Bear Hunting: Spot and Stalk

Berry patches and fruit orchards are good places to begin searching for bears. "

When it comes to bear hunting, locating an animal and stalking to within shooting range is the most common - and most exciting - approach. Timing is everything. The more time you can dedicate to looking through binoculars, the better your chances of finding bears on the move and then knowing when to move yourself.

Spotting bears begins well before the hunt; it starts with the purchase of binoculars and a spotting scope. Good optics aren't cheap for a reason: Glass quality is better than ever, meaning you pay more. But what you gain in return is the ability to glass for hours on end without eye fatigue or headaches. Purchasing the best set of binoculars you can afford is an investment that will yield big dividends for years to come.

At this time of the season, search for bears that are feeding or moving. Bears will be wandering from places of sanctuary to food sources. With winter looming, bears have one thing on their mind: Food. They will consume a multifarious diet in the fall, and knowing what bears feed on in your hunting area is important to finding them.

Berry patches and fruit orchards are good places to begin searching for bears. Open meadows harboring berries, grasses, rotten logs laden with insects and ground squirrel colonies are other food options. Bears can also be found feasting on carrion this time of year. If a deer or elk carcass is located, keep monitoring it for bear activity. If a bear is in the area, you might be able to pattern his movement and force a mutual meeting.

Glassing for bears in large tracts of open terrain can be overwhelming. Don't be intimidated by big country. Instead, break it apart into sections, thoroughly glassing each quadrant. This "grid" style of glassing allows you to cover all of the land, bit by bit. Note any unusual landmarks; what I have thought were dark rocks, shady spots, obscure logs and root wads have metamorphosed into bears.

While glassing for bears one fall, I spotted a dark spot amid a jumble of rocks but could not convince myself it was a bear. Three hours later the spot moved, revealing a mature bear. That's right: three hours! While I wasn't focused on that particular spot the entire time, I did frequently return to check the configuration of the object while glassing the surrounding country.

Article Source: Scott Haugen of www.ScottHaugen.com
Submit your own Article
Back to Hunting Articles archive.

Partners: Bad-Sense Pirate Proxies Super PageRank