2020 Spring Bear Strategies

[Howard Mee]

Hey! I want to hear which tactic you prefer to use on Spring bear and why and I want to see photos!!
This will be my sons first year to chase bears. I'd like a quiver full of knowledge when we head into the woods. Thanks.

 

[Nick Muche]

In Montana, don't you really only have one tactic? Spot and Stalk....

 

[roosiebull]

early season I will be covering ground and scouting green up.... bear only care about one thing early in the season, and that's food. bear are grazers, so looking for the most lush food is how to find bear (primarily grass early on, transitioning to grass and dandelion)

i'll be walking grassy roads, and creek bottoms, as well as chutes and south facing clear cuts. they don't mind near vertical terrain, and they aren't likely going to be in spots with a lot of human traffic.... isolated food sources with good feed is what i'm looking for.

remember, spring bear scat looks much different than that of a fall bear, looks more like horse poop than fall bear (i'm sure you can find pics online if you don't know what it looks like)

bear are the least tolerant to human scent, so keep that in mind if you find a nice vantage point to glass from..... I like walking bottoms too to find track and sign, but don't do a lot of that if you do find sign, or you'll run them out of there.

I plan to do some calling early too, especially in those thick areas you find sign but can't get a vantage point. another good aspect of calling early is the likelihood of calling in a lion.... multi tasking

I have called in a few bear with lion vocals on accident, so I will basically treat calling setups like i'm hunting lions.

as we get in the 3rd-4th week of april, i'll start focusing more on clear cuts (south facing will have the best feed) by that time the grass in the cuts will be getting lush, and dandelion will as well. what i'm looking for as textbook habitat is a cut with no road in the bottom preferably, south facing, and one border of mature timber, and a vantage that keeps your wind out of there.

if you find good sign, but can't get good wind, don't waste your time.... maybe you can get in a spot with good wind an call him out.

if it's not obviously a big boar, don't get too yippy on the gun, watch for awhile, I have seen those little cubs disappear for long periods of time while watching a sow. I just won't shoot a bear if there is any question.... that would take the fun out of the season for me.

lots of ways to skin this cat, but basically cover ground, find the best habitat you can find, pay attention to wind, and get behind the glass. the stuff you see glassing in the spring makes it a very fun time to be in the woods..... the woods are alive in the spring. good time to scout deer and elk too (at least around here) our bucks and bulls don't travel far throughout the year, and when they are growing antler, they are very visible, so it's pretty easy to find some big critters that time of year.

 

[roosiebull]

also, remember later in the season boars will start cruising for sows.... anything can happen at any time late season. I don't like that part of season, because I like finding big bear sign, and hunting that bear.... when they start cruising, you lost their pattern.... but it can play into your favor too, by having one randomly cruise by.

 

[Howard Mee]

In Montana, don't you really only have one tactic? Spot and Stalk....

Yeah that's probably the most popular. It's pretty dang thick up here in NW MT. We walk a lot of old logging roads. Find areas with fresh sign and hang out in that area. We can't bait or use electronic calls, but I know guys have decent success calling later in the season. But, yes, mostly glassing clear cuts to spot and stalk.

 

[Cmelink]

good stuff!

 

[biking_2003]

Awesome info, roosiebull! We plan on trying some of those exact strategies this spring. Have never done it before, but it'll help with the claustrophobia, lol.

 

[Big Nasty]

All good info, Fresh Green vegetation is all I look for in the higher country. Spends lots of time out there enjoying the fresh air, you'll find them.

 

[Spoonman]

I prefer to hunt them in the woods instead of from my living room. Here in WA spring bear is closed! Honestly I look for super green fresh vegetation and for avalanche shoots.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Grassy areas on sunny days.

... or call my buddy with hounds...

 

[roosiebull]

Awesome info, roosiebull! We plan on trying some of those exact strategies this spring. Have never done it before, but it'll help with the claustrophobia, lol.

a couple more things... evenings are more consistent for seeing bear (though they can be out any time of course) evenings are most reliable... fall bear not so, but spring it is.

today was our opener and I glassed up a really decent boar... not huge, but big enough to be certain it was a boar.... he didn't waddle, but he had heft. first time I have seen a bear opening day, but conditions were good, and that reminds me of another constant.

when it's bad weather, bear don't like being out feeding (of course there are always exceptions) if it is crappy and cold all morning, then the weather breaks at noon... or whenever, that is a good time to be out regardless..... they move good when weather breaks, and that's the peak time for that scenario.... better than that evening in that scenario.

it's awesome the season is upon us, spring bear are mysterious critters, they are always teaching me, even after chasing them for several years.

you think you have one figured out and he throws you a curveball or 4.... there are lots of patterns, but no rules

 

[mtview]

This will be my first year spring bear hunting as well. Wasn't really entertaining it until I had a big boar walk by without noticing me this past fall chasing elk. I need to scratch the itch. I'll probably start with the drainage I know well (where I saw him.) I've heard from more than a few experienced guys that they focus more on evenings, like roosiebull said. Say you glass one in the evening and can't cut the distance before shooting light ends. Come back in the morning or evening? I ask because I'll be piecing a few half day hunts together throughout the season. I'm self-employed with a 1.5 hr drive to my spots here in MT.

