Anticipating First Bear Hunt...

[evan1395]

So I bought a Handi Rifle .45-70 it should be here tomorrow. I've had no interest in hunting until recently when buying my Handi Rifle. I took my Hunter Safety Online portion of the test, passed it. Now I plan on finishing up in my 4 hour follow up class here come the end of this month.
Ever since I saw the size of this .45-70 casing i've wanted to go take a black bear. Don't ask me why, becuase I couldnt tell ya, it's just an urge. I plan on dressing and hauling it out with a well seasoned hunter friend of mine. So I will have someone with experience and hunting knowledge along for the ride, I figured thats the smartest thing to do whilst going out hunting my first time. I plan on using every part of the bear from the hide (classic bear rug in front of my fire place), meat, head and possibly even the claws. I wanna make somthing with them to keep as a rememberance that I can look back on. (Any ideas?)
Anyother reccomendations/words of advice before I decide to do this within the next 2 months or so?
 
Currently I plan on buying Bitterroot Valley Ammo - 405 grain Flat nose loads. How are those gonna do under 100 yards or so?
 

[bulletstuffer]

The most important thing is to have fun    The bear will be a huge bonus but enjoy the time with your friend.  Tell stories, read bear magazines, watch videos, look at all the bear hunting stuff you need and don't need.  Getting ready and the drive up is more than half the fun    I love watching all the little critters while waiting for the big ones! 


Best of luck,


Bulletstuffer


PS  Good caliber choice!

[Buckskin]

I agree with bulletstuffer.  The best part is the anticipation of the hunt and time with friends. My hunt lasted 3.5 hours on opening day, but the anticipation lasted months.... Great time, and fun to watch the bear come in, taking the shot, watching him run off with an arrow buried to the fletchings, hearing him run off and then hearing the death roar within 90 seconds.  Have 9 minutes of video to reflect on the kill, but the real fun was the stuff leading up to it....

[evan1395]

Nice lookin bear man ! Whatd he weigh in at? I cannot wait for my first bear.

[Buckskin]

Didn't get a scale on him, but I would put him at about 225-250, not big... But about the biggest that was hitting the bait so I took him.  In Wisconsin it takes forever to get a tag, my last one was in 2002... So I didn't want to eat a tag and they get skittish as the season goes on.
 
 
Good luck, bear are fun to see in the wild, especially if you're not from bear country like me.  We are way south of bear country so seeing one in the wild is an event... Great eating animal also.  The last bear I shot in Canada, I made my a roast for supper and didn't tell my wife what it was (she assumed it was beef) and she said it was the best roast she had ever eaten...

[evan1395]

We got lots of california black bear around here. But i'm assuming just as anywhere else....ya gotta go deep into the woods to see them. Very rarely do we get them in town, but when we do it's still quite the event. Growing up camping i've witnessed alot of bear noises at nights, tracks/evidence of them in the morning. I remember it always being somewhat of a "suspense" if you will after witnessing them and what they left behind. Which oddly, is half the reason i'd like to take one of them with my new gun.
They always sent such a fear to me as a little boy. Like thier missions in life were to kill humans. Funny I know. Getting older I lose that sense of "moster" in them, but still retain that fear and intimidation. Even a 200-250lb one like yours Buck, would be phenominal kill and event in my life. Here in California we cannot use bait. On top of that the state is trying to abolish the use of dogs for bear hunting.
I have a seasoned hunting buddy that will be showing me the ropes of bear hunting this winter after I take my hunters safety course. My question is...since I cannot bait here in California what method would you guy recommend as option #2 ? Sit and wait for one to come accross my way? Or walk around and begin a stalk on one?

[1sourdough]

 Bears are very secretive & shy creatures, not usually seen in the daylight. They like thick cover & when they know you are around they will slink away. If dogs are legal out there, that would be the best way to connect with one. There may be food sources where you could post up near. Trying a predator call is an options, though it takes a little know-how.

   If you have a buddy who is so versed, I'd hook up with him. Either way, the more time you spend in the woods, the more you will learn.

[evan1395]

Do black bears do alot of scavenging/roaming during the daylight hours? Are they normally more active during dawn or dusk? I cannot bait here in California, and as said earlier they are trying to abolish the use of dogs by the end of 2012. So i've been being told that finding bears can be rather hard, especially without luring them in without food. I suppose i will try a predator call. By the way, here's a video of the rifle I will be using this season to hopefully take my first bear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ81ellZURo
 
Enjoy !
Check my channel for more videos!!!