Tennessee Bear Hunting

[jeffcbar]

I am looking to attempt to still hunt a black bear this fall with a friend in Tennessee and am looking for any tips. I know it is extremely unlikely that we will be successful, we just want the adventure. We deer hunt in South Central Tennessee, but are looking to hike in somewhere and camp/ hunt. We are young and in shape and don't mind roughing it, we just don't know where to start on Bear hunts. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Poser]

When I lived in TN, I hit up South Cherokee several times. I never saw a bear, but lots of sign. It’s really tough in that terrain without dogs.

 

[Drenalin]

No dogs, no bait - you basically have two options: stumble into one by dumb luck, or find exactly what they’re eating at the moment you’re there and hunt that. They roam a bit, or at least it seems like it to me, on NF lands. You could be on great sign at a great food source and hunt for days without seeing one. It’s less adventurous, but your odds would go up if you could get in close proximity to a campground, boat dock, or ag.

 

[isItFallYet]

I’m seeing more and more bears here. Cherokee Natl Forest gets hunted pretty hard with dogs but they usually hunt close to the roads. A guy can find some deep places away from roads, if he looks at OnX.

 

[KenLee]

"your odds would go up if you could get in close proximity to a campground, boat dock, or ag."

Came here to say this also

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I see a lot on the Cade’s Cove loop near Gatlinburg. Never been able to get a shot off though, too many tourists in the way.

 

[jeffcbar]

Thanks for all the help, I know it will be an absolute long shot to try to do it with no dogs, but we're used to failure. I've had more fun hunting turkeys for the last two years on public land and I have yet to fire a shot. It is the getting out there and exploring that I really enjoy.

 

[stanginthe11s]

bear are active at night mostly. 10am-3pm is your time to scout for food and water. a bear will walk miles a night to find food if it has to. learn the area as best you can before heading into the woods. make note of houses, campgrounds, lakes etc. then head into your spot mid-day and move slow and remember to look up lol.

 

[mountain chiro]

Did you ever have any success? I started seriously pursuing an archery bear in tn for a couple years now. Came close in Georgia but nothing even remotely close in Tennessee