Montana Black Bear

[SStech]

I am heading to Montana for general archery elk and mule deer in September. I will most likely be able to hunt the entire month. It looks like Black bear tags are available over the counter. Is it worth picking one up? How likely am I to see black bears? I plan on hunting wilderness areas or near them.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Depends on where you are going.

 

[mgray]

^^^^ Yeah, if there’s bears there you’ll want a tag, if not you won’t need a tag. Just kidding,
I’ll be in MT this fall and have considered the same thing.

 

[fatlander]

I don’t have the experience that many here do, but I’ve bowhunted elk a fair bit. To me, if you’re bow hunting elk, focus on elk. Getting elk killed during a week of bow hunting is difficult enough without side quests for other game. If you’ve got multiple elk tags in a group, the time you have to realistically fill those tags and pack meat out in time to keep hunting becomes slimmer with each passing day. Spending time stalking other game, and dealing with them if you kill them is time you’re not spending chasing elk. Our group doesn’t even bother to shoot grouse anymore.


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[graniteghost]

If you’re hunting in the western part of the state, particularly northwestern, I’d consider picking one up. You can also check on the harvest reports on the fwp website and see how many bears were actually harvested in the unit you’ll be in in the fall. If a high number I’d pick one up. Friend of a friend was trying to call in a bull last year and called in a giant boar and shot it at 20 yards after it came in behind him.

 

[NEPkaspot]

I believe in having every tag you can in your pocket if you can afford it. But I also get distracted by grouse and ground squirrels and would easily turn an elk hunt into a bear hunt. Every fall have buddies who say "I wish I had a ______ tag while I was hunting ________."

 

[mountainman406]

It's worth having a tag in your pocket, I see at least one bear every archery elk season and pass most opportunities because I don't want to waste my elk hunting time packing out another animal. Rifle season is a different story, any tag I have in my pocket is fair game at that point and I was able to shoot one while elk hunting a couple years ago.

 

[duf duf]

The western half of the state definitely has bears just about everywhere you'll hunt elk. If you do buy a tag also get a wolf tag(s). Montana is becoming overrun with predators and we need all the help we can get managing them. Also bring a rifle even if you just leave it in the truck, rifle season for bear and wolf opens September 15th.