Author Topic: bear hunting  (Read 2390 times)

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Offline dehunter52z

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bear hunting
« on: October 06, 2008, 09:15:38 AM »
been deer hunting in pa for 42yrs (29 bucks;82antlerless),handgun/shotgun.

i would like to start hunting bear,any good places? any ideas?

would like to hunt around 50 to 100 miles from pgh. thanks ,dehunter52z

Offline Josp

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2008, 01:09:03 PM »
Somerset County.

See bears each year, the group gets one every now and again too.

Offline DCRthe3rd

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2008, 05:55:06 AM »
To be honest . your best bet is probably to find a group of bear hunters and join up with them , there is usually a few groups around that would never turn down a capable driver. Pa bear hunting is certainly not a high success rate venture. But in a group at least if you don't do the shooting maybe someone else in the group will.

Offline dehunter52z

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2008, 01:24:27 PM »
thanks guys for the info,i hear that indiana co mite be good this year

has anybody hear anything about this? or westmoreland co?

Offline DCRthe3rd

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2008, 05:47:15 AM »
Pa bear hunting as a whole has improved the last few years , still we do not harvest bears like we do the deer of course and probably never will , I run Huntingdon county for the most part where there is a bear or two somewhere , finding them in 3 days to get a shot is the tricky part. With 42 yrs of hunting under your belt you are bound to know someone who chases the bear , hook up with them. Find out where the other bears hunters are going , put your self along their drive routes if your going solo. I can point you to public areas where there are bears but not in those counties you mentioned , make it Huntingdon , blair or clearfield and thats different.

Offline DCRthe3rd

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2008, 05:49:19 AM »
Keep in mind , the good thing about going with a group is , if you do happen to get one , you got some help in getting it out of the woods, never under estimate that factor

Offline dehunter52z

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2008, 09:07:39 AM »
thanks,DCRthe3rd
most all the hunters i deal with deer only types.
i have one other friend willing to try bear hunting
the counties you mentioned sound ok.any help will great.
i do alot bird hunting(grouse in particular), so i figure i would use the time to scout the areas

Offline DCRthe3rd

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2008, 10:17:22 AM »
Well for Huntingdon county here is about the easiest to get to place I can tell you about. Rothrock state forest , see this link http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/Forestry/stateforests/rothmap.aspx
now you will see that links you to a map grid , count down 2 blocks from the top , that is the row you want to be in , now see the 1st 2 blocks from the left , you want those 2 blocks , click on them then click again they will enlarge. Click on the 1st block in the 2nd row from the left you will see a place called Colerain , enter the woods there , there will be a small park at the bottom of the mountain and a road going up , you'll see that road on the map called colerain , now that colerain road winds up the mountain and will split , you want the left split there will be a sign and youll want the split off section called Brady road , this road basically goes across the mountain at almost the top , there will be some hunting camps up there , drive along brady road and hunt that area , there is alot of laurel up there , also , it is my opinion that while driving along brady road you come to a dirt road going down hill to your left , you have gone to far and I would not go further than that dirt road going down the hill. You will encounter other bear hunters and most likely guys will be trying to push for bears. And road hunters also but that is an area I would hunt for bear , matter of fact , it was last year or maybe the year before a fella shot on up there and approached it before it was really dead , fella got some scratches and crap in his pants for his effort. Some of ya'll probably remember hearing about him , anyways thats one place if you are bent on leaving your area. I would also stay out of that area come deer season , hunt it if you want , but the deer are lower nowadays , used to be alot up there but not so much anymore to call it a good deer spot in my experience. I have hunted this area off and on for perhaps 25 yrs.

Offline dehunter52z

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2008, 04:46:18 AM »
DCRthe3rd, thank you for all the help. i will let you know how we did after season

maybe i will see you out there.  good luck!!!

Offline DCRthe3rd

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2008, 11:14:12 AM »
Sure no problem , and the best of luck to you. And you know the old saying , if you SEE me running , you best catch up ;)

Offline sniperVLS

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2008, 05:12:12 AM »
I'm coming from Northeast Ohio and plan on hitting Crawford and Mercer counties for Bear in your wonderful state. This will be the 2nd time I've gone for Bear so I'm not expecting much but just being out of Ohio is an adventure :) Good luck all!


Offline JBC

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2008, 11:43:27 AM »
good luck to you! this is a trailcam pic from last year in crawford county
image hosting by [url

Offline DCRthe3rd

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2008, 05:32:27 PM »
That pic makes me wish I had a grenade ;)

Anyone get any bear?

Offline manofthe45

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2008, 04:05:57 PM »
That pic makes me wish I had a grenade ;)

Anyone get any bear?

 :) ;) ;D :P

No bear for me.  Don't get the second week vac till next year and until then my three deer days are used for our long weekend vacation in dec.
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Offline sniperVLS

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2008, 01:18:50 AM »
None here either but on the 3rd day came across many tracks that were a day or 2 old so the inevitable "gee, wish I was in this part of the woods on Monday!" comment was tossed about quite a bit Wednesday. The weather wasn't great the 1st 2 days, rain off and on and messy. Can't complain though, any day is a great day when we are out in the woods right?  ;)

Offline DDelle338

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #15 on: December 05, 2008, 02:47:43 AM »
  Luck worked against me again this year. I decided to move into some pines from an area in open woods both because the snow was starting to get down the back of my neck and I thought that the pines were in a "funnel" that might be a better route for a bear moving into the swamp. After about an hour I went back to where I had been sitting, I found the large tracks of a bear that had walked through the open woods less than 50 yards from where I had been sitting. Had I stayed put, I would have been there to greet him.
  I did come away with about a dozen good pictures of one of the most "Impressive Racked" 10 points I"ve ever seen. He just stood there 25 yds away watching me eat some trail mix. He was so relaxed I thought he was about to come over and beg for some, but he just walked away slowly. He must have a calendar with the game seasons marked on it.
Life's a Bitch, But the puppies are cute.

Offline dehunter52z

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Re: bear hunting
« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2009, 04:31:23 AM »
sorry i have not got back,no bear,i was close,help drag one out (you all were right
need more than one hunter) got a doe with the .10mm tc bbl. i got from onegoodshot
(thanks again) and finely i got my buck (#30,an 8pt) with the flintlock,(5 jan.)
seen alot of bucks this year (10) but none were 4pts or better on one side.