Different Ways To Hunt Spring Bear

When it comes to big-game hunting in the North, there is no hunt as unique or as diverse as the spring bear hunt. Dramatic differences in temperature between the start of bear season, through to its end (April 15 to mid-June, most years), leads to highly variable and sometimes dangerous conditions for those that revel in these adventurous pursuits. One of my favourite things about this hunt is how different the first week of the season can look, compared to the last, and how the warming weather conditions force us to adapt to new challenges and strategies to find bears and to stay safe on the landscape. While there are plenty of different ways to do business, I will explore some of my favourite plans for getting out on the land between April 15 and mid-June.

Getting out in April often still feels like a winter hunt. While the cold weather is a deterrent for some, others might find it advantageous in that thick lake ice offers new access into bear country. For people that don’t have snow machines or ATVs but are willing to walk, I’ve found that hiking or skiing out five to 10 kilometres away from the roads can be a very effective and rewarding experience. Rather than carrying all of your gear on your back, windblown lakes offer great opportunities to use lightweight pulks to pull everything behind you instead. This can be a fun and energy-efficient way to haul out a comfortable camp, and it still gives you a great workout. This increased carrying capacity also makes it a lot easier to pull out hot tents and extra comforts, which, for me, really help to boost the experience.

On these kinds of trips, deciding where to set up your camp is where the strategy comes into play. Rather than tucking too far into the trees, I like to choose areas that offer good glassing vantages of bear habitat, so that I can maximize time on the glass. This usually means setting up a little closer to the ice and across the lake from the area that I’ll be looking at. Being closer to the ice means I can spend the progressively longer daylight hours ice fishing, which helps add to the excitement in this early part of the season when spotting bears is a little slow. Despite the fact that snowmobilers/ATVers cover way more ground during this window, I always find it funny when I see a hunting party drive right by a bear that I’ve been watching all day from the comfort of my little base camp. It makes me feel validated, I guess. That being said, I’ll be investing in a sled before next season.

As the days get warmer, later on, in later April and May, the ice starts to honeycomb, and it melts fast. Pockets of water and severe overflow pose a real threat to motorists and hikers, alike, and I avoid heading out during this melt. When the ice isn’t safe and I’m desperate to get eyes on bears, I’ve found that the best way to do this is from the comfort of my truck. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to find a bear, it’s always nice to explore the territory and to see other animals up and on the move after a long winter.

When the ice is out of the rivers, in May, it’s time for my favourite bear hunt of all—the canoe/boating trips. Anyone who loves the water, as much as I do, can relate to how good it feels to put the boat in again for the first float of the year, and the May hunt is a great excuse to do just that. To see the most bears, I prefer rivers and lakes with big, open hills that drop off right into the water, for the best views and access.

On these trips I’ve learned that the number of bears I see correlates directly with how far along we are into the “green up.” If the hills you’re canoeing by are still brown and dry, you probably won’t spot as many on the move. If, on the other hand, you’ve had a few good rainfalls and things are looking lush and green, the bruins will likely be out there, on the slopes, chomping on “bear lettuce.”

Good food supply + good habitat = more bears. Makes total sense!

As we move into early June, there is often the opportunity to do things the hard way—the backpack hunt. When the weather has been consistently warm (like it has been these last few weeks), the snow will sometimes melt enough for me to strap on my pack and head up into the alpine. This first true mountain hunt of the season is a great way to get the legs warmed up and to test out gear well in advance of August 1. Despite the fact that grizzly bears rule the alpine in the early season, you will still catch black bears overlapping in this habitat; and I’ve seen plenty of them up high, grazing, at this time of year. If you’re more interested in hunting grizzly bears than blacks, this is probably one of the more-effective ways to find the big boar you’re after.

Despite all the different ways to hunt bears, there is one thing that will always remain consistent for me—and that’s calibre selection. Even smaller-bodied black bears are incredibly tough animals, and I personally will never shoot a bear with anything smaller than my 30.06, with a solid copper, 180 grain bullet. Even with this heavy-hitting round, I’ve had 250-pound black bears take three well-placed shots before going down.

As hunters, we owe it to the animal (that we intend to harvest) to do everything in our power to limit suffering—by giving them a fast, clean death. Although it’s completely possible to drop a bear with a smaller cartridge, like say a 6.5 Creedmore or a .243, for example, it doesn’t mean that it’s the best tool for the job. Knowing what I know now, I will always be grabbing my .300 Remington Ultra Magnum when I know it’s time to go on a bear hunt. For bear hunters that use smaller cartridges (who are probably not very impressed with what I’m saying), I challenge you to make shots only when you are 100 per cent confident with your placement and when you’re in areas that are open, that lack thick brush and that offer big, clear lanes for follow-up shots in case the bear doesn’t go down right away.

Bears are magnificent animals, and I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to hunt them with an over-the-counter tag, here in the Yukon. Since moving here, bear meat has become a staple in my diet, and it’s always exciting to know that the springtime hunt offers an opportunity to put fresh, organic meat in my freezer, just in time for barbecue season. I always find the misconceptions around bear meat funny and would go as far as to say that anyone who says they don’t like bear meat, just hasn’t properly tried it. Cooking bear to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Celsius eliminates any risk of trichinosis and will allow you to enjoy one of the finest red meats that I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting on my plate.

Having the opportunity to get up close and personal, with these tough, intelligent and resilient creatures, is something I will never get tired of. With each new encounter, I feel those same feelings (of fascination, curiosity and excitement for being around wild animals) that once pushed me to explore the woods, as a kid, and continues to get me out there today.

Thanks for reading, and happy hunting!

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