# Can Someone Teach Me How To Bear Hunt in 2021?



## HBarcroft (Jul 28, 2021)

As the title says, I'm honestly just looking to learn the in's and out's of bear hunting this upcoming season... Is it crazy to ask for help learning and possibly accompanying someone on a few trips this season? 

I've been deer hunting since I was a toddler in Alabama, and have been here in Atlanta for the last several years. Taught myself trout fishing over the first big Covid shut down and now Im ready for my next challenge. 

Put me to work/ make me pack out your kill/ whatever it takes. I just want to learn. 

Thanks in advance, and here's to a good season for everyone that took the time to read this post!


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## ddd-shooter (Jul 28, 2021)

Awesome. There are some good guys to learn from here. 
I would also say to read through the long threads on this sub forum. Some real nuggets. You can learn a lot.
Then, start climbing some hills and put that newly acquired knowledge to work…


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## gobbleinwoods (Jul 28, 2021)

You need to post your method of hunting.   Archery, primitive, or rifle.


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 28, 2021)

Step one: go to woods during bear season.

Step two: find food source—white oaks, mountain oaks, red oaks, logs full of grubs, soft mass- persimmons, huckleberries, I’ve heard they eat black gum fruit but never found sign around them.

Step 3: find FRESH bear sign in a small area correlating to food source (climbing marks on white oak, ripped limbs) shredded huckleberry bushes, shredded logs, etc.

Step 4: set up with wind advantage and kill bear when bear comes to finish eating.

Step 4 Alternate: set up with wind advantage and never see bear—bear either winds you out of sight and leaves, or bear hears you crashing through woods and banging metal climber against tree and leaves or bear is finished with food source and has moved to the next food source, or GON bear forum member was there the day before and already killed bear.

Easy 4 step process, nothing to it!


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## HBarcroft (Jul 28, 2021)

gobbleinwoods said:


> You need to post your method of hunting.   Archery, primitive, or rifle.



Archery or rifle! Capable and well trained with both.


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## jbogg (Jul 28, 2021)

Good luck this season. Not sure how many invitations you will get, but let me give you fair warning about some of the characters on this forum.

1.  Sauteeridgerunner:  very knowledgeable, but he will stick you in a gar hole and then make you drag his deer out of the woods.

2. Buckman: Knows these mountains like the back of his hand, but only knows how to shoot radio collared bears, and big deer.

3. Treecutter:  incredible mountain hunter, but known for hiking mile after mile so you would likely die of exhaustion.

Heath:  Successful  mountain hunter and Houndsman, but since you are not from around here he will remind that you should forget mountain hunting all together and keep your mouth shut. ?

Splatek:  Up and comer with lots of potential. Likes to hunt with a trad bow, but that seems to be his only fault.

Jbogg:  Mostly known for firing warning shots and rarely killing anything.  What he lacks in experience he makes up for in stupidity. All-around great guy.


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## Mattval (Jul 28, 2021)

I will be watching and reading this thread as well.


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## Tio Hey Seuss (Jul 29, 2021)

I'm always willing to let a newb tag along but you gotta be able to keep up (at least mostly). How old are you and what kind of shape are you in might be worth throwing out there if you want to find compatible hunting partners. What style of hunt or what kind of experience are you looking for? There's a wide range of what guys specialize in around here. If you enjoy some suffering, can't sit still for long, like up-close and personal action and used to be a bit of a hooligan you'll fit in with my crew.


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## HBarcroft (Jul 29, 2021)

Tio Hey Seuss said:


> I'm always willing to let a newb tag along but you gotta be able to keep up (at least mostly). How old are you and what kind of shape are you in might be worth throwing out there if you want to find compatible hunting partners. What style of hunt or what kind of experience are you looking for? There's a wide range of what guys specialize in around here. If you enjoy some suffering, can't sit still for long, like up-close and personal action and used to be a bit of a hooligan you'll fit in with my crew.



That would be great if you think I'd be a good fit!

I'm 29 (30 in the fall) and in decent shape. Have lost 55 lbs since Near Years Eve 2020 and am getting better every day. Currently at 250 lbs / 6ft3. Can haul gear and suffer through pretty much anything, historically speaking. 

I'm honestly just looking to learn and have an experience, if that makes sense? Something different than what I am used to would be preferred. I like a challenge and new experiences that push me in new ways. Life's too short to sit around waiting for something to happen 90% of the time. I want to put the work in.


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## Thunder Head (Jul 29, 2021)

I tell you what ill do,

"IF" the two good spots I know of aren't producing bear sightings during bow season. Ill give you a shout. We can scout some new ground together.

Id take you along from the get go. But every time I do. Im the one helping drag someone elses kill out.


