OUTDOORSMAN features the Top Black Bear hunting guides, Black Bear hunting outfitters, and Black Bear hunting lodges in the United States and Canada offering Trophy Black Bear hunts. Our listed Black Bear hunting guides, Black Bear hunting outfitters, and Black Bear hunting lodges are some of the best in the industry and are proven professionals that offer World Class Trophy Black Bear hunts.

About the Black Bear: The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear species native to North America. The black bear lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Canada and Alaska south into Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This includes 41 of the 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island. Although there were probably once as many as two million black bears in North America long before European colonization, the population declined to a low of 200,000 as a result of habitat destruction. Thanks to hunting conservation groups more than 800,000 black bear are living today on the continent.[Wiki]

Use our outfitter request forms to obtain more information on these great black bear hunting outfitters.

Scouting Black Bears: If you're looking for a big Black bear, look for big black bear tracks. The rule of thumb is to take the front paw pad and measure across it. Now add 1 inch and you get the size in feet. Example in picture is a 6 inch across front paw track. 6 + 1 = 7 foot bear. The black bear that made this track weighed 450 lbs. Bears have 5 digits on their paws like us humans. The front toes look like stubby short fingers in a track, and you'll not always see the claw prints. Front tracks about 4 in. long and 4 in. wide. There may be a small heel mark on the front as well, but it usually does not show. Black bears have plantigrade feet, which means both heel and toe make contact with the ground. The black bear's characteristic shuffle results from walking flat-footed, with the hind legs slightly longer than the front legs. Each paw has five strong, non-retractable claws used for tearing, digging, and climbing. Claws extend about 1 1/2 in. beyond toe track . Black bears have a characteristic way of climbing and descending trees. They mostly use their front claws for climbing and keeping a hold.

Black Bear scat can tell you a lot about the bear, like it's size and what it likes for diner. Analyze all scat you find to see what the bear has been feeding on. If you see wrappers and garbage in the scat, you know the bear is hitting dumpsters or garbage cans somewhere nearby.

Gooseberries, which are favorite fall treat for black bears, have smaller seeds like the blackberries we all have eaten. When berries are in season, scat will be loose like a cow dung. Scat can be in piles or logs. Logs about 1 1/2 inch in diameter (a little bigger than Baby Ruth candybar size), are from a decent bear. When the logs get to about the size of a coke can, you have a very large bear.

Bear claw marks on a tree can give you an idea about the size of the bear by how high the reach and how wide the paw is.

Hunting Black Bears Spot and Stalk: If you're in a area that has a good bear population, you can set up with good optics to glass up a bear. Places to look are berry patches when the berries are ready, oak flats or benches just off brushy canyons or drainages. Once you've found the bear you want, you can then plan your stalk to get in closer for a shot. Remember to watch your wind, as bears have fantastic noses. If the bear is foraging, you will hear the bear when you get close usually. Whether you have a rifle or bow, try to get in position for a rear quartering away shot. A bear has massive shoulders and you do not want to try a shoulder shot. Instead, let the bear take a step forward with the near side leg, this will expose the vital heart/lung area.

Calling Black Bears: Another way to hunt black bears is to call them in with a varmint mouth call. I recommend you only do this with a partner to watch your backside because even a big bear can slip in on you in the oak leaves pretty darn quiet. If you have an area that is choked with brush and a known bear loafing or bedding area, setup downwind with a good raised view of any approach if you can. A deer fawn bleat call or even a turkey call can get the bear's attention. Be alert for other animals like cougars or coyotes to barge in on your party too.

Ambushing Black Bears: Sometimes a Black bear will have a pattern that you can figure out. Maybe a favorite trail or berry patch at a certain time of the year. You can set up an ambush using whatever cover you have available, even a treestand will work. Again, when you set up, consider the prevailing winds, and watch your approach to your hide as not to alert the bear of your presence. Use full camo and try to keep the fly swatting and nose scratching to a minimum. Bears do not have great eyesight, but they can spot movement good enough to ruin a long wait in the woods for a shot.

