CA Bear bowhunting advice

[DavePwns]

I will be going deep into a Sierra wilderness on my next archery trip w/ 2 deer tags and 1 bear tag in my pocket. On my scouting trips I have seen more bears than bucks, I need some advice on how to get up close to a bear within archery range? As soon as you spot a bear with your binos, do you wait for him to bed or just go after him and keep the wind in your favor? Do bears bed similarly to deer this time of year? Or should I just try still hunting areas with lots of fresh sign?

 

[Bubblehide]

In my experience, bears have good eyesight, but during archery season they are preoccupied with eating, and tend to be overconfident. So if I keep the wind in my face and use available cover, I can usually walk right up on them. But, once they know you are there, they usually take off and cover ground quickly.

This time of year, with all the growth, you should still be able to find some out feeding during the day. I usually just pick a high spot where I can see lots of river/creek botton and slopes. The problem will be there being so much food in so many areas. But still, the best times will be early morning and evenings, as many will still bed during daylight. But with the days getting a bit shorter, there will be some unable to resist eating more.

I would not still hunt areas unless I could not see into them and I was not finding bears, you will likely blow them out of the area during hunting hours.

I am wondering how you are getting in and out, as I find bears to be a pain in the A** to process due to them being so greasy. And a long heavy pack out can turn into an all day, or all night ordeal after getting it broken down. And, this time of the year, spoilage can be an issue.

 

[DavePwns]

In my experience, bears have good eyesight, but during archery season they are preoccupied with eating, and tend to be overconfident. So if I keep the wind in my face and use available cover, I can usually walk right up on them. But, once they know you are there, they usually take off and cover ground quickly.

This time of year, with all the growth, you should still be able to find some out feeding during the day. I usually just pick a high spot where I can see lots of river/creek botton and slopes. The problem will be there being so much food in so many areas. But still, the best times will be early morning and evenings, as many will still bed during daylight. But with the days getting a bit shorter, there will be some unable to resist eating more.

I would not still hunt areas unless I could not see into them and I was not finding bears, you will likely blow them out of the area during hunting hours.

I am wondering how you are getting in and out, as I find bears to be a pain in the A** to process due to them being so greasy. And a long heavy pack out can turn into an all day, or all night ordeal after getting it broken down. And, this time of the year, spoilage can be an issue.

How predictable is their behavior in your experience? Do they feed in the same general area day after day or are they continually roaming during these summer months?

 

[Bubblehide]

From my experience, in the Sierra where I have hunted bear, they have a territory that they appear to rotate through. However, if not disturbed, they are usually very predictable, i.e., if I find a bear that I can not seal the deal on, I almost always find them in the same area/proximity the next day.

 

[ceng]

I just experience the exact thing that Bubblehide was talking about. I was deer hunting, but ended up putting two stalks on bears the first morning. Apparently there were some low bushes with red berries they were super into. The first stalk was blown by a swirling wind but I got to about 60 yards. The second stalk was interesting. I bumped a covey of about 20 mountain quail when I was 120 yds out and it didn't seem to bother the bear. Then from 100 to about 70 yards there wasnt much cover, and I just moved when he put his head down and I hunkered into a small draw. From 70-50 there was a big boulder and as long as I kept on all 4's and kept the rock between me and him I moved. Then he finally went behind a small fir, I stood up and cut off another 15 yards, ranged the tree. He came around the tree, he saw me and popped out for a better look. I was basically in the open at that point, but full draw with a good range. I frontal shot him at 35 yards, he ran about 15 yds, stopped then did two more hops and was down. He died really quickly. I thought it was going to be a smallish bear, but when I got to him I realized he was pretty decent.
One caution with bears, I have always had an internal debate about shooting one in the back country. I was 6 miles from my truck when I shot this one. It was a brutal pack out. I had 115 lbs in my pack and my friend who is 62 and smaller than me had 75 lbs, it was about all we could do to make it back. With the warm weather I think we were close to loosing the meat and hide. So be cautious when and where you shoot one.

 

[ceng]

Oh as you can see from the picture, I forgot my camo shirt that morning. I got out of my sleeping bag and put on a sweatshirt and realized it when we were sitting to glass. So I guess you don't need camo for a succesful stalk.

 

[DavePwns]

I just experience the exact thing that Bubblehide was talking about. I was deer hunting, but ended up putting two stalks on bears the first morning. Apparently there were some low bushes with red berries they were super into. The first stalk was blown by a swirling wind but I got to about 60 yards. The second stalk was interesting. I bumped a covey of about 20 mountain quail when I was 120 yds out and it didn't seem to bother the bear. Then from 100 to about 70 yards there wasnt much cover, and I just moved when he put his head down and I hunkered into a small draw. From 70-50 there was a big boulder and as long as I kept on all 4's and kept the rock between me and him I moved. Then he finally went behind a small fir, I stood up and cut off another 15 yards, ranged the tree. He came around the tree, he saw me and popped out for a better look. I was basically in the open at that point, but full draw with a good range. I frontal shot him at 35 yards, he ran about 15 yds, stopped then did two more hops and was down. He died really quickly. I thought it was going to be a smallish bear, but when I got to him I realized he was pretty decent.
One caution with bears, I have always had an internal debate about shooting one in the back country. I was 6 miles from my truck when I shot this one. It was a brutal pack out. I had 115 lbs in my pack and my friend who is 62 and smaller than me had 75 lbs, it was about all we could do to make it back. With the warm weather I think we were close to loosing the meat and hide. So be cautious when and where you shoot one. View attachment 118462View attachment 118463View attachment 118464View attachment 118465

