Bear Hunting
Popular bear species Bears are plentiful in North America – some would argue that they’re too plentiful, in fact. Ultimately, there are three basic bears roaming the continent: the black, the brown and the grizzly. Truth be told, the brown bear and the grizzly are actually subsets of the same species, but it’s easier to consider them as distinct for hunting purposes. Also, it’s easy to forget that in the far north, there are polar bears. In the Northwest Territories, you can hunt even hunt them. This has to be done from a sled bulled by a dog team and is only possible in a few select areas. With temperatures of between -50 and -100ºF, it isn’t an adventure for the average hunter. Also, bear in mind that there are strict regulations regarding polar bears being transported back to the US. Bears are renowned for their sense of smell, and their extraordinary hearing – which isn’t to say the creatures don’t see well. They’re generally elusive critters, difficult to predict and hard to track even for veteran hunters. The ‘little’ black bear North America’s baby bear is the black. Interestingly enough the black bear isn’t always black – they can be brown, reddish or even yellow depending on where they live. The black bear is found mostly in the northern half of North America, from Alaska right across Canada and down through the northern US. Blacks are also found in the more costal areas of Washington, Oregon and northern California, as well as in the Rocky Mountains. The ‘less-than-black’ black bears are most often found on the western side of this range. Black bears have quite a variable size, with a fully-grown boar weighing in between 200 and 400 pounds and an adult sow reaching from 150 to 200. They’re omnivores, eating practically anything that comes their way, whether that’s fresh fruit, berries, nuts, fish, hunted mammals or scavenged carrion. Grizzlies and Brown Bears As grizzlies and brown bears are ultimately the same species, they have a great deal in common. Of the two, it’s often a surprise to hunters that the grizzly is the smaller bear. An adult male can reach as much as 800 pounds and be around eight feet long. That seems pretty large, but when you weigh that same grizzly up against a fully-grown brown boar at 1,200 pounds, the grizzly seems almost insignificant. Grizzlies and brown bears unsurprisingly have free reign in the forest, taking the best of the forage they find and pulling down the odd sheep, deer, elk or even a bit of ranch livestock if they choose. It isn’t surprising to learn that this last meal of choice is one of the biggest reasons bears are maligned by the farming and ranching community. the right WEapons for bear hunting When it comes to hunting bear, size definitely does matter. Going after a large bear with too small a gun can cost you more than a trophy kill, it can cost you your arm, a couple fingers or even your life. So, the rule of thumb is know your mark. When you’re going after a smaller bear, like a little black, a .270 might due in some situations, but a .300 caliber is recommended. Veteran hunters will tell you the bigger the bear, the bigger the gun – making a .300 the bare minimum caliber if you are aiming for a larger bear. The .338 makes a solid option in terms of all-round weapons for bear hunting – it packs enough of a punch to take down a large brown bear or even a grizzly if aimed properly, but won’t destroy a smaller black bear either. A frequent recommendation for hunters going after the big bears is the .375 Holland and Holland – but that recommendation comes with a warning, because the weapon dishes out significant recoil and some people simply can’t stand up to it. Of course, there are some who opt to hunt with other weapons. Those hunting with bows should be expert marksmen and operate with only the sharpest of arrows. Also, if you’re using a muzzleloader, you’ll want to around a .50 caliber packed with 100 grains of powder and a 300-grain projectile if you plan on taking home anything more than a good campfire story. Gear for your bear hunt In addition to the right weapon, there are a number of other items you’ll need to make your bear hunt a success. One of the most important is a reliable, fog-free scope. Aim to find a variable power scope in the 2-to7 or 3-to-9 range with a 40mm objective for the best results. And remember, all your hunt equipment is an investment in your prize – save money where you can, but not at the expense of performance. Other gear you’ll need to take along for success, and safety, during the hunt includes: seasonally-appropriate hunt attire, binoculars, sleeping gear, extra socks, boots, rain gear, a head lamp, a sturdy-framed day pack, first aid kid, toilet paper, water purifying tablets and a sutiable supply of food and drink. tracking & Stalking Like most game, there are as many methods of hunting bears as there are bears in the woods. Overall, the methods can be broken down into four main strategies. Spot-and-stalk A lot o successful of bear hunting is done on a spot-and-stalk basis. This means you spend the beginning of your trip spotting bears. Watch where they feed, where they move to and from – berry patches, orchards and open meadows are a good place to start. If you stumble upon a half-consumed elk or deer, keep an eye on it as it’s ‘owner’ will likely return to finish the feast sooner or later. To avoid being overwhelmed by the task, break your target area into a grid and search it methodically – return to areas where you’ve found evidence of bear activity and you’re bound to find a perfect specimen lying in wait sooner or later. Still Hunting We’ll begin by saying that still hunting isn’t for everyone. It takes a degree of discipline and patience that many hunters simply aren’t capable of. The concept is simple – you choose a spot you’re fairly certain a bear will return to, then sit tight and wait. A great place to lie in wait is near a fruit or berry patch, many veterans claim this as the key to their success in bear hunting. You’ll need to be willing