Black Bear Biology 101: Size - Ursus americanus, commonly known as black bears range from 89 to 102 centimeters (35 to 40 inches) tall when on all fours and have a length of 140 to 180 centimeters (4 1/2 to 6 feet). The weight of a black bear, which is highly variable, ranges from 57 to 272 kilograms (125 to 600 pounds) with males within a geographic area on average about a third larger than females. It has small eyes set close together, rounded ears, a long tan or grizzled snout, a large body, and a short tail. The largest American black bear to date was found in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, Canada. It weighed in at 365 kilograms (805 pounds). Bears have forty-two teeth. Permanent teeth are normally in place by the time a bear is approximately two and a half years old. Black bears have premolars and molars for grinding their food.

Predators - The black bear's primary predator is man. It is the one bear species which seems to have the greatest capacity to live in close proximity to man. The only animal known to kill a black bear is a porcupine, when the bear gets the quills stuck in his tongue after trying to eat them and then dying from starvation. Bears can trot up to 30 mph in short bursts and are powerful swimmers. Will climb trees for food or protection. Rugged terrain and dense shrubs provide escape cover and den sites for black bears. Black bears also seek den sites under fallen trees, in hollow trees or caves, or in previously occupied dens. When possible, black bears will choose streams with dense bankside shrubbery as travel corridors to and from food sources. Primarily nocturnal, although it may be seen any time, day or night. Their curved claws are highly adapted to tree climbing and all black bears are agile tree climbers.

Lifespan - The life span of black bears in the wild can be twenty-five years or more. The oldest known black bear was 30 years old. (1985)

Color Phases - The fur color of the black bear is often, in fact, black but color phases can also include light brown, dark brown, cinnamon, beige, and even a blue-white color. There is evidence to suggest that in areas of relatively high rainfall, black bears predominate while in the drier inland areas of the continent, brown and blond bears are more common.

Diet - Eating virtually anything edible, it has been determined that more than 75% of their diet consists of vegetable matter including, berries, flowers, grasses and sedges, herbs, tubers and roots, and nuts of all kinds. For the remaining portion of their diet, animal matter such as decaying animal carcasses, fish, small marine animals, ants and other insects, honey, elk and moose calves and a variety of other small mammals (e.g., ground squirrels, marmots, etc.) are consumed. Black bears like to feed in the cool of the evening or in the early morning. During the heat of the day, they will often seek shade in the dense underbrush.

Senses - Excellent sense of smell. Good hearing and thought to have poor vision. Recent studies have shown that a bears eyesight is fairly good. A bears eyes are reflective and mirror the slightest light like a deer.

Breeding - Black bears reach breeding maturity at about 4 or 5 years of age, and breed every 2 to 3 years. Black bears breed in the spring, usually in May and June, but the embryos do not begin to develop until the mother dens in the fall to hibernate through the winter months. However, if food was scarce and the mother has not gained enough fat to sustain herself during hibernation as well as produce cubs, the embryos do not implant (develop). Black bear cubs are generally born in January or February. The blind cubs weigh about 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound at birth, and twins are most common. By spring thaw, when the bears start leaving their dens, the cubs are fur-balls of energy, inquisitive and playful. They are weaned between July and September of their first year, and stay with the mother through the first full winter. They are usually independent by the second winter.

Cub survival is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in teaching her cubs what to eat, where and how to forage (find food), where to den, and when and where to seek shelter from heat or danger. Except for breeding and raising young, black bears are generally solitary animals. They try to avoid humans and are considered non-aggressive except when injured, protecting their young, or protecting themselves. Daily movements are influenced greatly by temperature and food availability. Bears usually feed in the cool of the evening or early morning. During the heat of the day, they will seek shade in dense underbrush. Home ranges are determined by food types, abundance, and availability, and can be as small as 1 square mile or as great as 100 square miles.

