Bear Hunting Advice needed!?!?

[ADKMtnTrapper]

So I am thinking of doing a backcountry bear hunt on some state land about an hour north of where I live and have a few questions for anyone who hunts them.

First off in NY you cannot bait them and you can only have up to 1.5oz of liquid scent while hunting or use electronic calls. I'd be hunting them in mid to late September, I can use a rifle but I may be taking my bow as well because deer season is also during Sept. I do have some predator calls I will bring with me and use if I know they will work.

At that time of the year any berry crop is gone and if it is a good mast crop season I will be looking for beech nuts as they are most common in that area. I plan on hunting from a primitive camp ground about a mile and a half from any road access and will hunt further in from that. There is a small river that runs through and I am hoping that acts as a travel way for them. I figure this spring ill be going on a scouting mission to see if the area holds any bear and will go from there.

So for any experienced bear hunters:

A - Where should I look for sign(High, low, swamps, etc.)
B - Without bait, how should I try to increase my odds to draw them in?

Thanks!

 

[redsquirrel]

I wouldn't say I'm an expert bear hunter, but I've shot one without using bait (with my ML) so here is my 2 cents.

You're on the right track with finding their food sources. I would get out there in late spring to start finding some areas with lots of bear sign. When I'm in an area with bears, the sign is pretty noticeable. You can't miss a 5 pound pile of bear poo. You can also poke around in it to see what they are eating. I would just use this spring scouting to find as many good looking bear spots as you can. Then in the fall I would hit these spots to see if they are still active and hunt the ones that are. I would try to narrow down some funnels and trails that look like they are being used and hunt them. The thing about bears is they are going to go where ever they feel like. I've watched a lot of bears and they are really funny to watch. You know all of those cartoons with bears walking down logs? Yea, they really do that. I watched 3 bears go out of there way to walk down a log, it was hilarious.

When I shot my bear, I had the advantage of having all the observations from the spot during bow season. The bears were coming through the area often but not always the same spot. The one I shot came through a spot I hadn't seen them come through before but I was able to get a 40 yard shot with my ML.

The other big thing to remember with a bear, especially on a backcountry hunt, is how are you going to get him out? They are big and rolley poley and tough to drag or even get onto a cart. I would assume you will be quartering it to get it out?

I also find swamps, creeks and thickets to be places they frequent.

 

[ADKMtnTrapper]

Awesome advice, It all depends on where I end up shooting one. The river I referenced looks to be a canoeable one, if I am within a few hundred yards of it I will bring it out whole but if I'm a mile away from any easy access ill just pack it out.

I have heard you are overrun with bears down in your neck of the woods, I've never seen one in the woods I'm hoping to change that!

 

[redsquirrel]

Awesome advice, It all depends on where I end up shooting one. The river I referenced looks to be a canoeable one, if I am within a few hundred yards of it I will bring it out whole but if I'm a mile away from any easy access ill just pack it out.

I have heard you are overrun with bears down in your neck of the woods, I've never seen one in the woods I'm hoping to change that!

We have bears everywhere. You aren't going to believe me when I say this.. but in 2010 when I shot my bear, the year they reinstated our bear season, I saw 29 bears while bow hunting. So I had a pretty good idea where to set up I did bow hunt almost every day after work that year.

The past couple of years I haven't been seeing as many in my usual spots, but I've been finding lots of sign in other areas and I know they are all over.