Archery Black Bear

[Feathernfurr]

Alright, the bugs already bit. We’ve got a couple of months until elk and deer. How realistic is the idea of filling and archery black bear tag in early August? Hoping I can break the ice in Washington before September. Usually a spring bear in Idaho kind of guy so this should be an interesting hunt. Would love to hear some of yalls experiences and 2 cents.

[Rugergunsite308]

Done this a few times with buddies. One packs a bow, the other a rifle. If it doesn't work out with the bow, drop the bear with the rifle. Gives you the fun of hunting with a bow but the freezer filling capability of the rifle. I can think of many occasions having bears within bow range in August. Just gotta be in the right place at the right time.

[zwickeyman]

Ive killed 2 with a recurve on the Western slopes of the Cascades. Both were spot and stalk. 1 at 18 yards and 1 at mid 20's. Very doable and very exciting

[Tracker0721]

Another trad bow guy here, play the wind right and you could definitely get it done! I like the bow and rifle idea but it seems when carrying just a bow it’s easy to get within 100 yards and the moment I have a rifle I can’t get within 400 🤷‍♂️

[scotsman]

Still another trad guy here. 10 yards on the ground, set up on a bear trail through the berry patch. Watch the pattern for a day or two, cameras or personal…. I prefer personal observation. Bingo. Stay downwind…. I expected him to come out of the berries 25 yards away onto a skid road but e surprised me at 10 yards. That’ll get your attention. By the way I built the recurve bow, footed spruce arrow and arrowhead made from an old saw blade.Gotta be one of the top accomplishments on my archery life.

[Call em in]

Archery black bear is fun and totally doable.  For me personally if I'm going to bow hunt I commit to the bow.  If I'm going to bring a rifle then I'm rifle hunting.   

[Feathernfurr]

I’m a bit in the same camp. If the rifle is around it’s too easy to fall back on. Trying to decide if I want to try my hand at spot and stalk or if I can try to target food sources and still hunt over them.

[zwickeyman]

Quick story

About 35 years ago I was hunting Bear with my older brother. He had an 30-06 and had an old Howatt Hunter Recurve. The plan was if we spotted a Bear with a good chance of me stalking in on him I would do it and he would shoot if the stalk went South. We spot a Bear, get into a good position for both of us and I started my stalk. I get 20 yards into my stalk and BOOM!! Im like what the heck and he said I was never going to get close so he smoked him  I paid him back over the years

[duckmen1]

Still another trad guy here. 10 yards on the ground, set up on a bear trail through the berry patch. Watch the pattern for a day or two, cameras or personal…. I prefer personal observation. Bingo. Stay downwind…. I expected him to come out of the berries 25 yards away onto a skid road but e surprised me at 10 yards. That’ll get your attention. By the way I built the recurve bow, footed spruce arrow and arrowhead made from an old saw blade.Gotta be one of the top accomplishments on my archery life.

Awesome story. Congrats on a great accomplishment. Such a memorable hunt.

[mountainman]

Still another trad guy here. 10 yards on the ground, set up on a bear trail through the berry patch. Watch the pattern for a day or two, cameras or personal…. I prefer personal observation. Bingo. Stay downwind…. I expected him to come out of the berries 25 yards away onto a skid road but e surprised me at 10 yards. That’ll get your attention. By the way I built the recurve bow, footed spruce arrow and arrowhead made from an old saw blade.Gotta be one of the top accomplishments on my archery life.

Great story!
Is that some Zebrawood and Bubinga I see?!

[Bowhunter3]

I’m not sure how much their routes/stomping grounds/routines change by august, but I’m seeing an average of 2-3 every morning on our walks. Sometimes one, sometimes four. 90% in bow range and watching the pup and I. Should be a fun fall.

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

Picking up on this thread because I would like to try my hand at spot and stalk bear bow hunting. Great stories thanks for sharing especially the self bow and arrows/broadheads from saw blades! I’m not that cool.  Would be great to connect and help out local deer/elk and refill an empty freezer.
I did have an awesome bear encounter maybe 5 years ago. Thought I smelled one, circled back into a little creek drainage to get my wind good. See a little black bear with white chest walking down trail towards me. He starting doing back scratching on a tree. Cool experience but I ended up not killing him. Kinda small and a ways back in. Kick myself for not loosing an arrow!

[dilleytech]

Bears are not that hard to kill they can be hard to find but once you find them they are easy to sneak up on. They can’t see us as easy as a deer for example and can’t hear as well. They also aren’t on the constant look out for predators. I would argue they are much easier to kill with a bow than a deer. But unless I have a really good trial they are using that I can sit on I’m hunting them with a rifle because it’s almost a sure thing. 

If I had a bow in my hand and not a ton of bear skulls I would be shooting about any bear I see. I have killed 3-4 small bears around 100# and they are incredible eating. About as much meat as a smaller doe. These days I’m pretty picky trying to get bigger bears with more meat and more fat. I have been on a real skinny bear streak our last 8-9 bears have all been really skinny. Over population probably..

[Feathernfurr]

Another method that I’ve been watching videos and reading up on his predator calling them. Guys locate them, get in to 2-3 hundred yards of them and use a fox pro to call them in. Which honestly seems like a blast to me. Bears were easy to find in Idaho, just go to south facing slopes. I haven’t got a clue where to look for them here 😂