Colorado bear hunt

[Jvn3]

Thinking about a bear hunt in Colorado this fall and have never hunted them. Probably be using rifle. Are any areas better or seasons. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[Maverick1]

I’ve shot bear by calling them in with a calf in distress call, sneaking up on them near a berry patch, sitting over a water hole, and sitting over an elk carcass. All worked well.

 

[ramsdude47]

Definitely go early September. Tons of units have basically infinite tags. Unit 43 had to shut down a campground last year due to too many bears, that’s a great area. Also the Grand Mesa right next to it 421/42.

Lots of great units though, you may as well try and shoot an OTC cow or bull if you shoot a bow.

 

[Chuckmfcraig]

Tagging for future info

 

[svivian]

Look for units with the most bear tags as it will give you the most options for time of year. Then call the local biologist and ask what food sources should you be looking for that time of year for that unit. In the fall bears are trying to put on as much weight as possible and aren't hard to find if you are where the food is. Old gut piles should be able to tell you if bears are in the area.

 

[eamyrick]

Tag. I’ll be there in September

 

[ChiefMingo]

If you haven't, check out the GRITTY channel on youtube. Brian Call has some awesome bear hunts and there's plenty to learn on there

 

[Vail94]

Find the food source, you’ll find the bears

 

[Linedawg]

I’ll be there in September also first time hunting bears

 

[Airspeed272]

There's bears all over but definitely give an edge to the West side of the state. Grand Junction and east of that about an hour. If you can find a fresh gut pile that is the best since you can't bait. The Colorado Parks and Wildelife site has some great tracking information

 

[tefird21]

I’ll be out there this september, going to get to fish the Kokanee run again too.

 

[ramsdude47]

I will add that since reporting is mandatory for bears there is data online of exactly where they are harvested - not all (and probably not any) DAU’s are up to date, but still helpful

From my area (2013): https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/DAU/Bear/B17DAUplan-GrandMesa.pdf

 

[ElGuapo]

I’ve hunted Colorado bears several years in a row.
Couple of things, besides the areas that guys have shared. The Western slope has tons of Bears, but it’s definitely no Gimme….

- Ignore any videos or information about Spring Bear hunting. Completely different food sources and honestly mostly irrelevant for anything in the Fall.
- Go as Early in September as you can. The movement get’s sporadic the later in the month.
- They’ll be feeding on Acorns, 1st, if they’re available above all else. Secondarily they may be feeding on berries. In the fall: Find the food, and you will find the Bears, unless there are acorns everywhere, and then they will be spread to hell and back.

- Look way lower in elevation than you might think. Often the bears are well below 8K’ in the Oaks.

 

[RichMangus]

Following

 

[Catahoula]

Following..

 

[Jimbee]

Tips for field dressing/ meat care? My son is going to be muzzleloader elk hunting this fall and I should be getting a bear rifle tag. Any advice on bear meat? My family eats a lot of wild game, but so far no bear.

 

[30338]

Fall bear is excellent. Most of the fat can be trimmed and rendered into excellent cooking lard. If you google it, you'll see cooking with bear lard is actually far healthier than pig or beef lard. Roasts are excellent numerous ways.

Skinning them is straightforward and the hides without rugging run around $400 to tan usually. I have a lot draped over spots in the trophy room.

If a guy can find a waterhole in an oak thicket, you'll just need some patience to connect with one.

 

[Poser]

Took a a couple of years to figure out Fall bear hunting in CO. I live in the SW corner of the state. Many or most years, the acorns are not yet edible nor do the bears initiate their fall feeding patterns until closer to mid September. If the acorns are still green, it’s too early.

If it’s a good spot, it a good spot. I hunted an area that had all of the ingredients for fall bear 5x last fall before seeing a bear there.

The 6-8k elevation range is prime, but often hardly aesthetic hunting by western hunting standards. Visibility can be super limited and since the terrain at these elevations is less dramatic, glassing spots where you can see lots of terrain are often difficult to come by.

Scrub oak often looks like it’s brush when glassing from a distance with no frame of reference, but can easily be 12+ feet tall and completely hide a feeding bear.

Also, a bedded down moo cow can totally deceive you from afar.

 

[bluumoon]

Took a a couple of years to figure out Fall bear hunting in CO. I live in the SW corner of the state. Many or most years, the acorns are not yet edible nor do the bears initiate their fall feeding patterns until closer to mid September. If the acorns are still green, it’s too early.

If it’s a good spot, it a good spot. I hunted an area that had all of the ingredients for fall bear 5x last fall before seeing a bear there.

The 6-8k elevation range is prime, but often hardly aesthetic hunting by western hunting standards. Visibility can be super limited and since the terrain at these elevations is less dramatic, glassing spots where you can see lots of terrain are often difficult to come by.

Scrub oak often looks like it’s brush when glassing from a distance with no frame of reference, but can easily be 12+ feet tall and completely hide a feeding bear.

Also, a bedded down moo cow can totally deceive you from afar.

Just west of you, hopefully chasing bruins again this year. Do you find acorns pretty consistent in the same area year to year? I found the mother load of acorns and sign around a water hole last year, but wasn't able to connect. Hoping the mast crop will be equally as good this year, back East mast crops seemed to alternate years in my area.

 

[Poser]

Just west of you, hopefully chasing bruins again this year. Do you find acorns pretty consistent in the same area year to year? I found the mother load of acorns and sign around a water hole last year, but wasn't able to connect. Hoping the mast crop will be equally as good this year, back East mast crops seemed to alternate years in my area.

There is definitely some mast rotation, but fields of scrub oak are more consistent than oak trees, I’m my experience. Biggest fact will be drought: we’ve had massive mast failures in the past due to droughts and, so directing this spring is now the fastest snowpack melt off in 30 years, it’s hit a great setup. The saving grace for mast will be monsoon season.

That being said, when there are mast failures, scrub oak along creeks become the hot spots which, when you live in a literal sea of scrub oak like I do, makes things a bit easier.