how many of you have hunted Bear alone

[jtf]

i know it's not the smartest since they can be dangerous. I have just started hunting bear and am doing it alone due to the fact that all the guys i work with or know would rather play video games then wake up early, hump a hill, sit and call for hours in the rain and then see nothing but maybe some sign. i personally love the outdoors and would rather freeze my @ss of then sit in front of the tube.

Do all of you have a partner when you go out?

If ya do hunt alone what do you do different from having a partner?

here is what i do. give me some pointers please or tell me what i am doing wrong, besides hunting alone.

I like to be in a tree. more sight and safer in case one does walk up on my backside. i carry a rifle, 30-06. us it on clearings and glassing areas. as a back up i have a revolver, 454. us it when in thicket, walking tight areas or when vegetation/terrain favors <50 yard shots. i use cover sent sometimes and various calls.

what else should i be doing.

[BlackRidge]

You're off to a great start.

The -06 and 454 will definitely get the job done on a bear. Covering your scent will help, and most good distress-type calls will work (I didn't have any luck w/ them yesterday..).  The clearcuts are probably your best bet, they really stand out from everything around them better.

Aside from that, there's not much more I can add, maybe keep an eye out for places where you know berries grow, watch for tree scrapes and well -traveled game trails

I went out alone yesterday after work. None of my buddies care about tagging a bear, so I have to go solo. I don't really do anything differently than i would if I went with someone else, just set up everything, call, wait and enjoy the outdoors. I usually try to find large clearcuts with stumps or piles of trees in the middle. Helps act as a blind and provide some good elevations for glassing.

I feel confident my .270 will get the job done, and in the 32 9mm +p rounds I'm packing as a backup.

[h20hunter]

Not much else you can already be doing. Know the area, learn the habits, keep your eyes and ears open.....anything else? The biggest worry is getting more than you bargained for when the time comes to clean and pack out your bear. Good luck out there.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

 I always find it funny how everyone is afraid of bears.
I have had several close encounters, but unfortunately not during season.
They really are not that dangerous (my opinion), and 999 times out of 1000 they will run away.
If you have a weapon, there should be no reason to fear one.
Unless your "cover scent" is bacon and maple syrup.
It might be beneficial to have a back-up set of eyes when calling from the ground, but out of a tree, a .454 would keep them away (30-06 also)
In cover, unless you are acting like prey, you probably scare more away than you will will ever see.

[bobcat]

I would try to be not quite so paranoid, myself.  

I don't see anything dangerous about hunting bears alone. At least, no more dangerous than hunting deer or elk alone. After all, you have the gun. The bear is unarmed.  

[Grizzly95]

what else should i be doing

Finding a bear...  
 Tman and I have come to the conclusion that that we need to just plain cover ground. We have a couple clear cut that we found that a huge, 500+yards. We sit and glass, move a little and glass some more. We have spotted 3 bears in the general area. We are also convinced that it is a matter of the right place at the right time. Especially with the lack of berries we have been spotting. I am sure a bear can be patterned, but I also think they are pretty nomadic. But don't take our expierences as solid, it is only what we have seen in our short time bear hunting.

[bow4elk]

I killed my last bear on the ground at 10 yards...on my knees with my bow.  No worries  

[Jellymon]

the black bears here are fairly easy to kill, none of our five bears went more than 10-20 yds with 30-06 and a 270, three of them dropped. You have plenty of gun. I have to say that I cant believe how quiet these things can be! My brothers first bear was at 10yds behind some tall grass before he knew he was there! That was on a very green grassy logging road though. I never even heard mine, it was only 50yds away. With all the bears out there now if you put in time it could happen fairly easily.

[saylean]

I hunt bears by myself all the time...calling ususally. The more you see bears, the more you see that they are fairly timid unless surprised, or the cubs are threatened....or the bear is wounded....

[BlackRidge]

I would try to be not quite so paranoid, myself.  

I don't see anything dangerous about hunting bears alone. At least, no more dangerous than hunting deer or elk alone. After all, you have the gun. The bear is unarmed.  

Yuuuup, aside from other hunters, you're the most dangerous thing in the woods at that point 

[washelkhntr]

If I have someone to go with great, but if not well I am out the door. I'm not sitting at home and not hunting just because there is no one to go with.

[runamuk]

Well I mostly hunt bears alone .... I have no one else to hunt with usually and this season has simply stunk I have no time to get out there.  When I do I just grab the gun the calls and head out the door.....I haven't had success yet so we will see how I feel about this whole alone thing when I am trying to deal with large dead thing on my own 

[Kain]

I hunt alone almost exclusively.   Not to worried about bears.  As soon as they see you or smell you they will be gone.  The only time I get uneasy is when Im hand calling and that is just because I cant hear anything over the calling.  Just keep your back to something if your calling and try to keep the wind in your face.  If they come in from behind you the will smell you and run off.  

Now cats get me antsy.  They dont care about scent and I have had a two bobcats come into my calling from behind.  One I didnt see until it was right beside me and staring right at me.  The other came in right behind me and started growling.  Both scared the crap out of me.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Take enough gun, (you're doing that), keep your wits, (you're doing that), and all will be well.  Take some extra five rounds of ammo or so. The most dangerous bear is the wounded one. If disabled, you want to stop his/her misery. Sometimes tough in the thick cover because they will move at you if you get too close. They can still hurt you.

I agree that the hunter with the gun has the upper hand so we need not be peronoid. Cautious is the concept.

I hunt alone. Doesn't matter what I'm hunting. Leave a flight plan back at home with the miss's... We can all twist a knee at any time.

-Steve

 

[6packdad]

I usually hunt bears alone, unless I have oppurtunity to take my son. I have harvested quite a few bears and only had company on a couple of successful hunts. My belief: Less people = less stink which = more bears.  Scariest moment bear hunting for me too was a cat, I was hot footing to my spot a little late and came around a blind corner face to face with a big cougar.