Best chance for a bear for the money?

[shootemall]

I have a friend who will retire from the Army in Year or two, and he has hunted a long time, but never got a bear. He'll live in Texas when he leaves active duty. We are trying to plan a hunt. I live in West Georgia and I've hunted North Georgia, and have never seen one, and we'd like to consider Georgia so we can use my house as a base camp, and other local resources. We'd consider hiring a guide since I don't know where to go.

On the other hand, this is a guy I served with in Iraq, and we've talked about this for years. Alaska would be awesome, but that's a lot of weight to fly with if we each get one, plus guns, gear... Driving would cost less, but would take a long time to get to/from Texas and Georgia. Plus, it could get expensive to hire a guide, buy non resident licenses, lodging and so forth.

I'm not asking for anybody to give up their honey-hole, but is there a location that could give us a good likelihood of success without breaking the bank? Thoughts, suggestions and anything to help brainstorm and plan would be appreciated.

 

[Timberman]

Book a spring bear hunt in eastern Canada. Very reasonable

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Hyde County NC

 

[jbogg]

Plenty of bears in North GA, but nothing easy about it. Spend some time reading in the Bear forum and you will find all you need to start walking.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Yep, bear forum has plenty of info. But for a boys trip and near guarantee of success, I’d go Canada as was mentioned.
You can go there and then when you get ga bears figured out, invite him up.

 

[1eyefishing]

IMO, Vancouver island Canada would be a slam dunk and the trip of a lifetime.

 

[little rascal]

Come up to West Virginia and go try to deer hunt, you'll see a bear when you don't want nothing to do with one.

 

[shootemall]

I've looked around on here for years, it's more his goal than mine, but it's something I'd love to do, just not as much as he does. Thanks for the suggestions thus far. I'm trying to find that optimal place where he could have a good chance without breaking the bank. I can go to North Georgia for cheap, and might see nothing, or go to Canada/Alaska, but pay a lot, trying to find that happy middle ground.

I'm finding semi-guided hunts seem to fit that criteria.

 

[chrislibby88]

Central north GA has a lot of them. It’s never gonna be a “gimme” hunt though. Not sure how much work you want to put into it, but a DIY mountain hunt requires a few skills and you’ll benifit greatly from a few specialized pieces of gear. Bears are notoriously difficult to drag, even smaller ones, add a 30-40 degree slope grade and some blow downs and you have a real problem on your hands. I wouldn’t recommend hunting them on public land without a good framed pack and the skills to quickly and cleanly butcher one on the ground on a steep slope, then load and pack it out.

Realistically you’ll need to put in alot of effort and time to figure out how to “deer” hunt them with no bait. Expect a DIY north GA bear hunt to span multiple seasons before knowledge, skill, and luck come together to the point where you put some meat in the freezer if that is your main goal.

Early season is the best time for GA. Mid Sept-mid/late October.

 

[shootemall]

Central north GA has a lot of them. It’s never gonna be a “gimme” hunt though. Not sure how much work you want to put into it, but a DIY mountain hunt requires a few skills and you’ll benifit greatly from a few specialized pieces of gear. Bears are notoriously difficult to drag, even smaller ones, add a 30-40 degree slope grade and some blow downs and you have a real problem on your hands. I wouldn’t recommend hunting them on public land without a good framed pack and the skills to quickly and cleanly butcher one on the ground on a steep slope, then load and pack it out.

Realistically you’ll need to put in alot of effort and time to figure out how to “deer” hunt them with no bait. Expect a DIY north GA bear hunt to span multiple seasons before knowledge, skill, and luck come together to the point where you put some meat in the freezer if that is your main goal.

Early season is the best time for GA. Mid Sept-mid/late October.

Thanks, I was thinking I'd bring a deer cart but maybe a framed pack is a better option. I don't think it's something I'd drag because I wouldn't want to ruin the hide. I butcher all my deer, and have done a few hogs, so I think I'd feel comfortable butchering a bear in the field. I think I'd also need restraint to not shoot deer while trying to hunt bear.

 

[chrislibby88]

Thanks, I was thinking I'd bring a deer cart but maybe a framed pack is a better option. I don't think it's something I'd drag because I wouldn't want to ruin the hide. I butcher all my deer, and have done a few hogs, so I think I'd feel comfortable butchering a bear in the field. I think I'd also need restraint to not shoot deer while trying to hunt bear.

