Where Are You From & Where Do You Hunt Bear?

[NatureDriven]

Hi all. My name is Scott. I've hunted bear on and off for many years, but my dad is the only one that has killed any in the family thus far, 2 in total. I hunt bear using my .300 Winchestor Short Mag or Smith and Wesson's awesome .460. My dream hunt is to hunt behind a pack of yelpin hounds through any beautiful countryside.

[Rooselk]

I live in Washington State and hunt bear primarily in the North Cascades. Baiting and the use of hounds are illegal in Washington but we are allowed two bear per year. Although I am a bowhunter, for bear I use either a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight 30/06 with a Leupold 2.5 x 8 scope or a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in 45/70 using XS Ghost Ring sights and Garrett ammo.

[DEERSLAM]

I live in the Sacramento area and hunt bear in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness. Lots of bear. So many that I have only had one hunting partner go home without a bear. And will normally only hunt three days. The one guy who went home without a bear missed a 400lb class bear a 31yds with his bow. Oh well I did my job puttin him on the bear.

[slickhntr]

took one lat season in angeles Nat forest. 1st time. with a win 32 spl. Would love to hunt brown bear in Alaska.

[trautert]

New guy to these forums, and to bear hunting. I live in Stockton, CA and hunt mostly pigs from Cache Creek to Monterey. I've bought a bear tag to carry with me in season every year for the past several, but didn't really go looking for bear. That will change this year. Thinking about Mendocino forest area. Probably carrying my Browning High Wall in 45-70.

Tom

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Trautert, welcome to the Bear Forum and JHO my freind. there are some great members from all over the world who share their bear hunting adventures here on JHO. this will be my second season hunting Black Bear with a bow in the SNF and hope to be successful this year, will see, its still very exciteing big game animal to hunt no matter what, and I cant wait, 8 more weeks to go and I have already started prepareing.
so good luck on your bear hunt this season!................tra

P.S. do you shoot a bow?

[XBowHunter]

Hi!!! I'm from Fairbanks, Alaska and am just getting into Blackies. Recent surgery on my shoulder has converted me from a bowhunter to a crossbowhunter and I'm looking forward to chasin' some bruins this year.

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

also welcome to JHO XBowHunter, I cant wait to here more about your crossbow bear hunting season in Fairbanks, Alaska my friend, I hope you are successful! my dream hunt is the Alaskan Brown Bear with a bow someday, talk to you soon.......................tra

[Widux]

XBOWHUNTER--Welcome-- I lived in GoldStream Valley outside of Fai 74-98--back each year to fish in SE and Fai for the Tired iron Classic in March.
Went to MB a week ago but no bear-- Had a couple come in but one was small and other rubbed badly--Last week 10 guys took 9 nice bears-- who can figure--going back in fall for waterfowl and will hunt bears a while in evening.

[909bowsniper]

I reside in Southern California (Ontario area), and pretty much chase bears around the San Bernardino NF and sometimes into the Angeles NF. I have also frequented the Los Padres NF.
Exclusive to one of the bows listed in signature!

[jrstem]

Hi my name is Ryan and this will be my first year hunting coastal black bear here in Oregon. i have been scouting 3 locations for 11 months now, all have a ton of sign and a huge berry population. Its all i can think about latley, the season starts Aug.1st. I will be hunting with my Remington 700 30-06 and 180gr. rem. core lokts. I am extremely exited for my first bear hunt! Wish me luck...

[fknipfer1]

Hello all, I am Frank from Kansas as you will note there aren't any bear in Kansas so I go elsewhere. Two years ago I go a nice blackie in Manitoba and haven't hunted since. Got two discs repaired in neck so had to take some time off. Not this year but next I hope to go back and try for a bigger one.

I am now retired having spent 38yrs at same company and now I can't even ever think of working again.

My big problem is which rifle to use. The last bear I got with a Marlin 375 or .375 Winchester. Pretty impressive when it hit bear and then flop. I think I will use a BLR .308 165gr bullet this time. If I don't or can't bear hunt this next year in Manitoba I will go deer hunting there. They have some of the biggest deer I have ever seen, some go pretty close to 300lbs. Up in Manitoba you hunt bear in the woods but deer in the fields all with blinds.

