First Time South Carolina Black Bear

[ethanbillingsley]

I've hunted my whole life and have been blessed by the Lord to harvest some great animals. The next on my target list is a black bear. Particularly in eastern South Carolina where I live. However, I've yet to meet anyone near the area that has ever killed one much less hunted for them. I have both bow and rifle for harvesting, extensive camouflage and tree stand options. However, I know there are probably some things that don't translate from whitetail hunting. I've done some research on feeding habits and normal travel corridors. Is there anything y'all have learned that would have benefited you more in the beginning? Any piece of you'd never leave without for a bear hunt? Specific signs to look for or easy identification items of potential bear size? The timeline for our area is mid-October and I'd like to have a better idea of what to scout for before season. I figured if there was a place to find bear hunters from the area it would be on here. Appreciate the help gentlemen!

 

[wildwilderness]

Run Dogs or Bait if legal- those are only ways I have seen have a modicum of success. I doubt glassing and spot and stalk would work back East.

 

[Pilsner]

Clay Newcomb's OLD Bear Hunting Magazine podcast. Episode titled Sheep Hunt of the South. It's mostly about the Ozarks but should translate well to the Appalachian mtns too. *This is NOT his current Bear Grease podcast!*
He has several other great episodes that we make clients listen to before they come bear hunting with us.
Dummies guide to field judging black bears is another must-listen episode. Another one is about shot placement - it ain't the same as an ungulate.
Kolby Morehead - the current owner of Bear Hunting Magazine - has been on several podcasts discussing chasing bears back East and there are sure to be several articles about it in his magazine.

 

[bigbassfish]

Never hunted let alone set foot in SC but I successfully harvested a decent boar on public land in Arkansas a few years ago.

Just some things that immediately come to mind, spend lots of time scouting looking for bear sign, they don't pattern like deer do so find an area with the highest density of sign is key. Find the food and you'll find the bears, it sounds cliche, but the areas we find bear consistently, are always near muscadines or other soft mast. Spend as much time as you can sitting silently in the woods, I always tend to bump bears mid day when I'm least expecting it. Use terrain features to improve your likely hood of a close encounter. Check every power pole you come across, can be an easy indication if there is anything in the area when you see them freshly chewed and full of hair.

 

[ethanbillingsley]

Clay Newcomb's OLD Bear Hunting Magazine podcast. Episode titled Sheep Hunt of the South. It's mostly about the Ozarks but should translate well to the Appalachian mtns too. *This is NOT his current Bear Grease podcast!*
He has several other great episodes that we make clients listen to before they come bear hunting with us.
Dummies guide to field judging black bears is another must-listen episode. Another one is about shot placement - it ain't the same as an ungulate.
Kolby Morehead - the current owner of Bear Hunting Magazine - has been on several podcasts discussing chasing bears back East and there are sure to be several articles about it in his magazine.

Awesome! I will definitely have to look into all of these! Thanks!

 

[ethanbillingsley]

Never hunted let alone set foot in SC but I successfully harvested a decent boar on public land in Arkansas a few years ago.

Just some things that immediately come to mind, spend lots of time scouting looking for bear sign, they don't pattern like deer do so find an area with the highest density of sign is key. Find the food and you'll find the bears, it sounds cliche, but the areas we find bear consistently, are always near muscadines or other soft mast. Spend as much time as you can sitting silently in the woods, I always tend to bump bears mid day when I'm least expecting it. Use terrain features to improve your likely hood of a close encounter. Check every power pole you come across, can be an easy indication if there is anything in the area when you see them freshly chewed and full of hair.

I would never have considered bumping a bear mid day! I also will have to check out the power poles!

 

[Pilsner]

Never hunted let alone set foot in SC but I successfully harvested a decent boar on public land in Arkansas a few years ago.

Just some things that immediately come to mind, spend lots of time scouting looking for bear sign, they don't pattern like deer do so find an area with the highest density of sign is key. Find the food and you'll find the bears, it sounds cliche, but the areas we find bear consistently, are always near muscadines or other soft mast. Spend as much time as you can sitting silently in the woods, I always tend to bump bears mid day when I'm least expecting it. Use terrain features to improve your likely hood of a close encounter. Check every power pole you come across, can be an easy indication if there is anything in the area when you see them freshly chewed and full of hair.

I'm also in NW Arkansas. BigBassFish is spot on. Food, food, food. Find the combo of FRESH sign near food and you will eventually find bears. Bears even more so than deer will change food sources by the day and what seems like by the hour sometimes as new mast crops ripen and fall. Also, check water especially in dry years. Bears seem to prefer drinking out of a crack in the rock or a mud puddle more than going to big lakes or rivers. At least around here. Never understood why - more privacy perhaps? They tend to be reclusive critters when they aren't acting like 300# raccoons in your trash can.

 

[bigbassfish]

Yep, when i shot my bear, it was within 200 yard of an area I had seen the freshest sign the past day or two. When they're hitting the berries hard, their scat looks like piles of fruit smoothie, almost even has a sweet smell to it when its fresh. Peanut butter would be acorns. I had sat down to settle in for one final evening sit, and he came wandering down the draw maybe 20 minutes later around 4pm. I think they can be less spooky than deer in some instances, no way he didn't smell me as it was 85+ degrees and I was actually waiting for the wind to shift expecting him to come the other way. Almost seemed to me that his curiosity is what made him mosey over.