Hey guys, new to this forum as well as bear hunting. I’ve learned what sign to look for as well as to hunt the akerns. I’ll mainly be hunting national forest and WMA’s and I’ve already done a bit of scouting and found some old sign but nothing fresh yet. A for sure question I have is how do you guys haul your bear out if you’re way back in the mountains? Do you pack it out and if so what pack would you recommend? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
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Tips for a new mountain bear hunter
- Thread starter levi04
- Start date
Killer Kyle
Senior Member
Carry some knives, some bags, and a big pack and pack it out. You can completely skin and quarter in an hour or an hour and a half and just walk it out. Beats dragging.
Use a strong pack that fits well.
I use a Badlands Sacrifice pack. It'll haul all you wanna carry.
Use a strong pack that fits well.
I use a Badlands Sacrifice pack. It'll haul all you wanna carry.
Professor
Senior Member
Lots of info on putting together a kill kit on Rokslide forums. Also, more than you could ever read on backpacks and packing game out. I was where you are 4 years ago and man that feels more like 10. My advice: read everything in the bear forum. I did. Don’t skimp on boots or pack. Unlike deer hunting, you will move a lot. You have to find very fresh sign. Get legit mountain hunting boots. Crispi, Kenetrek, Lowa, Solomon, etc. like Kyle said, get a stout pack. You are best off with one designed to carry game. You can go with an old external frame pack to save some money. But, Mystery Ranch, Exo Mountain, Kuiu, Badlands, Stone Glacier, Kifaru, and others will all get it done.
Thank y’all for the feedback. Got me a mystery ranch pack on the way. Been out slipping around and scouting this weekend. How long do you guys look for sign in an area? Worried that I might be walking right past fresh sign and not seeing it. Also do you guys think this might be where a bear has clawed the tree or is it just natural?
WOODIE13
2023 TURKEY CHALLENGE 1st place Team
Shoot them uphill, close to a road, carry ice and have buddies that you can trust to be there to help.
Carry a hatchet or bone saw if you pack it out
Cooler and lots of ice.
Carry a hatchet or bone saw if you pack it out
Cooler and lots of ice.
Professor
Senior Member
You are overthinking it. Keep walking until you find some really fresh poop. Preferably a lot of it. Which pack did you decide on?
Professor
Senior Member
Good move with the boots. I’m sure the pop-up 30 will serve you well too.
Professor
Senior Member
Someone more knowledgeable than me will comment, but it does not take long to crust over when dry. I would keeping walking though. You will know when you have found the fresh stuff.
chrislibby88
Senior Member
That’s several days old at least. I’m not an expert on aging them, but they will usually be tan the first day, brown exterior the next day and they get darker every day after that. Not sure how the weather effects things though.
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trad bow
wooden stick slinging driveler
It looks like the dung beetles are starting to work the edges a bit. As Chris noted above it’s at least several days old, probably older than that. Scat can be valuable information as to what the bear was feeding on if fresh. Otherwise it just shows you where a bear took a dump and moved on. I would do the same.
HardlyHangin
Senior Member
Agreed with Professor's advice. Rokslide has a ton of info, and I've bought several good items from the classified section there. Currently I'm using Lowa Renegade boots and a Kifaru Fulcrum bag on a 26" frame. The 26" is overkill and tends to get hung up on brush, but it was available on their classifieds at a good discount. Packing them out is infinitely easier than dragging.
