Colorado fall bear feed sources

[Deucebump]

Thinking of getting a Sept rifle bear tag to go with some buddies that will be archery hunting elk. Not sure where we are headed yet, but will be somewhere in the high country. What are bears typically feeding on this time year in 9-11000 ft range? Ive hunted high country bears in the spring and know to follow the fresh green/snow line or look for elk calving areas, but this is a first in the fall for me. Been reading on calling and dont have much faith in it for fall bears so mainly want to focus on food sources. Thanks in advance!

 

[Poser]

Scrub oak is all that matters. Unfortunately, it’s max elevation is around 9500 feet or so. 6,000-9000 feet is where you should be concentrating.

It’s really hard to find glassing spots where you can actually see anything in scrub oak, but having a water source nearby can be super key.

 

[Deucebump]

I was thinking about the oak brush as a good source, and will def be looking for it through glass if I can see low enough. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Wild Arrow]

I second what Poser said. Bears are obviously trying to fatten up and typically the best elevations for their feed are in the 6K to 8K ranges. However I have seen bears all the way up to 11K so you never really know. If the group does get an elk down I would for sure sit over that carcass for a few hunts though. Good Luck!

 

[Deucebump]

Man if they kill an elk, Ill be living over that carcass! But im not holding my breath for that. One thing I find interesting is when using the Gohunt spring and fall bear overlays for the unit we are going to, both spring and fall are almost identical and the entire range is almost all over 9k. But on a positive note the entire region we are hunting is solid covered fall range. So time will tell if I can turn up a bear.

 

[MountainMan83]

Where I hunt black bear in CO, there is no oak brush. They mostly feed on rose hips and raspberries. You can see all the tiny seeds from the rose hips in their scat.

 

[Deucebump]

Thanks

 

[cogill]

What would be the advice to bow hunt Fall bears? I am assuming glass oak brush?

 

[CoHiCntry]

What would be the advice to bow hunt Fall bears? I am assuming glass oak brush?

Spot & stalk on moving black bears would be pretty difficult. Sitting water or food source would probably be your best bet.

 

[Cootshootinboogie]

Where I hunt black bear in CO, there is no oak brush. They mostly feed on rose hips and raspberries. You can see all the tiny seeds from the rose hips in their scat.

Same here.

 

[Mtnmilsurp]

Find out where all the archery wounded elk run off to die. That's where I've found bears in September in Colorado

 

[Deucebump]

Find out where all the archery wounded elk run off to die. That's where I've found bears in September in Colorado

Hate to laugh at that response cas as funny as it is, I know its true! I will definitely be keeping an eye open for any kind of carcuss.

 

[CoMtnMike]

Well I just got back from opening weekend with OTC elk and archery bear (wider summit county zone if that matters - not much oak brush that I know of). Oddly, the mountain side covered in mostly ripe raspberries where I got my first bear I couldnt find one bear sign (or elk either) - cant understand why they werent there, but it is high 10-11K and deadfall is terrible. I found bear scat in an odd area though - second growth that had been clear cut - found prints in several spots too (this area is a fall concentration zone according to CPW maps, but the berry area isnt). The scat seemed to have no seeds in it, but candy wrappers, pine needles and pine cone... do they eat pine cones for seeds or did that stuff get pulled in by accident with the trash? what would they be eating in there, no oak of berries I could find.
My first bear was a bit of an accident (eating same berries as me while I was archery elk hunting), the second was sitting a carcass (rifle), but they were so tasty I really want to learn to hunt them for real, so happy for advice too!
One Idea I have would be to sit an area with multiple campgrounds near by and look for them cruising by, but would prefer more wild scenario, just unclear the prime diet in the pine/aspen forests...

 

[dtrkyman]

Acorns, rose hips and berries close to permanent water source.

 

[CoMtnMike]

well water isnt an issue this year in that area, just about every drainage had enough water flow for me to filter from if needed. I guess just sit that raspberry area (had rose hips too) and eventually something will show up.. not really glassable and stalking very far would be hard with so much blow down... damn noisy stuff

 

[Orionthehunter2]

Here is my daughter's big boar from yesterday in the oak brush around 7,000 feet. I shot one opening day around the same elevation over a pond. Bears are hammering acorns and chokecherries right now.

 

[Deucebump]

Great looking bear! Congrats to both of you.

 

[Bluumoon]

Acorns don't seem to be ripe in my area, well at least where I went today.... Took a saunter around 8k and it was a pretty light mast crop and most were still green. Next week I'll actually have some time to get in the woods.

 

[Orionthehunter2]

It's been hit or miss but the two pockets we hit where the acorns were brown and quite a few were already falling there were bears. Chokecherries have also been getting hit pretty heavy.

 

[BearIsBest]

In the area in CO where I hunt, most of the terrain is above 8000ft. I have seen a few patchy oak shrubs, but they are normally barren of acorns in my experience. My go-to is choke cherry - but again, at that altitude, its very dependent on the weather in the spring. If there is a late frost, like in 2022, those choke cherries will be barren. During a good berry year like 2021, the choke cherries looked like grape vines and I saw several bears hitting the same patch.

Sometimes when glassing those patches, the first thing you will see is their paws - I have seen a few bears laying on their backs on an incline, reaching up to grab choke-cherry branches.