buying bear tags our senior year in high school, a first for all of us, and a mile from the trailhead a bear stepped out of the trees and stared at us long enough for a shot at 200 yards, but we were so excited and surprised by the time we saw him in our scopes he took off. One of the guys had an automatic response of yelling at the top his lungs, “Holy sht there‘s a bear!” Lol