You guys have a great evening and I will read all the threads and try to answer some if I have anything to contribute.

fknipfer

PS. I reload all I hunt with.

[BIG BEAR]

my name is KEN I live in CAMINO CALIF. Ive been hunting black bears for18 years. I use a barnett crossbow or a rifle in 308 or 444 cal. I hunt from tree stands . dream hunt BIG GRIZZLY

THANKS KEN

[J.O.]

Hello I'm John,

This will be my first year bear hunting. I live in so cal and will most likely be hunting in the san bernardino area right after I fill my deer tag or as soon as season closes. I welcome any advice one can pass on to me. be it field dressing, scouting etc. I will be huntin the a Remington 30.06 with 180grn federal ammo.

good luck to all

[campscribe]

Howdy,

I live in SW Oregon and have hunted bears a long time. In SW Oregon I can buy three bear tags a year over the counter, and hunt for seven months per year. There are a lot of bears, with about 38% color phase in extreme SW Oregon, just north of California and east of the ocean.

I am an amateur outdoor writer with around 70 articles published in hunting magazines. Mostly bear hunting adventures, my own and other folks.

In spring 2007 my friend and I each took 19+ bears, and both hit the 300 lbs benchmark. Dave's weighed 250 filed dressed and mine weighed 300 field dressed. Add back in 18% and you have an approximate live weight.

Since 1994's passage of ballot measure 18, which outlawed dogs and bait, our bears are getting bigger and bigger. We used to struggle to get a bear over 200, now it is expected. In fact, my friends and I have not killed a bear below 250 is several years. We are protective of the smaller ones, but there are just a lot of bears over 250 lbs.

Glad I came aboard on Jesse's. Looks to be lots of good folks here.

[campscribe]

<HR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #d1d1e1; COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->
Howdy,

I live in SW Oregon and have hunted bears a long time. In SW Oregon I can buy three bear tags a year over the counter, and hunt for seven months per year. There are a lot of bears, with about 38% color phase in extreme SW Oregon, just north of California and east of the ocean.

I am an amateur outdoor writer with around 70 articles published in hunting magazines. Mostly bear hunting adventures, my own and other folks.

In spring 2007 my friend and I each took 19+ bears, and both hit the 300 lbs benchmark. Dave's weighed 250 filed dressed and mine weighed 300 field dressed. Add back in 18% and you have an approximate live weight.

Since 1994's passage of ballot measure 18, which outlawed dogs and bait, our bears are getting bigger and bigger. We used to struggle to get a bear over 200, now it is expected. In fact, my friends and I have not killed a bear below 250 is several years. We are protective of the smaller ones, but there are just a lot of bears over 250 lbs.

Glad I came aboard on Jesse's. Looks to be lots of good folks here.


<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________
Camp Scribe
Introduction Jim’s Outdoor Blog

[Makwa]

Hi

I currently live in Manitoba. I have been hunting bears for 40 years and guided for both blacks and grizzlies for over 30. I have taken bears with archery equipment, muzzleloaders and rifle. Have taken my fair share of grizzlies and lots of black bears in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

My wife and I kill really big black bears on our ranch every year. We have not killed a black bear under 7 feet since we bought our place in 2003.

I never get tired of bear hunting. My wife renders the fat down and there is nothing that makes a finer pie crust than bear lard.

[iroc6976]

i live in sacramento i hunt all over northern california but never got a bear my father got his first bear last year my brother has gotten several in archery season but this year i was pig hunting near red bluff and 20 minutes into my hunt i heard a noise and thought it was a pig rottin so i turned around and to my surprise a huge blackbear not sure exact weight but the scale they had for pigs went to 500 he berried the scale this was my first bear

[Henry54]

A good place is Tobias lookout pass area in just Northeast of Glenvillie CA. I was deer hunting there last season with my son and we spot 2 big bears from a distance about 700yds away, and I was talking to some other people and they said they seen 1 about 2 miles where we seen the two. There is bears there if your willing to hike the ridges and hike the steep hills.

[chucknalaska]

I guide both brown and black bears on the Gulf of Alaska so I don't get to hunt for myself much anymore. Even though I don't get to pull the trigger it's still a kick to put some one on a bear.

[DuckFever]

Might get into bear hunting up in Oregon in the Cascades, seems interesting.