# Advice on Late Season Bear Hunting / Scouting



## Killer Kyle (Nov 8, 2011)

Hey guys....does anyone out there have any good advice on late season hunting for bear, like during the month of November?  I'm looking for scouting tips, food sources since the acorns are gone, bear behavior, patterns, ect....I'm having trouble finding sign!


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## buckeroo (Nov 9, 2011)

Acorns are not gone. A lot of places seemed to have had low production this year and you may just be in one of those areas. My spot on the NF still has plenty of acorns. You just have to be in a spot where bears live and search until you find what they are eating. 

This is my first year too and I didnt start until a month before bow season. It was super tough the first month or so, but once I found the bears and saw one it was over. Now that I am in an area where there are bears, it is easier to scout and find sign.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 9, 2011)

Cool man.  Thanks for the advice. I was scouting NF yesterday all day, and I was in an area where a guy had recomended that I try.  He had been scouting just before bow season opened, and had seen four bears in three weeks just scouting on the move.  I knew the patterns would be different this time of year, but I was hopeful when checking out this spot because it's at a little lower elevation and I was hoping  the acorns had dropped a little later. The spot is near some huge tracks of land (close to Chestatee and Blueridge), and I got pretty far back in yesterday.  The only sign I saw all day was a single pile of scat RIGHT NEXT to the road where I had parked, and it was really, REALLY old.  I tried to inspect it with a stick to see if maybe I could tell what the main food source was, but couldn't make out a lot of what it was.  I know, though, that acorns are the bulk of the diet this time of year.  I checked areas of downhill convergence where acorns might accumulate / concentrate by rolling/ washing/ being blown down hill, but didn't find anything promising.  I ended up hunting by the only red oak that I found that still had pretty good mast on the ground underneath it..  White oaks were EXTREMELY sparse where I was looking.  What's your opinion BUCKAROO, should I be checking lower/mid elevations or stick to higher ones still?    Any thoughts?  Should I try to be sticking to ridge tops trying to look for oak stands or nearer to thickets.  When scouting yesterday, I saw lots of Laurel and shrub thickets.  Should I be going into them and looking in them for bear scat?


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## buckeroo (Nov 9, 2011)

Bro, I am just as new as you. I personally can't recommend anything real concrete. I just know about my little area. 

PM incoming......


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## Marlin_444 (Nov 9, 2011)

No ex-Spert here either; those who I know to be Bear Hunters say - - Slip on some comfy boots, grab the weapon of choice and hit the mountain... 

I hope to be back there the Bear Season Weekend 12/3 -4...

Good Luck and post a pic!!!

*V*


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 9, 2011)

Thanks Marlin.  I'll be back in the woods roaming around this Saturday and Sunday.  If I wander across anything and am able to bring it home, I'll be sure to post pics.  Thanks for your knowledge guys.  I know I got a late start this year, but with your help and all-year scouting, hopefully there will be a bear in the freezer.  If not this year, then certainly next.  You guys freaking rock.


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 9, 2011)

focus on acorns now. probably on reds as thats what their mostly was this year. its tougher to get on them later in the season but it can be done. saw on last friday on red oaks. heard him feeding for a hour before i saw him. lots of miles on your boots. walk slow and quietly and try to keep the wind in your face. ive walked up on several like that. they will always appear when your least expecting it, be ready to judge size quick and fire offhand.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 14, 2011)

Hmmm....I was hunting and scouting in th Chattahoochee NF in Dahlonega all yesterday afternoon and evening.  I found a HUGE stand of red oak trees with TONS of acorns on the ground, but no bear sign AT ALL.  It looks like a bear has never even been there. It was near a great mix of open areas and some super dense thickets.  Seemed like perfect bear territory.  No broken limbs, no claw marks on trees, no scat, nothing.  Anybody out there care to offer me your speculations why?!?!


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## buckeroo (Nov 15, 2011)

^^^^ Either no bears in that particular area or they still have a food source they like better than red oaks.


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## rivercritter (Nov 16, 2011)

just cause u found an acorn dosent mean a bears tryin 2 eat it. no sign means no bears. keep lookin, keep that place in mind as acorns become scarcer if theres that many one could move in at any time. there also gettin used 2 hunters in the woods and not movin thill after dark.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 16, 2011)

Thanks River Critter!  Yep, I was at a lower elevation and finally after much time found that stand.  I've been looking for several days, and this oak stand is by far the best I have found.  About 30 trees I'd say.  I thought the same thing you just said.  I said to myself "Well, there's absolutly no bear sign at all, not even bear sign from previous years, but I'll save this spot maybe for the last few days of the season, or as a late season deer hunting location."
     I'm actually headed up to a different county tomorrow and Sunday to poke around a bit.  I've been in Dahlonega lately and haven't had too much luck.  I saw three bears early this spring  near where I'm hunting, but nothing recently.  I've gotten some good tips from some folks in White County, so I'm gonna try there this week.  Tanks for the advice guys, keep it comin'! 
    Oh...one last thing...speaking of acorns...white oaks are dropping like CRAZY in south Hall County and Madison county where I've been deer hunting.  Deer are absolutly  hammering the white oak stand where I'm hunting in Madison County.  If you guys have places you can hunt here in these areas, do it.


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## j_seph (Nov 16, 2011)

also, your oaks up high will produce later than the ones down low, oaks up high will bloom later than oaks down low cause it is colder up high


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 16, 2011)

Oh?!  I thought the oaks up high produced earlier?!


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 18, 2011)

You tryin' to rub it in Skeester?!?!  haha...So that's pretty low in elevation in  comparison to where I've been the last couple weeks.  Maybe I should be hitting the lower alt.


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 20, 2011)

went up close to 3600ft near blood mountain  last weekend. mad a half day big loop. nothing. only bear that had been through their had been hitting old rotton logs for grubs. no acorns. pretty country but wasted trip as far as game. found some fresh sign yesterday at 2000ft on red oaks. that area has been untouched by deer or bear until the last couple of weeks. just got to hit it right. i sat most of the day on that sign and seen 2 bucks but no bear. stay at it and just when your not expecting one, you will


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 20, 2011)

dont forget they got to have water to. just about all the bears i have seen, their has been a creek within 1/4 mile.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 21, 2011)

That's good advice!  I'm going to check that red oak stand I found. Haven't been back there in a week!  I was actually camping up at Vogle for a race this weekend, and ran a 19 mile trail race there.  I camped and ran right at the base of Blood Mountain.  We might have crossed paths up there Tree Cutter!  HA!  It would have been ironic for me to have seen a bear while running the race.  It definately seemed like bear country up there.  Again, thanks for the good advice!  I'll head out to the woods tomorrow and let you guys know if I stumble across anythign interesting!


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