MT Spring Bear (First Western Hunt)

[stephenk22]

Hey guys! New to the forum and new to the western pursuit of big game.

My buddy and I will be heading out west to Montana north of Bozeman (Big Belt/Little Belts) for our first Western hunt in May.

What gear can you not live without while spring bear hunting?

Also, if you shoot a bear in the late evening, do you leave it until the next morning to clean or start cleaning right away? I've heard people have concerns about cleaning bears in the dark because of grizzlies. Having no experience in grizzly country, I am unaware of how risky this is.

 

[skierhs]

With the thick of griz country be super careful but even with them I try to clean the animal even after dark if I’m able to safely. Outside of glass/tripod my biggest requirements are a foam pad to sit on while I glass and a tarp to get me out of the elements.

 

[stephenk22]

With the thick of griz country be super careful but even with them I try to clean the animal even after dark if I’m able to safely. Outside of glass/tripod my biggest requirements are a foam pad to sit on while I glass and a tarp to get me out of the elements.

Appreciate the info! Any specific tarps you recommend? That is something I had not thought!

 

[bcimport]

Wouldn’t leave a bear overnight with the guts in. Too much hair and if it wintered well maybe a bit of fat keeping the heat in.

Bug headnet is mandatory for spring bears, at least to the north of MT it is.

Once the bear is down just make noise. Most grizzlies don’t come looking for trouble. If they find your meat or guts when you’re gone they’ll claim it and then defend what they think is theirs.

 

[bluetick78]

If you're planning to make a rug or full body mount, then get the bear processed ASAP. Bear bodies are extremely well engineered for holding in heat. This heat can spoil meat quickly and also cause the hair to "slip", making a decent mount or rug almost impossible. Have headlamps with fresh batteries in them, and spare batteries on hand. Out of 6 bears that I was in on last year, only one was processed in the daylight. Take your time skinning and boning the meat. Bear meat almost tops my list for favorite table fare, and even the best taxidermist can't fix a shitty skinning job.

 

[skierhs]

Appreciate the info! Any specific tarps you recommend? That is something I had not thought!

I prefer the sheep tarp from kifaru. It runs $109 I think and is the perfect size for me. If I have to I’m able to use it as a shelter at night. I am also able to use it with a few buddies to get out of the rain/snow or direct sunlight. It packs down extremely small and is lightweight so you don’t even notice your carrying it.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Since there will be two of you, I wouldn't worry to much about cleaning one after dark, just be smart about it. One person work and one keep an eye on surroundings, and just swap in and out. If you want your pelt/meat to be in the best condition, I wouldn't leave it over night. If possible get him to an open area, or at least out of a thicket if that's where he falls. Being a bit noisy in the process will help. As far as gear, have layers. Last year went mid May and during one day it got up to 70-75 and the next night/day down to low teens and a large snow storm blew in that shut down i90.

 

[Southforkguy]

Hey guys! New to the forum and new to the western pursuit of big game.

My buddy and I will be heading out west to Montana north of Bozeman (Big Belt/Little Belts) for our first Western hunt in May.

What gear can you not live without while spring bear hunting?

Also, if you shoot a bear in the late evening, do you leave it until the next morning to clean or start cleaning right away? I've heard people have concerns about cleaning bears in the dark because of grizzlies. Having no experience in grizzly country, I am unaware of how risky this is.

Absolutely get the guts out and prop that cavity open asap. I didnt think the little belts were considered grizz country

 

[skierhs]

Absolutely get the guts out and prop that cavity open asap. I didnt think the little belts were considered grizz country

Most of the entire central to west of the state is now considered griz country. They’ve even started getting into the plains enough to start causing some issues.

 

[stephenk22]

If you're planning to make a rug or full body mount, then get the bear processed ASAP. Bear bodies are extremely well engineered for holding in heat. This heat can spoil meat quickly and also cause the hair to "slip", making a decent mount or rug almost impossible. Have headlamps with fresh batteries in them, and spare batteries on hand. Out of 6 bears that I was in on last year, only one was processed in the daylight. Take your time skinning and boning the meat. Bear meat almost tops my list for favorite table fare, and even the best taxidermist can't fix a shitty skinning job.

Great info, we will make sure to clean them right away.

Since there will be two of you, I wouldn't worry to much about cleaning one after dark, just be smart about it. One person work and one keep an eye on surroundings, and just swap in and out. If you want your pelt/meat to be in the best condition, I wouldn't leave it over night. If possible get him to an open area, or at least out of a thicket if that's where he falls. Being a bit noisy in the process will help. As far as gear, have layers. Last year went mid May and during one day it got up to 70-75 and the next night/day down to low teens and a large snow storm blew in that shut down i90.

