West Virginia Black Bear Hunt Advise

[Koby_Paul]

My buddies and I are trying a bear hunt in West Virginia public land. Does anyone have any advise what to look for? Where to hunt? Hunting tactics? E-scouting tactics to find bear?

 

[Highvoltage1]

If you have never been there before. Keep an eye on weather and focus in on areas with snow. Cut a track and your in the game. There’s really no e-scouting, Rocky outcrops, laurel thickets, clear cuts are traditional areas that hold bears. You can always do small pushes to one another as well. Best wishes

 

[Billy Goat]

Find the bear hunters, hunt where they aren't.


Hounds mess up the hunting when you aren't hunting with them.

 

[Koby_Paul]

If you have never been there before. Keep an eye on weather and focus in on areas with snow. Cut a track and your in the game. There’s really no e-scouting, Rocky outcrops, laurel thickets, clear cuts are traditional areas that hold bears. You can always do small pushes to one another as well. Best wishes

Thank you appreciate the advise!

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Find the bear hunters, hunt where they aren't.


Hounds mess up the hunting when you aren't hunting with them.

I disagree

Use the hound hunters to your advantage, they get game up and moving, they may be running another bear where the track originated a mile away and bump up other bears laying around bedded that otherwise will lay there all day in a laurel thicket.

Only other advise I can give would be to find the acorns, where I live they are spotty this year. If you find what they are feeding on they will be around. If there are no acorns to be found, I have seen them eat hickory nuts as well.

 

[Billy Goat]

I disagree

Use the hound hunters to your advantage, they get game up and moving, they may be running another bear where the track originated a mile away and bump up other bears laying around bedded that otherwise will lay there all day in a laurel thicket.

Only other advise I can give would be to find the acorns, where I live they are spotty this year. If you find what they are feeding on they will be around. If there are no acorns to be found, I have seen them eat hickory nuts as well.

Not my experience, hounds tend to make stuff hold up until they hafta move.



And when they run stuff, they tend to run it clear out of the area.


There's always a chance of something getting spooked to you, by hounds, other hunters, etc, but usually that's a random chance. Put yourself in a spot where it's more than random that puts your quarry in front of you.


If it's an area that hasn't had dogs in it, yeah, they probably jump a bunch of stuff up. If it's an area that frequently gets run, should be self explanatory.

 

[Koby_Paul]

Thank you for your responses, I hope others insert there experiences and knowledge as well!

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Not my experience, hounds tend to make stuff hold up until they hafta move.



And when they run stuff, they tend to run it clear out of the area.


There's always a chance of something getting spooked to you, by hounds, other hunters, etc, but usually that's a random chance. Put yourself in a spot where it's more than random that puts your quarry in front of you.


If it's an area that hasn't had dogs in it, yeah, they probably jump a bunch of stuff up. If it's an area that frequently gets run, should be self explanatory.

well in a way that's kinda what I was saying, they hold up and move when they have to when dogs run by them etc. lol and they spook them out.

But at the same time I have been bow hunting before and had hound hunters treeing a bear in the next hollow over and I sat and saw two different bear feeding in front of me one evening and it looked as if they could care less what was going on over in the holler lol

its a crap shoot either way lol

But I agree with you if someone can find a spot, with feed, where hound hunters arent at, your odds are pretty good, just hard to find a spot like that around lol

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Thank you for your responses, I hope others insert there experiences and knowledge as well!

what part of WV are you attempting this?

 

[RADunfee]

They seem to be hitting hickories more than oaks this year.

 

[Rams horns]

The Cranberry Glades was just recently opened to bear hunting after having been a bear sanctuary for many years. This area is absolutely humongous ( 14 miles through ) with a trout stream/camping areas and all public. You had be ready to walk my friend and plan on dragging or carting your game out for miles ( no exageration ). This area is also open to firearms as well. The area is referred to as "The Back Country". There are primitive campsites available first come first serve about 7 miles in around the catch and release section of the stream. It is very common for your quary to visit your camp at night for your entertainment purposes. Leave no food lying around.

 

[Koby_Paul]

what part of WV are you attempting this?

Central WV

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Have you tried calling the biologist for the area? I have found them very helpful.
It's been cold early in the WV, never got above 25 yesterday at my camp, it's close to the Mon NF.
I bet some have already started to den. I would be looking for den sites close to food source.
In some areas they have actually shortened the season this year due to hitting management objectives the last few years.
Good Luck!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

The Cranberry Glades was just recently opened to bear hunting after having been a bear sanctuary for many years. This area is absolutely humongous ( 14 miles through ) with a trout stream/camping areas and all public. You had be ready to walk my friend and plan on dragging or carting your game out for miles ( no exageration ). This area is also open to firearms as well. The area is referred to as "The Back Country". There are primitive campsites available first come first serve about 7 miles in around the catch and release section of the stream. It is very common for your quary to visit your camp at night for your entertainment purposes. Leave no food lying around.

It's been a decade at least since it's been opened up for black bear hunting. I have spent a bunch a time in the glades, hiked most of the trails. The boardwalk over the bog on top of Kennison mtn is pretty cool spot. IIRC this is one of the areas the season was shortened this year.

 

[BLJ]

Central WV

Depending on what you mean by “central” you shouldn’t have any encounters with hound hunters.
Hound hunting doesn’t start until you get farther east and south.
For what most people would refer to as central.

 

[Koby_Paul]

Depending on what you mean by “central” you shouldn’t have any encounters with hound hunters.
Hound hunting doesn’t start until you get farther east and south.
For what most people would refer to as central.

Yes, the section i am going to hunt doesn't allow dog hunting. But plan to do hunt again next year and will consider other places as needed. So all info and advice is amazing!

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Yes, the section i am going to hunt doesn't allow dog hunting. But plan to do hunt again next year and will consider other places as needed. So all info and advice is amazing!

If no dog hunting allowed find the feed (acorns, hickorys) next to laurel beds or clear cuts then! good luck