[Mr_Gixxer]

Archery bear starts Monday, rifle bear starts next Saturday. Who's going out to bag a big one this year? Any tips, tricks, stories?

I'm going to try my hand at it for the first time this year. I'm planning to take my new rifled barrel 12GA Mossberg out for the hunt, sit at ground level by myself probably(am I crazy?) and see if I can't call one of the local beasts in with a rabbit distress call. I'd hunt Rambo style with a knife and jump down on him to slit his throat from a tree branch but I don't think there is a knife bear season.

Well, what say you PA2A?

[Philadelphia Patriot]

Just make sure you pack the bear necessities.

[RugerGirl]

Good luck! I've never actually met someone who's bagged one, although I've met a few who've tried...so I hope you get one! Except I hear bear meat is nasty/greasy. Everyone should have a bearskin rug though.

[Daycrawler]

Ill be heading to Pike county for Bear. My Rifle will be a 1963 Model 88 Winchester .284 with a 150 Grain soft point round. If that wont stop a Bear then its back to the Cabin for Beer. Good Luck !!!

[Mr_Gixxer]

Good luck! I've never actually met someone who's bagged one, although I've met a few who've tried...so I hope you get one! Except I hear bear meat is nasty/greasy. Everyone should have a bearskin rug though.

The greasy nasty bear meat claim is what I've heard on the street too but I can assure you it's not. I've had bear steaks and roasts before and it is absolutely amazing. I'd be proud to stack my freezer full of bear meat.

Yea a bearskin rug would be great, too bad they aren't considered furbearers because then I could still trap for them!

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Ill be heading to Pike county for Bear. My Rifle will be a 1963 Model 88 Winchester .284 with a 150 Grain soft point round. If that wont stop a Bear then its back to the Cabin for Beer. Good Luck !!!

A .284 'eh? That's a new one to me! Good luck! I'm guessing you've bear hunted before? Do you set up drives? Stalk? Stand?

[Mr_Gixxer]

Well, it's shaping up to be a decent bear hunt so far. I talked with my brother-in-law about next Saturday and we should have a group of about 3-4 people to sit at a local field with woods surrounding it on the side of a mountain that my father in law has seen about a half a dozen black bear roaming around together there.

My only dilemma is whether I should actually try calling or not. We don't really have enough guys to do a drive at this point.

[Mr_Gixxer]

Just found out there are 4-5 bears staying in another field about 5 miles from here next to a river. One male pushing 500lbs and a female probably tipping the scales at around 300lbs. I'll be out scouting tomorrow! I can't believe the amount of bears people are seeing!

[Daycrawler]

Yea a .284 its an odd ball. yes I have hunted Bear before. My brother got a bear about three years back. This year we will be standing. One guy has a Heart problem so we are going to take it easy. I figure just the amount of hunters going into the woods will push Bear around. Ill let them do the driving for me. I don't have any great tips! Bear hunting is not easy like Deer. The population is not near the same. It's allot of the right place right time! Try using Google earth to scout the area you want to hunt. Check your terrain and look for swamps and water. many hunter will avoid rough terrain and swamps.

[Mr_Gixxer]

Good luck today hunters!

[Mr_Gixxer]

Well nothing today. The two fields where bear were spotted would up being off limits for one reason or another so I decided to head up on the mountain. I had a pretty nice secluded spot I got permission to hunt at but I hadn't had a chance to scout it out so I had no idea what I was getting into. Well before the sun came up I made the hour long journey to the top of this mountain with the hopes of overlooking a stream that ran through just over the other side. I get up to the top and find a good spot to sit and I hang out for a few hours. 9:30ish rolls around and a group of guys comes through driving the valley with the stream. No bear. No gunshots later either
After they pass I walked back down the side I came up on about 100 yards on a steep rocky incline overlooking an area that levels out a bit. After an hour I had two fawns cross in front of me about 50 yards and cut up the hill coming right beside me a past within feet of me never knowing I was there. 15 more minutes goes by and a third fawn strolls by. Same path, unnoticed by him. I waited another hour after that Ti make sure nothing was following the fawns looking for an easy meal and saw nothing so I headed off the mountain.

Didn't see any scrapes or shit piles but did see a decent amount of acorns in spots contrary to what I've heard. Decent day out in the wild, peace and quiet and good exercise. The fawns walking by was neat to watch too. I was actually wearing MARPAT camo too in case anyone had any doubts about how well it worked for hunting.

Ill give it another go this week hopefully!