Anyone else out there into black bear hunting and want to share tips, strategies, etc.?
Black Bear Hunting
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Between Tallahassee and Panama City is the Apalachicola Swamp near Kinard FL. Six of us were there opening day for Bow hunting season. Five of us saw Black Bear that morning. None of us had bear tags but if you need a spot you might look there. Several weeks later one of us shot a dear late in the afternoon. They found the deer in the dark an hour later and were followed all the way to the truck dragging that deer out in the dark.
That would be nice to make it down there, but that’s a LONG way for me. But I’m rootin’ for you to stick one if you get the chance to go out there again!
I’m more or less wondering techniques for bear hunting. The last couple of years I’ve found myself finding lots of scat, but I can’t find the bear it came from. Most guys I talk to just say you get lucky and happen to see one, but I’m not buying that. Bear hunting is a learned art just like deer and elk hunting.
My take is that most guys that get bears aren’t hunting bears. They’re out looking for deer/elk and happen to see one and decide to take the shot to fill their tag. So yeah, they got a bear, but they didn’t learn much about bear hunting. I want to be a bear hunter. I’d honestly pass up a herd of elk to get to a bear. It’s always been my dream hunt.
I didn’t grow up in bear country, so I’m not familiar with their habits and patterns like I need to be…yet.
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You’re not wanting to set up bait?
I’d do that in a heartbeat. Montana FWP says “nu-uh”.
DANG…that stinks. You need to go to Idaho with me. Let’s plan for next spring. Seriously.
I’m in!
Last season was the first season Florida Wildlife Commission opened a black bear season in many years. They were planning for 300 bear for the season. It closed after one day.
Sorry It was a couple years ago…
Last Updated Oct 25, 2015 10:52 PM EDT
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida’s controversial black bear hunt ended after its second day after a higher than expected number of bears had been killed with 295 bears taken overall, nearing the official limit, Florida wildlife authorities said late Sunday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission posted a statement on its agency website that it was closing the 2015 hunt, saying the decision was taken by authorities as the hunt approached the overall “objective” of 320 bears overall.
The little I know about bear hunting is just from talking with others. In North GA they hunt them like deer throughout deer season since the seasons are concurrent. Middle GA has a one day season since we have a very small population. In South Ga, it’s a huge tradition for some folks around the Okeefenokee to run bear with dogs. They sweep the sandy roads clean with pine tops the night before and look for tracks the next morning. They throw the hounds out in the tracks and trek in to shoot the bear after they tree. They say this is high adrenaline hunting since you never really know if the bear is treed or having a standoff with the dogs. Sorry I’m no help other than that.