Bear hunting for predator management

[7mmfan]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, getting excited for bear hunting season to coming August again. I'm all about the idea of spending some time focusing on predators in an effort to help deer and Elk populations. The area that I've had the best luck finding and killing bears has been in high alpine areas though, and want to get opinions from people on whether those bears really have a impact on deer or elk population. The bear I killed last year was stuffed with blueberries and my guess is he spent most, or all of his time in the Alpine or close to it. Does this bear effect deer or elk much? From a predator management standpoint,  does it do much good to kill this bear?

[jstone]

Tagging along for the ride

[KFhunter]

fawns/calves are pretty mobile during berry season, that's not when bears are killing them,  by then most of their damage has been done and its the big cats turn. 

[Bango skank]

Figure even with heavy management in surrounding sreas where it may be more needed, those areas bear populations would be getting replenished from unchecked  bear populations nearby.  So if nobody is killing bears in those alpine areas, theyre just cub factories, and the surplus population will end up going elsewhere and filling in a void.  Bear management matters everywhere.

[7mmfan]

fawns/calves are pretty mobile during berry season, that's not when bears are killing them,  by then most of their damage has been done and its the big cats turn.

Yeah I assumed this. Was really thinking about where this bear is in June/July. My guess is not far from where I found him in August, probably just lower down the mountain. I guess they're all opportunists, just curipusnif it's worth spending more time hunting them in areas with higher year around deer densities.

[7mmfan]

Figure even with heavy management in surrounding sreas where it may be more needed, those areas bear populations would be getting replenished from unchecked  bear populations nearby.  So if nobody is killing bears in those alpine areas, theyre just cub factories, and the surplus population will end up going elsewhere and filling in a void.  Bear management matters everywhere.

That's a good viewpoint. The reservoir effect. I hadn't really considered that angle much.

[KFhunter]

Think of it this way


If you go out in the woods and blow a train horn are the bears going to come running?

How about if you go to Kodiak island and starting shooting a gun, will the bears come running?

If you blow on a fawn bleat will the bears come?


It's nothing more than Pavlovian conditioning, where an animal learns a certain sound means food and will salavate at nothing but hearing the sound itself....like a big slobbering bear upon hearing a gun shot, or fawn bleat. 


In other words, if they know what a bleating fawn or calf call is and come a running...they're not helping the herd of deer or elk population 

[7mmfan]

That's a good point too and probably the easiest way to focus on those specific animals. I'm not doing a lot of calling in these spots though, just because I know where to find them. So no real way to know if these bears eat lots of fawns or not

[Bango skank]

That's a good point too and probably the easiest way to focus on those specific animals. I'm not doing a lot of calling in these spots though, just because I know where to find them. So no real way to know if these bears eat lots of fawns or not

Find out.  Locate one, get within 200 yards, then start making a couple fawn bleats.  Watch what happens.  You never know, you might think its so fun that way that youll start going out with an unscoped rifle, get em up close.

[vandeman17]

I have never been much of a bear hunter, actually never killed one but have seen a decent amount while out in the field deer and elk hunting. I plan to apply for my first spring bear permit, which I won't draw but at least apply. I also hope to try to kill my first bear this fall which if it does happen, will be pretty much dumb luck since almost all the bears I have seen I just stumbled across.

What would be an interesting idea would be if some of the more seasoned bear hunters on here would want to team up with guys like myself who don't exactly know what to look for as far as "good bear area" given time of year, conditions etc.

[Bango skank]

I have never been much of a bear hunter, actually never killed one but have seen a decent amount while out in the field deer and elk hunting. I plan to apply for my first spring bear permit, which I won't draw but at least apply. I also hope to try to kill my first bear this fall which if it does happen, will be pretty much dumb luck since almost all the bears I have seen I just stumbled across.

What would be an interesting idea would be if some of the more seasoned bear hunters on here would want to team up with guys like myself who don't exactly know what to look for as far as "good bear area" given time of year, conditions etc.

Dont be so sure you wont draw.  Lot of folks draw with 1 point.  Im just never one of them.

[vandeman17]

I have never been much of a bear hunter, actually never killed one but have seen a decent amount while out in the field deer and elk hunting. I plan to apply for my first spring bear permit, which I won't draw but at least apply. I also hope to try to kill my first bear this fall which if it does happen, will be pretty much dumb luck since almost all the bears I have seen I just stumbled across.

What would be an interesting idea would be if some of the more seasoned bear hunters on here would want to team up with guys like myself who don't exactly know what to look for as far as "good bear area" given time of year, conditions etc.

Dont be so sure you wont draw.  Lot of folks draw with 1 point.  Im just never one of them.

I am going off the luck I have in all the other draws 

[Birdgetter]

Yah I’ve also wondered about their impact in the high country. Either way they sure are fun to hunt and watch in high country berry fields. They also taste pretty darn good after gorging on berries for a month!

[BreezyBear]

My thinking on this is that if you are seeing less deer where you deer hunt, and plenty of bear sign there, then you owe it to yourself to try taking at least one of your two bears in that area. 

[dilleytech]

Bear will be were the most plentiful food is. In the spring it’s the grass or wherever the fawns are being dropped. I have killed one bear with fawn hooves in its stomach in August. Buts there mostly wherever the berries or orchards are come season. They can travel a long ways over the summer.