Hunting Black Bear Without Dogs
By: Dwayne Surgill
When I first started hunting, I remember daydreaming countless times about getting a black bear. At that time, even seeing a black bear was something to get worked up about. Something about a black bear just fires up the adrenaline… that thick black fur, the way they move, their size, and the fact that they could eat me if they choose to do so! Where I live in Virginia, most people rarely get to see a black bear much less hunt one. Many years ago when I was a young hunter, black bears were still fairly low in numbers and rarely seen even when one was trying to hunt them. So, I hunted other game and spent a lot of time in the woods in general. As I did so, this elusive beast that I knew was there but never saw came increasingly more into my thoughts.
One problem for me personally was that I never had access to anyone who bear hunted with dogs, and really, I had no desire to get dogs myself so I could chase them on my own. What I did have going for me was the fact that I spent a lot of time in the mountains. As my time in the woods increased, my knowledge of bears increased accidentally. That creature that was once only something I daydreamed about started to give up important details of his presence. I quickly found that one most definitely does not have to have dogs to find bear. Most importantly for the hunter interested in killing a bear, it is very possible to target and hunt bear much like one can for whitetail deer. You just have to know where to look and what to look for!
Let's of course completely discount hunting over bait or considering the black bear who has become accustomed to finding lunch in the neighborhood trash bin. Those are becoming increasingly more common and are definitely not hard to pattern. Regarding hunting over bait, I'm not really against that form of hunting where it is legal but it happens to be illegal where I live so it's not an option. However, there is still a significant amount of success that can be had for the hunter truly interested in spending some time hunting for black bear… fair-chase and without dogs. I have found much success in not only locating black bear through boots on the ground scouting but also bagging black bear when the appropriate season rolls in. Here is what I have learned and implemented to turn my daydreams of successfully hunting black bear into reality…
Time of year plays a significant role in increasing or decreasing the chance of success for the black bear hunter. In my area, black bear hunters using dogs target black bear in the cold of winter. They set out the dogs who proceed to sniffing out and jumping up a black bear. Then they follow their dogs until they find the bear treed or otherwise trapped. Nothing wrong with all that. Just not my choice. The hunter who wishes to pursue black bears without dogs will find the early bow season much more to their liking in regard to potential success. That is a good thing because we don't have to compete with the hunters waiting to set the dogs loose!
Black bear season in this part of Virginia begins at the first of October right along with the early whitetail bow season. At this time of year, bears are not worried about cold or looking for a place to den up. They are interested in finding as much food as possible so they can prepare for the cold they know is coming which is the time they will begin to den. The later into the season we get, the less likely it becomes to find and pattern a black bear. Early in the month of October is a great time to find black bears searching for food every day.
The early season bow hunter will need to look in some slightly different locations than what is typical for deer in most instances. Bear are much more solitary and private animals than whitetail deer are. Now, I definitely won't say they can't be found in wood lots close to civilization or around field edges where we might typically set our deer stands. Usually though, better locations to look for black bear are found at higher elevation in deeper woods, especially near cliffs that are adjacent to saddles in the mountain. Bears can easily hide or sleep in the rocks and thick places found up higher and the increased elevation also coincides with less traffic from humans. So, high places near cliffs with natural contours in the land that make for simplified travel routes are great places to begin your search for a stand location.
The early season makes finding a black bears preferred food sources much easier because there should be several options readily available. You will need to consider what, "bear food", is in your particular area. Where I live, bear food in September and October is wild grapes, hickory nuts, and acorns. The black bears here are particularly interested in wild grapes and hickory nuts but one can easily determine their primary food of interest by the presence of absence of scat. Bear, much like other game animals, don't mind using the restroom right in the middle of their dinner area so you should begin to see bear scat near or directly in the area containing their food of choice. My pattern here is to get up higher on the mountain and look for grape vines and/or hickory trees. When I find those locations I look for bear scat. When I find that, I'm in the money!
As with any other bow stand location, you will need to consider the wind. Bears have an incredible sense of smell as good as or better than a whitetail deer. When you have found the spot that has the food and has the bear sign you cannot just throw a stand up right in the middle of that location. Be observant while you are scouting in the area. Does it appear as though the bear is traveling a particular path? Which way is the wind blowing while you are there? What is the prevailing wind direction according to the published weather data for that area? Those details will need to be considered to the best of your ability when selecting where to put your stand because the stand should be placed so that the wind is not carrying your scent toward where the bear may come from or directly toward where you intend to have a shooting lane if and when the time comes. If the bear smells you, the hunt is over.
