Your preference of hunting bears

[Nut]

What is your style of hunting bears?

Over Bait? why?

With Dogs? Why? (Why is it called riggin?)

Do you spot and stalk? why?

What in your opinion would be the best for a first timer?

 

[ELKCHSR]

I would have to say here it would have to be the spot and stalk. That is all that is alowed in montana. This will be my first year to go hunting just for bears. I normally buy a tag just in case and eat the tag every year. But my neighbor is taking me this year and possibly a cousin that used to be a guide....Yee hawwww!!!

 

[mtmiller]

I concur with ELKCHSR, I think I would get the most from a spot and stalk (not that I have the choice in Montana). Not a big fan of hunting over bait, but guess in some states/provinces that may be the only way to harvest bears. I could see doing it one day, but only with archery equipment. I haven't heard much about hunting with dogs, but I have some friends who chase cats and say it's a blast. Maybe someday I will chase a cat, but I would put this last on my list for hunting bears.

I would not put alot of stock in my opinions since I have never been bear hunting. Hopefully someday, but I need to learn more about bears before I drive across the state and stumble around looking for a shooter bear.

 

[JASON LEE]

I have hunted two of the three ways. I prefer the spot ans stalk, over the hounds.

My reason is that I love the hike in the mountians...glassing, more hiking, more glassing...then stalking to them.

The hound hunt was fun but the dogs did most of the work..All I did was hike down a mountian for an hour and shoot the bear.

The bait thing doesnt wotk for me because you need to do it a coupleof weeks before you hunt so you can get the bears coming into it...living here would make that pretty tuff!

One day I will do the bait hunt though because my dad cant do the hiking thing thru the mountians and I enjoy hunting with him...more than anything

 

[Deerslayer]

I have taken 7 bears.......all spot and stalk methods. Never hound hunted or baited for them.......

I think I like the spot and stalk because it is more "pure". Like Jason said with the hounds.........the hounds do most of the work, same with lions. Baiting requires a lot of pre-hunt time, plus would have to be less of a "hunt and more of a "waiting game", which I have no problem with and even have talked about doing.......but spot and stalk is loads of fun when your in the bears.....
DS

 

[JASON LEE]

What DS really ment to say is that he prefers his rope and a river

 

[Deerslayer]

You still got to spot and stalk 'em to get the rope around 'em Jason!
......that actually was not even one of my seven.....but rather one my brother did a rather sloppy job of harvesting .....but I won't get into it but rather let ol' Dandy rest in peace!
DS

 

[GilaMonster]

I've always hunted them "spot and stalk", more or less. My best (a B&C Blackie) was taken after I tracked him up a river bank. Quite exciting. In SW New Mexico, they are quite easy to get with dogs most of the time, and for a first timer, that would be the best option in this area in my opinion. It's pretty cool to watch the dogs work, but it's not like hunting to me because the dogs do the hunting. The hunter just does the killing. Not that I disagree with taking a bear that way. I've followed dogs several times while hunting Cougar. It's just that it's a different kind of sport to me. He11, it's all fun!

 

[Westman]

Nut,

I've been kinda wondering about that too. Ok, so I want a bear real bad!!

I am not one for sitting in a tree very well, I get REAL bored. So, I guess spot and stalk would be my choice in hunting methods. I'm trying to figure out where to go to do this. Guided or not? I don't have a ton of cash so most guided hunts are out. For some reason my wife and kids get first dibs on my money!

Any ideas are greatly appreciated!!

Bill

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 01-23-2002 18:26: Message edited by: Westman ]</font>

 

[George P]

Westman, if you wanted to come out to Maine or N.H. I can get you a real good deal on a hound hunt this fall.If you have a friend that wants to go with you that would be good too.

 

[Westman]

Thank you George!

That is an intriguing thought. We'll ponder on that one.

Bill

 

[Moosie]

Wewstman, TAKE George up on that offer, He's the REAL DEAL !!!! He'll cut ya the best deal around bro, I guarentee it !!!