to wander a fair way to find a good spot to wait, and another hot tip from experts is to inspect any bear scat you find along the way. This will give you a clear idea what the bears are eating, and help you choose an ideal hiding place. Bear Calls Though a number of hunters say bear calls cause more problems than they solve for hunters in the field, there are plenty of experienced huntsmen who swear by them. Calls are more effective when used in an area where you’ve spotted bears, as opposed to evidence of bear activity. Wandering around the woods blowing on a bear call when there’re no bear in the immediate area is more likely to shoo any nearby animals away rather than draw them out of their cover. So, once you’ve spotted a bear, use your call to draw the animal into your shooting range. Tree Stand Hunting A final option for those aiming to bag a big bear on the hunt is tree stand hunting. While it is more popular with bow hunters and those seeking smaller game, the tree stand is gaining momentum in the bear hunting community. And with good reason, a tree stand can prove useful for any hunter trying to catch prey roaming between its eating and rest areas. As bears have an acute sense of smell, hunters using tree stands would do well to stick above 20 feet. Also, using a series of stands around any given area will give you the advantage of switching position when the wind changes. popular bear hunting areas There are a number of popular bear hunts in North America. To get started, you’ll need to consider which sort of bear you want to go after, and then decide how far you’re prepared to travel to determine which hunt is the best bet for your needs. Bear in mind that hunts have different regulations – and in some of the most popular bear country, you may be required to engage the services of a hunt operator. Always check the regulations of the local wildlife board before you make any firm plans to hunt anything, anywhere. Bag a black bear If it’s black bear you seek, the available hunt are plentiful. Big black bears are most commonly taken from the west coast of British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. The more colorful black bears we spoke of earlier can hunted with relative ease in the interior regions of the western Canadian provinces of BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Surprises lurk in the mountains here, and the occasional record-breaking blackie is taken by a lucky hunter. If western Canada is a bit beyond you, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan have reasonable black bear populations – but the big fellas don’t show themselves here so frequently. Get Yourself a Grizzly The best hunts for grizzlies are, perhaps unsurprisingly, also found in Canada. British Columbia, Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories provide solid spot-and-stalk action for dedicated grizzly hunters. The best bet for success is following the coastal salmon streams, but the central Arctic tundra has also proven fruitful for expert grizzly trackers. The largest grizzlies tend to be found on the far western Canadian coast – in British Columbia. Hunting down a brown Kodiak Island is home to the largest brown bears – but in recent years, a number of huge brown bears have come from the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula. The best brown hunting is in spring and fall, anywhere fresh fruit is growing or salmon are plentiful. Field care and dressing Whether you’ve bagged a common black bear or a massive brownie, the part of your hunt experience that follows your perfect shot is arguably the most important. Fair enough, being up to your elbows in the freshly-dead innards of a bear twice your size isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time – but it’s a necessary evil of the hunting process. You’ve got to prepare for this aspect of the hunt just as you’ve got to be ready for any other – do your research, pack your gear and be willing to earn every inch of that beautiful bear. To preserve the hide If you’re hoping to have a nice bear-skin rug in your house after the hunt, you’ll need to get the hide off your bear carefully, completely and without delay. This is another case of being prepared before the hunt – find a taxidermist you’re going to work with, and ask them for their preferred system of cuts to produce the best possible rug. Generally, there are two methods for skinning big game – the flat incision being most popular. You’ll need to roll the bear onto it’s back, with arms and legs in a prone position. Next, make a long, straight incision from the rear end to the gullet – you’ll want to ensure the cut is deep enough to fully penetrate the animal’s hide, but shallow enough to avoid damaging any organs. Once that incision is done, make a perpendicular cut from paw to paw at the top of the incision, aiming to slit along the center of each arm. And finally, you’ll make an incision from heel to heel along the center of each hind leg. You’ll want to remove the feet from the carcass, and need to follow your taxidermist’s instruction regarding the head. When all of this is complete, pull the hide free and freeze it in accordance with your taxidermist’s preference. To harvest the meat Bears are large. This means you’ll have to at least quarter your kill to get it out of the woods – unless you’ve gone hunting with a pack team or happen to have shot a bear on the side of the road. In general, the same quartering instructions apply to getting a bear into pieces as apply to elk and any other large game animals. In brief, you’ll want to get the meat cool as quickly as possible, and you’ll need to protect it from dirt, bugs and other contaminants. Use a small saw or hatchet and a very sharp knife, and you’ll use these tools to carefully skin, gut and clean the carcass. Once this has been completed, quarter the animal by splitting it in two along the backbone and then cleaving the halves in half for optimum weight distribution. |
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