As stated earlier, black bears are solitary and private animals and as a result they are primarily nocturnal. That holds even more true for the black bear as they get older. A big old bear will generally prefer to be active primarily at night. With that in mind, the best chance for the hunter to set up on a black bear is at first light or at last light. I have seen most black bears in the first two hours of daylight or in the last two hours of daylight. Perhaps a little closer to the first hour and the last hour. That can make for a long day and/or a lot of walking. Days are still very long in the early bow season so planning an all-day hunt means it is going to be a very, very long day on stand with little to no chance of seeing a black bear during the vast majority of that time. So, the hunter will have to either walk in to hunt the first few hours of the day, walk out, then walk back in to hunt the last few hours or they will sit on stand for what is going to be around a 12 hour sit.
Personally, I prefer to avoid the morning. I believe there is a much greater chance of spooking the bear away from my stand if I walk in while it is dark. This would not be the case if you are certain you know his travel pattern and you put your stand in a travel route instead of setting up on the food. That takes a little more recon though. My preference is to put my stand right at the food source, with wind direction accounted for, and only walk in one time for an evening hunt. Again, if you are certain on the travel pattern leaving a food source then you can find success in the morning but, in most instances, you will find hunting the actual food source in the evenings as the better option in my opinion.
Keep in mind too that we are talking about bow hunting so getting in tight is a must. If you hunt in an area that has an early firearms black bear season that will not be as much of a concern because you can distance yourself a little more. I have found the evening food source method to be very successful though. I have little concern that the bear is going to be at the food source when I arrive and I am set up with the wind in my favor for when he does decide to come down for dinner.
I suppose it goes without saying that you need to be very quiet while on stand but this is especially true for black bears. They are very stealthy for such a big critter! Black bears can be just as quiet as a deer when they approach so don't think a big black bear will sound like an elephant walking toward you. The only thing I have found that is a dead giveaway for them as they approach is if you are hunting a stand of hickory trees. Bears pick up the whole hickory nut in their mouth and crunch it very loudly. Once you hear that sound and see what it is coming from it is unmistakable. Two bears I have taken notified me of their presence long before I saw them just because they were loudly crunching hickory nuts as they walked. I missed another bear that had approached in the same loud manner.
Now… you found the spot, you set your stand accordingly, you have snuck in and the beast is standing 20 yards in front of you… let's talk about shot placement. A bow requires much more precise placement of the projectile than a muzzleloader or a rifle simply due to impact speed. A heavy, fast bullet has much more potential to break through bone and still kill than an arrow and broadhead does. Even on a whitetail deer, quartering shots are not ideal but on a black bear I try to avoid them completely. Black bears have significantly thicker bones than a whitetail deer and big bears are going to have a lot of muscle around that bone as well. Taking a chance on a shot that places a lot of bone and muscle between your broadhead and the vitals is not the best of ideas.
Regarding specific shot location, waiting for a broadside shot is most preferable. Aiming so that you are slightly forward of center mass is also a good idea instead of trying to sneak the arrow in just behind the shoulder. A low heart shot that is a common aim point for whitetail hunters may not be a good option for bear because of the likelihood of hitting the shoulder and also due to the bear's thick hair causing one to misjudge how low they should be holding. Even if you miss the shoulder bone, if you aimed too low, what looks like solid body may be empty space just because of their long hair hanging down. So as stated above, aiming slightly forward of center mass will ensure you are in the vitals, missing the shoulder, and probably going straight through both lungs. I will say that a quartering away shot is not a terrible option since only the rib cage will be in the way but any quartering shot can be difficult because the angle can cause error in judgment regarding vital location.
Lastly but most definitely not least important is air temperature. It is early season and very likely quite warm. Not all but many bears will weigh around 200 pounds and possibly much more. The successful hunter must be prepared to get the bear out in the quickest way possible if he plans to avoid spoiling the meat! A big bear is very difficult to drag. It may be desirable to cape and quarter the bear so as to pack out the animal but I would encourage you to consult your local game laws on that matter. Some states may not permit quartering of the game prior to checking but at a minimal they will have requirements for what portions must be taken and proof of sex will also likely be required. I encourage you to know all those details and plan accordingly.
Even though I have been fortunate to take many black bears over the years and I have developed a fairly consistent method for doing so, black bears still excite me like no other game animal I am privileged to hunt. They are incredibly intelligent and they are very fun to watch. The knowledge that the game I am pursuing could also pursue me if it wanted to is also pretty exciting! I hope this article helps you get out and get a black bear during the next season. Black bear hunting is definitely not limited to those with dogs and it can be a great time to be in the woods in general. So do some scouting, plan well, then get out and turn that daydream into a reality!