I'm looking for some ideas on how to hunt Black Bear without bait or dogs.I live in West Virginia and don't have any dogs or access to any and baiting is illegal here.
Our season is usually the 2nd Monday in Dec.to Dec.31st so that rules out hunting certain soft masts things like apple trees ect.
So I end up taking a long hike in areas with lots of bear sign,stopping and watching here and there.
Anybody got any tips or advice on a situation like this? I can find all kinds of bear sign but never seem to be able to find them in season.
When late summer early fall soft masts and berries are available I can find them pretty easy by watching feeding areas.Open to ideas.

Hmmmm...do you like bacon? Buy youself a couple of those 'single use' charcoal briquette trays, go out to your favorite spot, and slowly sizzle yourself a pound...snack a little, wait a little, snack a little.... ...don't worry, they'll come to you! Nothin' saying you can't have lunch, is there?

Well Tumbleweed I sure do like bacon and cooking it outside would be like a little picnic.I'm following you,sounds like it could work.Thanks

Just make sure you don't become the lunch!

Make sure you double check the baiting regs. It is possible that your lunch could be construed as enticing.

rws,are calls allowed in W.VA. I have been with a couple of guys here in the swamps and they used a dying rabbit call and blackie showed up pretty damn quick

I went to a Wayne Carlton seminar a couple of years ago and he showed us a video of them calling in black bears with what he called a racoon squall(?)
It pretty much sounds like a cat fight. It was a work in progress at the time and they were getting great results. BUT BE CAREFUL! From what I seen on his research and his own opinion it triggers a predetor instinct and they come in fast and buisness orientated.
The video he showed had the bears running in full bore!
If you check out his web site I'll assume you can get info on this.
Her in B.C you have to worry about griz, coug and wolf comming in also. Maybey worry isnt the word if that's your intension.

I think calls are legal and sound worth a try,I think that calling should be a 2 guy deal,1 guy call the other guy watch and shoot.
I'm not sure about scents ect. being considered enticement or not but I can find out easy enough.
I never had thought about these possibilitys before.It all seems kinda dumb to me that you can run a bear down with a pack of hounds but can't lure him in with bait.But thats the law here in WV.
WV DNR has public meetings in March I think I should go voice my opinion and find out the legal aspects of it all.
Some of the dog hunters are a sneaky lot,I witnessed from around a 1000yds. a truck that was rigged for bear dogs driving along the road slowly,they came upon a deer and shot it then drove on,the next morning the same truck shows up at the same location and stops and took 2 dogs all around the deer kill site.They had shot the deer for bait.I couldn't get a lisc. number and when I found a DNR Officer he acted like I was making this all up and didn't have time to investigate.I told him right there and then I would never report anymore game violations and that if I ever happened upon him getting stomped in the ground I'd just turn a blind eye and go on my way.He said I had a bad attitude,I told him he was a worthless bastard and then went on my way.Oh well!!!
Thanks everybody for your ideas.

rws2, as many road kills as we have around here, why did they shoot a deer. Just drag a fresh one (roadkill that is) where they wanted it and leave it. Something you might want to consider. You could always tell them you were just doing the job that the highway dept was supposed to do but doesn't.............

Beemanbeme,
This was in the National Forest along a Forest Service Rd. this all took place back in off the main road Rt.250 I guess they figured it was easier than haul one in.DNR busted a bunch of guys in that area the next year and said they had been watching the group they busted and even had undercover guys involved,although I have no idea if these guys doing the deer shooting were involved or not I wondered?
I know what you mean about roadkills especially in your area as theres boo coo deer around there.I see'm squashed along the road everytime I travel down to Boone Co. to hunt Hogs and Bear.
Didn't find any fresh bear sign last year and we hunted it 5 days.The last time was in hog season and there was snow,talked to lots of guys on 4wheelers who were running the roads and trails and none had cut any bear tracks.So I'm thinking of going back to Cheat Mt. and trying up there again.I'll have to wait till July and see what bear seasons will be and where and if we will have any early rifle seasons this year or not before deciding just where to go.

[ 02-11-2003, 22:37: Message edited by: rws2 ]

Yeah calling can and does work I've called in 60 some bears now. It is not a exact science but it can and does work.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

and yes I have called in wolves now as well

[ 02-11-2003, 22:39: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]