SO YOU WANNA BE A BEAR HUNTER
by Bill Wiesner
Bowhunting the North Country
As I go deep into my fourth decade of bear hunting, I look back on my early years and the comedy of errors that I made while convinced I knew what I was doing. There certainly was no lack of enthusiasm, as, I stopped at nothing to learn more about this incredible animal.

I vividly remember in 1971 after two years in the Marine Corps, upon my discharge I bought a short box, black 4X4 Ford to put me into the bear hunting mode. I literally drove every other day two and a half hours one way, to bait bear. Better yet, I had to be to work by seven a.m. Over all these years, that enthusiasm has not diminished a single bit, although, I have become much more knowledgeable about my favorite game animal, the Black Bear.

Lets take a look at ways to approach your next bear hunt; self guided, fully guided, dog hunting, bait hunting, archery, gun, anyway you can. Get my point? Lets start with a do it yourself hunt. The first thing is where to locate your bait. Naturally, you need to go to where there are bear. Tracks, scat and sightings all help you pick an area. Now, unlike deer hunting, your next step is to pick the ideal location within half a mile of where there is bear sign. Proper use of scent attractants such as BEAR SCENTS, will draw bear to your location. Ideally look for an elevation in the land. A high spot will distribute scent much better, the thicker the area, the better. Bear like the security of heavy cover. They will be less cautious approaching a bait given the security blanket thick cover offers. They also need water or at least a damp swamp to lay in during the heat of the day.

Once you decide on a bait sight, start your bait as early as possible. Check your game regulations to know when the time is you can start. I like to spray the area with anise or bacon scent. The importance of a quality attractant is vital in bringing bear to your sight. I always rake a foot or so wide area completely around the bait. I then pour fryer grease laced with Caramel Extreme, on the raked area. This will do two things. One, the bear will step in this area and leave a paw print which will indicate the animals size. Secondly, the sweet smell of caramel will stick to his pads and when he leaves the bait area, the bear will distribute the scent to a larger area. Numerous bear on a bait is ideal as it sets up competition for the food.

The time of the day you bait is critical. You want to bait mid-day, as baiting late afternoon, will bring the bear in too late to get a good shot. If possible, bait every other day until two weeks prior to the season. Then, bait everyday and cut the amount of bait down to three to five gallons. Again, this will bring the bear in early. Make sure to cover your bait so small animals stay away.

Approaching the bait is critical. Make sure you do not walk by your bait to get to your stand. Have alternate trees in your bait area to play the wind. An important factor in stand set-up is not to go to high in the tree. Too many times, I've seen hunters place their bait at six to eight yards from their tree, then climb twenty feet into the tree. This type of shot angle makes it impossible to catch both lungs. This in return causes a long trailing job and possibility not retrieving your trophy. A simple rule of thumb is: for every yard to your bait, do not go higher than one foot of height to your stand. Example: 15 yard shot = 15 foot of tree stand height.

Before we talk about using a guide, lets look at equipment selection. Whether you use a bow or a gun, the close proximity of a bear hunt dictates what type of equipment is best suited for bear. The black bear is custom made for the bow hunter. Because we are all whitetail deer hunters, use the same set-up for bear. Contrary to popular belief, the black bear is a soft tissued animal and arrows penetrate better than on a deer. My wife and daughter-in-law shoot bows of 47# and 45# respectively. Furthermore, my wife Sandy, killed a 510# bear, by far the biggest ever taken in our family! Firearms should shoot a heavy slug since it's a close contact hunt. If you gun has a scope, turn it to its lowest power. Picking a spot on a bear through the magnification of a scope can be tough.

Booking on a hunt through an outfitter should be a pleasant experience. Trouble is, the hunter needs to do his homework. So many times a hunter's complaint falls on his or hers lack of experience. When picking out an outfitter first know what price range you will be looking for, then, decide bow, gun or both. Are you going in the spring or fall? Once you have answered these questions, then start to identify your preliminary list of potential outfitters. The first thing I ask an outfitter is for a list of UNSUCCESSFUL hunters. If you take a bear it is easy to recommend an outfitter, but if your hunt is unsuccessful, would you go back to that bear camp?

Once you make up your mind, constant contact with our outfitter is vital to your hunt being a good experience. Here are a number of things I've learned over the years to check into prior to leaving for my hunt including transportation to and from your stand. Let me give you several examples. One time in Ontario I got to camp and our guide showed us our stands. It was my responsibility to travel to and from our stand everyday. It took a tank of gas everyday. What that boiled down to be was an additional seven hundred dollars added to the price of the hunt. Another time in Saskatchewan, Sandy and I got dropped off and spent the next two hours on a four wheeler to get to our stand. I am sure you get the point.

Commonly asked questions should be: How far are the shots? How high are the tree stand and what types of stands are they?. Once a bear is shot, what is the recovery procedure? Does the outfitter skin the animal? How is the meat and hide stored? You cannot over prepare for a bear hunt. As the hunter, it is up to you to make sure your experience is a good one.

The biggest controversy in bear hunting is hunting with dogs. It wasn't that many years ago, I wasn't in favor of bear hunting with hounds. It wasn't until I was challenged by dog hunters that I realized how wrong I was. Since those earlier days, I make it a point to hunt with dogs as often as the opportunity presents itself. In fact, my sons Brad and Bryan, have since raised hounds specifically for bear hunting. I am totally convinced that the dogs are not in the wrong when an issue is raised. It is their handlers. Enough said!

I am often asked, "Where do you shoot at a bear?" In the woods!! Poor attempt at humor. There are several things to look at in shot placement on a bear. First and foremost, stay away from their shoulder blade. With a bow, if you hit the shoulder blade, it's game over. Here is a simple rule of thumb. From the front of the brisket to the rear end, divide the bear in half. From the bottom of the chest to the top of the back, divide the bear in half. Now, move ahead about four inches from the vertical line and you will be in the vitals. I prefer broadside only shots. A quartering shot is questionable. The depth of a bear dictates to you to hold further back then on a quartering whitetail. In the heat of the moment, will you remember this? Stick to the broadside shot.

Finally, care of your trophy. Before you leave for your hunt, visit your taxidermist. Discuss what type of mount you will want. Ask him where to take measurements, pictures included. Find out what type of storage facility he has at camp for care of your meat. We always bring a freezer with us. That way, we have control of our bear hides and meat.

Well, that is hopefully some guidance to help you on your next bear hunt. Simply put, the North American Black Bear is a trophy that will bring fond memories for a lifetime.

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