1st Bear hunt

[DaleT]

We go to NM every summer for a get away and beat the heat. I just found out that bear season will be going on while we are there and this place has a relativley high bear density. Sssooooooohhhhhh!!!!!!! I will be buying a bear tag just incase.

What I need is info on bear hunting/ spot and stalk/ high percentage areas/ and any other relevant information.

We will have horses and spotting scopes, so I am thinking hopefully we will just run across them while we are out and about. I would imagine they are like any other game. More active in the mornings and evenings, and in areas with lots of feed.

I would image it will be tough to gauge the size of them from a distance, so that is something else I could use some pointers on.

Thanks, Dale

 

[ELKCHSR]

Well good luck and may the hunting gods smile on you..
The only point I can give is to watch very close, we watched a beutiful black bear last year with a soot colored snout for some twenty minutes, and when I was just about to pull the trigger, out from no where some little cubs came running to momma some 100 yards from where she was at....

 

[Elkhunter]

Best of luck Dale. Hope to hear a great story on your return.

 

[Nut]

Best of Luck

 

[DaleT]

Thanks a bunch. I guess that whole cub deal is my biggest worry. I would feel like hell if I orphaned some cubs.

The biggest deal is just getting to be in the mountains on some horses. If I even see a bear that will be a bonus. If I actually get one that would be a homerun.

Dale

 

[Elkhunter]

Well hope you get that Home Run Dale

 

[Kraven]

Good luck to ya Dale.

 

[rufous]

When exactly will you be there? The key is to find what they are eating and home in on those areas. You mentioned summertime. That is the hot time of year so yes they will likely be out only in the early morning and late evening. I have found that with bears they really are our more in the evening than in the morning so if you were only going to hunt one or the other you would do best to focus on the evening hunt- especially the last hour of legal shooting light. I much prefer hunting bear in the spring because it is not as hot as the early fall and they are usually easier to spot (less brush and they are out feeding on open grassy slopes). In the fall they will probably be on the north slopes feeding on berries. I have never been to New Mexico so do not know what food sources they would be working. As far as judging a big one goes it is very difficult to judge bears. The best thing you can do is get close. Then take some time to look it over. Big boars will walk with a waddle and a swagger. They have smallish looking ears in relation to their skull and the ears will be farther apart on their head (like at the 10 and 2 oclock position than the 11 and 1 oclock position). Their neck will look short as will their snout. Their back will be wide like a bull not skinny. Good luck. Bear hunting is a blast. Rufous.

 

[DaleT]

Thanks everyone,

Rufous, those are the kind of tips I was looking for. I talked to a guy at G&F and he said they would be eating berries at that time. I suppose you are suggesting North facing slopes because they will hold moisture better and grow better berries???????

I am thinking judging a bear and a hog are about the same. Just look for the old fat man and all the associated characteristics and you will be in the right direction.

 

[rufous]

Glad to help. Yes the north facing slopes will likely have the cover and berries so key in on that. The difficulty will be seeing the bears in that cover. Good luck. Rufous.