Other than that. The search button is your friend.


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## Professor (Jul 29, 2021)

HBarcroft said:


> That would be great if you think I'd be a good fit!
> 
> I'm 29 (30 in the fall) and in decent shape. Have lost 55 lbs since Near Years Eve 2020 and am getting better every day. Currently at 250 lbs / 6ft3. Can haul gear and suffer through pretty much anything, historically speaking.
> 
> I'm honestly just looking to learn and have an experience, if that makes sense? Something different than what I am used to would be preferred. I like a challenge and new experiences that push me in new ways. Life's too short to sit around waiting for something to happen 90% of the time. I want to put the work in.


Well, mountain hunting is certainly different. Next year will be my third season. I feel I have done well. I killed two mature mountain bucks and last season my first bear. But, I have made so many mistakes. I try to recognize them and learn. This forum has been my greatest source of information. I asked for help and these guys gave it. The more I hunted and they saw that I was actually following their advice, the more freely they gave it. So, here is my advice.

1- Read everything in this sub-forum. It is a tight and small group, so there really is not so much you could never read it. I did, and then I went back and read some more.

2- Go do it. Get into the woods and start exploring. A lot of mountain hunting is simply learning how to navigate the mountains. I could not really grasp animal movement until I experienced moving around in the mountains myself.

3- Get in shape. It sounds like you are well on your way. You will need the heart and lung capacity to go for hours in steep terrain carrying a pack. But, you will also need some serious strength in your legs, core, and shoulders to handle a pack out. Crossfit training offers a lot here because it is high-intensity interval training. It gets your heart rate up while recruiting short twitch muscle fibers. I have a tow strap connected to a pack frame. The other end of the strap is connected to a trailer tire and wheel stacked with weights. I drag it around the house, and it is heavy enough that I can lean at a 45-degree angle and can not move it. I can not build momentum, so each step is a workout. Go to the mountains as often as you can and hit the trails with a full pack, or a weighted pack. I brought out 100 lbs last year in one trip and thought I was going to fall dead.

3- Invest in high-quality gear. It will take some research, and fortunately, there are some long threads reviewing and comparing gear. GET MOUNTAIN BOOTS. They are expensive, but learn the best and look for a deal. Do not skimp on this. Get a meat hauling mountain pack. We have some discussions, but really pack hunting is in its infancy in the East. It is a fine art out West. Spend some time searching through old threads on Rokslide for info on packs. Their classifieds are a great place to find quality mountain hunting gear at decent prices. I needed to upgrade all my "stay warm and dry" gear as well. December in the mountains is a special kind of cold and wet. It seems it is always raining unless it is sleeting or snowing. It seems it is always foggy, and the early mornings up high are terrifyingly, and life-threatening cold.

4- Learn as you go. You might bust a big bear early on, or maybe like me you will think you are about to kill a bear and a mature buck will step up. Whatever happens, be focused on learning. Have good questions after a hunt and you will get good answers.


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## EyesUp83 (Aug 2, 2021)

All the above is good advice. I'd gladly take you along except I only get a single 3 day weekend to get up there and hunt each year so my learning curve is a bit stunted and I don't think I have much to offer outside of good company. It took me 5 years to get my first bear and that was last season.
   Post in here on when your going up there and the general area, and you may run into a new friend from the threads here. I'm shooting for the first Cohutta rifle hunt this year, second weekend in October. 

Remember this: Bear hunting is NOT deer hunting.
Remember this: The search bar is your friend.


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## Mattval (Aug 8, 2021)

Great advice.  Newbie here to.  I just got the ALPS Commander X pack.  I am in South Ga.  Been Training.  Looking for a good mountain hunt adventure. I want to learn Mountain hunting.  I am a newbie Bear Hunter.  been Hunting for 40 yrs.


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## sportsman94 (Aug 8, 2021)

Mattval said:


> Great advice.  Newbie here to.  I just got the ALPS Commander X pack.  I am in South Ga.  Been Training.  Looking for a good mountain hunt adventure. I want to learn Mountain hunting.  I am a newbie Bear Hunter.  been Hunting for 40 yrs.



When and where are you planning to go?


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## Mattval (Aug 8, 2021)

Hey there!  North ga. maybe down at Dixon Memorial.  I am still planning.


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## WoodlandScout82 (Aug 9, 2021)

EyesUp83 said:


> All the above is good advice. I'd gladly take you along except I only get a single 3 day weekend to get up there and hunt each year so my learning curve is a bit stunted and I don't think I have much to offer outside of good company. It took me 5 years to get my first bear and that was last season.
> Post in here on when your going up there and the general area, and you may run into a new friend from the threads here. I'm shooting for the first Cohutta rifle hunt this year, second weekend in October.
> 
> Remember this: Bear hunting is NOT deer hunting.
> Remember this: The search bar is your friend.