Except for females with cubs, black bears spend most of their time alone. During the breeding season, a male and female may remain together for several days at a time in June, July and August and groups of bears may feed in close proximity to each other if food is abundant, such as in berry patches or at dumps. Gestation is 220 days. Cubs are weaned at 8 months, but stay with mother for 1.5 years

Home Range - Female home ranges are 3 to 40 square kilometers (1 to 15 square miles). While the home ranges of individual bears are usually exclusive from those of other bears of the same sex, male home ranges are larger and may overlap those of several females. A young adult female is often allowed to establish her territory within that of her mother, while subadult males must disperse. Characteristically, a home range does not constitute one large area but rather is composed of several smaller food source areas connected by travel lanes. Open areas are usually avoided by black bears as they prefer wooded cover. Found throughout most of Canada, Alaska, south on West Coast through California, in Rocky Mountain states to Mexico, and parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New England, Florida, Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. Black bears (Ursus americanus) originated in Asia. They migrated to North America over time. The current black bear population, world-wide, is approximated at up to 500,000. (1992)

Hibernation - Most black bears, including all who live in areas with severe weather climates, will hibernate for between four and seven months. Where the weather is much more temperate and the period without food available is quite short, black bears may either not hibernate or they may simply nest in a thicket or other sheltered area for brief periods of time. During the entire period of hibernation, the black bear will neither pass urea or solid fecal waste. While urea poisoning causing death would occur in all other animals, bears have developed a unique process of recycling the urea into usable proteins. During the hibernation period, all bears lose a great deal of weight. Adult males and adolescent bears lose between 15% and 30% of their weight while it is not uncommon for a female cub with newborn cubs to have lost as much as 40% of her weight.

Most black bears vacate their winter dens over a one to two month period commencing in April or May. Both the climatic conditions (snow cover and temperature) and physiological factors such as the bear's age, the status of its health and its remaining fat reserves affect the exact timing of emergence from its den. Normally, adult males emerge first. Females with newborn cubs are usually the last to leave their dens.

Black Bear Safety: The following is the reproduction of a Usenet post originally posted in alt.animals.bears and rec.backcountry.

DO NOT leave your food, waste, or other scented objects within reach of a bear. Bears can smell anything from far distances, and will taste it... even if it is something inedible! (Eg. I have seen bears try gasoline, candles, and the grease remaining in a fire pit.) Even if you think they can't smell the food (eg unopened pop) think again... I heard of a bear who put his claw through a pop can and drink it. The only smell black bears aren't interested in is that of humans. Don't forget that gum in your pocket!

HOW AND WHERE TO STORE FOOD, WASTE, AND SCENTED OBJECTS

CAMPER CAMPING -- Store food and scented objects inside the camper. !!! CAVEAT !!! Do not store inside a soft-side camper as black bears can (and do) rip the sides open. Store it in the car. Put waste in the designated garbage bin in the campground. Use the campers privy, or an outhouse provided by the park. Empty the campers privy only at designated trailer dumping stations.

TENT-OUT-OF-TRUNK -- Store food and scented objects inside your car. Put waste in the designated garbage bins in the campground. Use the outhouses provided by the park. Do not store a "port-a-pottie" in your tent.

BACKPACKING/CANOEING/TRUE CAMPING -- Store all food and scented objects at least 3 meters (9 feet) up, between two trees, at least 1 meter (3 feet) from each tree trunk (remember, black bears can climb)! Burn all combustible wastes. Bury the ashes at least 20 meters (60 feet) from the campsite. Place remaining wastes in a garbage bag and store with the food and scented objects. All non-combustible garbage must be "packed-out". Use outhouses provided by the park, or, if unavailable, dig a trench six inches deep at least 10 meters from the campsite, and fill it in before you leave.NEVER, EVER FEED A BEAR.

Do NOT come between a mother and her cubs. The mother will become scared for her cubs, and will attack if she fears they are in danger.

