When do bears really disappear in your area?

[Billy Meyers]

I used to think Halloween was a good cutoff for early-season deer baiting, but the last few years it seems like bears are hanging around well into mid-November.

Curious what others are seeing in your regions:

• Is there a typical late season / Fall window when bears are largely gone and early-season deer baiting is safe?
• Is there any thought about food availability, or cold fronts pushing bears out earlier or later?
• Any tricks you’ve used to minimize bear interactions while still getting deer to bait?

Would love to hear from others.

 

[grfox92]

Where? The term Bears very often around this forum refer to grizzly bears.

When im talking hunting and talk about bears im referring to griz. I will specify black bears otherwise.

We have been seeing griz on their feet in the middle of the winter the last few years. We get some warm days and they wake up go feed and may e go back to bed when it gets cold.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[jtevanMT]

We can’t bait for deer in MT so that is not an option here. The last 2 years I have seen fresh Griz sign until the end of November.

 

[IDVortex]

I feel like its more weather dependent more then anything. Talked with a couple folks and MTFG That have G bears wake up in January and February and then go back to sleep.

Black bears can be out for a good while if we havent froze yet.

I feel like this is really weather and location dependent.

 

[Rat]

Where I am at in Upper Michigan, it all depends on the availability of food. I have seen bear run out of a corn field on December 15th. Had several bears this year during Michigan's rifle deer season in late November.

 

[ThorM465]

I came across a fresh (<36hrs) set of tracks in the snow in the Bridger NF area this last Nov 19th +-1 day. It was either a large black or smaller grizzly. It was a little bigger than my size large palm.

 

[IronNoggin]

No Grizzlies on this Island.

The Black Bears that haunt the salmon rivers usually crash shortly after the runs wind down - late October or so. The ones that frequent farmlands / orchards generally are up a tad later if their food sources are still available.

The two biggest black bears I have ever taken were shot from the same blind, exactly one year apart - November. Orchard bears living adjacent to one of the largest alfalfa fields on the Island.

Both went well over 500 lbs, and both skulls were over 22 inches. Well over Seven feet plus nose to tail.

Cheers

 

[IDVortex]

No Grizzlies on this Island.

The Black Bears that haunt the salmon rivers usually crash shortly after the runs wind down - late October or so. The ones that frequent farmlands / orchards generally are up a tad later if their food sources are still available.

The two biggest black bears I have ever taken were shot from the same blind, exactly one year apart - November. Orchard bears living adjacent to one of the largest alfalfa fields on the Island.

Both went well over 500 lbs, and both skulls were over 22 inches. Well over Seven feet plus nose to tail.

Cheers

Ive got family over In Nanaimo that have hunted bears on the island. Would absolutely love to go up and hunt with them! You guys have some very beautiful bears on the island!

 

[Westslope406]

NW Montana here, not surprised to see bear activity in November, just mild off and on weather and enough feed to keep them from going full torpor