Black Bear Hunting for a New Hunter

[ATouchOfRusticTaxidermy]

I have guided a lot of Black Bear Hunts here in Northern Michigan. I always prefer if my clients bring a 12 Guage with 3 inch Slugs, a 450 Bushmaster or a Bow. But that is just my preference when it comes to what I like my clients to use when hunting with me.
Mature Bears can be tricky to dial into when it comes to making them give you an opportunity, but the hard work always equals an amazing unforgettable reward.
Here is one of our past season Northern Michigan Black Bears

 

[Bonasababy]

Its enough for close range baiting but I'd pick some ammo that will together very well, ideally you want penetration even if it hits a shoulder going in that goes all the way through the other side. They can be notorious for entrance holes plugging up and being harder to find if you don't have an exit. You and any guides will appreciate it if the animal is dead when you find it versus still able to do you damage.

I am less familiar with hound hunts. I know they use the old lever action rounds fairly often for that but if it were my dogs again I wouldn't want the bear to live long after shooting. Or to not have much fight left if it bails out of a tree at the shot.

 

[sccritterkiller]

If your gonna hunt the NC coast I recommend using dogs and 44 lever action with open sights is ideal, its just too damn thick to try to still/stand hunt and baiting is illegal on the coast...In my limited experience, only 5 yrs guiding for bears on the coast, the bigger bears over 450lbs won't tree anyways, they hold up and kill dogs. You want something that hits hard, is easy to handle to get thru the myrtle thickets when they tree or have one hold up, and you wanna be able to have quick target acquisition..hence open sights. Watch out for thr V ditches you will float your hat! Good Luck!