Colorado Fall Black Bear

[JRasmussen]

Hello All,
I'm heading to CO in September to specifically hunt black bear with my bow. Just curious to know the best way to hunt these fall bears and around what elevation can i expect to see find their food sources? Any help would be much appreciated!
Thank You

 

[burlap]

Welcome to the forum. You've asked a question that triggers folks. I'll help you though.

CPW makes it fairly easy, in a way. Take a look at their 2020 Big Game Brochure. Any of the deer/elk hunts (muzzleloader) that has a bear paw on it, allows for an add on bear hunt. It only takes money, no application.

This should be a tip off that CPW believes that there is a surplus of animals, and they need help to thin the numbers. 25 and 26 are listed as available.

That said, where I hunt, my party saw 7 unique bears 2 years ago in a 5 square mile area. We saw 2 in the same area last year. My area is not listed as having the add on bear hunt.

My suggestion is to look at how people say to hunt the animal in the time frame you're going to be out here, and just get started.

Good luck.

 

[JRasmussen]

Welcome to the forum. You've asked a question that triggers folks. I'll help you though.

CPW makes it fairly easy, in a way. Take a look at their 2020 Big Game Brochure. Any of the deer/elk hunts (muzzleloader) that has a bear paw on it, allows for an add on bear hunt. It only takes money, no application.

This should be a tip off that CPW believes that there is a surplus of animals, and they need help to thin the numbers. 25 and 26 are listed as available.

That said, where I hunt, my party saw 7 unique bears 2 years ago in a 5 square mile area. We saw 2 in the same area last year. My area is not listed as having the add on bear hunt.

My suggestion is to look at how people say to hunt the animal in the time frame you're going to be out here, and just get started.

Good luck.

Thanks Burlap, after rereading my initial post and your response i realized, i read post like that quite often and shake my head, so i went ahead and revised my question to what i actually was looking for. thank again for the response and advise.

 

[DEHusker]

Depending on what part of the state you're in, scrub oaks and berry patches will be your ticket. I hunt an OTC unit in the western part of the state where in many years I'll see as many bears as I do elk, no bull (pun intended). Glass them up on the not too steep side slopes and draws and have at it. They're thick in the west but getting thicker in the central mountains now as well. Also, as sad as it is, you can hunt near busy hiker/sightseer camping areas and find loads of them as well. We've chased them off our campsite more than once. Another great trick is to kill your elk/deer, leave the carcass in an easy area to glass and then stalk one on your carcass, voila, legal baiting.

 

[JRasmussen]

Depending on what part of the state you're in, scrub oaks and berry patches will be your ticket. I hunt an OTC unit in the western part of the state where in many years I'll see as many bears as I do elk, no bull (pun intended). Glass them up on the not too steep side slopes and draws and have at it. They're thick in the west but getting thicker in the central mountains now as well. Also, as sad as it is, you can hunt near busy hiker/sightseer camping areas and find loads of them as well. We've chased them off our campsite more than once. Another great trick is to kill your elk/deer, leave the carcass in an easy area to glass and then stalk one on your carcass, voila, legal baiting.

Appreciate the advise on the specific food source! I plan to be in central part of the state so idk if that will make much of a different in regards to the food source. I have heard of guys hunting carcasses and seems to be really effective.

 

[burlap]

Appreciate the advise on the specific food source! I plan to be in central part of the state so idk if that will make much of a different in regards to the food source. I have heard of guys hunting carcasses and seems to be really effective.

We made it a point to go back to our deer kill sites to see if they were molested. From what we could tell, only birds had worked them over.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Depending on what part of the state you're in, scrub oaks and berry patches will be your ticket. I hunt an OTC unit in the western part of the state where in many years I'll see as many bears as I do elk, no bull (pun intended). Glass them up on the not too steep side slopes and draws and have at it. They're thick in the west but getting thicker in the central mountains now as well. Also, as sad as it is, you can hunt near busy hiker/sightseer camping areas and find loads of them as well. We've chased them off our campsite more than once. Another great trick is to kill your elk/deer, leave the carcass in an easy area to glass and then stalk one on your carcass, voila, legal baiting.

I don't think you are allowed to move the carcass.

From the Big Game guide, Illegal Activities on page 15,
"27. Hunt big game over bait, whether or not the person hunting personally placed the bait. Bait means to put, expose, distribute or scatter salt, minerals, grain, animal parts or other food as an attraction for big game. Salt or mineral blocks used for normal agricultural purposes are not considered bait. Scent sticks that smell like food are illegal for bears."

 

[HunterHawk]

streams, grass, berries. Find that and look for sign. Given i have never shot a bear i have missed one and of course when i didn't have tags i was in bears.. bears are same place elk roam. Good luck to you.

