How to hunt Bears? - Fall in the Rockies

Prerylyon

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Apr 25, 2016
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Cedar Rapids, IA
Bear hunting is something that I have never tried and often wondered about.

Back in PA years ago, I had relatives that would try for bear during the fall rifle season in the big woods; but as far as I remember they were never successful. If I recall, it was a mostly a still hunting/spot & stalk style of hunting.

Seen videos of several of my friend's baited hunts in Wisconsin, using archery gear; what a rush; but as far as I know, baiting isn't allowed in the fall during the bear hunts in the western mountain states.

How about this thread focus on how one goes about hunting a bear in September in the Rockies? Techniques? Type of terrain? Gear?

[emoji199]

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Slugz

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Oct 12, 2014
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Woodland Park, Colorado
I find the service berries and choke berries at the lower altitudes right below aspen patches. Some bears though will stay in the oak brush year round. The NF I hunt I ask the Peruvian sheepherders where they have seen the bears at......in return I tell them where I saw the cats at.

If that doesn't work..... then go fall hunting without a bear tag in your pocket and you will be guaranteed to have multiple run ins.
 

hunter25

Very Active Member
Sep 8, 2016
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Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Yup, same as above. I've never dedicated myself to actively hhunting bear. And I live in a good area. See them when I'm fishing or diving into the mountains. But any time I've bought a tag just in case I've never seen one. Lol
Think I have 8 preference points now for when I actually make the time for it to be my main focus.
Same with wolves, I have 3 of those unfilled tags as well.

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kidoggy

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Apr 23, 2016
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if no baits or dogs are allowed . glass ,glass ,glass and then glass some more .


in spring focus on south facing slopes they like to eat grass to get their stomachs working again after the big sleep.

in the fall find the berries ,find the bear. not always but you get the picture? also see them close to the river a lot during the salmon runs.

what are the bear necessities? think like a bear and you will have success.
 
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kidoggy

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Apr 23, 2016
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I find the service berries and choke berries at the lower altitudes right below aspen patches. Some bears though will stay in the oak brush year round. The NF I hunt I ask the Peruvian sheepherders where they have seen the bears at......in return I tell them where I saw the cats at.

If that doesn't work..... then go fall hunting without a bear tag in your pocket and you will be guaranteed to have multiple run ins.
tru dat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

BAKPAKR

Active Member
May 10, 2018
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I have done quite a bit of fall bear hunting in Idaho, and as suggested by kidoggy and Slugz, I hunted the berry patches. If we could find a bowl at higher elevations that still had berries in late September, we would see bears. The shots were often at longer ranges.

When I read the comment by Slugz about not having a bear tag, I immediately thought back to a moose hunt I was on in NW Montana. I had debated about getting a bear tag because of all of the bears I had seen in the same area a few years earlier but finally decided not to. That, of course, was the wrong decision as I walked right up on one of the biggest black bears I have ever seen. I also walked up on grizzlies a couple of times on the trip.
 

Slugz

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Oct 12, 2014
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Oh yeah and I forgot.........Dont know how the heck I forgot this....but I did

I scared the ever living crap out of myself one September. I didn't have an elk or deer tag that year so I executed my plan of being in my primary GMU in September hunting something ( learning more). I watched videos, studied a ton, watched more videos and went into the woods using the rabbit in distress call in hopes of getting one to come check out the noise. Buyer beware.....DO NOT think you can go into the areas the bears are living and execute this from the ground without ruining a few pair of pants. Do it from a tree stand (and yeah the sound is off the ground and not 100% realistic)

The area I was in offers little to no visibility past 40 yards and every dang pebble moving or gust of wind......well you know. I put a hell of a ninja like stalk on a covey of mountain grouse as they sounded like something walking through the oak brush.

If and when I do this again I will set a tree stand, get a pipe/hose and run it down the tree and blow my call into it to produce sounds emanating from the base of the tree. I got the idea from some white tail tree stand product.
 

kidoggy

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Apr 23, 2016
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lol.

bout had to walk home soiled myself a time or two.

calling does work. it's all in the setup.


once lent my calls to a friend so he could try calling a bear .

well he called one in but didn't get a shot it rattled him so bad . he said it came in so fast he thought it was gonna run right over him. lucky for him it swerved around him at the last second and took off.

he brought back the calls and told me , "you can shove them calls up yer backside! I ain't doing that again!"

and he never has. lol.
 
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Maxhunter

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Apr 10, 2011
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Wyoming
Find the berries in the fall and you'll find the bears. Here in WY were allowed to bait but archery deer and elk are happening at the same time. I usually just have a resident bear tag in my pocket.

ID has a good population of bears and you can bait. CO also has a good population but no baiting.
 

kidoggy

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Apr 23, 2016
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yeah . anymore I just have a just in case tag.

don't really actively hunt them anymore.

to be honest ,I doubt I would shoot one if I had the opportunity. did that in my youth and don't really care much for bear meat .

I enjoyed bear hunting but now lack the desire to put out the effort.

deer and elk are pretty much my sole focus now . and it's more about the meat and just getting out of the house then the bone anymore.

actually would rather hunt for a winterkill monster these days then shoot one
 
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