PA bear hunters?

[rooster440]

Any PA bear hunters on here? I chased blackies when I lived out west but haven’t since I moved here and want to this year. How are most guys successful out here? Patiently waiting over a food source? Bumping them while deer hunting? I hunt PA and NY for deer and have cut tracks but haven’t seen any while hunting or scouting. Any information is greatly appreciated! Thanks!


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[Trr15]

I grew up hunting black bears in PA. They grow em big back there. The most effective way I know to hunt them is by putting on drives. Since you can't bait them, look for berry patches and thick timber and have a few guys drive if off and try to push them out to a spotter or two. There are bears literally everywhere in PA. If you're hunting solo, your best bet is to put in a lot of time prior to the season, find a hot spot and hope you get lucky.

 

[Mosby]

Big camps drive state game lands every year. Figure out where they putting on drives and hunt escape routes off of the drives. Hunt the same area every year and you can sort of figure out where they go and what direction they drive. They do it the same every year. Or get a few guys together and put on your own. Bear season is before rifle for deer. I see bear most deer seasons but the season is over by then. Hunting bears in PA is different than most places but they get really big and there are a lot of them.

 

[rooster440]

I mainly hunt solo so drives might be out of the question. I’ll just try and scout as time permits this summer.


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[Mosby]

I mainly hunt solo so drives might be out of the question. I’ll just try and scout as time permits this summer.


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I don't know where you live but some areas have more bears than others. Anywhere north of Williamsport has a lot of bears and state land.

 

[Afhunter1]

Bears will be in corn until it gets cut. Hunt fields of standing corn in morning by walking across rows slowly downwind. move up 100 yds and repeat. You can catch them napping. In eve hunt stand between corn and heavy cover.

When they move to the mountains they are pretty nomadic and hard to pin down, find acorns and good luck.

 

[rooster440]

What about honey burns? I haven’t found anything about them being legal or illegal.


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[Desk Jockey]

Baiting in PA is a no go:

Game Commission Details

www.media.pa.gov

I think density and success rates vary. Most people I know hunt via drives or find a den before season and sit on it. I have tried to hunt them near Wyoming county without success. I have seen tracks and sign on my property out there 5-6x in ten years but have only seen a bear on my land once and in the surrounding area once more.

 

[camping1601]

Just an fyi. There is bear hunting during the first week of deer season in some unit as well as a separate archery season. I heard there was a ML season this year as well but not 100% sure.
I consider myself only a bear hiker at this point.
One thing I have learned is the bears are where the mast is. If there's no mast they will find the corn in some areas.

 

[camping1601]

Baiting is highly frowned upon and will definitely get you in trouble.

 

[Lxhuntinpa]

Lots of walking and luck.

 

[rooster440]

Lots of walking and luck.

That’s kinda what I figured. I may run out this weekend since I won’t be working finally and do a hike.


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[rooster440]

What about ANF?


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[mrgreen]

You should double-check, but I believe scents like Honey Burns are legal in NY.

 

[Hmr]

Will be many more opportunities to kill bear in PA this year. Think there’s a week of muzzy, and a week of archery in October, plus the regular 4 day rifle season, and the first 6 days of deer rifle season. Just go for standing corn fields, many are killed like that in my area.

 

[rooster440]

You should double-check, but I believe scents like Honey Burns are legal in NY.

They are.


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[rooster440]

Will be many more opportunities to kill bear in PA this year. Think there’s a week of muzzy, and a week of archery in October, plus the regular 4 day rifle season, and the first 6 days of deer rifle season. Just go for standing corn fields, many are killed like that in my area.

I went scouting on some game lands this past Sunday, saw a few tracks but I feel like it’s way to early to actually try and narrow them down.
I’ll be heading out in the next couple of weekends and knocking on doors.


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[Hmr]

That would be a good start. As for scouting, way too early yet. I would gain some access to some areas now, and come mid September start looking around, get some cameras out. I’ve seen more bear near corn fields than anywhere else here.

 

[camping1601]

I went scouting on some game lands this past Sunday, saw a few tracks but I feel like it’s way to early to actually try and narrow them down.
I’ll be heading out in the next couple of weekends and knocking on doors.


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Most of the time bear sign you see now can be worthless intel for the fall seasons. Unlike Deer they'll move really far to find food .
I'll bet there's more Bears killed in the State Forest mountains than private also. I wouldn't waste my time knocking on doors, but spend time learning the mountain habitat.

I saw one Fri. evening and one Sat. mid day so they're out there.

 

[Rs3003]

Find the mass food crop and hunt around. We have had good luck with that. I hunt with a group. We do not put on drives. We just cover the food area very well. North central PA. Either state game lands, state forest or gas company/forest land open to the public.