Both rifle hunts were "crowded" in my usual hunting area up there last season. Lots of vehicles, people camping right in the middle of one of the best spots..lots of gunshots too, I know darn well they weren't shooting just bucks and bears...couple of trucks parked at one gated road had several coolers in each.


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## Doug B. (Aug 9, 2021)

Ok, here is some advice from somebody that lives in the mountains.  I have killed bears.  I don't hunt them now and you may not after you kill one or two. My best advice if you want to kill a bear, and especially if you have a limited amount of time, is stay away from WMA's where most of the people are.  There are thousands of acres of National Forest where you won't see another person but bears are abundant.   Don't hunt where everybody else does.  Bears are not stupid.  If you have a lot of human traffic in a certain area bears will still use it if there is something to draw them there.  But it won't be during legal hunting hours.


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## BigBeaver (Aug 9, 2021)

I'm right there with you HBarcroft.  I'm about 12 years your senior, but I'm in the same bear hunting boat.  I've doing a bunch of reading and studying and trying to learn as much as possible. I've been hunting everything in Middle GA for over 30 years and I'm trying to branch out of my comfort zone.  I've been doing a little scouting in the mountains, but between work, kids and a 3 hour drive it's kind of tough. I am very much looking forward to the challenge and am well aware that of my very low odds of success. I will be on here a whole lot in the near future.


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## Mattval (Aug 10, 2021)

BigBeaver I am a newbie to.  Down Close to Statesboro.  I'm Planning my 1st hunt this year.


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## EyesUp83 (Aug 11, 2021)

Where is the best place for folks to get a National Forest map that is current with boundaries and roads?


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## chrislibby88 (Aug 12, 2021)

EyesUp83 said:


> Where is the best place for folks to get a National Forest map that is current with boundaries and roads?


just get Onx man. It’s a really good idea to have some form of navigation out there, number one for marking spots you find, and number two, it’s easy to get lost, especially when it’s dark


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## whitetailfreak (Aug 12, 2021)

Don't shoot the decoy


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## menhadenman (Aug 12, 2021)

chrislibby88 said:


> just get Onx man. It’s a really good idea to have some form of navigation out there, number one for marking spots you find, and number two, it’s easy to get lost, especially when it’s dark



I’m an OnX guy but buddies are changing over to Basemap and Gaia. Basemap is cheaper and still as good.


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## splatek (Aug 12, 2021)

A lot of support for onx and Gaia
I use both but prefer Gaia 
I’ve found the e maps on these programs are better/more updates than paper maps


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## menhadenman (Aug 12, 2021)

splatek said:


> A lot of support for onx and Gaia
> I use both but prefer Gaia
> I’ve found the e maps on these programs are better/more updates than paper maps



Does Gaia have property lines? What’s the annual cost?


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## splatek (Aug 12, 2021)

menhadenman said:


> Does Gaia have property lines? What’s the annual cost?



It does have property lines layer
don’t know the cost, but I’m a lowly college professor so if I can afford it…
It also has tracking
Honestly worth whatever it costs bc it’s saved my butt a few times
and you can import/export with onx and other maps


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## whitetailfreak (Aug 12, 2021)

Y'all some sho nuff high tech rednecks


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## Hillbilly stalker (Aug 12, 2021)

You can use Gaia for free as a trail but it has several restrictions. If you buy the simple package it is $39 a year. Best money you will spend. It is very very simple to upload maps of the area you intend to hunt. Then it doesn’t matter if you have phone OR satellite reception. It loads better and quicker and in more places than OnX, I have both.


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## EyesUp83 (Aug 18, 2021)

I've always just hunted the WMA's and taken in in printed sat maps, road maps, trails maps, laid over a grid Maybe I'm working too hard o make sure I know where I am when somebody else already has it on an ap, lol?

  I'm not familiar with how to find open NF lands since it all seems intermingled with private lands on the Google... does OnX, or Gaia show these definitions pretty clearly?


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## ddd-shooter (Aug 18, 2021)

Onx shows lines clearly


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## menhadenman (Aug 18, 2021)

whitetailfreak said:


> Y'all some sho nuff high tech rednecks



Ain't that the truth... I woulda never guessed I'd ever own a cell phone 20 years ago, much less a range finder and a fancy pack.


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## trial&error (Aug 19, 2021)

As I am still unsuccessful at it myself I will keep all my bad advice to myself.  Two things I will share be where the bear is and don't be fat and out of shape.


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## Redbeardless (Aug 23, 2021)

https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/conf/maps-pubs
This may help.


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