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05-25-2020, 06:13 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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Bear: Looking for new ideas
I’ve been out for bear every year for the past 4-5 seasons (I should mention thats when I picked up hunting) usually a 4 day solo backpack spot and stalk, and maybe a few day trips depending on a busy work/family balance. We haven’t had to buy meat once with what I’ve been blessed to put away.
I don’t have time to run a bait site, and I’m very slowly finding good areas for spot and stalk.
I’ve slowly been learning, zeroing in on spots, but for 4-5 years I’ve only seen 5 bear, 3 of those a sow with two cubs, and all within the same day.
I’ve spent 2 full days this season glassing miles of basins and ridglines that I could see from one spot, saw no shortage of game, no bear. Did a day trip, burned tons of boot leather, would sit and glass 10-20 min every time a new perspective opened up, often into the same clearings, as I moved up the ridge. Again, I’m seeing no shortage of game, many elk in the new grass coming up. I hiked through some areas like this looking specifically for sign...not a sniffle
I gravitate towards southern Alberta as I have better times finding glassing spots, (I’ve spent some time trying west of rocky but after spending a few trips busting my ass through blow downs only to find the clearing on my sat picture was 10-15 year old regrowth....saw lots of bear sign but without bait how do you hunt that??? Literally, fought blow downs for 2hrs to travel 1/4 mile).
Anyway, should I change it up? Keep on keeping on? I’m open to ideas! I’ve got one maybe two more days to give it this season and we’re running low on the elk I shot last fall.... cheers!
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05-25-2020, 06:21 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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I should mention in predominantly a public land guy. I haven’t had very many positive experiences with private land.
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05-25-2020, 06:31 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,586
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Pipelines that are not too old and over grown with grass that are surrounded by heavy forest.
Evenings are the best but early mornings can produce activity also.
__________________
Thank you front line workers and volunteers
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05-25-2020, 08:22 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Leduc
Posts: 1,638
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What area are you from?
I see lots when hunting deer, up north.
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05-25-2020, 08:53 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,151
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Drive north, as in north of hwy 16. Have tire chains and a winch, it gets pretty muddy. Pick out cutlines that go for a ways, hike over the first or second rise if you really feel like it, but lots of times you will see them from the roads. Don’t slam on the brakes, just let it coast to a stop and get out quietly.
Chat with the guys driving work trucks and ask where they are having problems.
Southern AB has black bears that are eaten by grizzlys and chased by Calgary hunters, they learn not to be in the open.
Now finding black bears in the fall is a whole different story. I’m only interested in a blueberry-fattened blubber bear, and have yet to see one after July. Go figure
__________________
“Nothing is more persistent than a liberal with a dumb idea” - Ebrand
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05-25-2020, 10:18 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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Appreciate it folks thanks.
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05-25-2020, 10:19 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Location
Posts: 4,961
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3blade
Drive north, as in north of hwy 16. Have tire chains and a winch, it gets pretty muddy. Pick out cutlines that go for a ways, hike over the first or second rise if you really feel like it, but lots of times you will see them from the roads. Don’t slam on the brakes, just let it coast to a stop and get out quietly.
Chat with the guys driving work trucks and ask where they are having problems.
Southern AB has black bears that are eaten by grizzlys and chased by Calgary hunters, they learn not to be in the open.
Now finding black bears in the fall is a whole different story. I’m only interested in a blueberry-fattened blubber bear, and have yet to see one after July. Go figure
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This is excellent advise^^^
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05-25-2020, 10:24 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Spruce Grove, AB
Posts: 3,039
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I went out one day. Saw four just driving around early morning and evening. No shortage.
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05-26-2020, 07:39 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,573
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3blade
Drive north, as in north of hwy 16. Have tire chains and a winch, it gets pretty muddy. Pick out cutlines that go for a ways, hike over the first or second rise if you really feel like it, but lots of times you will see them from the roads. Don’t slam on the brakes, just let it coast to a stop and get out quietly.
Chat with the guys driving work trucks and ask where they are having problems.
Southern AB has black bears that are eaten by grizzlys and chased by Calgary hunters, they learn not to be in the open.
Now finding black bears in the fall is a whole different story. I’m only interested in a blueberry-fattened blubber bear, and have yet to see one after July. Go figure
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x2, southern alberta do have bears, but the density is too low for regular success, WMU 340 to 360 will give you a good bear adventure
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05-26-2020, 07:40 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 592
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With the circumstances this spring, I decided to be more active for spring bear and reviewed and took to heart many other posters' recommendations in other threads. I thought I would share what has helped my sightings go way up this year:
Location: I hunt south, west and north of Edm. N and NW have been best.
Time of day: For me, noon, the afternoon and into evening hours have been busy and the morning hours really dead. That's just my own experience.
Landscape features: Heavy timber with green grass/fresh growth close seem to be the key features where I see them. Water, dandelions, help also. Cut lines have visibility for you and close cover for them so there and treeline edges are where I have seen most.
Drive/Stalk: I used to walk more but have shifted to lots of driving to see the most treeline edges/cut lines I can in a day. When I spot, I then park and stalk. Not a big road hunter usually, but this let's you see many more spots, think literally 50-100+ in a day instead of a small fraction of that on foot.