Game carts just don’t really work in the hills. The side hilling kills them. Tried it. We wound up toting it like a stretcher, which is still way easier than dragging. I’ve used one successfully one time down in a big mostly flat creek bottom, but we still wound up carrying it across creeks and rough patches. Framed pack or a few strong young dudes with something to prove and a tarp are the only real options on public.

 

[jbogg]

I’m partial to beautiful North GA. A few of us have rented a cabin for the last few years during opening week of bow season right in the middle of tons of National Forest. There’s no such thing as a guarantee, but if you were to invest the same amount of time during early bow season walking our mountains as it would take to do a Canada trip you would have an excellent chance at a bear.

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks, I was thinking I'd bring a deer cart but maybe a framed pack is a better option. I don't think it's something I'd drag because I wouldn't want to ruin the hide. I butcher all my deer, and have done a few hogs, so I think I'd feel comfortable butchering a bear in the field. I think I'd also need restraint to not shoot deer while trying to hunt bear.

Check out what Whitetailfreak uses to get game out of the mountains:

One Less Bear

A buddy of mine was after a little bear meat so I pointed him to an area I knew there to be a few and wouldn't mess up a deer hole. Not long after settling in, a good eatin' size bear fed through a hardwood bottom and offered a shot. One less, that's a good thing. On a sidenote, I fooled...

forum.gon.com

 

[antharper]

I’m not one to answer your question because I’ve never killed one . But I’ve made a few trips to north Ga the past few years in search of my first one . And I think when I do connect it will be near the top of most rewarding hunts for me . Also I’ve made a couple great lifelong friends along the way. And got to see some beautiful country while there . Me personally I don’t think I’d care for one of the guided hunts over bait . A friend of mine went to Canada a few years ago and killed a couple . I asked him how he liked it , he said it was about like filling your dog’s food bowl up in the backyard and shooting him when he got hungry . Good luck with whatever you decide , hope you and your friend have a great trip wherever it may be . He deserves it

 

[Waddams]

guide service north georgia

I'm considering a North Ga guided hunt too. I haven't hunted with this one. It's just one I found and was thinking about trying to plan a booking with next year.

 

[splatek]

There is another guide, Hunting and Fishing in God's COuntry is the name of the business, I want to say the fella's name is Adam Tucker. He's very successful, though I've never been on a trip with him.

I am with @jbogg if you walk enough in N GA you ought to at least see a few bears. Plus the price is right... so that you can do it again, and again, and again.

 

[Professor]

For the money? One of the early season rifle hunts at a mountain WMA followed by archery in October. You may have a near guarantee in Ontario, but it will cost you. Besides, it’s like shooting your dog eating out of his bowl. Your chances of getting one in the mountains is very high and you don’t need a guide.

 

[chrislibby88]

There is another guide, Hunting and Fishing in God's COuntry is the name of the business, I want to say the fella's name is Adam Tucker. He's very successful, though I've never been on a trip with him.

I am with @jbogg if you walk enough in N GA you ought to at least see a few bears. Plus the price is right... so that you can do it again, and again, and again.

Isn’t he the one that can natural voice buck grunt better than a real buck? GON member too? I think he did a Southern Outdoorsman Podcast episode. You could probably look it up and listen, get to know him a little bit. I don’t think he talks a whole lot about guiding, but he talks hunting bucks in the mountains, and he knows what he’s doing.

 

[Para Bellum]

For the money? One of the early season rifle hunts at a mountain WMA followed by archery in October. You may have a near guarantee in Ontario, but it will cost you. Besides, it’s like shooting your dog eating out of his bowl. Your chances of getting one in the mountains is very high and you don’t need a guide.

Keep sending everyone that asks to North Georgia for a bear and one day you’ll be headin for Ontario.

 

[jbogg]

Keep sending everyone that asks to North Georgia for a bear and one day you’ll be headin for Ontario.

I really don’t believe anybody has let the cat out of the bag here. The OP lives in Georgia, he’s clearly been on the bear forum, and is aware that there are bears in the North Georgia mountains. What’s the purpose of a hunting forum if not to talk about hunting?