Sounds good, I'm assuming any curious bears would be coming from the downwind side correct?
I've watched a couple of Randy Newburg's spring bear episodes, the temperature swings are crazy!

 

[alaskabound]

This won't be a popular opinion but if you are looking to go cheaper for a lightweight tarp, I ordered a 5'x7' tarp from the GEEK app for $10 that weighs 10oz after I added a few extra grommets. Walmart sells a similar tarp but it's blue, in case that matters to you.

I'm not about to use a $100 tarp for the things I've used this tarp for. I've sat on it when the ground was wet, laid it out when I noticed there were ticks all over the grass, used it to lay out elk quarters and break them down, wrapped up in it to wait out a thunderstorm.

 

[Wrench]

Have an extra knife or blades. I am not sure how, but bears seem to be pure hell on knives.

Decide well ahead of time what you want to do with the hide....and be deliberate with your hide cuts.

Expect bugs and to be wet....I like a 3/4 length Ridgerest to sit on or lean against trees.

Big binos are made for spring bears. The bears NEVER stop moving and eat all day. Key in on the stumps that move.

Snow will potentially be in shady spots and I've had some SCARY times when coming around a corner to find water on ice coming down the road. It's not a bad idea to have chains and a shovel.

Take a ton of pics.

 

[stephenk22]

Have an extra knife or blades. I am not sure how, but bears seem to be pure hell on knives.

Decide well ahead of time what you want to do with the hide....and be deliberate with your hide cuts.

Expect bugs and to be wet....I like a 3/4 length Ridgerest to sit on or lean against trees.

Big binos are made for spring bears. The bears NEVER stop moving and eat all day. Key in on the stumps that move.

Snow will potentially be in shady spots and I've had some SCARY times when coming around a corner to find water on ice coming down the road. It's not a bad idea to have chains and a shovel.

Take a ton of pics.

Thanks man! When you say "big" binos, what do you define that as? 15x56's?

I appreciate that tip on chains and a shovel! I haven't received that piece of advice yet

 

[skierhs]

Thanks man! When you say "big" binos, what do you define that as? 15x56's?

I appreciate that tip on chains and a shovel! I haven't received that piece of advice yet

Yeah 15x56 are great if you have em, this will be the first spring bear that i’ll have a set and I can already tell it’s gonna be a game changer.

 

[Wrench]

All of these springers were killed by picking apart big mountains with big eyes. 15x56 swaros. I have to draw a tag here for spring bears, but I've been lucky enough to do it 3x so far.

 

[Okhotnik]

Absolutely get the guts out and prop that cavity open asap. I didnt think the little belts were considered grizz country

There area grizzlies in the belts

 

[MTbowhunter36]

There area grizzlies in the belts

Have you seen grizzlies in the belts? Or is it anecdotal evidence?

The LBs are attractive for out-of-state hunters as there haven't been any griz or wolves there. Bugle magazine had a write up several years ago touting that fact. It was crazy how many out-of-state hunters there were after that article came out.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[stephenk22]

Have you seen grizzlies in the belts? Or is it anecdotal evidence?

The LBs are attractive for out-of-state hunters as there haven't been any griz or wolves there. Bugle magazine had a write up several years ago touting that fact. It was crazy how many out-of-state hunters there were after that article came out.

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Even if there are Grizzlies there (which we fully expected). It seems that people are over-the-top afraid of grizzlies. Maybe we are naive mid-westerners, but bear attacks seem to be few and far between, and statistically have higher incident rates in the fall during archery seasons

 

[Okhotnik]

Have you seen grizzlies in the belts? Or is it anecdotal evidence?

The LBs are attractive for out-of-state hunters as there haven't been any griz or wolves there. Bugle magazine had a write up several years ago touting that fact. It was crazy how many out-of-state hunters there were after that article came out.

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Yes I have

I have a friend who ranches near belts and does see grizzlies and wolves have moved into area the past few years

I have run into grizzlies bird hunting on the prairies too

 

[Mosby]

My son got a spring bear in MT a few years ago. We were further up north. We brought his bear out in the dark and had a cat follow us over a mile down the trail to the truck. A game cart proved invaluable. Really bright headlamps, bear spray and a 10 mm are things I would not hunt without in grizzly country.