Black Bears

[Guy Miner]

Why is it that there is such a wide discrepancy in how hunters look at the black bear?

Some consider him a nuisance, a pest. Hardly worth the effort to shoot.

Some consider him easy to kill and rely on small caliber rifles - I've read posts advocating the use of a little .223 and Barnes bullets. A friend of mine who grew up in small logging towns in British Columbia told me that he and his brother used to kill black bears with their .22 rimfires!

Others look on the bear as highly regarded game.

Some advocate using large, powerful rifles.

Some talk of how far a wounded bear can run, and how faint the blood trail, even from a good hit, can be. One fellow I know, who has killed over 20 himself, and has been in on the killing of probably twice that many, has a tremendous respect for how far and fast a wounded bear can travel. He's the one who urged me to "hit it again" when the bear squarely hit by my son, started running off. That bear was still running fast, though dragging a fore-leg, after being hit by a .30-06, a 7mm mag, and my .375...

It's interesting to read the different opinions on how tough the black bear is, or isn't.

I've limited experience actually tagging bear (only one) though I've hunted them a number of times. I tend to respect the black bear as a worthy game animal, sometimes hard to locate, and hard to approach for a shot. All spot & stalk hunting here in Washington now, no baiting. I also tend to respect the bear's ability to run and run, over incredibly steep and brushy terrain, when wounded or frightened. I also tend to respect the potential he has for being dangerous.

That last one can get a fellow laughed at - but... bears have eaten a fair number of people over the years, so I'm at least going to give those claws, fangs, and all that strength a certain respect.

Why do you suppose there is such a wide variety of different thoughts about the black bear?

What's your opinion of the bear, as a game animal?

Thanks! Guy

 

[SJB358]

I can't speak to their toughness, or lack of, but my first bear was shot with my Dad's 30-06 and 220 grain Remington RN's when I was about 13 or so, while hunting in Quebec, another was taken with my 270WSM and 140 AB's, while another one was shot with the 308 and 150 SST's, the last was shot with a 35 Whelen and 225 TSX. None of them ran anywhere out of sight, but the Whelen knocked it FLAT with its bullet. Overall though, I don't think they are bullet proof, but in the Spring, I would rather plant them close to the kill shot to avoid trying to track through green timber/plants and stuff.

I will be toting my 45-70 with 405 grain cast bullets and my 338 Win Mag with 210 PT's in a few weeks for Spring bear. Thinking either of those should work great as well. Most of the bears I have seen or shot haven't been much more than 150-175lbs and my biggest probably didn't go much larger than about 220lbs or so. I do love to hunt them though. I am getting more excited just typing this!

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I think it comes down to a lack of time with bears. I have one under my belt and I shot it with a bow and arrow. It went 26 yards. If you hit them in the lungs they are going go down and most of the time fast. If you hit them poorly, they are like any other animal, they are going to try their hardest to live. We have all seen small deer that were very tough after being shot. I respect them but I am not afraid of them. I know that they can go for a long time when pushed. I use to run hounds and have seen chases that went 20+ hours. Most of that time was with the bear walking or standing in a swamp but they still had dogs on them. Again, I respect them and will use the best weapon with the best shot when it is time to take the shot. In WI, they are seen as pests, fun to hunt, or scary. I really think it boils down to an understanding of the animal and what your views are in life.

 

[DrMike]

I'm no expert, but I have shot a few bears. Bear is my favourite hunt, bar none. The black bear is a worthy opponent that can tax the abilities of the finest hunter. Of course, there are sometimes stupid bears and smart bears that make stupid mistakes. Nevertheless, they are well equipped to avoid you when you are trying to get close. Should you get too close, they are capable of delivering some mighty punishment that will cause you to wish you hadn't been so foolhardy. Grizzly is about ten times more exciting than black bears and considerably more wary. Yeah, it is my favourite hunt.

 

[FOTIS]

Never hunted one but would love to someday!

 

[jmad_81]

I would give up deer hunting in a heart beat if I could hunt spring bears every year. I'm addicted. I don't know why, but they just do it for me. I have taken three bears, and guided a few others. I have taken one bear with a 338 WM and a 210 PT, one bear with a 338 edge with a 225 AB, and another with a 280 AI with a few 120 BTs.

The thing I love about bears is that no hunt is the same. We have to spot and stalk here in Oregon. Sometimes you can stalk real close, and sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have to go into the thick brush after one that might not be done. This gets my blood pumping like no other.

I like to use a rifle that I would use for deer or elk, and lean closer to the elk size. I don't feel that they are any harder to kill than deer, and I don't think they are tougher than elk. But they have bigger teeth and shorter tempers. I very them very much as a big game animal. If you have to spot and stalk bears, in big open country, it can be more challenging than deer or elk.

I very much enjoy the pursuit of bears!

I'm no expert, but I have shot a few bears. Bear is my favourite hunt, bar none. The black bear is a worthy opponent that can tax the abilities of the finest hunter. Of course, there are sometimes stupid bears and smart bears that make stupid mistakes. Nevertheless, they are well equipped to avoid you when you are trying to get close. Should you get too close, they are capable of delivering some mighty punishment that will cause you to wish you hadn't been so foolhardy. Grizzly is about ten times more exciting than black bears and considerably more wary. Yeah, it is my favourite hunt.

Great minds think a like :wink:

 

[wisconsinteacher]

My other thought is not to tell others about how much fun it is because they will apply for tags in WI. I also enjoy the meat.

