Bears in the AM

[Boone-In-Wall]

I've read on here and heard that bear hunting in the morning isn't that great. Why is that? What time do you usually get out there to hunt? I'm all for sleeping in and not hiking in the dark, but just curious.

BIW

 

[Alaskanopolis]

I live in Alaska, so it's light late. I always hunt way into the evening and then am not going to get up really early, on only a couple hours of sleep for the slight chance of seeing a bear. I see bears 10 or more to 1 in the evening than the morning. I think the bears are up all night and sleep in the morning and the ones you happen to catch in the early morning are the ones that stay up a little later/earlier than the rest.

 

[Elk2008]

I agree. I’ve never done that good in the mornings. Always way better in the evenings. In MT anyways.

 

[MDR]

I can't say why you won't see as many bears in the morning because I really don't know....maybe they like to sleep in. I've been on a few successful bear hunts, every single one was taken after 10am. The magic time for me seems to be 4pm-9pm (also stays light late here). If it is a cooler day I have found 11-2 is also a good time.

Basically, sleep in or go fishing in the morning. Hunt the afternoon/evening.

 

[Sawfish]

Bears are primarily nocturnal creatures.

 

[Boone-In-Wall]

Basically, sleep in or go fishing in the morning. Hunt the afternoon/evening.

That's what I'm talking about. I'm a pretty intense hunter, but if I can dial it back then I'll take it!

 

[Boone-In-Wall]

For the record, I'm planning a bear hunt in Idaho.

 

[MeatBuck]

The ol lady and I killed both our big California boars in the morning last year. I saw bears early morning several days last season and killed a big boar early morning the year before that.
Saw the same bears in the evening too but chose to use daylight and cool morning temps to break em down and pack em out.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Most guys that say they don't see bears in the morning don't hunt bears in the morning so take that for what it's worth...hard to see critters from your bed. I think personally I have seen more bears before noon than after both in spring and fall, one thing I have noticed though is with the exception of the rut if I do see a bear moving in the morning it's always a small boar or a sow with cubs...I think the mature boars do tend to stay up late and sleep in as mentioned. I kill them whatever time of day they'll let me but I highly prefer shooting one in the AM to shooting one at last light.

 

[wildwilderness]

From a bait stand point the bears like to come in the evening and night. They are there in the morning, but the problem is walking into a bait in the Dark (some people get scared brown bears do scare me!).... you spook them then they are gone. So the easy solution is to sleep in the stand!



For spot and stalk though I see plenty of bears in the AM moving around.

 

[Big Dunc]

I've only seriously hunted bears for one year now. I killed my bear in Idaho this spring at 0730. The next day we were making coffee in camp and I spotted a big blonde right below is. But working in the woods the last few years I feel like I see a lot in the afternoon. I think bears are out when they want to be out, kind of a DGAF attitude!

 

[Jahvette20]

I killed one last week here in pa at 10 am 2 hrs after seeing 2 others

 

[flytrue]

I see them midday.

 

[Boone-In-Wall]

I see them midday.

Noice!

 

[rclouse79]

Two years ago we saw one at last light, but he was too far to go after. We saw him again at first light in the same spot but he was only out for a minute before bedding out of sight for the day. We hiked over and waited all day for him to come out. Shot him the last half an hour of light. If we hadn’t been up before sunrise we would have missed him. That said, I see a lot more bears in the evening.

 

[Boone-In-Wall]

Two years ago we saw one at last light, but he was too far to go after. We saw him again at first light in the same spot but he was only out for a minute before bedding out of sight for the day. We hiked over and waited all day for him to come out. Shot him the last half an hour of light. If we hadn’t been up before sunrise we would have missed him. That said, I see a lot more bears in the evening.

Sounds like it was worth the effort!

 

[bcimport]

I’ve killed them at all hours of the day. I see enough of them all through the day that I can rarely force myself out of the fart sack so early in May and June when the hunting is good. We usually just wakeup when the sun cooks us out of the tent around 0600, eat and hunt until dark which will be 10 or so.

 

[greglitwak1]

I live in Alaska, so it's light late. I always hunt way into the evening and then am not going to get up really early, on only a couple hours of sleep for the slight chance of seeing a bear. I see bears 10 or more to 1 in the evening than the morning. I think the bears are up all night and sleep in the morning and the ones you happen to catch in the early morning are the ones that stay up a little later/earlier than the rest.

Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece of information. I have never hunted bears in my entire life, I prefer hunting Elks. With this piece of information, I have my mind prepared to the foundation of bear hunting until that day comes and I really can't wait to get out there to hunt some bears.

 

[manchild125]

Last year I shot a bear at 3pm and made a bad hit. The very next morning at first light I was in the same spot and the bear popped out in the same clear cut. I shot him in the same spot he was standing the day before. I do agree I see most bear either at first light or around 3pm to dark. We can't bait and sun rises at 6am and dark by 5pm. This was in November

 

[Boone-In-Wall]

Last year I shot a bear at 3pm and made a bad hit. The very next morning at first light I was in the same spot and the bear popped out in the same clear cut. I shot him in the same spot he was standing the day before. I do agree I see most bear either at first light or around 3pm to dark. We can't bait and sun rises at 6am and dark by 5pm. This was in November

Yea, agree with what you're saying. Not going to see any bears if you never go. haha!