SC bear hunters?

[Old-Cat]

Hey folks. Just found rokslide. I usually watch Georgia outdoors news and Bowsite. I’m in Pickens County SC and saw Old-Cat’s reply about the season ending. As some of y’all know, SC has the week of still hunt and the week after for dog hunt. Couple of friends and I a few years ago poured over all the regs pertaining to bear hunting and could find nothing about “having a dog for a dog hunt”. 3 of us have been filling out the dog hunt application and getting a permit for the dog hunt week. So, still hunt for 2 weeks. Just came out of the woods about an hour ago. It’s perfectly legal. Another friend of ours is a Game Warden and fully approves of what we’re doing. Said we’re the second group to do it and the other is a couple of LEO’s. Just have to make sure that all on the permit have the additional bear tag for their license. Hope this helps some of ya to extend the season.

What a great idea! Thanks much!!!

I was on a big bear, I would have loved a couple more days.

When you say have an additional tag, do you mean buy two bear tags during the season?

Also , do you boys hunt separately?

 

[Jim828]

And the party hunt application has to be in by Sept 1.

 

[Jim828]

You don’t buy an additional tag. Can only harvest 1 bear a year. The party hunt application is no charge although, again, all on the list have to have a bear tag. Couple of us hunt together and another separately. When I said “all on the permit have the additional bear tag”, I was meaning the original 25.00 bear tag in addition to the regular hunting license. Next year, you can print out the party hunt application from DNR’s website, fill it out, and drop it at Clemson when you get your bear tag but before Sept.1. Hope all this rambling helps.

 

[Old-Cat]

10 weeks and the rush is on. Whooo.

I’m fairly excited for the season this year. *winks*

 

[Mike Islander]

Last year was my first scouting trip for bear. I hiked my old haunts near Clemson. I went to school there, but didn't bear hunt back then. Live in Charleston now, so it's a drive.

Mountain hunting without dogs is a spectacular challenge. Love it and can't wait to go this year!

 

[KenLee]

Seeing decent sized bear on average 10x per year in lower Spartanburg County, but no season here...yet.

 

[FLS]

Coastal South Carolina Bear from 1st or second year we had a season. He was number 11 of the 30 bear quota that year. Killed on local WMA that borders my lease. 250 lbs 8 years old. I had him and a couple more on camera for a long time before he ever showed up during daylight hours. He was hitting a couple of big swamp chestnuts that Hurricane Matthew spared. His scat was full of hulls and I knew where he was eating.
Now that you can bait, most are killed off corn piles.

 

[FLS]

A sow and her cubs from same property.

 

[FLS]

Little ears on a big head. This is a big boy from same property.

 

[Old-Cat]

View attachment 583813
Little ears on a big head. This is a big boy from same property.

I haven’t squeezed the trigger on one in a few years, I would on that one. Nice !!

 

[FLS]

I’ve got to get my cameras back up and going. Got lots of good bear pics.

 

[Old-Cat]

A month and a day till opening boys and girls!!

 

[Mike Islander]

It's a 4 hour ride for me, so I'll be lucky to even see one. But I think worth the trip for the adventure and possibly.

 

[willtim]

I did a little scouting this past weekend. It's very dry.

 

[Old-Cat]

15 days

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I’m excited to follow this thread. Good luck

 

[fwafwow]

It's a 4 hour ride for me, so I'll be lucky to even see one. But I think worth the trip for the adventure and possibly.

Go Tigers!

 

[Bernie]

I want to share this bear scouting mistake I made last week so you guys don’t do the same stupid thing that I did. I was hanging cameras and a climbing tree stand in SC game zone 1. It was a hot day and I was sweaty walking uphill carrying about 35 lbs of gear. Eventually I found three piles of fresh, big bear scat in a 20 yard area with lots of WO acorns and decided to hang a camera and hang my stand nearby and get out of there quickly. I removed all the fabric straps and seat from the stand and wiped it down a little. The following day the Game trail camera texted me a picture of a big 200 pound plus bear walking by my stand and 30 seconds later I got another picture of the same bear running back in the direction that he came from and I haven’t gotten another picture of him. I think he smelled my stand when he got down wind of it. I was pissed off with myself! - how stupid can I be? I should have left my stand away from the bear’s area for a week to get the scent off, then hang it later on a cold day, when I’m not sweating and I should have worn rubber gloves. That camera has been out there for a week and a half now and I’ve only gotten one small bear picture since running off that 200 pound plus bear. I hope a big bear moves into that area because it’s covered up in white oak acorns. Happy scouting!

 

[Bernie]

Seeing decent sized bear on average 10x per year in lower Spartanburg County, but no season here...yet.

KenLee where exactly in lower Spartanburg county are you seeing 10 bear per year? Spartanburg county has a bear season and I live in Spartanburg county and I’d love to bear hunt here. For the past 17 years I’ve been driving all the way to Pickens and Oconee counties to bear hunt.

 

[Bernie]

10 weeks and the rush is on. Whooo.

I’m fairly excited for the season this year. *winks*

Old-cat, Which part of the state do you bear hunt?