Due to their territorial nature, black bears can prove to be nuisances when they leave their mother, searching for a home. Each bear has a different temprament... sort of like humans. Some bears will attack, others will not. Some bears are scared of humans, others have a natural curiosity. (But still don't try to get too friendly with a bear that seems nice, just like people it can have a nasty streak.

Even if you have no food out whatsoever, you may still encounter a black bear wandering during its daily travels. Upon spotting a human, the naturally curious black bear will either a) run away, or b) stop and observe the human.

If you want to completely avoid black bears, talk continuously or make loud, unnatural noise (ie. Bear Bells). This will scare off most black bears.

If a black bear DOES come uncomfortably close, or if it starts approaching you, back away SLOWLY, always watching the bear. Speak in a LOUD, DEEP voice (It doesn't matter what you say. I use "GO AWAY BEAR" as it also serves to inform others around me of my situation). DO NOT RUN AWAY FROM A BLACK BEAR. THEY CAN RUN FASTER THAN YOU. DO NOT PLAY DEAD WITH A BLACK BEAR. It is curious, and will rip you open just to see "what's inside"!

Sometimes black bears will still approach, or even attack (VERY, VERY UNLIKELY). The next step is one I have trouble convincing campers of... FIGHT BACK! Get angry with a black bear. Throw your arms up in the air, yell and scream in a deep voice, throw something at it. Throw a pot at it, or a big rock. You want to show the bear that you are in control. This sounds futile, but it works. The black bear will get scared and run away. Keep in mind though, you don't want to kill the black bear... just scare it.

Respect the black bear. Remember, you are in it's home. It may look cute and cuddly, but don't try to pet it. Let the black bear be and it will let you be.

Black Bear Hunting General Info: The black bear is a species of bear which can only be found in North America, from the regions of Mexico bordering the United States all the way to Alaska. Such a wide natural range, coupled by laws that offered a degree of protection to black bears, have led to a tremendous growth of the number of populations all across the U.S. and Canada. However, black bear hunting has changed significantly over the last 10 years and it now requires a little more planning and preparation than before. Also, several states from the west of the range have forbidden the use of hounds as well as bait in hunting, while quite a lot of states have eliminated the spring hunting season totally due to more and more intense anti-hunting groups pressures. As a consequence, in the western states black bear population numbers increase at a fast rate, costing considerable amounts of money to protect them as needed.

These prohibitions also have a good influence on the hunting experience because, with only the fall season available, hunters have more chances of finding bears wherever they choose to hunt as well as increased odds of finding truly huge specimens of black bear. A slight disadvantage brought by the changes in hunting laws is that of hunters being forced to adapt their methods and spend more time and effort on such aspects as preparation in order to be successful. During the late summer and early fall, the black bears develop an activity pattern in which they usually feed between 18 and 20 hours a day with brief and rare resting breaks, giving sportsmen supplementary time available to be able to hunt on a 24 hour period. This way, more opportunities appear and bears become more accessible to a hunter that is willing to change his ways to correspond to current circumstances and conditions.

Undoubtedly the method which enjoys the highest popularity in the fall season is the “spot and stalk” method. This can be explainable if we know that there are many ideal areas and places to apply this method all across the animal’s western range, mostly in coastal areas where bears are feeding on salty grass or following streams in order to hunt for salmon and spawn fish. Other excellent areas where this method can be used are forests that grow huckleberry and blackberry thickets, which have succulent fruits that lure hordes of black bears especially at the beginning of the fall. The basic principle of the “spot and stalk” technique is simple enough: you must see the bear before it can see you. Luckily, it is believed that bears in general have very poor long range vision, compensating however with acute hearing and a keen sense of smell. Consequently, keeping the wind by your side is vital to any hunting attempt you may have.

In conclusion, black bear hunting is still a popular practice in North America in spite of the changes brought to the sport in the last years under the heavy pressure of militants and independent organizations. With just one hunting season available each year, passionate hunters are on a black bear search frenzy with every season’s start.

