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09-29-2021, 06:38 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stony Plain
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Bear hunt
I have never hunted bears in my life other than carrying a tag back in the 80s just because.
So to all you seasoned bear hunters out there ,which is the better bear ?
Spring or fall? Keep in mind I don’t really care about the bear hide, other than I know it is illegal to discard it or at least it used to be .
I am most interested in the meat , whatever I hunt.
Spring, pro / con. Fall pro / con
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09-29-2021, 06:44 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: In the woods
Posts: 8,923
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I don’t hunt bear but I would think fall bear. Spring bear is skinny from coming out of hibernation. The down side to fall bear is if they’ve been garbage bears you can tell. A very distinct difference between the garbage bears and truest wild bears from the ones I’ve tagged for hunters. I would say fur is better as well since in the spring they’re shedding out etc.. but again I don’t hunt them it’s only observation from taggin others hunters bears and talking with them.
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09-29-2021, 06:58 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 3,684
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fordtruckin
I don’t hunt bear but I would think fall bear. Spring bear is skinny from coming out of hibernation. The down side to fall bear is if they’ve been garbage bears you can tell. A very distinct difference between the garbage bears and truest wild bears from the ones I’ve tagged for hunters. I would say fur is better as well since in the spring they’re shedding out etc.. but again I don’t hunt them it’s only observation from taggin others hunters bears and talking with them.
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With the change in waste disposal policies I don't think we have many garbage bears left, especially in more remote areas.
Grizz
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09-29-2021, 07:02 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 157
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good luck to you
Quote:
A very distinct difference between the garbage bears and truest wild bears from the ones I’ve tagged for hunters
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what dose that mean you tagged !!!!!
never shot a bear in the fall not that we never seen any but we saved it for spring also some would cry about worms in the meat I never seen it
Fall was for moose and deer in our group back in the day.
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09-29-2021, 07:44 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,702
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Fall by far...spring bears eat some nasty things at the bait sites
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09-29-2021, 08:09 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stony Plain
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Do guys bait bears in the fall or is this just a spring thing. I have come across bear bait stations while deer hunting but there was never any baiting going on.
Is it even legal in the fall?
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09-29-2021, 08:39 PM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North of Peace River
Posts: 11,346
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A bear feeding on oats in the fall is hard to beat.
And such bears can be hunted without bait. And if hunted on farm land, with permission, you wouldn't have to savage the hide. Plus there are no limits and no tags are needed.
The last bear I saw shot, two days ago, was fat like a hog, and oat fed, would have been good eating had we been able to find it when it was shot, but alas we ran out of light and by the time we found it the next day it was already starting to sour.
It's a bit late now but a week ago I could have guaranteed you a shot at a fat oat fed bear.
__________________
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.
George Bernard Shaw
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09-29-2021, 08:41 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: In the woods
Posts: 8,923
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1
With the change in waste disposal policies I don't think we have many garbage bears left, especially in more remote areas.
Grizz
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I don’t mean garbage bear as in garbage dump, I mean garbage bear in the sense of it’s just eating unnatural foods found close to humans. Bird feed, livestock feed, yes garbage from garbage cans, human food from campsites or unsecured coolers etc… Vs eating natural foods in the wild such as vegetation, ants, meat, white bark pine etc…Generally the farther you find a bear from humans the less likely it’s a “garbage” bear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by patrol1957
what dose that mean you tagged !!!!!
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I mean the State of Montana requires all bear hunters to present the hide and skull of harvested bears to an employee of Fish Wildlife and Parks where after inspection will receive a hide tag. Thus I tagged the bear indicating the animal is of legal harvest. Biological data in the form of a tooth is pulled as well as it is checked that it indeed is a black bear and is not a lactating sow which would make it an illegal harvest as your not legal to shoot a sow with Cubs.
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09-29-2021, 08:46 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 9,586
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We shoot bears every year
We give the meat away
The people tell us fall bears taste best.
Shot one last week. That bear will feed them for a while....
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When you are born, you get a ticket to the Freak Show.
If you are born in Canada, you get a front row seat.
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09-29-2021, 08:49 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 9,586
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver
It's a bit late now but a week ago I could have guaranteed you a shot at a fat oat fed bear.
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Same here Keg.
