Looking for my First Bear

Simeo

Member
Hey there! For the past couple years I'd been casually looking for a bear in between deer hunting but never had a chance at one. This year I decided it was time to focus on seeking out my first bear. With plenty of deer meat still in the freezer from last year my wife gave me the thumbs up and said "Go get em!" I hunted during the Smithgall Archery hunt and lost my opportunity to take a bear I stalked up on.

Now I'm looking to focus on the Chattahoochee WMA but with the dog hunts I'm afraid I might be wasting my time? Could anybody point me in a good direction up there? I thought about going down White Oak but when I scouted on Friday I couldn't count how many dog hunters I found on that road. Thank you and hopefully this is the year!
 

Professor

Senior Member
Hey there! For the past couple years I'd been casually looking for a bear in between deer hunting but never had a chance at one. This year I decided it was time to focus on seeking out my first bear. With plenty of deer meat still in the freezer from last year my wife gave me the thumbs up and said "Go get em!" I hunted during the Smithgall Archery hunt and lost my opportunity to take a bear I stalked up on.

Now I'm looking to focus on the Chattahoochee WMA but with the dog hunts I'm afraid I might be wasting my time? Could anybody point me in a good direction up there? I thought about going down White Oak but when I scouted on Friday I couldn't count how many dog hunters I found on that road. Thank you and hopefully this is the year!
My best advice is to get out there and walk. That is what everyone told me and you know they were right. Check the map and find areas that you think might be a good bet and go there. Generally, people don't want to give advice on "where to kill a bear." This year, bear behavior has been so unpredictable that I am not sure anyone could. Check areas, and don't settle for "some sign." If the area does not look decidedly different from all the rest of the woods then you ain't found it yet. I am of course assuming there are bears in the woods you are hunting. Look for whiteoak acorns, there are not many this year, but if you can find some the animals will be there. I found some, but I did it backwards. I found all the activity and then looked around to find out why they were congregating in that area. If the dog-hunting was too much and you think the bears are too spooked then consider another location There are a lot of bears in North Georgia.
 

Simeo

Member
Thanks for your help! Not looking for GPS coordinates to harvesting a bear. That would be silly. What I'm wondering is if Chattahoochee WMA is still a good viable option to find bears even after all the dog pressure. I read the dog thread here and it just looked like it boiled down to a couple guys arguing (and that the bears are getting smarter to dogs).

I asked about Chattahoochee because it's 10 minutes away from my house and I can spend a lot of time there over the next month. I guess I would be looking for any sort of general advice like the white acorns you suggested or other things to look out for or areas generally not suitable. (Pine thickets, exposed ridge tops, etc) I know what to look for when I'm deer hunting but I'm trying to learn more about the bear and their preferred routine beforehand.

If I'm able to look at a topographical map and narrow down what a travel corridor for bear looks like that would help. There are a lot of videos on doing just that for deer but I don't know if it would apply for bear.

I plan to put in some miles to track and find a bear. I run regularly and race long distances so I'm not afraid of humping it for a while. If I need to pack a bear out from the middle of nowhere that's fine too. I'm just hoping for a head start so I have purpose in my wandering.

When I look up hunting bears online the vast majority of the information I find is on baiting them in. I'm obviously not going to be doing that. Being secretive about how to hunt an animal doesn't really help new hunters or people trying to learn. When I first started learning to hunt deer it was like pulling teeth to learn as much as I could. For a few years I went without coming close to harvesting any deer.

Nobody wants to talk with anybody and so hunting is a dying breed. It's sad that the vast majority of advice is "Go figure it out" or spit out of a corporations marketing team to sell you new product. No wonder less and less people my age and younger (I'm 34 and started hunting at 27) don't hunt or have a high opinion of hunting. If we don't help each other out hunting will fizzle in a generation. I gladly do my best to put new hunters on game every chance I have. It's fun to watch and satisfying to help them butcher their first animal and feed their family.
 
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Professor

Senior Member
Thanks for your help! Not looking for GPS coordinates to harvesting a bear. That would be silly. What I'm wondering is if Chattahoochee WMA is still a good viable option to find bears even after all the dog pressure. I read the dog thread here and it just looked like it boiled down to a couple guys arguing (and that the bears are getting smarter to dogs).

I asked about Chattahoochee because it's 10 minutes away from my house and I can spend a lot of time there over the next month. I guess I would be looking for any sort of general advice like the white acorns you suggested or other things to look out for or areas generally not suitable. (Pine thickets, exposed ridge tops, etc) I know what to look for when I'm deer hunting but I'm trying to learn more about the bear and their preferred routine beforehand.

If I'm able to look at a topographical map and narrow down what a travel corridor for bear looks like that would help. There are a lot of videos on doing just that for deer but I don't know if it would apply for bear.

I plan to put in some miles to track and find a bear. I run regularly and race long distances so I'm not afraid of humping it for a while. If I need to pack a bear out from the middle of nowhere that's fine too. I'm just hoping for a head start so I have purpose in my wandering.

When I look up hunting bears online the vast majority of the information I find is on baiting them in. I'm obviously not going to be doing that. Being secretive about how to hunt an animal doesn't really help new hunters or people trying to learn. When I first started learning to hunt deer it was like pulling teeth to learn as much as I could. For a few years I went without coming close to harvesting any deer.

Nobody wants to talk with anybody and so hunting is a dying breed. It's sad that the vast majority of advice is "Go figure it out" or spit out of a corporations marketing team to sell you new product. No wonder less and less people my age and younger (I'm 34 and started hunting at 27) don't hunt or have a high opinion of hunting. If we don't help each other out hunting will fizzle in a generation. I gladly do my best to put new hunters on game every chance I have. It's fun to watch and satisfying to help them butcher their first animal and feed their family.
Bears are strange. One guy in Idaho told me the bears are always where you find them. Their habits vary because they are moving from one food source to another. I would not worry about the dog hunters. There are plenty more bears there and they will settle down soon enough.
 