NOW back tp the question, I like Baiting. BAITING is "DA CHIT" !!! YOU start aoff the season hiking in the BArles and baiting them by loading them up.. IT takes alot of work but once it's done.. YA check them every so often.. ONCE the first bear hits, YA wonder ifhe really did or is a Chipmunk got into your barrel.. IT doesn't takr but a week after this point that there is Scat and sign ALL over your bait area.

THEN the fun begins... WITH baiting you sit in a spot ya know thatthere is Bear in the area... YOUR senses go on FUULL allert and everytime you hear a twig break your neck hairs stand on end...... WHEN the bear finnally appears, you know ya can't move but your eyes can catch a glimse of some movement... With the movement closely coming from a blur to realityyou slowly lift your Right hand closer to the trigger of your release and your heart starts pounding...

YOU wait a few more mins becasue the BLOB to your left has stopped.... you hear something else move and Realise it is a MOMA bear and her two cubs... you take your right hand away from the Trigger and reach for the CAM corder without moving... IMPOSSIBLE ?!!? WELL, Once you've baited bears ya learn how

ANYWAYS, Things liek that happen all the time and you don't always get a bear... THE work is hard and you know that you are feeding 15-20 bears and will be lucky to get one. THE season is long and Coming out of "MY" winter hybernation and Turkey/Christmas fat, I don't want to HIKE 17 miles a day chasing a bear

I say that, BUT this year I'm goping to SPOT and STALK

 

[Big Sky]

I've hunted bears over bait, spot and stock, calling, and with dogs. I won't say which I like the least as I don't want to start a pointless debate. I will say however my favorite way (and if given a choice) is over bait. I like it far and away better than the other methods. It allows you to pick and choose. You get to see bears up close and watch their mannerism's. You have plenty of time to check for cubs, rubs, and little features like, blazes on the chest or odd colored patches. You get to hear and see them fight, play, and just basically be bears. Sometimes you get that with spot and stock, but not usually at 20 yards or less. If there is one common thread among those that think they wouldn't like hunting over bait or that it's not for them...most of them have never tried it. I was much the same way before I gave it a whirl. If Montana allowed hunting over bait I wouldn't consider doing it any other way, but since it doesn't I'll continue to spot and stalk while hunting here.

 

[Westman]

Big sky,

I agree with what you say. My problem is not with baiting, or the method itself. I just can't stand to sit in one place very long. I can't sit and watch tv, I can't remember the last time I could sit through a football game. The idea of sitting in a tree for an entire day gives be the vapors.
It is just the sitting and not being active. I don't do it very well.
I think it would be a gas watching bears up close and personal like that.

I'll have to give it a try someday and see if bears are different than deer. I can't sit in a tree waiting for deer any longer than a couple hours max.

Must be a discipline thing....

Bill

 

[Nut]

Thanks all.

 

[Moosie]

Westman..... WHEN We set up a bait site.. WE only occupy it for the last few hours of the day. We've run Timers and such and realise that if they come in durring the day time.. It will be the last hour or two in the Evening.... So we'll hop in the stands for maybe 2.5 hours MAX....

ONCE the daylight is starting to go away... YOUR eyes open wide and you don't even realise that you're stuck in a tree....

I agree on the SITTING deal. I have a hard time doing that myself.... I'm wanting to do a bit more sitting and learning to Glass more becasue that pays 10-fold in the deer/elk season as well... Don't do mch good bumping critters all dy if ya can't shoot them !!!!

ANYWAYS, I think I'm heading back East this year and going to try some whitetail hunting... I'm going to have to get Jazzed up for the long sit

SO, before ya knock the 2 hours of sitting... YA almost have ta try it

 

[riverswild]

C'mon guys!....Calling wins hands down.

I have done the bait thing, spot/stalk (still do) and calling. (I would love to try hounds). But I prefer calling.

I usually start with "Here bear, HERE BEAR!"

Usually I am blind calling, but I do know there are bears in the area. It can happen very fast, at close range and can be very exciting.