Black bears and snowstorms

Team4LongGun

SUPER MODERATOR
Staff member
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,585
Location
NW MT
Our camp in PA has a nice mix of old school hunters and younger guys. Their is a back and forth about bear movements in relation to snowstorms. One side says no weather affects movements, other side says they will hunker down until after a heavy snowstorm.
(I tend to fall in the middle-high winds, limited visibility with blowing snow I’ve found they don’t move during it.)

What have you observed?
 
OP
Team4LongGun

Team4LongGun

SUPER MODERATOR
Staff member
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,585
Location
NW MT
I recall a snowstorm a few years ago where it was a blizzard that dumped 15”. My thought was to cut a track and still hunt it. I covered about 2 miles which was painfully slow, and I saw zero tracks-deer, bear, coyote.
 

AKDoc

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
May 16, 2015
Messages
1,533
Location
Alaska
I've done many years of spot and stalk spring black bear hunting on the snow slides up here. The area that I have hunted is really prone to daily wx extremes in the spring.

It has been my experience that typically the bears will be out despite raining or snowing, as long as the wind is not blowing at the same time. I've also seen them moving if the wind is blowing, but not raining or snowing at the same time. There have been some exceptions to the aforementioned, but they are few.

I'm not sure if my AK spring black bear hunting observations are applicable to your area in the fall...

BTW Semper Fi!
 
OP
Team4LongGun

Team4LongGun

SUPER MODERATOR
Staff member
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,585
Location
NW MT
I've done many years of spot and stalk spring black bear hunting on the snow slides up here. The area that I have hunted is really prone to daily wx extremes in the spring.

It has been my experience that typically the bears will be out despite raining or snowing, as long as the wind is not blowing at the same time. I've also seen them moving if the wind is blowing, but not raining or snowing at the same time. There have been some exceptions to the aforementioned, but they are few.

I'm not sure if my AK spring black bear hunting observations are applicable to your area in the fall...

BTW Semper Fi!

Appreciate it! Rah!
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Messages
529
They were moving yesterday in NE Pa pre storm. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. My plan is to try to cut tracks. If they are held up then Tuesday they should be moving good.
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Messages
430
Try to catch them after a weather system. Here in the PNW after any type of heavy weather they’ll be out in full force. Buddy shot a 6’ boar after a snow storm late season a few years ago.
 
Top