 

[Raghornkiller]

Ive killed a few over my elk carcass and could do it every year if i wanted to take the time.They will show up within a couple of days and keep coming back every day.The tough part for you if you're not elk hunting is finding a carcass.Most successful elk hunters dont want to show you where they filled their tag but i have stumbled upon gut piles with a bear on it.Where we hunt it is too thick to spot and stalk and we almost never run into bears while elk hunting but that could be because we are being noisy

 

[JRasmussen]

Ive killed a few over my elk carcass and could do it every year if i wanted to take the time.They will show up within a couple of days and keep coming back every day.The tough part for you if you're not elk hunting is finding a carcass.Most successful elk hunters dont want to show you where they filled their tag but i have stumbled upon gut piles with a bear on it.Where we hunt it is too thick to spot and stalk and we almost never run into bears while elk hunting but that could be because we are being noisy

Yeah I have talked with individual who has had people ask them where their carcass was located at and I don’t know if I would give that location up either due to the fact that if it’s an OTC unit what’s stopping them from going into town to buy a tag and hunt elk there. Especially in CO where the pressure is substantial.

 

[workethic]

I too am headed to colorado for a dedicated bear hunt. However, I'll be "cheating" and using a rifle. Ive been researching since january. There is very little information out there as far as fall bear hunting out west. What Ive found is the oaks tend to be a more reliable food source. Also, like most hunts in the west water is key. In this case not specifically for drinking. Most of the high calorie food is near water, berries and such. Also, a bear's gotta drink, especially with the increase in consumption. From my research, not first hand experience, is most of the food sources stop right around 9k elevation and oaks thrive around 8k. I wont know that to be completely true until I get there. Staying cool is also another factor. A bear has a thick black coat of fur, it's going to want shade if it's hot. So expect to find them in thicker cover. I have never hunted colorado or for bears out west, but I have done quite a bit of hunting out west. Also, I have hunted bear in my home state successfully, but that is a different/boring style of bear hunting.
Speak with CPW in the area you will be hunting. The questions I like to ask are: How has the weather been? Unusually wet or dry? Was there a late frost? Have you seen much of an acorn crop in the area? Are there areas you would suggest I avoid? Run a few spots by them and get their opinion. The officer that I spoke with was very helpful and told me that the are I had picked out would be his second choice and gave me the area that he would be looking at going if he were hunting bear. I also take in consideration with that information that he may tell other hunters to go there as well creating more pressure in that area.
I spend a lot of time on ONX looking at where may be a good spot. I do this over a span of months as weather changes, a fire can botch a spot quick. Also, my brain may miss something if I try to cram it into a week or two of planning.
I hope this helps, but again this is only based off of research, not first hand experience. I just adapted my planning strategies for other species from other hunts to this one, but bears are different creatures all together. Best of luck! Let me know how you do!

 

[jray5740]

Welcome to the forum. You've asked a question that triggers folks. I'll help you though.

CPW makes it fairly easy, in a way. Take a look at their 2020 Big Game Brochure. Any of the deer/elk hunts (muzzleloader) that has a bear paw on it, allows for an add on bear hunt. It only takes money, no application.

This should be a tip off that CPW believes that there is a surplus of animals, and they need help to thin the numbers. 25 and 26 are listed as available.

That said, where I hunt, my party saw 7 unique bears 2 years ago in a 5 square mile area. We saw 2 in the same area last year. My area is not listed as having the add on bear hunt.

My suggestion is to look at how people say to hunt the animal in the time frame you're going to be out here, and just get started.

Good luck.

I could be wrong here, but I was always under the impression that the units with the most tags was CPW's attempt to fill those units with hunters in hopes that 10-12% of them would harvest and animal......and the units with low tag numbers were much easier to fill your tag.

For example, when you look at a Unit on the mesa for bear or elk there is literally thousands of tags sold and thousands of hunters, and the same number of elk/bears harvested as many of the limited draw units with much much lower number tags available.

In other words the easier/more populated a game animal is in a unit, the less tags available and vice a versa

 

[burlap]

I could be wrong here, but I was always under the impression that the units with the most tags was CPW's attempt to fill those units with hunters in hopes that 10-12% of them would harvest and animal......and the units with low tag numbers were much easier to fill your tag.

For example, when you look at a Unit on the mesa for bear or elk there is literally thousands of tags sold and thousands of hunters, and the same number of elk/bears harvested as many of the limited draw units with much much lower number tags available.

In other words the easier/more populated a game animal is in a unit, the less tags available and vice a versa

The more the animals the less the tags? Yeah, not in Colorado. That's not CPW's management plan, nor do I think that's ANY state's management plan. CPW watches the number of a specific species within the GMUs, then issues tags based off a management plan to cull, keep, or grow the species.

Say that one out loud. The more resources you have, the less you harvest. That's like a farmer sewing a giant field, then only harvesting a portion of it because it's a big field.

Now, if you're thinking about OTC without caps tags, those are usually ball buster units that they take a calculated risk on putting "unlimited" hunters into, as most hunters (me too, most of the time) won't look at a cliff and say, "Yeah, that looks like a good time," and haul down it.

 

[workethic]

I could be wrong here, but I was always under the impression that the units with the most tags was CPW's attempt to fill those units with hunters in hopes that 10-12% of them would harvest and animal......and the units with low tag numbers were much easier to fill your tag.