About Black Bears: The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear species native to North America. It lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Canada and Alaska south into Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This includes 40 of the 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island. Populations in the east-central and southern United States remain in the protected mountains and woodlands of parks and preserves, though bears will occasionally wander outside the parks’ boundaries and set up new territories, in some cases on the margins of urban environments.

Black bears are omnivorous creatures eating a large variety of foods, but relying mostly on grass, herbs, fruits and mast. Moreover, they feed on carrion but also insects (mostly for the larvae) like carpenter ants (Campanotus spp.), bees (Apidae), yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) and termites (Isoptera). Black bears occasionally kill and eat little rodents as well as ungulate fawns. Resembling a lot of animals, they rarely attack except when cornered, threatened or hurt. They are less probable of attacking humans than grizzlies and usually are long gone for cover before they can even be spotted. These bears fancy wooded and shrubby regions, but also live in wet fields, ridge tops, burned areas, high tidelands, riparian areas, avalanche chutes and agricultural fields. Furthermore, they are common on swampy hardwood or conifer forests. The black bears on occasion sleep through winter and can build burrows in tree holes, under rocks or logs, in caverns, or culverts as well as in shallow depressions.

American black bears are approximately 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Female bears weigh from 90 to 400 pounds (40 to 180 kg); males ponder between 150 and 500 pounds (68 and 225 kg). Cubs typically weigh between 200 to 450 g at birth. Adult animals have undersized eyes, round ears, a long nose, a huge body and a small tail. Bears of this kind have an outstanding sense of smell. Although they usually have hairy black hair, coat can differ in color according to the subspecies: from white to chocolate-brown, cinnamon-brown to blonde, found regularly west of the Mississippi river, to black in the east part (same rule generally applies to the Canadian range, with the border between Ontario and Manitoba).

Females generally reach breeding maturity at 3 to 4 years of age and with adequate nutrition can breed every 2 years. In poor quality habitat, they may not mature until 5-7 and may skip breeding cycles. Males are sexually mature at same age, but may not become large enough to win breeding rights until they are 4-5 years old (they have to be large enough to win fights with other males and be accepted by females). Mating is generally done during summer, from Mid-June to mid-August with some variation depending on latitude. The cubs are generally born in January or February. They are very small, about 10-14 ounces, and are blind, nearly hairless, and helpless when born. Two to three cubs are most common, though up to four and even five cubs has been documented. First-time mothers typically have only a single cub. The mother nurses the cubs with rich milk, and by spring thaw, when the bears start leaving their dens, the cubs are fur-balls of energy, inquisitive and playful. By this time they are about 4 to 8 pounds (2-4 kg).

Black Bear Baiting: Due to the fact that black bears are considered to be predators, many provinces and states allow baiting. Although some may consider baiting rather unfair because the hunter clearly gets an obvious advantage, it isn’t very easy to do although at a first glance it doesn’t look that way and also, the efficiency isn’t guaranteed. There are numerous cases in which black bears sneaked undetected and grabbed a morsel of meat for example and then suddenly disappeared without leaving any tracks to follow.

Another concrete example of the not so certain efficiency of baiting regards black bears : they can move around the area where the bait is installed without getting closer. And this may take up to a few hours; eventually they will come close, or not; nothing is sure regarding this matter. But if you do get lucky and the black bear comes closer, you now have a big chance of capturing the animal. In order to install an efficient baiting station, you should follow some basic steps so that you will increase your chances for success:

The first thing you should do is find out all there is to know about black bears. For example, black bears have a home range from which they span 2 to 10 miles; another thing you should know is that black bears have a very poor eye sight but very developed auditory and olfactory senses.

