The conditions seemed great, but no cigar!!!

[R9923]

Drove up to the Buckhorn wilderness area. Drove 18 miles in and hiked 3 to the base of Mount Townsend. Sat for three hours in a nice clearcut with some nice vegetation and the creek to my backside. Absolutely no wind. I can't believe I got skunked. Then drove up to Slab Camp and there was just a bunch of people shooting, so I cam home. Any hints or tips on what I can do is appreciated.

[R9923]

bump.... advice???

[ribka]

I think I went out 10 times or so before I saw my first bear. I see bear maybe one out of 4 to five times I go out.

I guess my advice is to keep going out , try new areas and don't give up. Bear hunting is not a guarantee.

[trophyhunt]

Don't get too discouraged, bear hunting is nothing like deer or elk. I have killed about 5 or 6 bears but I hardly ever see them in the field and I get to spend some time out there. Some of these posts on bear kills you have to take with a grain of salt, like the ones who post the day of or day after bear opens with success. And ones where they just happend to kill two bears in two or three days, killing a bear is easy over bait if you do it right.  So just remember some of these bear kills are done on bait, it's never just that easy to go to a clear cut and spot bear every other time you hit the woods.  Keep at it and look for the berries up higher to ripen then spend some time in the high country. I like the amount of country you can look over in the high country, gives you a better chance.  Good luck and keep at it.

[woodman]

I am not an expert, but I have killed a few bears and other animals. I do have strong feelings on what helps make for a successful hunting season. I try to find an area that holds the type of animal that I am looking for and see if I can find any sign at all. It might be scat or tracks or rubs or whatever. I look at it kind of like fishing, you can't just throw your line in once and expect to catch what is in there. I work the same area over multiple times. Eventually you will see what is making the sign that you have seen. You do need to have the basics of hunting down with your approach and equipment. But truly I believe it takes persistence. Some people get lucky and shoot something right away but in the long run and for continued success I feel that you just have to hit it hard and often. Just my opinion.

[huntnnw]

Gotta get somewhere where u can see alot! get high and look at south facing slopes...Most places i hunt bears I can see 1000+ yards in several directions..then put the stalk on