 

[roosiebull]

This will be my first year spring bear hunting as well. Wasn't really entertaining it until I had a big boar walk by without noticing me this past fall chasing elk. I need to scratch the itch. I'll probably start with the drainage I know well (where I saw him.) I've heard from more than a few experienced guys that they focus more on evenings, like roosiebull said. Say you glass one in the evening and can't cut the distance before shooting light ends. Come back in the morning or evening? I ask because I'll be piecing a few half day hunts together throughout the season. I'm self-employed with a 1.5 hr drive to my spots here in MT.

evening have been far more reliable for me historically in the spring.... or as soon as it quits raining and gets nice.... when that happens, and it's 2pm, 2pm will be the best time period that day if it rained for 6+hrs leading up to that.

I have been out 3 evenings so far, and a few random morning/mid day trips... the 3 evenings I have hunted, I glassed up bear, none yet any other hunts. they come out at all times, but it's random.... evenings are consistent.

I took my wife last night into an area I glassed far off the day before, it looked good and I wanted to check it out last night, so we went in there.... 5:03 a pig walks out, exactly where you would think one would come out.... it was a cool textbook encounter.

it was further than I wanted to shoot, and we had a nasty bottom between us and the bear and decided to not drag my wife through it.... I was anxious to make a move on him, but I didn't want my wife getting all beat up and likely coming back through that stuff in the dark, so we just watched it.

went back this morning, and no sign of him, sat on it for quite a few hours. going back tonight and expecting to see him again, and i'll be making a move as long as the wind allows..... not ready to be done hunting, but it's a dandy. most big boars have black faces, this bear had a light muzzle.... really good looking bear all around.

as long as hikers don't wreck my plans tonight, I have a good chance of killing that bear..... but you know how that goes, haha.... i'll be just as happy still having a tag tomorrow. it's been the best beginning I have seen, there is good feed early, and good weather.... like I expect last week of april/first of May.

if I had to pick 4 hrs to spring bear hunt, it would be the last 4 every time..... fall, it depends on the bear. I have hunted some that were out every morning.... like clock work

 

[Call.me.porter]

My success with spring black bears is split 50/50. The first part being traditional spot and stalk. Walk gated roads, glass clearings late afternoon and into the evening. The other half, honestly, is catching them on the way to glass. They are where they are when they are. Which in the spring time is nearly predictable in some situations if you know what to look for. With that being said, I have never shot a spring bear before noon. Probably because I don't hunt many mornings and evenings have proven to be productive. Last years bear was pretty fun, but like I said almost predictable. I spotted this bear at the red dot. I took off after him and made it to the base of the clearing knowing I was no more than a hundred yards away, and then the wind switched. Never saw the bear again. Go back in 2 days later around the same time and I ended up running into him again in the creek by the blue dot just a couple hundred yards below the clearing. So if you find a bear or even bear sign FOCUS ON THAT AREA. They won't be far.

 

[Wojo14]

early season I will be covering ground and scouting green up.... bear only care about one thing early in the season, and that's food. bear are grazers, so looking for the most lush food is how to find bear (primarily grass early on, transitioning to grass and dandelion)

i'll be walking grassy roads, and creek bottoms, as well as chutes and south facing clear cuts. they don't mind near vertical terrain, and they aren't likely going to be in spots with a lot of human traffic.... isolated food sources with good feed is what i'm looking for.

remember, spring bear scat looks much different than that of a fall bear, looks more like horse poop than fall bear (i'm sure you can find pics online if you don't know what it looks like)

bear are the least tolerant to human scent, so keep that in mind if you find a nice vantage point to glass from..... I like walking bottoms too to find track and sign, but don't do a lot of that if you do find sign, or you'll run them out of there.