6 mile pack out at 115 lbs is no joke! Congrats on the bear success, it's awesome to see fellow CA backcountry hunter getting it done with archery equipment

 

[ceng]

Thanks, it sure was a suffer fest.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Nice bear! Here’s a small to medium one I passed a couple weekends ago. I’ve had luck late morning still hunting areas with rotten logs, as you can see this guy digging for bugs.

 

[MeatBuck]

Right now in b zone they are hitting the manzanita berries hard. If they're as many berries in the sierras as in the coast range I'd try glassing patches of that.
They're also on the elderberries.

I had one walk out of the manzanita brush at 15yds Friday evening while I was sitting in a glade glassing the opposite hillside. He walked below the hill and I was able to get my bow and draw it before standing up to shoot. I guessed by then he was 30 downhill so I shot for 25. The shot was through the grass but I decided to let it fly. About then he's perfectly broadside and turns his head to look at me which pivoted his shoulder blade over his vitals. When I hit the trigger I could hear the entire flight of the arrow ripping through the grass and then the signature crack of shoulder blade.
The shot was high shoulder. Got good penetration, I believe it lodged in opposite shoulder since I couldn't see much shaft hanging out as he rolled and ran into a tree then downhill. He ran all the way to the bottom, about 400yds. Actually ran through the kill site from my 3x4 from last year. No blood until just before the bottom. I followed spotty dark muscle blood out for a few more bends in the creek before deciding to pull off as darkness set in and the creek choked out with brush. I did not recover that bear.

 

[mod700]

Nice bear! Here’s a small to medium one I passed a couple weekends ago. I’ve had luck late morning still hunting areas with rotten logs, as you can see this guy digging for bugs.

Cool footage... the last few seconds, it looked like he dug into a bee's nest, by his reaction... but that doesn't make much sense as long as he was at it..?
Mike

 

[David Gough]

I just experience the exact thing that Bubblehide was talking about. I was deer hunting, but ended up putting two stalks on bears the first morning. Apparently there were some low bushes with red berries they were super into. The first stalk was blown by a swirling wind but I got to about 60 yards. The second stalk was interesting. I bumped a covey of about 20 mountain quail when I was 120 yds out and it didn't seem to bother the bear. Then from 100 to about 70 yards there wasnt much cover, and I just moved when he put his head down and I hunkered into a small draw. From 70-50 there was a big boulder and as long as I kept on all 4's and kept the rock between me and him I moved. Then he finally went behind a small fir, I stood up and cut off another 15 yards, ranged the tree. He came around the tree, he saw me and popped out for a better look. I was basically in the open at that point, but full draw with a good range. I frontal shot him at 35 yards, he ran about 15 yds, stopped then did two more hops and was down. He died really quickly. I thought it was going to be a smallish bear, but when I got to him I realized he was pretty decent.
One caution with bears, I have always had an internal debate about shooting one in the back country. I was 6 miles from my truck when I shot this one. It was a brutal pack out. I had 115 lbs in my pack and my friend who is 62 and smaller than me had 75 lbs, it was about all we could do to make it back. With the warm weather I think we were close to loosing the meat and hide. So be cautious when and where you shoot one. View attachment 118462View attachment 118463View attachment 118464View attachment 118465

Been wondering on the effectiveness of frontals on bears. What kind of arrow and bow setup do you have?

 

[ceng]

I just traded some work for a new bow and am shooting a Mathews Vertix. It’s 70 lbs, I shoot 29.5” draw length. I’m shooting full length Victory RIP TKO 250’s with 75 gr Easton HIT inserts and 125 gr montec. I have those and Kudu points in the quiver, opted for the Montec because I wanted a better blood trail, but he died in sight in a very short time so it wasn’t an issue. Both fly really well in my setup.

 

[ceng]

The arrow hit him square in the chest and buried up to the fletch, the broad head was in a hind quarter, I’m pretty sure the the path was through the heart, though due to heat and the time to get back to the truck we did the gutless method and unfortunately I didn’t dissect any further. Just unscrewed the broadhead and pulled the arrow, it still shoots great.

 

[David Gough]

I'm shooting something similar. Glad to know it was effective.

 

[David Gough]

Hell of a bear too!

 

[ceng]

Thanks, I thought it was a bit smaller than it turned out to be.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Cool footage... the last few seconds, it looked like he dug into a bee's nest, by his reaction... but that doesn't make much sense as long as he was at it..?
Mike

I think they can put up with bees pretty well. I arrowed a bear a couple years ago that was FULL of yellow jackets. He must have eaten 100 + bees. Walking around the area I could see all the nests he was digging up and eating.

 

[ceng]

I was really impressed by the skin thickness of that bear on it's neck and front end, some places it was 3/8"-1/2" thick. I imagine that's for pushing through brush and bees etc.