Yes it is "boots on ground," and, terrain is critical. Every hill or mountain has a north, south, east, and west slope. And in any given area there are multitudes of food sources, but you could spend the entire season searching every mountain slope , or food source in any given area, and never sight a bear. The solution for most bear hunters, especially inexperienced bear hunters is the "more is better approach" or spot, and stalk. The "reasoning" is "cover enough ground, and you increase your chances for success." But bears live in forested, mountainous terrain, and prefer the safety, and cover of forested areas, not open slopes. Searching for them with a spot, and stalk method is overwhelmingly ineffective. The success rate in Montana, and Idaho ( if you exclude baiters, and hound hunters) is about 5%, which clearly confirms it. The spot, and stalk method will give you an overwhelming probability of about 95% of not filling your tag or even seeing a black bear for that matter. Those who do sight bears by this method are familiar with the terrain they hunt, and/or get lucky. It is to your benefit to focus your attention, and efforts on areas that bears frequent such as streams, creeks, rivers, swamps, and lakeshores as well. Bears use water courses as travel corridors, for water as well, and for food sources found in, and around them. Bears are always found close to water, and frequently bed down close to such areas. Water courses are necessities for black bears which are far less common, and substantially easier to locate. Hunting spring bears in late afternoon, and evening when they're most active in the spring, will dramatically increase your chances for success. Your best approach is to seek bears in their home territory, the types of terrain that they frequent daily or almost daily. Your spring black bear hunting should be focused on hunting black bears in close proximity to water during late afternoon, and evening hours, if you wish to dramatically increase your chances or probabilities for success......
