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The North American Black Bear

What Family Does The N.A. Black Bear Belong:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae

The N.A. Black Bear, the most common of all bears, and the smallest of the North American bear, is still a big game animal who lives in most states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada.

You may have heard them called the ‘clown of the woods’. If you didn’t know why it’s because they can be so amusing while they play around in their habitat. They can act like little kids but remember they are still a dangerous and wild animal so don’t decide that you could go play with them.

Most people in the world have only ever seen black bear on TV or in a zoo, which is kind of sad isn’t it. Although when black bear hunting season takes some of the female black bears with cubs, even if it’s by accident those cubs don’t really stand a chance and either die or are killed by other predators or they end up in the zoo.

The average weight of a N.A. black bear is somewhere between 200 to 350 pounds, but is seldom longer than 6 1/2 feet. Anything beyond that would be classified as a trophy black bear.

I was fishing for Atlantic salmon one fine fall day and turned around to see what I thought was a small black bear sitting there watching me but when it turned and walked back into the bush I could see that it was much bigger than I had thought. Don’t be deceived by black bear that look small, they are still dangerous.

What do Black Bear look like?

Black Bear have short legs with clawed feet and a small stubby tail and for most times of the year are rather heavy set and thick looking. They have a long nose or snout with a set of canine teeth for chomping down meat and flat molars to grind the other foods they eat.

Black bear will eat anything their powerful jaws can handle and that doesn’t leave much out of their diet. They are known as omnivorous because they are opportunistic feeders.

What’s in their diet?

Black bears will feast on other animals, usually the dead kind, but will take down a moose or a deer if hungry enough. They espeically love fish, salmon being one of their favorite, as it’s a great way to put on the pounds they need to survive the winter months. They also eat all kinds of plant matter that is available at any given time like fruits and berries, various grasses & roots, honey, insects.

Knowing how to handle a bear hunt situation can be crucial to success or possible going home empty handed. If you haven’t had a lot of experience with black bear hunting, this type of situation could cost you a beautiful trophy bear. Usually, it is a senior adult male bear that will stand up inspect a suspicious situation. The young black bears are careless, and like all species haven’t adapted yet.

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• Choosing the Right Black Bear Hunting Outfitter & Preparing For Your Trip (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

I was watching some videos this morning while having my early morning coffee. A great way to get motivated early in the morning. As I was scanning through Youtube I came across a video from Riverside Guide Service that brought back a few great memories of a trapline I shared with a girlfriend’s father back in 1973. Seems like a life time ago.

Heck I haven’t thought about that trapline in longest time. No, I haven’t thought about Debbie either dear.

Even though I was a bit wild back then I kept it under control while I was around Debbie’s dad Bruce. He was a big man and could have picked me up and tore me a new one real quick. Instead he took a real liking to me. Well I will admit that I worked hard and didn’t complain, I think that helped.

Deb’s mom and dad asked if we would like to move into their cottage, which was a little ways behind their house on the edge of a really niche pond. We thought about it for about 30 seconds and then moved right in.

We had it pretty good living there. Living so close to home we had no need to cook as there was always place settings at the table for us.

Bruce was full of songs and jokes and was a lot of fun to be around.

One gorgeous Saturday morning at the breakfast table Bruce asked me if I would like to join him on his daily run around his trapline. I was a bit of a hunter and fisher so I was more than happy to go with him and experience something my ancestors did to survive.

To make a long story a bit shorter Bruce asked if I would become a partner with him on the trapline for 50%. Because I already had a good job I would have to get up even earlier to monitor the traps daily but I was up for it.

I had a lot of fun, learned a lot about trapping and eventually quit my job to work with Bruce full time planting trees for clients. But back to the trapping story…

Bruce used to trap a beaver damn for years until some hunters went in and just for the fun of it they shot and killed all the beavers. Bruce thought that more beavers would move in but a year or two went by and nothing so he stopped going up in that area.

We didn’t actually go up in where that damn was but later I walked up in there on my own to see. I love to fish beaver damns and wanted to see what it was like.

To my surprise there were beaver signs everywhere. More beavers had indeed moved in. Of course I could hardly wait to finish the run so I could tell Bruce. When I told him he insisted that we hop in the canoe and head up there to see.

Before we left he grabbed what he needed to set a trap and we were on our way. I am sure I saw a tear in his eyes when we got there and sure enough there were beaver.

He showed me how to tie the wire to a cinder block and kink the wire in the right place to hold the beaver under the water when it got trapped, because they instinctively dive when paninced.

I went back there every day and nothing for about a week. It probably took that long for my scent to wear off the area. Anyways I went to the damn one day and there was a big beaver sitting there looking at me and it wasn’t dead like it should have been, just really ticked.

I don’t usually slack off but after days of not getting anything I walked up in there without my rifle and sure enough that was the day there was a trapped beaver that wasn’t drowned.

It had tangled in the chain and couldn’t even dive so I looked around for a weapon. I picked up a good size tree branch and hit the poor scared beaver as hard as I could and then then pinned it under the water for what I thought was a really long time.

I dragged it’s lifeless body out of the water, put the beaver over my back holding it by the hind legs and started back to the canoe.

Well I about half way back to the canoe when I thought it moved and before I was 100% sure it really let me know it wasn’t dead. If I hadn’t wore my girlfriend’s buckskin jacket that day I am sure I would have some scares on my back and perhaps my butt.

I think that was the scariest moment of my short life. Needless to say I immediately let go and jumped forward. Well that beaver got the better of me that day and lived to tell all his friends back at the damn and I never left my rifle in the canoe again.