 

[JD338]

A big boar is a tough animal to see in day light hours.
They are easy to kill if you hit them right and use a good bullet that is up to the task.
I have taken 3 bears, all 1 shot kills. Used a 30-06 150 gr PT, 35 Whelen 225 gr PT and a 338 RUM 210 gr PT.
I "should" pull a tag this year and if so, I am going to use my 1895 Guide gun in 45-70 loaded with either a 300 gr BST or 300 gr PT.
Break a shoulder in or out and they don't go anywhere.

JD338

 

[Hegland]

Break a shoulder in or out and they don't go anywhere.

My experience as well... On exactly one bear. I am far from an expert, but I did take the opportunity to watch my bear for a period of time before I took him. He didn't die particularly hard but there's a lot of power in those shoulders, and I don't care to walk up to one unless I'm sure it's dead.

 

[IdahoCTD]

They are pretty smart and are mostly nocturnal on bait when they get big. We have 3 big bears on our baits now but they always come in the dark. If you could spend the time and keep them hungry I'm sure you could get them on the bait in the day time but you'd have to spend 7-10 days straight at the bait training them a bit. The more bears you have the more competition for food and the better chance of them coming in the daylight hours.

While bears are considered a game animals and they are fun to hunt I personally think of them like vermin similar to a wolf/coyote/etc. They do a lot of damage to the fawn and calf crops every year. Now that we have wolves in addition to lions, bears, and coyotes I just consider it part of my duty to help remove as many predators as possible to give our deer and elk as much of a chance as I can. We all know Idaho Fish and Game has done nothing good for our game herds the last 20+ years so the sportsmen need to do what they can to help save our hunting. Honestly there are a lot of bears just about everywhere in this state so thinning them out isn't going to do much. You'd have a hard time trying to eradicate them completely anyway.

 

[JD338]

What has always been amazing to me is that even big bears move through the woods and swamps in stealth mode, they never make a sound. They are just there and they always have a way of giving you an adrenalin rush.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I've shot more than thirty-five bears and guided people to almost that many. Bears are still my favourite hunt. I do try to break the shoulders to anchor the bear, especially on a grizzly. I've used everything from a 27 calibre to 35 calibre; all managed to kill bruins pretty swiftly. I do like the idea of great frontal area; and the more mass, the better. Still, a hole through the lungs will put a bear down. Know, however, that a dead bear can cover a lot of territory before droppig. In thick bush, that can make tracking quite difficult. Yeah, they are pests; but there is something fascinating about bruins.

 

[gerry]

I really enjoy hunting black bears in the spring even more than grizzly for some reason I'm not sure of. There is something about being in the bush again after a long winter, everything is alive again, there is green grass and flowers, the trees are budding, the goats are low and are easily seen and the bears of course are out. It is just a wonderful time to be out in nature. I have used the 30-06, 308 Norma Mag, 35 Whelen and 375 Ruger and have guided young hunters using the 6.5x55 and 260 Rem. They all worked well, stick a good bullet in the right spot and the bear is yours. I was hoping to use my 264 WM on one but somehow never got around to doing it, it would have done the job nicely. I used to guide for an outfitter here for a couple of years and he didn't like the shoulder shot. He said he saw too many bears get up and never be found, I suspect some of the problem was bad bullets but some of it would have been taking a shot that hit a shoulder but never found much for lungs. I would make sure a bullet goes through both lungs and if a bullet smashes a shoulder while doing so, great. A poorly hit bear is a tough customer and can go a long ways, with a double lung shot they don't go very far.

 

[SJB358]

What has always been amazing to me is that even big bears move through the woods and swamps in stealth mode, they never make a sound. They are just there and they always have a way of giving you an adrenalin rush.

JD338

Bingo! Lori had a few bears sneak in on here last time, that scared the bejeesus out of her. One was a monster blacky, and really got her to shakin. Hopefully this time around, she is able to give it the good news!

 

[Thebear_78]

My experience with black bears is they are kind of like large raccoons. The don't tend to be aggressive like griz or brown bear. They come in to bait a litle on the wary side, mostly do to brown bears in the area. I like to spot/stalk and hunt the coastal shoreline for them as well. The spring bears are very good eating, and they aren't particularly difficult to kill. Like most alaskan aniamals they aren't really that wary of people depending on where you see them.

All bears are tremendous physical specimens. Especially the griz. I have seen very large bears run thru stands of alder that would take me 15-20 minutes to navigate thru in 5-10 seconds with very little sound. I have aslo seen one climb a hillsde in about a minute and half that took us nearly 3 hours to do the day before.

A lot of people don't mention the fact that black bears make good table fare. Depending on diet black bear meat is close to pork and make good sausage, cherizo, and suprisingly good honey baked ham. I generallly stop hunting bears after the fish start running. If they are into fish or carrion they are pretty much uneatable. We ate three bears last year and two were fantastic, but the third had just a hint of fish and was relagated to sausage and cherizo. When ground 50/50 with bacon you can make one of the best burgers you have ever tasted.

 

[Guy Miner]

My mouth is watering...

 

[Thebear_78]

All this bear eating talk has prompted me to pull out a package of breakfast sausage.

 

[DrMike]

Bear is excellent table fare. Among our favourite recipes are Bear Roast Terikayi and grilled ribs. Ground bear makes excellent meat loaf and burgers. Yes, I prefer bear that have been grazing on clover/dandelions in the spring or a "farm fed" bear that has been feasting in the oats during the fall.

 

[tecumseh]

I've hunted Black Bear twice on Montana and they're not easy critters to hunt! I've yet to connect on one. I have great respect for anything that can wipe me out with one swing of a paw and consume me!

 

[JD338]

Not much better than a berry bear.

JD338