Black Bear Hunting Guide >> Black Bear Hunting Tips

Spot & stalk hunting is considered to be one of the most popular hunting techniques practiced on black bear hunting adventures. Of course, for this method there are a number of areas recommended but for many other areas, using this method won’t bring any noticeable results. This method is very recommended for regions along the coastal areas of British Columbia and Alaska where black bears are foraging on the salt grass flats at tide line.

The key of this technique is quite simple actually: you have to see the black bear before he detects you first. During September and later fall seasons bears are occupied munching almost everything they can flop a lip over and their digestive system is very busy handling these goodies. In order to keep their digestive systems working properly they need to drink a lot of water so if you find a spring or a tank with black bear tracks you have found the best place for a black bear hunting adventure. When choosing an ambush site always remember to use the wind in your favor.

Calling black bears during the fall season using a predator call can be both exciting and very frustrating in the same time. When this method actually works it will keep your adrenaline level very high and when it just won’t work you will probably get very bored. The key to this procedure is to have patience and give it time to work. The most important thing is to do some serious scouting in order to locate the bedding and feeding areas of these animals. Using a predator call to attract black bears will most likely attract the large sized bears as they are more aggressive and dominant. Try setting up your calling place where you have a good field of view: in front and both sides because the last thing any hunter wants is to get “acquainted” with a very hungry black bear.

Comparing the calling tactics used for black bear in comparison with the ones used for coyotes or foxes they are pretty different (besides the known danger factor) because a black bear’s attention span seems to be quite short and if they are reacting to a call and the sound eventually stops, so will the black bear. This aspect can be used to the hunter’s advantage because he can stop a bear in a perfect shooting position or “luckily” stop him before he runs plumb over the hunter. When you start calling you must call as continuously as possible and when you observe an incoming black bear you should vary your calling according to the animal’s reactions and try to get a better feel of how to handle the bear when he’ll get in your shooting range.

Gaining more and more popularity among black bear hunting enthusiasts is the tree stand hunting. The key to this technique is to find where the bears naturally move. The main idea is to intercept black bears as they search for food or when they move from a food source to another. Prime locations for any tree stand hunter are: ravines, hillsides or streams. Basically, if you don’t know for sure where bears travel, you shouldn’t use this technique. Due to the fact that black bears have a very developed sense of smell, the hunter must install the stand at 25-30 feet. In some cases, it might be advantageous to hang a few stands in order to capitalize on wind changes and bear movement tracks.