I plan to do some calling early too, especially in those thick areas you find sign but can't get a vantage point. another good aspect of calling early is the likelihood of calling in a lion.... multi tasking

I have called in a few bear with lion vocals on accident, so I will basically treat calling setups like i'm hunting lions.

as we get in the 3rd-4th week of april, i'll start focusing more on clear cuts (south facing will have the best feed) by that time the grass in the cuts will be getting lush, and dandelion will as well. what i'm looking for as textbook habitat is a cut with no road in the bottom preferably, south facing, and one border of mature timber, and a vantage that keeps your wind out of there.

if you find good sign, but can't get good wind, don't waste your time.... maybe you can get in a spot with good wind an call him out.

if it's not obviously a big boar, don't get too yippy on the gun, watch for awhile, I have seen those little cubs disappear for long periods of time while watching a sow. I just won't shoot a bear if there is any question.... that would take the fun out of the season for me.

lots of ways to skin this cat, but basically cover ground, find the best habitat you can find, pay attention to wind, and get behind the glass. the stuff you see glassing in the spring makes it a very fun time to be in the woods..... the woods are alive in the spring. good time to scout deer and elk too (at least around here) our bucks and bulls don't travel far throughout the year, and when they are growing antler, they are very visible, so it's pretty easy to find some big critters that time of year.

Great info here! Thanks for sharing. I hope to start going to Montana for spring bear
~Wojo

 

[kylem]

My best luck has been glassing small grassy openings on good weather days from mid day on. Sometimes I am only be looking at 2 or 3 open areas about 20x20 yards surrounded by a sea of thick timber. It gets pretty boring looking at such a small area, but it has been productive for me the last couple years.

 

[Pulv]

early season I will be covering ground and scouting green up.... bear only care about one thing early in the season, and that's food. bear are grazers, so looking for the most lush food is how to find bear (primarily grass early on, transitioning to grass and dandelion)

i'll be walking grassy roads, and creek bottoms, as well as chutes and south facing clear cuts. they don't mind near vertical terrain, and they aren't likely going to be in spots with a lot of human traffic.... isolated food sources with good feed is what i'm looking for.

remember, spring bear scat looks much different than that of a fall bear, looks more like horse poop than fall bear (i'm sure you can find pics online if you don't know what it looks like)

bear are the least tolerant to human scent, so keep that in mind if you find a nice vantage point to glass from..... I like walking bottoms too to find track and sign, but don't do a lot of that if you do find sign, or you'll run them out of there.

I plan to do some calling early too, especially in those thick areas you find sign but can't get a vantage point. another good aspect of calling early is the likelihood of calling in a lion.... multi tasking

I have called in a few bear with lion vocals on accident, so I will basically treat calling setups like i'm hunting lions.

as we get in the 3rd-4th week of april, i'll start focusing more on clear cuts (south facing will have the best feed) by that time the grass in the cuts will be getting lush, and dandelion will as well. what i'm looking for as textbook habitat is a cut with no road in the bottom preferably, south facing, and one border of mature timber, and a vantage that keeps your wind out of there.

if you find good sign, but can't get good wind, don't waste your time.... maybe you can get in a spot with good wind an call him out.

if it's not obviously a big boar, don't get too yippy on the gun, watch for awhile, I have seen those little cubs disappear for long periods of time while watching a sow. I just won't shoot a bear if there is any question.... that would take the fun out of the season for me.

lots of ways to skin this cat, but basically cover ground, find the best habitat you can find, pay attention to wind, and get behind the glass. the stuff you see glassing in the spring makes it a very fun time to be in the woods..... the woods are alive in the spring. good time to scout deer and elk too (at least around here) our bucks and bulls don't travel far throughout the year, and when they are growing antler, they are very visible, so it's pretty easy to find some big critters that time of year.

Awesome info. Thanks!

 

[TC406]

as long as hikers don't wreck my plans tonight, I have a good chance of killing that bear..... but you know how that goes, haha

Any update @roosiebull ??

 

[roosiebull]

Any update @roosiebull ??

I have been back a couple times and not seen him again, he may still be coming out daily, but maybe not where I can see from cross canyon. the wind forces me to stay on that side to spot him (then I could make a stalk)

i'm going back there this evening, I have gave that spot a rest for a few days. it's been going well, my wife came with me Saturday evening and we glassed up 3, I almost shot one but I didn't pull the trigger, not sure exactly why, but it would have broke one of my spring bear rules of shooting too fast without plenty of time to assess.... it was a good bear, but it would have been a little hurried (not the actual shooting, he gave me lots of good opportunities in that regard)

went East sunday morning to pick up my daughter who stayed a week over there at my sis in laws, and we got back home at 5:30 last night and I hustled and got ready and hit the woods again, ended up glassing a sow and yearling, then right before dark I found a sow with 2 little fur ball cubs.

it's been the best early season I have had, started out with good green up, and I have found over 10 bears now.... just a matter of time, and there is 6 weeks left and I have all of the time I want to hunt, so i'm not really motivated to shoot one.

that big bear I haven't seen again is getting my focus tonight... conditions are ideal again, and that bear is a really big one.

been really good so far for this region. we don't have a really big biomass of bear, and it's been consistent. many years I don't see my first one until the 2nd or 3rd week of april, hunting a good deal.... should only get better.

 

[MTJake]

Thanks for the info y'all! Thinking about trying spring bear for the first time this year and these tips are great.