# Getting bear out of WMA-- by foot?



## BGA (Nov 14, 2012)

Well I am going up to Blue Ridge WMA probably November 22... Anways, it is game on bucks and bear. 

I do not have an ATV... I want to be prepared. 

If I were to see a bear:

How do you age bear? What are the "tell-tell" signs?

Given it was a good sized bear, old enough, etc...

How do I get that dang thing out of the woods (ridges and hilly at that) and up to my truck?


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## Russdaddy (Nov 15, 2012)

1) a little help from your friends (worked great for me)
2) tarp
3) skin it, cut it up, debone, and pack out. make sure you have hide and skull.


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## deadend (Nov 15, 2012)

Sharp knives and a backpack are the ticket.


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## dgmeadows (Nov 15, 2012)

I shot my first bear earlier this year. To judge size I tried to compare 2 our lab dogs.. I thought it would clear 100#, turned out to be closer to 80. The fluffy, wiry fur makes them appear bigger than they are, especially when compared to dogs with closer lying hair.  The Game Warden said best quick indicator is the ears.  If they appear tall & pointy, small bear.  If the ears appear short and spread apart, bigger bear.  I did not have the chance to see the belly on my bear. I saw it from a distance at first and then it walked through a gully so I could only see the top of the head & back until it stepped up enough to expose the chest area for a shot.

As for getting a bear out, I obviously did not have a heavy drag but I was prepared.  In my pack I carry a set of pulleys from a game gambrel and a couple hundred feet of strong nylon rope & a roll out slick sled.  In the truck an aluminum folding game cart I can send my hunting partner back for while I am using the pullies to hoist the animal to the nearest trail.

Hunting in the mountains is a lot of fun but you do have to be prepared.


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## BGA (Nov 15, 2012)

Good information here. Thank you. 


Never been bear hunting before, but I might as well learn about it just in case that situation comes along.


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## Lake_and_stream (Nov 15, 2012)

Had a buddy shoot a 570 lb bear up here last year , took them 2 days to get it out...LOL


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## BGA (Nov 15, 2012)

Lake_and_stream said:


> Had a buddy shoot a 570 lb bear up here last year , took them 2 days to get it out...LOL



If I shoot a bear that big... I will need a team to come help. Free meat for labor? LOL.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 15, 2012)

I carry a set of S&W knives including a cleaver, standard citter with skinning  blade and a caper.  I usually leave out the cleaver to reduce weight though.  I also carry a fold out handsaw, latex gloves, two 6x8 tarps, 550 chord, and a couple trashbags.  They are surprisingly light and make it easy to skin, trim, carve and debone.  The tarps can be tied up like a sack and can be tied to my pack while the backstraps and tenderloins can fit inside.  You can clean up at the nearest creek.  The best thing to do is just to jump right in.  If you kill one, waste no time and work hastily, and it really doesn't take that long.  I have done this on a deer though, and not on a bear.  I expect that with the extra fat and size, it could take a little longer.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 15, 2012)

Oh, and one more thing....GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!


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## T-N-T (Nov 15, 2012)

Yeah, as stated above.   KK is onto something with the folding saw,  a new one will get right through some bone...  And they are only a few ounces.  My pack sounds very similar to KK's and I would say that is the way to go for a long walk to truck.  Good Luck on your hunt!


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## Coastie (Nov 16, 2012)

BGA said:


> Well I am going up to Blue Ridge WMA probably November 22... Anways, it is game on bucks and bear.
> 
> I do not have an ATV... I want to be prepared.
> 
> ...



You couldn't legally use an ATV there if you had one so don't worry about it.

Bears are hard to judge for size, as a general rule especially this time of year, the more conspicuous the ears and the more daylight visible under the belly the smaller the bear. Truly large bears will appear to have small ears and the belly will almost drag the ground. If you have any doubt at all, don't shoot. The fine for undesize bears in that county is $650.00.

Don't shoot a bear that is downhill from the truck, hunt uphill from the truck and make a good shot. All kidding aside, there is no law in Georgia that says a bear has to come out in one piece. Bring the head, hide and meat to the check station and you should be good. If it is a truly large bear, you could bone it out on the spot and still have the required 75 pounds of bear to meet the regulations. If their is any question as to whether it would be legal, bring everything out with you, but field dress it and bring the innards out in a bag. Field dressing immediately will help insure a quality flavor to the meat, and believe me, it is worth the effort.


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## Limbbaconeer (Nov 18, 2012)

Coastie,

Thank you for the clarification on this.


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## georgia_home (Nov 18, 2012)

Get a cart. Wide wheelbase. And Coastie is spreading words of wisdom!



Coastie said:


> You couldn't legally use an ATV there if you had one so don't worry about it.
> 
> Bears are hard to judge for size, as a general rule especially this time of year, the more conspicuous the ears and the more daylight visible under the belly the smaller the bear. Truly large bears will appear to have small ears and the belly will almost drag the ground. If you have any doubt at all, don't shoot. The fine for undesize bears in that county is $650.00.
> 
> Don't shoot a bear that is downhill from the truck, hunt uphill from the truck and make a good shot. All kidding aside, there is no law in Georgia that says a bear has to come out in one piece. Bring the head, hide and meat to the check station and you should be good. If it is a truly large bear, you could bone it out on the spot and still have the required 75 pounds of bear to meet the regulations. If their is any question as to whether it would be legal, bring everything out with you, but field dress it and bring the innards out in a bag. Field dressing immediately will help insure a quality flavor to the meat, and believe me, it is worth the effort.


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## bfriendly (Nov 18, 2012)

Coastie said:


> You couldn't legally use an ATV there if you had one so don't worry about it.
> 
> Bears are hard to judge for size, as a general rule especially this time of year, the more conspicuous the ears and the more daylight visible under the belly the smaller the bear. Truly large bears will appear to have small ears and the belly will almost drag the ground. If you have any doubt at all, don't shoot. The fine for undesize bears in that county is $650.00.
> 
> Don't shoot a bear that is downhill from the truck, hunt uphill from the truck and make a good shot. All kidding aside, there is no law in Georgia that says a bear has to come out in one piece. Bring the head, hide and meat to the check station and you should be good. If it is a truly large bear, you could bone it out on the spot and still have the required 75 pounds of bear to meet the regulations. If their is any question as to whether it would be legal, bring everything out with you, but field dress it and bring the innards out in a bag. Field dressing immediately will help insure a quality flavor to the meat, and believe me, it is worth the effort.



^^^^^^^^^^^^This

Good Grief dont shoot one down on one of those steep ridges/slopes.....................You may never find it and we may need a search party to come find YOU

May need to be hunting ridgelines anywho.........

Definitely make the treck UPHILL, then hunt....................maybe if you shoot one, it will run right down to the truck


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## The mtn man (Nov 24, 2012)

dragging one is like dragging a barrel full of liquid


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