The second thing you should do is to think about the best baiting location. The proper location would be along the bear’s area, where he usually roams. You must think of it this way: where there is a lot of food, a bear is there, for example: a heavily timbered forest near agricultural areas; another example would be near rivers or streams and also low grounds because these areas offer darkness and a place to cover; advice: look for signs like claw marks on trees.

3rd step - timing : the baits should be installed immediately when the black bear season starts. You should stock the baits about two weeks before you will actually hunt the black bears. The more baits you have, the more success ( at least theoretically ) you will have so keep this in mind the next time you plan on going out hunting black bears.

4th step - what to use : as most of you know black bears are omnivores and they will eat just about everything. It is advisable that what your “offer” has a very strong odor so that the bear will be more attracted to it.

5th step - about the set up : an example of how to set up a bait station would be: the hunter should use a 50 gallon drum which will be chained to a tree. In order to make the bear approach from the front thus improving your chances for a successful shot, the barrel should be cribbed with branches. At the base of the baiting station, the hunter must cut a six inch diameter hole. Selecting your stand location should be done at no more than 20 yards away, otherwise you won’t have a good shot.

6th step is about rules and regulations. You must know what laws the state (in which you are about to do your hunting) has. For example, you should know when does the season begin or in which places you aren’t allowed to install baiting sites; also you have to know about licensing and others as well.

7th step – when to sit the baits : in the evening hours bears usually come out but this isn’t a rule because you can stumble upon bears anytime during the day.

8th step - concerns : be very attentive because scents can be your friend and also they can be your enemy. As I have mentioned, bears will be drawn by the odor of the food but if by any chance they track you down, you can say goodbye to your hunting dreams; with other words, keep your clothing odorless, footwear should also be without any smells. You should approach the stand from the opposite way that you think the black bear will enter the baiting site.

9th step - be alert : due to the fact that black bears have padded feet, they move around with a swiss-type precision. In most cases, first you will see the bear and afterward you will hear him.

The final step which any hunter should follow is about shooting the animal. It is advisable to wait until the black bear is paying attention to the bait. As most of you know, bears are very strong animals so a double even triple lung shot is recommended.

As you can see, baiting isn’t very easy; it requires a great amount of work and only a few hunters have success using this method. Although it is difficult, installing bait stations might improve your efficiency if done properly.

Black Bear Calling: One of the most important things you should know regarding this matter is that the key to calling these animals is to call (without any interruptions) until the bear is within your fire range. If you do stop calling, the bear will stop advancing. Some experienced hunters affirm that sows are more attracted by the calling. It is advisable to shot bears only after you call them. A common mistake that many hunters do is imitating the sounds of a sow in heat; most people think that by doing this they will attract the bear; totally wrong because bears aren’t very vocal animals. It is known that these animals can mate without making any sounds at all. As far as communication is concerned, only sows and cubs communicate on a regular basis.

Despite all these, there are certain sounds that will attract bears: one of the most effective sounds would be the one made by two bears fighting for food; other examples : blowing/chomping. These sounds are typically expressions of fear that include an explosive release of air, lip smacking and teeth clicking. Also, human-like calls can be very efficient, some good examples would be: moaning, motor-like purring, pulsing angry sound, mother’s cry, cub distress call and infringement call. Moaning = fearful call. For example a bear that has been chased up or a sow that has been pursued by a boar will moan in order to “explain” that she isn’t ready yet for breeding; Motor-like purring = usually, cubs make these sounds when they are nursing or if they feel very comfortable; Pulsing angry sound = usually, sows make these sounds when they are trying to kick their yearling cubs out of their territory; Mother’s cry = females can make this sound when they are trying to locate their cubs; Cub distress call = very attractive to sows, it sounds just like a human baby’s cry; Infringement call = this sound is made by a very angry and aggressive bear when he is trying to pursue other bears to get away from his territory.

Biologists affirm that using cub distress calls isn’t recommended (or any other predator that sounds just about the same). Mothers are drawn by any type of sounds which are familiar with a cub’s sound. Mothers are so sensitive to this and even the sounds of a red tailed hawk will make females react immediately. Also, females confuse rabbit-in-distress calls with the sounds of a cub in trouble; in this case, the female will send her cubs investigating the area.

