Spring Bear Hunting Tips

Don’t be too quick to shoot the first time a bear appears. The smaller, younger bears usually show up first, to wolf down a few mouthfuls and then scurry away before the big bears arrive. As a rule of thumb, a small bear’s head looks large, and it appears long- legged because the body has not yet caught up to the head and legs. On the other hand, a big bear’s head appears smallish compared to its enormous body, and the legs look somewhat stumpy.

Most bowhunters choose to hunt over bait from a tree stand, while about half of the rifle hunters use tree stands. The other half choose for staying on the ground, back 100 yards or more, where they can watch the bait site. A tree stand should be located on the downwind side of any bait site and about 15 yards away for bowhunting. Most rifle hunters prefer a tree stand 50 yards away to get a bit farther from the putrid bait.

Many Western bear hunters consider spot and stalk hunting to be the most exciting method. In Montana, where baiting is prohibited because of the danger of drawing in a protected grizzly bear, spot and stalk hunting is the favorite of bear hunters. In the East where cover tends to be thicker and visibility more limited, spot and stalk hunting is not as popular.

The theory and technique for spot and stalk bear hunting is simple. In spring when bears first emerge from hibernation, they are ravished, and the only native food readily available at that time of year is grass. The bears locate open areas where lush green grass, clover or dandelions flourish there they feed in the evening and morning hours.

A good place to spot a spring bear in denser forest is along old roads where the grass greens up first. The bears feel secure because the forest cover is close by. After a distant bear is spotted, check the wind and then move forward as fast as possible until you get within a few hundred yards. Then slow down and move forward cautiously until you get within comfortable shooting range.

If the day is rainy or overcast, plan to hunt all day. For reasons perhaps known only to the bears, they do not like to be exposed to direct sunlight. On sunny days, this leaves a hunter with only an hour in morning and evening when the bruins are active. But when the clouds move in, the bears may continue feeding all day.

Calling for hunting black bears, is rapidly growing in popularity. Bears are omnivores, they eat both plants and meat. But they prefer the high protein of meat. In spring, larger bears roam the deer and elk birthing grounds where they take a fearful number of young animals. Consequently, when a hungry bear hears the wail of a deer in distress, it shifts into a predatory mode. It may come sneaking in, or it may charge forward. Calling is an excellent bowhunting method for bears. However, not all bears respond to calling.

So if your hunting black bear this spring, take these hunting tips with you to the field. Who knows, you may just bag that big bruin of a lifetime. Good luck and be safe.