How to find then now? (12NOV16)

So this is my first year bear hunting N GA. So during bow season it was easy to find sign. Claw marks were fresh, ground was trampled and cleared at the base of trees being climbed, and scat, old & fresh was easy to see on the ground. Trails were obvious and sometimes you could even see paw prints. With all the fresh leaves no rain to flatten them, I'm having a hard time finding bear sign. I seem to be finding less scat, thinking it's because of all the new leaf litter covering it up. I'm not scared to hike, so have hit new areas and some that weren't productive early.

So to my question, in the later season like this, what should I be focusing on to hunt? I've been trying to find white oaks with fresh bear scat, about 3000', near a gap or on a ridge flat. I typically hike a mile or more in to access less accessible areas with less pressure.

I'm a successful deer hunter, but now in 12 full days of actual hunting over the last month, I've only seen one bear. The bear I did see was when I was walking and saw it down a ridge. Of course, all the dry leaves make spot & stalk extremely noisy, so that doesn't seem a practical approach until we get some rain.

Anyone have suggestions?

Look for raking. They will get in a feeding ground and just lay on their stomach and rake the leaves back to get to the acorns. There are still good white oak acorns in places. I even found a place today that looked like one had been raking in hickory nuts.

Thanks Doug. I think I've seen that weekend before last. I couldn't figure out what had done that as it didn't look like turkey and appeared something had been laying. I'll watch for that for sure. Headed back Friday and I'll take a pic if I see it again.

Look for clover fields on wmas. There not doing to good but just about everyone has bear using them regularly

tree cutter 08 said:

Look for clover fields on wmas. There not doing to good but just about everyone has bear using them regularly

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I scouted out some high ridges with food plots saturday...absolutely covered up with bear scat...old, new, big, little. Never saw a bit sign of deer. Will the bear hang close to those food plots? Trying to figure out how to set up...was thinking of overlooking a gradual draw leading up to the food plot.

All 5 clover plots had trails coming in and leaving. My guess is they will be coming from or heading to the closest water. Set up down wind of there trail and hope for the best. 2 of the plots had sow with cubs using them. Don't know that I'd waste my time on those plots but you never know.

tree cutter 08 said:

Look for clover fields on wmas. There not doing to good but just about everyone has bear using them regularly

Click to expand...

I haven't been in the woods since September. Re injured an old back injury. So are the bears using the clover plots even with so many acorns on the ground? Or, are most of the acorns already gone? Hoping to get out there in the next week or two.

Plenty of acorns still in the woods and will be for a while. One of those plots was littered with white oaks on the edges. You can see where they lay and eat acorns and move over and lay in the clover and eat it for a while. The base of one white oak was slick where cubs have been playing and climbing up and sliding down. My guess is these warm afternoons has them up and moving good.

tree cutter 08 said:

All 5 clover plots had trails coming in and leaving. My guess is they will be coming from or heading to the closest water. Set up down wind of there trail and hope for the best. 2 of the plots had sow with cubs using them. Don't know that I'd waste my time on those plots but you never know.

Click to expand...

Thanks Tree Cutter! I'll give it a go and see what happens.

tree cutter 08 said:

Plenty of acorns still in the woods and will be for a while. One of those plots was littered with white oaks on the edges. You can see where they lay and eat acorns and move over and lay in the clover and eat it for a while. The base of one white oak was slick where cubs have been playing and climbing up and sliding down. My guess is these warm afternoons has them up and moving good.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help & feed back!