I read the thread that some of you Canadians posted about a storm that brought lots of cold weather and snow which subsequently slowed the bear hunting down. I leave on 5/25 for British Columbia, Prince George area, with a couple of friends for our first black bear hunt. Is the weather going to make it a disappointing hunt?

Another question.....Weather wise...what kind of extra gear should I consider? I have packed a heavy jacket, thermals, wool socks, etc....just how damn cold is it there??? Consider that I'm a native Floridian who moved to Texas about 15 yrs ago so I am a real rookie when it comes to dressing for anything under 25 degrees F.

Since you don't leave until the 25th I wouldn't worry.The weather seems to have broken and could change again several times before your hunt.

Fear not...you're not screwed. The weather just makes for better hunting stories.
You can expect the weather to be above freezing, and by the time you get here it could be a sweltering 70 above. You could, perhaps, have an odd night frost. The bears will be out, and all will be well. The weather up here is quite variable, and the long standing expression is "if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes..", but it's not as scary as some would have you believe. And if you don't bring what you really needed, don't panic - chances are theres a mall just around the next igloo where you can buy it...

Here is a link so you can check the weather in Prince George
http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?yxs

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Your going to have your chances.

Sat the 17 I saw three bears. Two were pretty big and one was a cinnamin with a dark mane. It snowed off and on all day. I think the bears might feed a little harder in this cold weather because it's a little too late for most to go back to their dens.

This weather killed the fly fishing though.

Actually most of the storms and snow were in alberta which is several hundred miles from where you will be hunting.

[ 05-19-2003, 22:42: Message edited by: stubblejumper ]

Thanks alot guys...I feel much better now!

I am about 3 hours north of Prince George. The recent snow has melted off, buds are poppin, grass is starting to grow...it is the best of all times to be huntin' black bears. Not too early, not too late.

Hope you have an awesome trip!

Cheers,
Canuck

Just in case you have any lingering doubts, my hunting partner and I shot three blacks in the last two days. He shot a good cinnamon yesterday plus a smaller black. This morning I shot a 6'+ Black within 15 miles of Prince George city limits. Decent 12/13 year old boar with a pretty good size melon. We saw quite a number of bears too. They are in great shape, no rubs on any of them, and so busy chowing down on the fresh vegetation that they are not paying a lot of attention to the "dangers" around them. FWIW, I shot mine with my 700 "Classic" in 300 H&H. When that 200 Partition hit, he expired rather quickly.
Regards, Eagleye.

I'm in Prince George and yes it did snow a bit a few days ago. The flakes were pretty big, but it none of it stayed on the ground. While I haven't been out looking for bears, I have seen a few on the side of the road out to the range.

It really shouldn't be a problem for when you get here. Just be prepared for fairly cool weather. You may not need it, but then again, weather this time of year is like an ill tempered 2 year old.

Turok

I live on a lake just 25km outside of Prince George. There are lots of bear.

Good luck