We stalked them just to see how close we could get. It became a game..
We saw 50-60 in different areas over 6 days
__________________
When you are born, you get a ticket to the Freak Show.
If you are born in Canada, you get a front row seat.
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09-29-2021, 08:52 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stony Plain
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver
A bear feeding on oats in the fall is hard to beat.
And such bears can be hunted without bait. And if hunted on farm land, with permission, you wouldn't have to savage the hide. Plus there are no limits and no tags are needed.
The last bear I saw shot, two days ago, was fat like a hog, and oat fed, would have been good eating had we been able to find it when it was shot, but alas we ran out of light and by the time we found it the next day it was already starting to sour.
It's a bit late now but a week ago I could have guaranteed you a shot at a fat oat fed bear.
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That sounds pretty interesting, expect a grain fed bear like a farm buck would be pretty tasty.
I don’t expect to hunt any bears this year anyway ,but hoping a bit of a return to normal next year .
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09-29-2021, 11:32 PM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North of Peace River
Posts: 11,346
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jungleboy
That sounds pretty interesting, expect a grain fed bear like a farm buck would be pretty tasty.
I don’t expect to hunt any bears this year anyway ,but hoping a bit of a return to normal next year .
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If you want to try hunting an oat fed bear, I believe I could get you onto a few around the middle of September, providing of course that I'm still alive this time next year.
__________________
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.
George Bernard Shaw
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09-30-2021, 08:45 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 3,684
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I mean the State of Montana requires all bear hunters to present the hide and skull of harvested bears to an employee of Fish Wildlife and Parks where after inspection will receive a hide tag. Thus I tagged the bear indicating the animal is of legal harvest. Biological data in the form of a tooth is pulled as well as it is checked that it indeed is a black bear and is not a lactating sow which would make it an illegal harvest as your not legal to shoot a sow with Cubs.
Think Montana also has a test on bear species identification you're required to pass before you can get a license. Not a bad idea.
Grizz
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09-30-2021, 10:05 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Near Edmonton
Posts: 14,972
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JB
Fall bear are fat and if they have not been into garbage many prefer them. Spring bear is very lean, the muscle has not been used for 6 months so they are also very tender. We only ever used grain, donuts etc for bait in the spring, never rotting meat. I am not fond of bear but personally I find spring bear better eating than fall because it is so lean.
It is still lots warn enough that there are lots of bears out wandering around yet. If you can find unharvested oats or Barley, piles of harvested grain or other feed sources, bears won't be far away.
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09-30-2021, 10:48 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: In the woods
Posts: 8,923
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1
I mean the State of Montana requires all bear hunters to present the hide and skull of harvested bears to an employee of Fish Wildlife and Parks where after inspection will receive a hide tag. Thus I tagged the bear indicating the animal is of legal harvest. Biological data in the form of a tooth is pulled as well as it is checked that it indeed is a black bear and is not a lactating sow which would make it an illegal harvest as your not legal to shoot a sow with Cubs.
Think Montana also has a test on bear species identification you're required to pass before you can get a license. Not a bad idea.
Grizz
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Yes there is a mandatory bear ID test in MT. Yet some how every year people screw up and wack a grizzly thinking it was a black bear. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and wait before pulling the trigger. Kinda goes for all species.
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09-30-2021, 02:34 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,334
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Early spring the still have their winter coat
Meat I prefer the lean spring bears and I am not a fan of fatty fall bears
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09-30-2021, 07:21 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stony Plain
Posts: 6,570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver
If you want to try hunting an oat fed bear, I believe I could get you onto a few around the middle of September, providing of course that I'm still alive this time next year.
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Haha remember Keg only the good die young. You probably got a Kieth Richards thing going for you I think 😜
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09-30-2021, 10:18 PM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North of Peace River
Posts: 11,346
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jungleboy
Haha remember Keg only the good die young. You probably got a Kieth Richards thing going for you I think 😜
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LOL I should be around another 20 years at that rate. I'm good with that so long as I can fish.
After all, mom is still alive and well at 100 1/2 and dad lived to 82 even though he had smoked his while life. So my chances are pretty good.
__________________
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.
George Bernard Shaw
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10-01-2021, 07:08 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 20
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Fall bear for sure. it taste great
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