Calling can be very affective during the autumn. Calling is effective when there are bears in the area. You will find a bear where there is a lot of food, so check these places first. In autumn time, good areas would be where there are breech corps; after finding a place like this, use an infringement call (broken moan).

Using the regular rabbit-in-predator calls can be efficient on bears but unlike calling other types of animals, calling black bears requires strong lungs. In comparison with the fox calling (at which a hunter calls for about 10-15, intermittently), for bear calling the same thing should be done for 20 up to 30 minutes.

As you can see, bear calling and bear hunting generally speaking, isn’t very easy, it takes courage, experience and most of all patience because these animals won’t fall into your trap that easy.

Black Bear Hunting Techniques: Spot & stalk hunting is considered to be one of the most popular hunting techniques practiced on black bear hunting adventures. Of course, for this method there are a number of areas recommended but for many other areas, using this method won’t bring any noticeable results. This method is very recommended for regions along the coastal areas of British Columbia and Alaska where black bears are foraging on the salt grass flats at tide line.

The key of this technique is quite simple actually: you have to see the black bear before he detects you first. During September and later fall seasons bears are occupied munching almost everything they can flop a lip over and their digestive system is very busy handling these goodies. In order to keep their digestive systems working properly they need to drink a lot of water so if you find a spring or a tank with black bear tracks you have found the best place for a black bear hunting adventure. When choosing an ambush site always remember to use the wind in your favor.

Calling black bears during the fall season using a predator call can be both exciting and very frustrating in the same time. When this method actually works it will keep your adrenaline level very high and when it just won’t work you will probably get very bored. The key to this procedure is to have patience and give it time to work. The most important thing is to do some serious scouting in order to locate the bedding and feeding areas of these animals. Using a predator call to attract black bears will most likely attract the large sized bears as they are more aggressive and dominant. Try setting up your calling place where you have a good field of view: in front and both sides because the last thing any hunter wants is to get “acquainted” with a very hungry black bear.

Comparing the calling tactics used for black bear in comparison with the ones used for coyotes or foxes they are pretty different (besides the known danger factor) because a black bear’s attention span seems to be quite short and if they are reacting to a call and the sound eventually stops, so will the black bear. This aspect can be used to the hunter’s advantage because he can stop a bear in a perfect shooting position or “luckily” stop him before he runs plumb over the hunter. When you start calling you must call as continuously as possible and when you observe an incoming black bear you should vary your calling according to the animal’s reactions and try to get a better feel of how to handle the bear when he’ll get in your shooting range.

Gaining more and more popularity among black bear hunting enthusiasts is the tree stand hunting. The key to this technique is to find where the bears naturally move. The main idea is to intercept black bears as they search for food or when they move from a food source to another. Prime locations for any tree stand hunter are: ravines, hillsides or streams. Basically, if you don’t know for sure where bears travel, you shouldn’t use this technique. Due to the fact that black bears have a very developed sense of smell, the hunter must install the stand at 25-30 feet. In some cases, it might be advantageous to hang a few stands in order to capitalize on wind changes and bear movement tracks.

Black Bear Hunting Tips: 1. Successful huntsmen recognize that the best sites to trace black bears are found at food sources. Pre-season exploration will amplify your success rate. You have to look for tracks, broken stems droppings or twigs close to seasonal food provisions.

2. Scent management is imperative for triumphant hunting over lure. You should have on rubber footwear, try to keep your hunting clothes clean and keep away from wearing them in the campsite where unfamiliar odors may be picked up. Never smoke while you’re on stand and don’t forget to use cover scent.

3. Choosing tree stands is a dangerous idea. If you do, remember to secure yourself to the tree with a safety belt. Don’t climb with a bow or firearm in your hand; as an alternative, use a pulling line following securely strapping yourself.

