Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Overrun with bears

A buddy and I were out yesterday scouting for elk in a remote canyon in Central AZ. There was still quite a bit of water in the upper part of this drainage and bears were everywhere. We had them walking just in front of us, leaving wet foot tracks on the slick rock and dragging mud everywhere. I think with it being so hot and dry they were kind of concentrated along the water. At one point we heard one bawling so I bawled back and sent him up a tree. We watched him from 40 yards for a few minutes before he wised up and climbed back down! Had a bull elk and bear at the same water hole within seconds of each other!
If we don't get rain soon it will be a slaughter come bear and archery deer season!

Sorry, no photos

I just got off the phone with my Dad, he was telling me about a fellow sportsmans club member who saw 5 while on his evening walk recently.

There was an article in the local paper today, bears have been seen locally in Berlin, Meyersdale, and Somerset (less than a mile from my house). It's not a water issue here, just a lot of bears in Pa.

Dale

Sounds like a sight to behold.
Don't get to see anything like that down here.
Good on ya'

Best,

GWB

Probably doesn't help that they are rutting right now either!

here on the ranch we have every critter under the sun, but no bears Texas is not known as bear country, but it would be nice to have a few around. rio7

Ranch where we were was telling me that last year he butchered two steer and used the loader to drape the capes and heads over the corral fence. He said they weighed over 100# each. Went into the house for a few hours to rest and when he came back out, both were gone with no trace! He says the bears are like vacuum cleaners!

not as big and and can't climb fences, but hogs are omniverous and will eat anything. I think that is one of the reasons I've only seen two snakes in 15 years of hunting the hill country. The few times that I field dress/skin an animal, I can come back the next day and there will be nothing left. Hide, bone and all will be gone.

GWB

I have rarely had anything bothered in AZ leaving it out overnight. In the dead of winter, it's a little different and all bets are off.

dennis:

Is there a spring bear season in AZ?

KC

Pigs will get the whole deer too. We left a couple of bad shots overnight, to find in the morning, nothing but hair and a few pieces of hide and some larger bones. Had to follow deer at night regardless of the hit after that. Pigs are definitely clean up crew.
Wished I had em on the current lease, great eating and fun shooting.
But glad I dont' have em at home. They are destructive critters.

Several buddies of mine have filed their archery tags sitting water, still no bears to water for me yet although we have something like 9 different bears hitting water on one of our cameras.

Yes, but it is quite early. There is a very limited season that is going on right now which I believe is archery only. I went out 4 or 5 times during the spring season and the stars just didn't line up. Saw 2 monster boars just at dark and too far to make a move on. Had a bunch coming into a tank I found and I had to go home before I could sit on it more than a couple of hours.

I went back 3 days later and it was dried up! Bear tracks in the mud but they didn't return. Sat on another tank that was lower and had 300 turkeys and 4 nice coues bucks come in but NO bears!

Rather than be ran over by a bear,That bears so thought.grin

PS. Some up there.

Dennis?

Seriously? You're asking that?

Mav

Try Unit 32. If you can't find them spot-and-stalk when the pinions are on, then try Rattlesnake and the west rim. Pretty easy, actually. Pipestem is a good access point.

Oh, plenty of water during a fall hunt, so it's pretty much spot-and-stalk.

Asking what??

32 and pears is paradise for some big bears. rough hunt tho.

Any of those bears shooters Dennis? Any good elk prospects?

No and No.