Simeo

Member
I’m still getting bears on cam at Chattahoochee.

I really appreciate it man! That's the type of encouragement I was hoping for.

Bears are strange. One guy in Idaho told me the bears are always where you find them. Their habits vary because they are moving from one food source to another. I would not worry about the dog hunters. There are plenty more bears there and they will settle down soon enough.

What did he mean by "bears are always where you find them." Did he mean to say they are easy to find in Idaho or did he mean you don't see a bear until you see a bear (by happenstance)?

So essentially their primary concern is food. Find food, Find bears. What is food for them this time of year? Only acorns or is there anything else they're eating on now? I found scat last year filled with muscadines but I'm not sure how common that is.

A theory I had was that as time moves on after the dog hunt the bears will become more relaxed and your comment that they'll settle down kind of confirms my suspicion.
 

Professor

Senior Member
I really appreciate it man! That's the type of encouragement I was hoping for.



What did he mean by "bears are always where you find them." Did he mean to say they are easy to find in Idaho or did he mean you don't see a bear until you see a bear (by happenstance)?

So essentially their primary concern is food. Find food, Find bears. What is food for them this time of year? Only acorns or is there anything else they're eating on now? I found scat last year filled with muscadines but I'm not sure how common that is.

A theory I had was that as time moves on after the dog hunt the bears will become more relaxed and your comment that they'll settle down kind of confirms my suspicion.
It means that bears are hard to pattern because they shift preferred food sources seemingly at random. What was a hot sot last year is vacant this year. An area can be covered in bears when you scout it on Monday but they might be on to some other food and gone when you show to hunt on Saturday. I can say this, deer and bear very often are eating the same thing. If you find an abundance of deer sign, there is a good bet the bears are in that area as well. I am seeing muscadine and persimmons more than anything right now (well that was Sunday so by now it might be something else).
 

Simeo

Member
Gotcha! Well at least I'll know to expect the unexpected. When I get my first bear I'll be sure to post it here for you guys.
 

antharper

“Well Rounded Outdoorsman MOD “
Staff member
I’d say that you should of given your original post a little more time before your next post . This crew of bear hunters in here are very helpful and give a ton of help to all of the new hunters . I asked a question similar to yours a couple months ago and got a invite from one of the best bear hunters on this forum . He was willing to take a complete stranger and pack into a couple days what I’m sure took him years to learn and find . I didn’t kill a bear and didn’t expect to , but I did get to see my first wild Ga bear . And I gained a lot of knowledge and hope I can repay him one day . Good luck on your bear hunt !
 

EyesUp83

Senior Member
I’d say that you should of given your original post a little more time before your next post . This crew of bear hunters in here are very helpful and give a ton of help to all of the new hunters . I asked a question similar to yours a couple months ago and got a invite from one of the best bear hunters on this forum . He was willing to take a complete stranger and pack into a couple days what I’m sure took him years to learn and find . I didn’t kill a bear and didn’t expect to , but I did get to see my first wild Ga bear . And I gained a lot of knowledge and hope I can repay him one day . Good luck on your bear hunt !
Recieving an offer like this is sooo valuable, although not commonplace. I've had one similar offer for gator hunting once I pull a tag. Overall most people aren't going to pull in a total stranger.
This forum as a whole for the state of Georgia is a great format to learn, to ask questions, and to give answers. One of the best things a hunter can do (IMO) is find 1-3 people to team up with to hunt various game over the course of a few years and share with the group the knowledge learned from experience as well as outside learned knowledge from other sources.
As an outdoorsman I believe we should always have a hand reaching up ready for help from somebody farther down the road of experience and knowledge while simultaneously keeping a hand reaching back to grab somebody with less experience/knowledge who you can help. This helps all of us "climb the mountain" faster with greater success.
 

Heath

Senior Member
Simeo, if you live 10 minutes from Chattahoochee you already have a huge advantage. I will not help you by telling you where one is at because that would cheat the bear and you. They are there and you will not learn how to kill them from any website or forum. Your biggest hurdle is going to be your mindset. Right now you are playing the victim. Start being a predator and you will start seeing things differently.
 
I can almost pattern them. At least 3 times a week they're trying to get in my trash cans. Had a bear proof cage for years and they still find a way to tear something up. Every year gets worse the more timber the state cuts behind me the more bears I get. No habitat left don't guess they really got a choice but would like a break from them.
 

Heath

Senior Member
I can almost pattern them. At least 3 times a week they're trying to get in my trash cans. Had a bear proof cage for years and they still find a way to tear something up. Every year gets worse the more timber the state cuts behind me the more bears I get. No habitat left don't guess they really got a choice but would like a break from them.

Where on gods green earth is the state cutting timber? That’s great news if it’s true!
 

Thunder Head

Gone but not forgotten
OP hasnt even been back on since the 7th.

Anyway
The professor pretty much said it.

Something i see people often overlook:
The search button is your friend. You can read post about bear hunting in Ga. for hours. Lots of info hidden in there.
 

bany

Senior Member
It’s hunting time, some folks spend a lot more free time in the woods instend of on here. Bear will travel hundreds of miles. Soon they will be focusing on winter lodging and they are already packing on the groceries. Find the grocery with water. Some of the “dens or nests” won’t be far from a forest service road. Not at a parking area or pull off most likely, unless Dunkin’ Donuts has a dumpster there. (I’m kidding)
 
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