4. Hunters heading towards the field thinking exclusively of black bears are to be looking forward to many things, although there are also a lot of obstacles to surmount. Getting to know black bears is decisive when hitting the hills hoping to tag a major pelted specimen.

5. As far as bear hunting is concerned, finding an animal and pursuing it inside the shooting range is probably the most frequent and most thrilling approach. However, timing is everything. The larger amount of time you can set aside to gazing through your binoculars, the superior your chances of locating black bears making headway and then knowing at what time to move yourself.

6. Berry pieces as well as fruit orchards are excellent places to start searching for black bears. Open fields harboring berries, putrid logs loaded with insects, grasses and colonies of ground squirrel are further fine food alternatives. Black bears can as well be found eating carrion in early season. If you locate an elk or deer carcass, continue to monitor it for any bear activity. Providing a bear is in that area, you may be able to outline his movement along with forcing a common meeting.

7. At the season’s final stage, you may want to search for bears which are moving or feeding. The animals will be walking from sites of refuge to sources of food. With winter alarming, bears will only think of one thing: food. They will eat a diverse diet in the fall; knowing which bears feed in a specific hunting area is significant to finding them.

8. Hunting using tree stands is gradually gaining popularity among bear hunters that do not utilize lures. The key aspect to triumph here lies in knowing where bears typically move. The general idea is to seize bears while they lie in waiting for food or are on the move between a sanctuary place and a food source.

Bow Hunting Black Bear: Most of you know that black bears are North American typical animals. In Canada, their population is around 450,000. As far as bow hunting these animals, there are a couple of questions you should ask yourself before you embark on this great adventure. The first one would be: What type of bow is suitable for black bears? The answer would be a longbow/compound and it should have a draw weight of ( at least ) 55 pounds at 28 inches; the more, the better.

The second question would be: What arrow should I use? Due to the fact that bears have a very rich cartilage, penetration is very important so what you must use is a heavy arrow which is mounted with a big broadhead. Also, if you have some extra cash, you might consider purchasing carbon arrows which are more efficient and also lighter in comparison with the regular arrows. Choosing the arrow is very important because it needs to be powerful enough in order to perforate the chest which will leave an exit hole even after breaking bones. Speed isn’t very important in comparison with other types of hunting. A word of advice: your arrows should be mount with lively colored fletching.

The third question you should ask yourself is about what type of broadhead you should use for hunting black bears. The broadheads should be as strong as possible and razor sharp so that they will remain in one piece and should be able to penetrate the strong muscles, the layers of fat, lungs and of course, cartilage. Lighter broadheads will only injure the black bear, it won’t kill him so they aren’t recommended. Large hunting heads should be used ( 2,3, 4 blades ) because otherwise your arrow will be blocked by the cartilage or muscles.

Another question could be: Is bow hunting black bears from ground levels dangerous? If you do it on your own it is quite dangerous so it is advisable to hire a guide which will teach you how to safely hunt these animals, otherwise, unpleasant surprises are most likely to happen. The average shooting distance should be from about 18 yards, it depends on your style of hunting basically. Hunting bears from tree stands isn’t risky but don’t do the mistake of leaving the tree stand and start walking in the area because you never know what might happen.

A word of advice: when you are out there purchasing your first bow, be sure to purchase one which is comfortable to use because you will be using it for a long time until you develop your skills; make sure that it isn’t very heavy otherwise you will have problems accommodating with it and you will lose your patience in no time.

All in all, if you ever get tired of hunting black bears using your rifle or other similar weapon or if you don’t like using hi-tech gadgets or you like hunting in the classic style, bow hunting can be the perfect alternative but you should take some things into consideration before making this important step: it is much more difficult and dangerous, you have to skillfully handle the bow and at a same time keep an eye out because these animals can become very aggressive if they feel threatened; precaution should be seriously taken into consideration, otherwise, unpleasant things might happen.