Bears in Colorado

[trb]

Wllm1313's Guide to Bear hunting in CO: Mostly Science-ish
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Basically: Harvest by portion of unit in fall concentration per acre.
Applies mostly to hunts in September, after Oct 20-ish all bets are off.

@Dsnow9

Now that is a science-based map key I can get behind....have you considered starting a competitor to GoHunt?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Now that is a science-based map key I can get behind....have you considered starting a competitor to GoHunt?

Yeah need to get a TM, I'm calling it BroHunt, where it's all free and not particularly accurate... or is it

 

[JDH]

Yeah need to get a TM, I'm calling it BroHunt, where it's all free and not particularly accurate... or is it

I was going to say I was in one of the darker areas and only saw one bear the week I was there last year. I should've waited until later in September though I think.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I was going to say I was in one of the darker areas and only saw one bear the week I was there last year. I should've waited until later in September though I think.

The major weakness of the map is it's harvest data not population data, meaning, the "darkness" does not represent where bears are necessarily but just bear habitat in various units + the number of bears in that habitat being killed.

It correlates with population, but it's possible that 66-67 is hunted solely by creedmoor shooters.

Also, only ~1,100 are taken each year, that's close to the number of MSG combined taken each year, and bear tags are basically unlimited and you can buy up to 3 in some units.

It's not that much different from a MT unlimited sheep hunt in terms of hunters v. success.

So those units are the best but best isn't awesome.

 

[ccc23454]

and not particularly accurate...

That niche is already taken by Eastman's

 

[jakenbake]

Having zero elk/bear hunting experience please forgive me if this is an ignorant question... how realistic is it to go on a bear hunt in an area you plan to go elk hunting at some later date? Is there overlap between where you'd find bears and where you'd find elk? A CO bear hunt seems like a pretty cheap hunt to pull off, especially if you can put the knowledge of the unit to future use chasing elk...

 

[Dsnow9]

Having zero elk/bear hunting experience please forgive me if this is an ignorant question... how realistic is it to go on a bear hunt in an area you plan to go elk hunting at some later date? Is there overlap between where you'd find bears and where you'd find elk? A CO bear hunt seems like a pretty cheap hunt to pull off, especially if you can put the knowledge of the unit to future use chasing elk...

Good excuse to go on a bear hunt. All depends on the area. I have seen bears in the same areas I have seen elk. More than anything you would get familiar with the roads, landscapes, and different terrain features. All are beneficial even if your not hunting the exact same area.

 

[JDH]

Having zero elk/bear hunting experience please forgive me if this is an ignorant question... how realistic is it to go on a bear hunt in an area you plan to go elk hunting at some later date? Is there overlap between where you'd find bears and where you'd find elk? A CO bear hunt seems like a pretty cheap hunt to pull off, especially if you can put the knowledge of the unit to future use chasing elk...

I saw more elk than bears when I was bear hunting out there in 2019. The one bear I saw was bedded near an elk carcass during elk archery season. Not that I would go back to that area but the elk hunters were a little more chatty once they figured out I was only out there after bear and not elk.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I only see them when I dont buy the tag. lol Figures.

 

[Stsinclair]

This last season during second rifle Elk my cousin and I hiked right past a den probably 25 yards away. Didn't even know it was there until a young black bear came shooting out and ran down the mountain away from us. I never realized the speed and power of bears until that moment.

 

[sneakem]

If you hunt a bears food source when its in season you'll find bears... Spring season look for early green grass, rotten deadfall, oak/acorns at snowline in states with a season, late summer/early fall hunt the berries, mid fall hunt the oaks/acorns....When the snow flies all bets are off....

Ive killed 90% of my Colorado bears the first week of September, I've only seen a handful of bears after the first week of October...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

If you hunt a bears food source when its in season you'll find bears... Spring season look for early green grass, rotten deadfall, oak/acorns at snowline in states with a season, late summer/early fall hunt the berries, mid fall hunt the oaks/acorns....When the snow flies all bets are off....

Ive killed 90% of my Colorado bears the first week of September, I've only seen a handful of bears after the first week of October...

Exactly.

What is the food source during November lol

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Exactly.

What is the food source during November lol

You.

 

[sneakem]

Exactly.

What is the food source during November lol

Garbage cans.....

Funny thing is apparently NOBODY looks at the harvest statistics. Concurrent rifle season success rate is 1%....

 

[Muley_Stalker]

You can't believe nobody looks at stats. I study them pretty hard for all game. I'd never assume i'm the only one.

 

[sneakem]

You can't believe nobody looks at stats. I study them pretty hard for all game. I'd never assume i'm the only one.

It's just sarcasm. I'm well aware that some people look at them. However I'd bet most people don't and that they are enamored by the thought of harvesting a bear and the price is super cheap so they scoop up a tag. Reality is that rifle seasons really aren't prime time and while you might see a bear, the odds are not in your favor. Its like fishing the salmon run, but showing up 3 months late with the expectation of catching a bunch of fish.... That being said the CPW is laughing all the way to the bank...

For the record bear harvest statistics in CO are extremely accurate as they are mandatory to be be reported, versus deer, elk, antelope which are random/mathematically computed...

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Providing everybody gets them inspected.

 

[Dsnow9]

Providing everybody gets them inspected.

Not getting them inspected would fall under the team of poaching I would think since it is a legal requirement to check it in like a bighorn sheep.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I've been doing this for awhile. I observe a lot that isn't legal. It would be nice to think stats are 100% accurate but i'm not that naive.

Speeding is illegal too.

 

[sneakem]

I've been doing this for awhile. I observe a lot that isn't legal. It would be nice to think stats are 100% accurate but i'm not that naive.

Speeding is illegal too.

Even if you doubled the hunters that potentially didn't report that would still only bring success rate to 2%... That's still crappy odds.... Which I would doubt there are that many people breaking the rules.

FYI speeding is petty compared to Illegal possession of wildlife and the laundry list of other violations possessing a illegal bear hide could land you in...