For example, when you look at a Unit on the mesa for bear or elk there is literally thousands of tags sold and thousands of hunters, and the same number of elk/bears harvested as many of the limited draw units with much much lower number tags available.

In other words the easier/more populated a game animal is in a unit, the less tags available and vice a versa

I have done quite a bit of research into Colorado bear hunting and how the management plan. Colorado’s black bear management data gathering analysis is very dedicated. They publish plenty of the research publicly and tag allocations seem to reflect the data gathered. However, there are plenty of gmus that are managed for quality creating less tags. From what I have noticed in these areas there is a lesser amount of crop farming and ranching. Bear encroachment on those lands play a big role on tag numbers. This is information I found while researching, but I am not a resident, so my understanding may be flawed.

 

[jray5740]

The more the animals the less the tags? Yeah, not in Colorado. That's not CPW's management plan, nor do I think that's ANY state's management plan. CPW watches the number of a specific species within the GMUs, then issues tags based off a management plan to cull, keep, or grow the species.

Say that one out loud. The more resources you have, the less you harvest. That's like a farmer sewing a giant field, then only harvesting a portion of it because it's a big field.

Now, if you're thinking about OTC without caps tags, those are usually ball buster units that they take a calculated risk on putting "unlimited" hunters into, as most hunters (me too, most of the time) won't look at a cliff and say, "Yeah, that looks like a good time," and haul down it.

I guess my explanation wasnt super clear, but from what you gathered from it I must not have completely explained my understanding or opinion. Its not so much "more animals less tags" as much as it is the difficult of harvest pertaining to a specific unit. If you throw 100 hunters at ELK unit 201 for example, they will harvest 95 bulls. You throw 100 hunters at Elk unit 521 and they will harvest 5 bulls, maybe......even if the population of elk is the same or frankly higher in 521........thats what I was basing my overall understanding of it on.

Notice how I said I could be wrong with my opening remarks.......as in I openly admit that my opinion is based off of my experience and understanding which can be wrong or partially right. From what I glean from your response, whether your wrong or right, you are an always right kinda guy?

 

[jray5740]

I have done quite a bit of research into Colorado bear hunting and how the management plan. Colorado’s black bear management data gathering analysis is very dedicated. They publish plenty of the research publicly and tag allocations seem to reflect the data gathered. However, there are plenty of gmus that are managed for quality creating less tags. From what I have noticed in these areas there is a lesser amount of crop farming and ranching. Bear encroachment on those lands play a big role on tag numbers. This is information I found while researching, but I am not a resident, so my understanding may be flawed.

Solid response, thanks for sharing!

 

[IanCOLO]

One thing that will be challenging with a bow is stalking one after you spot it. They move deceptively fast, and you rarely see them not moving.

That being said, finding berries and acorns with water nearby will be a good place to start. Bears leave pretty wide trails of smashed down grass that look different than hoofed animals. If you find the trails with food sources and water nearby you will be getting a better chance. It has been hot and dry this summer so that should help with condensing bears to where berries and water haven’t dried up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[burlap]

I guess my explanation wasnt super clear, but from what you gathered from it I must not have completely explained my understanding or opinion. Its not so much "more animals less tags" as much as it is the difficult of harvest pertaining to a specific unit. If you throw 100 hunters at ELK unit 201 for example, they will harvest 95 bulls. You throw 100 hunters at Elk unit 521 and they will harvest 5 bulls, maybe......even if the population of elk is the same or frankly higher in 521........thats what I was basing my overall understanding of it on.

Notice how I said I could be wrong with my opening remarks.......as in I openly admit that my opinion is based off of my experience and understanding which can be wrong or partially right. From what I glean from your response, whether your wrong or right, you are an always right kinda guy?

Not really, and not looking for a fight, either. Good luck with your season.

 

[ColoradoCowboy]

I have very limited experience bear hunting, but I have started to pay closer attention when I am hiking and elk hunting. Last year during 2nd rifle (I know you are bow hunting) I watched a bear go back and forth from water to a food source. I saw this bear a couple times, and cut several sets of tracks going through the same area over a period of many days (I assume it was the same bear). As mentioned previously though, this bear was ALWAYS moving. If I had an archery tag, I would have tried to sit on the food source as that would probably would have been to easiest to get within range.

I also just got back from a hiking trip and saw a bear in a valley at about 11k ft. I didn’t have a sidearm so didn’t walk into the thick willows to see if there were berries or not. Not sure berries even grow that high.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Che]

Carrying on with the OP's questions, once I have an idea where a bear likes to hang out (rose hip seeds in scat, fresh scat, riparian area) how do I widdle it down to the most optimal place to situate oneself.
I was in bear sign quite often this fall. I was in perfect habitat, still I never saw a bear.
I did bump one after 1 week. I heard it eating on a bench above me at 6:30 am. I stood silent for awhile, checking wind repeatedly. The next step I took, he was off to the races. Probably 80 yards away when I heard it. Never saw it.