Black Bear Hunting

[sumpnz]

So, I have permission to hunt some private land this fall. For those familiar with Washington it's close to the small town of Marblemount. Fellow has 80 acres that borders some Sierra Pacific land (timber company that's usually good about allowing hunter access). He claims to have seen some 4 and 5 point black-tail deer as well as several black bear and even one or two cougar.

I'm going to head out there tomorrow after church to scope out the land and find out where he's seen bear, and find out where the property lines are that I can't cross. Not planning to bring the rifle this time (kids will be with me). Bear season is open now (it opened on Aug 1) so I figure that whenever SWMBO will let me free from honey-do's for a few hours I'll head up there and see if I can kill a bear. As much as hunting the bear I'll be scouting for deer.

Anyhow, any advice on how/where/when to actually find a bear would be appreciated. As would any advice on how best to skin it for a rug without the skull. Recipes too, if you please.

 

[wankerjake]

I hear fawn distress sounds or even rabbit distress sounds will bring them in. That would be a heck of an exciting way to bag one...

 

[Buzzard]

I forget the name of the show I saw this on, unfortunately. Chris Dorsey (gun/hunting writer) was hunting bear on Kodiak Island. His guide broke out a coyote call and started squalling on it as if he'd slammed his important part in a car door. A bear, all 900+ lbs of it, popped up out of the grass not 12 yards from where they were standing. Both of them shot their guns dry and the bear, naturally, ran back down the hill. They topped up their rifles and just before they started following the bear's track, the guide asked Chris "Was that close enough for you?"

Dorsey started pounding on the guy! Granted, both of them were laughing. But I can still see that bear's fuzzy face popping up out of the grass and thinking If that thing was any closer he could ask for a Tic-Tac!

 

[Meatax]

Berries berries berries.

 

[Greg Koziol]

Look for where they feed, i live in New york and here on the east coast toward the mid to late summer they hit berries hard but we don't hunt em here until sept/oct then again in nov/dec. In the fall the bears will hit mast hard... acorns, beech nuts, hickorty nuts. they will also prey on baby deer, they will steal kills from coyotes, raid garbage dumps. Bears will be where the food is, they are big animals so their life basically revolves around food, all they do is eat constantly.. so if you find the food, chances are the bears are there. They will always be near swamps and lakes, especially swamps during the summer they hunt beavers and also to cool down in the water and some of the aquatic vegetation they will eat. If you live out west i'm not so sure, there's probably a lot more pine out there so you will need to look for any type of edible mast crops or berry patches, blueberries are bear magents out hear on mountain top clear cuts and clearings.

 

[jpastor1759]

I don't the laws in you're state but you can look into hounds or bait IF legal.

 

[sumpnz]

Neither bait nor dogs are legal for bear hunting in WA.

They do now allow, if you draw the special permit, hunting of cougars with dogs. But still no bait.