Hunting Black Bears Over Bait
By David Dukat

If you haven’t tried black bear hunting, these bulky black beasts will give you a thrill that’s tough to compare to a
typical whitetail hunt. There is just something about hunting a carnivore that gets your blood pumping. The great thing about a black bear is they are spread all over the United States and Canada, are a reasonable priced hunt, and normally are not an extremely physical hunt.

In my experience, a great way to start hunting for black bears is by finding an outfitter that hunts for bears over bait. Although you don’t have the fulfillment of back breaking hikes and spotting and stalking the animal, hunting over bait presents challenges of it’s own.

Normally the baiting begins before the season opens with sweets such as donuts, marshmallows, or any other sweet smelling tasty foods, supplemented with more fulfilling items such as dog food or meat scraps. Many outfitters will find an available supply of reasonable priced or soon to be discarded food and begin putting it out for the bears before hunters arrive. The bears grow accustomed to the food supply and often return year after year to the same area, sniffing around for the smell of sweets and a free meal.

The hunting is usually done from an elevated stand shadowed by the darkness of timber with an effort to keep it on the downwind side. In my opinion, the wind isn’t a huge factor as long as the outfitter doesn’t go to great lengths to remain
scent free when he is refreshing the bait. The more human scent he leaves when refreshing the bait, the better in my opinion. Once the bears grow used to the scent, they are not as spooked when they do catch the smell of a human near the bait. Granted this doesn’t work very well if you begin baiting several days before hunting, but if you give the bears some time, they will grow more accustomed to the human scent.

One of the biggest difficulties is sitting in a stand hour after hour and trying to remain quiet and with very little movement. Some people (often women more than men) have a knack for this skill, but personally this is a grueling workout for me. To complicate matters, many times the areas where black bears flourish are thick with mosquitoes during the late spring, as well. Even if you are covered from head to toe with mosquito proof netting, they find a spot to reach you ,or never let you rest with continual buzzing in your ear. For me, it’s nearly impossible to remain still with these pestering bugs swarming the entire time.

Black bears are extremely weary of odd sounds or movement, so this is a necessity. Occasionally you will hear a bear
coming to stand, but many times, sight will be your first contact with a bear. Keep still and quiet and you will have a good chance at killing a bear. One option to slow down the mosquito swarm is a Thermacell. They are quiet, relatively scent free and do a fairly good job of keeping the mosquitoes at bay.

The second challenge is keeping your calm. When a bear comes into the bait it is very tempting to rush the shot. Bears are extremely difficult to judge, but if you spend a little time, you can often tell whether it’s a male or female. Males are blockier with a square face and often a sagging belly. You don’t want to shoot a sow with cubs and boars are normally larger, so take the time to judge the bear. A great reference for judging bears is watching some bear hunting videos before you go. I recommend Cave Bears on the Pacific Rim by Jim Shockey. There are numerous black bears taken on this video of all shapes and sizes. Another very important factor is placing the shot in the right place. I’ve found it’s easy to shoot a bear too far back. Be patient and wait until the bear has his front leg angled forward toward the front of his body. Place the shot right as you would on a deer, just behind the shoulder. Don’t take the shot if he is in an odd position or his leg is vertical with the ground. You may miss his vitals and have an injured bear on your hands. They will head for deep dark cover and it’s no fun tracking an injured bear.

The main thing is to get out and have some fun. Black bears are exciting to hunt and hopefully you’ll have a beautiful bear rug when you return.

By Abhishek Agarwal

Bear hunting in Canada is a hunting experience that goes unmatched. Canada’s black bears roam from Ontario to the west coast and grow to a much bigger size than what they do in the U.S. For a hunter who’s looking for a spectacular black bear hunting experience, Canada is the number one destination.

Due to citizenship laws, planning a Canadian hunting trip requires a few extra steps. Hunters must at all times be wearing an orange hunting vest and cap. There are no exceptions. If you’re using an ATV, a helmet is also required, as is up to date insurance. For a hunting license to be issued in Ontario, the hunter must have a previous hunting license from their state. Handguns are not allowed in Canada, and any non-residents will need to register their firearms with the Canadian Customs at the border crossing. Proof of U.S. citizenship and auto insurance (if you’re driving) will also be expected upon crossing.

Manitoba is a place to consider for your Canadian hunting trip. Riding Mountain National Park is notable for it’s bear hunting. The park grows some of the largest bears in the world, and the park has the highest population density in Canada. Manitoba also has a high population of color phased black bears, which means they range from black to white in color. A black bear doesn’t necessarily have to be black to be considered a trophy bear.

There are many outfitters to choose from throughout Canada to assist you in finding the perfect bear. Some hunt camps may charge a Non-Resident Hunting Preservation Fund payment. Bow hunting is welcomed by most outfitters, and many will allow you to take a second bear for an extra fee, however if the bear is only wounded and not caught, the fee is still charged. British Colombia has many hunting camps catering to the black bear hunter. The bears here grow large, ranging six to seven feet high, with skulls 18-21 inches, and many of the outfitters here welcome both the experienced, and the inexperienced hunter.

Canada has two options for bear hunting. The chosen method is often baiting. Most outfitters that offer baited bear will supply the bait and ask you not to bring your own, or add to the existing bait pile. The hunter sits in a ground blind or a tree stand waiting for his trophy bear to come by. The other method is to spot and stalk the bear. This is often considered the more humane way to hunt. This method requires a lot of trekking, but the catch is all the sweeter when it comes. This method is also more agreeable to British Colombia’s open terrain.

Download Abhishek’s FREE 66 Pages Ebook, “How To Play And Enjoy Hunting Video Games from his website. Only limited Free Copies available.

Article Source: Abhishek Agarwal

The more info you have on black bear hunting the better prepared you will be and the more enjoyable the hunt.

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