Black Bear hunting

[RyeGuy74]

Just wondering what the easiest state in the lower 48 to get a black bear tag in is? In my home state, it takes about 8 years to draw a tag

 

[406LIFE]

OTC in WA, ID, MT, and prob a couple dozen others.

What exactly are you looking for?

 

[LCH]

Pretty easy in Colorado right now.

 

[RyanSoNorCal]

CA is OTC

 

[Kharper]

Georgia is otc, and you can harvest 2 per year in the northern part of the state.

 

[Gunner46]

N. Carolina is OTC and has some of the biggest black bears anywhere. 800#'s Big !

 

[ColtCRX16]

I agree with Gunner46 I lived in NC for 5 years. I've hunted the Pocosin Blackies, in fact my Avatar photo is from a resident bear named VW in Lantern Acres Game Lands, I watched this bear for over 6 hours while he safely sunned himself in the middle of a Duck Impoundment at 800 yards surrounded by chest deep water. I showed the footage to the FW Biologist who told me this bears name and estimated live weight over 800 pounds. We have seen as many as 23 bears in one field at one time near Dare County Bombing Range.
Bears are plentiful, large, and terrain is flat. Make no mistake though hunting bears in NC can be challenging, Black water, spiders, copperheads, the nastiest under brusch I've ever hunted. The briers will leave welts that look like the skin is hemorrhaging that last for days.

Maine, VT are other OTC states I've hunted and had great success.
If you are serious and make it out to the East Coast let me know and I can help you locate some good spots.

 

[WyoDoug]

Wyoming has OTC licenses and best for bear IMO is western slope below the tree line near water and meadows.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Honestly I think there are more OTC states than draw, off the top of my head I can think of if a handful of draw states MI, WI, MN, MD...

 

[WyoDoug]

Bear and mountain lion are mostly OTC in most states I hunted them in.

 

[BrentD]

Bear and mountain lion are mostly OTC in most states I hunted them in.

That's nothing. In Iowa, you don't even need a tag, much less win a draw. See one, shoot it. Totally unprotected.

 

[pabearhunter]

Maine OTC.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I get a bear tag in Colorado every year with no points. That would be the rifle bear tag from Sept 2-30th. I can also get the muzzleloader tag which is OTC. I use a muzzleloader for both hunts.

 

[1eyedshooter]

Wow there is a lot of OTC states, it is a draw here in Michigan !!!

 

[WyoDoug]

One thing to in Wyoming, the license is good for a full year from the date you buy it. So is a fishing license and other OTC So if you don't get a spring bear you can keep the license and try for a fall bear.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I believe that Colorado is now the cheapest state to get a black bear tag in as a NR, $101.75. You can skip the draw and just get a limited license on leftover day and save yourself the $100 you would have to spend to buy a qualifying license (small game/fishing combo or turkey) that you would have to buy to participate in the draw.

I've never killed a bear in CO, mostly because we have a fall season only and that time of year I'm typically distracted by deer and elk but I have seen bears in every unit I've hunt. Flat top area, west elks, maroon bells, gore range, sangres, etc.

I think you would have a hard time finding an area in the lower 48 with a higher bear density than the white river national forest and adjacent BLM.

 

[Dunning Kruger]

WA is full of bears, and lots of color phase, particularly the northeast corner. Ferry / pend orielle / stevens counties. Otc, statewide august 1st - nov 15th. Get there early august when the berries are prime. No baiting or hounds allowed, so were infested with bears. For a guy wanting to do spot and stalk or calling, its a great place. The only hunt in this state i would recommend for a non resident.
Cost would be i think $222 for non res.

 

[furness]

An important question is: where are you at? That has a pretty big impact on where you can reasonably get to for a hunt.

 

[WyoDoug]

Those asking to where the best places are to hunt bear, look at the harvest reports and density studies you will find on Wyoming G&F website. Generally, where you find water, grassy meadows, and bushy areas (berry type) you will find bear. You will also find black bears in all the areas within a hundred miles of Yellowstone at population counts enough to make it worth your time. Outside that areas, figure out the habitat bears thrive in and look for that. That's what I do when I go bear hunting (which will be part of my 2020 hunts). Do your scouting and look for bear tracks and sign. I do a ton of hiking starting in the early summer all the way into August looking for bears and bear sign. If you do not do your scouting, your chance of success at bear hunting drops way down.

 

[WyoDoug]

Bears also like to eat grubs and larvae so look for dig spots around rotted logs and that.