Weather/Conditions: Warm and calm has been best for me. Rainy or cooler not much worse if moderate. Windy days have again been dead for me.
Good luck, your sightings will increase like mine have.
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05-26-2020, 08:15 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 21,399
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3blade
Drive north, as in north of hwy 16. Have tire chains and a winch, it gets pretty muddy. Pick out cutlines that go for a ways, hike over the first or second rise if you really feel like it, but lots of times you will see them from the roads. Don’t slam on the brakes, just let it coast to a stop and get out quietly.
Chat with the guys driving work trucks and ask where they are having problems.
Southern AB has black bears that are eaten by grizzlys and chased by Calgary hunters, they learn not to be in the open.
Now finding black bears in the fall is a whole different story. I’m only interested in a blueberry-fattened blubber bear, and have yet to see one after July. Go figure
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Go North, no way around it.
Grizz
__________________
"Indeed, no human being has yet lived under conditions which, considering the prevailing climates of the past, can be regarded as normal."
John E. Pfeiffer The Emergence of Man
written in 1969
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05-26-2020, 09:50 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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Really appreciate it folks. Thanks. Hopefully I’ll have first bear pics for y’all before season ends.
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05-27-2020, 01:20 PM
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Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 161
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Have you ever tried calling? Electronic call I believe are illegal but mouth calls work well. I’ve had some success in the past. It does take quite awhile, where most bears we’ve called usually take 1-2 hours to come. Some advice though, make sure to watch your 6
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05-29-2020, 12:11 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 110
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3blade
Drive north, as in north of hwy 16. Have tire chains and a winch, it gets pretty muddy. Pick out cutlines that go for a ways, hike over the first or second rise if you really feel like it, but lots of times you will see them from the roads. Don’t slam on the brakes, just let it coast to a stop and get out quietly.
Chat with the guys driving work trucks and ask where they are having problems.
Southern AB has black bears that are eaten by grizzlys and chased by Calgary hunters, they learn not to be in the open.
Now finding black bears in the fall is a whole different story. I’m only interested in a blueberry-fattened blubber bear, and have yet to see one after July. Go figure
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I'll second this point about SW AB grizzlies. I killed a small black bear completely by chance about 6 years ago while I was bowhunting for elk in the fall. It's the only black bear I've seen in that unit ever. I have seen plenty of big grizzlies though!
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05-29-2020, 04:34 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coyotecaller
Have you ever tried calling? Electronic call I believe are illegal but mouth calls work well. I’ve had some success in the past. It does take quite awhile, where most bears we’ve called usually take 1-2 hours to come. Some advice though, make sure to watch your 6
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Yeah I’m usually solo so I stay away from the calls!!
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05-29-2020, 04:59 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,328
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It sounds like you are trying to hunt bears like they are deer and elk likely working harder than you need to. Also with spot & stalk bears you don’t need large openings like basins, clear cuts, or pipelines. They are worth checking out but if they don’t have bear sign move on. Sometimes small spots like a simple 20yard square feeding area near water and big timber are far better locations then big opening. Walking old roads with grassy pull outs/sides near water and big timber can often out produce glassing basins and large openings.
Find bear sign and don’t worry about big openings then figure out how to find the bear leaving sign. Bears are habitual if you find lots of sign they come back.
I am not there hunting the area you are so I can’t say what you should and should not do. The only thing that applies to every location is when you are trying to find bears in a new area is focus on finding bear sign and covering ground is often a good way to start in a new area
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05-29-2020, 05:57 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Olds Alberta
Posts: 231
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We went out bear hunting for the first time and found more driving around instead of glassing a big open area.
Things we learned:
The calm days showed the most bears
Afternoons after 5ish we saw the most bears
We found some text book areas to find bears but it didn’t have sign so we moved on after glassing it.
Grassy areas adjacent to OLD heavy timber with lots of deadfall is where you want to go, it didn’t have a huge area of grass but it was big enough, lots of cover and deadfall to run across, and a tiny creek.
I was fortunate enough to take my first black Bear this spring and hearing the death moan right after is very Errie!
I hope this helps! I’m a newer hunter but that’s what we learned on this trip!
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05-29-2020, 06:20 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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Yep you would be right. I’m a creature of habit and I do it I know! Hopefully I’ve got one more trip in the next two weeks to apply some of this advice. But I just had knee surgery today so we will have to see how that shapes up! A lot of really good advice, and I really appreciate it.
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06-10-2020, 07:02 PM
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 241
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Well thanks for all the input folks. Managed to throw a blitz trip together this last weekend for a few days, went north into Swan Hills and Slave area, drove miles upon miles of road, hiked over ridges and cutlines found vistas glassed and glassed and drove and drove. Hunted hard from 2-10:45. Saw 3 prints and two piles of scat. Probably was just in there too late, things were too green, but such is life with responsibilities and schedules. You use what time you have. Thanks again to everyone.
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06-10-2020, 10:37 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,521
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Was up by red earth last season was seeing 20-35 different bears a day along pipelines and logging clearings. Like everyone else said go north there a pile of bears in the 500 zones.
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