Big Game: Archery Black Bear Hunting

Big Game
Archery Black Bear Hunting: Tips and Tactics for bowhunting big bruins

By Rex Summerfield

Deep claw marks in the tree’s bark indicated that the big bruin had located our tree stands. His big paw prints were clearly visible in a new bear trail that now led directly under our tree. This new path was a worst case scenario for us and we tried blocking the trail with a thick barricade of tree limbs and logs to force the bear into a better position as he approached the bait. Try as we might, the bear stubbornly refused to be moved off the trail and each day we would find the barrier torn down.

It was many nights before I finally spotted him across a small draw lying on an open hillside soaking up the last rays of evening sunlight. Even from a distance he looked enormous. Even better, he had a beautiful chocolate-colored coat. It was my turn to video for my hunting partner, Kurt Howard, and I brought the camera up and captured footage of the bear as he stretched and yawned. As expected, he came directly under the tree, easily breaking through our resurrected obstacle. Peering through the mesh floor of the stand, I could see that the bear had stopped at the base of the tree, a mere twelve feet from where we sat. When a bear that big walks through the woods everything pauses and, in the silence, I could clearly hear the sound of snuffling as he carefully smelled the ground where we had stood. When he sniffed the bottom rungs of the ladder, his eyes turned skyward and we froze in hopes that our camo would break up our outline. His head finally swung toward a noise in the distant timber and I was able to focus on him as he moved closer to the bait. When the right moment arrived, Kurt carefully drew his bow and fired. Incredibly, the arrow missed its mark. Suffice it to say, the bear headed for parts unknown at high speed and Kurt was totally heartbroken. Over the next two years we continued to see the bear’s tracks at the bait and even though we switched stands, tried other baiting techniques and avoided our normal travel routes, we never saw him again.

Obviously baiting is not a sure thing. Nor is it the only method to take black bears. Spot and stalk is popular in more open areas like those of the Southwest or the tidal flats of Alaska. In the thick country of the Northwest, however, we don’t have many areas conducive to spot and stalk hunting with archery equipment. Calling bears with fawn bleats in the spring is quickly becoming popular and can make for some very exciting encounters. Mathews’ Pro Staffer, Terry Verbal, recently told me about calling big boars using a movable elk calf decoy, which resulted in fullon charges from responding bears.

Hound hunting is another popular method to take bears, but it seems to be getting a lot of bad press these days. Hunting black bears with hounds can be one of the most exhilarating, physically demanding hunts you will ever encounter. While smaller bears usually climb trees when being pursued, large boars are more than a match for a pack of hounds and often prefer to fight on the ground and stay mobile. Taking one of these big boars in a running fight with hounds is about as close to an extreme sport as you can get. Not only do you have to keep up with a pack of screaming hounds in mountainous terrain, but you actually have to run faster so you can get in shooting position ahead of the melee. Even if you are lucky enough to catch them, the scene is often too chaotic for a clear shot.

Of all the ways to hunt bears I would rank baiting as the most popular among archery hunters. To the uninitiated, bear baiting may seem easy, but experienced bait hunters know it’s a real challenge. It requires hard work, a thorough knowledge of bear behavior, planning, strategy and a measure of luck. Each hunter has his own recipe for success which often involves “secret” attractant scents.

To quote the old cliché, “If you want to shoot a big one you have to hunt where they are.” This could be geographical or simply biological. In other words, don’t wade through the snow to put your spring bait up in the high country when all the bears are down in the valley eating green grass. Large boars are legendary for their secretive lifestyles, so I like to place my baits next to road-less areas where big bears can live undisturbed. Bears like dark timber and brushy hillsides, so I look for these areas when picking a bait site. The more comfortable you can make it for the bear, the better your chances will be of getting them to the bait before dark. Probably the single biggest factor to having a successful bait is to make sure it’s placed so the wind will carry the scent of the bait into the area you are trying draw the bears from.

Once I have a suitable location picked out, I start by building a crib to hold the bait. Some hunters use barrels, but I prefer natural materials. We position the crib in a “V” shape to force the bear into a quartering away angle for the best shot placement. The sidewalls of the crib should be made of the largest materials you can find in the area to discourage the bears from digging into the bait from the wrong angle. Dig a hole for the bait inside the crib and cover it with smaller sticks to keep the coyotes out of it. I prefer to use dog food and used fryer grease to set up my initial bait sites. The dog food will last longer out in the elements without going bad and the used vegetable oil will act as a powerful attractant. Pour the oil on the small sticks, making sure to cover the bait, and up on the sides of the crib. This does two important things: first, it creates a smell that will drift downwind for miles and second, it turns any bears visiting the bait into walking trail markers for other bears who follow their greasy footprints back to the bait. Once your bait is established you can use meat scraps, grain, or old bread and pastries from the local bakery. Make sure to check with your local regulations to see what is permissible.

No matter what hunting method you choose it’s important to stay flexible. Remember the big chocolate bear? Well, he showed up on our bait again this spring, but this time we completely changed the rules. We moved the bait fifty yards to a new location which allowed more options for tree stand placement. Next, we decided to put out less bait to see if it would cause the big bear to come in earlier before a smaller bear could eat it all. Last but not least, we waited to hang the stands till the night before we were ready to hunt so the bear couldn’t pinpoint their location and alter his travel route.

This time I won the coin toss and, as dusk was settling, Kurt whispered that a bear was coming. I followed his gaze and couldn’t believe my eyes when they settled on the shape of the large chocolate boar. When he turned broadside at 25 yards, I released the arrow and knew he was mine. When we finally measured him he taped 6 1/2 feet from nose to tail and weighed over 350 pounds. Though this is truly a magnificent bear, the thing I will remember most is the years of hard work and strategy required to take him.

Related articles

• Ulmer Buck (0)
• The Promise: Huge Nevada 386 6/8 gross 5×6 Archery Bull (0)
• The Dueling Duo: Crossbow Controversy (0)
• Sticks for Bows…: Monster Whitetail taken With a Long Bow (0)
• South of the Border: The Untold Challenge (0)