Hunting deer in bear country

[blacktailcentral]

Hello fellow roksliders,
I hunt an area with good deer populations, as well as many bears that live in the same country. They are black bears, but still a predator. How do y'all handle hunting in these areas, is there anything i can do to push these bears out of this area? FYI there is no legal bear hunting in this region

 

[EdP]

I think not. Just focus on getting your deer and don't worry so much about the bears unless you are backpack hunting.

 

[blacktailcentral]

I think not. Just focus on getting your deer and don't worry so much about the bears unless you are backpack hunting.

I will be backpacking in this country, imo its the best way to be at the glassing knobs at prime time

 

[7RemMag]

I will be backpacking in this country, imo its the best way to be at the glassing knobs at prime time

I'm assuming you're coming from the angle of being a little bit "scared" of bears and issues that could arise as a result? Just be sensible, and you shouldn't have problems. If you're hunting with a firearm, and need to defend yourself, do so.

Beings you're in California; I wouldn't bet that you should have much trouble. Black bears are generally pretty nonconfrontational. Don't walk through the woods with bacon scented cologne and you should be fine.

 

[blacktailcentral]

I'm assuming you're coming from the angle of being a little bit "scared" of bears and issues that could arise as a result? Just be sensible, and you shouldn't have problems. If you're hunting with a firearm, and need to defend yourself, do so.

Beings you're in California; I wouldn't bet that you should have much trouble. Black bears are generally pretty nonconfrontational. Don't walk through the woods with bacon scented cologne and you should be fine.

Yeah definitely a bit cautious with bears, i have been charged by a black bear before, and know there is a sow with a cub that is 300+ pounds. Also i hunt solo 99.9% of the time, in very remote areas.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I would not worry about it.

While hunting black bear I regularly see whitetail and in some places I hunt whitetail I regularly see black bear.

 

[Robobiss]

I have hunted, fished, camped, and lived, in bigtime blackbear country my entire life and have close to zero concern about them.

Bring a couple of cheap ozark trail drybags rolled up in your pack. One to keep your food in overnight hung from a treelimb a reasonable distance from camp, another to leave your trash in hoisted up in the same tree. Don’t cook and eat while you’re sitting in your sleeping bag. If possible avoid common camp areas that may have had others there recently that were not so careful with food and trash that may have inadvertently taught the bears “hey, food is here”.

As long as you aren’t lying naked in the woods smeared with used cooking oil and honey wearing a flavor-flav inspired necklace pimped out with ribeye steaks you will almost never have any issues.

Most conflicts with black bears are in camp in the middle of the night because people are careless with food. A little bit of common sense goes a long ways.

 

[Subliminal1]

Follow bear smell safety protocols mentioned above and you should be A Ok!

 

[blacktailcentral]

Follow bear smell safety protocols mentioned above and you should be A Ok!

Will do! I know this may be silly/crazy but has anyone used a electric bear fence or putting barbed wire around camp. The spot i plan to camp has trees that i could do this with…. probably being a sissy

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Will do! I know this may be silly/crazy but has anyone used a electric bear fence or putting barbed wire around camp. The spot i plan to camp has trees that i could do this with…. probably being a sissy

Likely overkill for black bear.

Keep a clean camp and don't worry about it.

 

[Robobiss]

Will do! I know this may be silly/crazy but has anyone used an electric bear fence or putting barbed wire around camp. The spot i plan to camp has trees that i could do this with…. probably being a sissy

I’ve never used one or thought of messing with one. I’ve never once been bothered by a bear in hundreds of days spent in the woods and dozens of nights passed out around a campfire with burgers, beers, and hotdogs strewn all over the place as a teenager. They mess with my house (trashcan, bird feeders) but not me when I’m in the woods.

My only (potentially) negative experience was when I was a baby. I was in the backyard in a pack-n-play while dad worked in the garden. He heard my mom screaming and clanging pots and pans and turned around to see a big bear sniffing the air ~20 yards from the pack-n-play. Mom chased it off never to be seen again. I was her first child, I don’t think that was a fight the bear could win.

Allegedly the only state in the U.S. with more black bears than the one that I live in is Alaska.

 

[shootnrun]

A bear fence for black bears is probably more than required. I wouldn't wanna pack all that. Keep a clean camp as above if you're worried. Only time I've been charged was unknowingly walking into a sow/cub, she sent the cub up a tree.. She came in hot a few times but turned when hit with rocks. Once I realized the cub was there and backed out they went on their way. I'd bring bear spray before a fence if you're that worried.

 

[AntelopeEater]

Get a Kenai Chest Holster for a good short barreled magnum revolver, and keep it strapped to your chest even in your tent at night.

I recommend a revolver because it will still fire even with the muzzle jammed into bears fur, or against a tent wall, etc.

In the extremely unlikely event a bear actually tries to rip open your tent in the middle of the night you simply yank out the revolver and blast it point blank.

 

[ChasingSqwach]

Bring bear spray/sidearm and don’t worry about it. Close to 0% chance of an issue. Also buy a bear tag.

 

[StuckoYota99]

Get a side arm and or bear spray. Don't have food in your tent.
The only time I get wary is when I'm processing with my head down. I will stop and listen for a few minutes.
When your packing out meat just make noise.

 

[timberjack86]

They are thick here in East TN. I bump into them from time to time. Never had a bad encounter but I always carry, just in case I have a problem with a bear or meth head I can easily solve it.