1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: As a guide and hunter, I've spent thousands of days 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: in the field. This show is about translating my hard 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: won experiences into tips and tactics they'll get you closer 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: to your ultimate goal success in the field. I'm Remy Warren. 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: This is cutting the distance. Well, hello everyone, I hope 6 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: everybody's doing good. And this week we are talking bears 7 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: two point oh. So last week was bears one point 8 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: oh and we were just kind of laying the groundwork 9 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: how to identify where bears are based on behavior, food sources, 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: and then we even touched a little bit on seasonality 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: of the food sources and where you should be looking 12 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: certain times a year. Once you've keyed in on where 13 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: bears will be, now we need to imploy away the 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: hunting tactics. So this week is going to be all 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: about bear spot and stock and western bear hunting tactics. 16 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: And the three that I'm gonna cover are gonna be 17 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: glassing than a still hunting tactic, which would be more 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: roving on logging roads, and then the third tactic, which 19 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 1: will be calling. Now, before we get too far into 20 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: the tactics, I'd like to first share a story. One 21 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: of my personal favorite stories out of my collection of 22 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: hunting experiences. This involves a bear hunt in New Mexico 23 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: while I was guiding, and it's just one of those 24 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: stories that needs to be told. This story takes place 25 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Now I used 26 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: to guide down there for an outfitter, and it's primarily 27 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: elk hunts, but the hunters every once in a while 28 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: would have a bear tag in their pocket as well. 29 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: This year, in particular, was just a crazy year for 30 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: acorn growth. There's all these scrub oaks just I would say, 31 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: like head high, super thick oak brush, and for some 32 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: reason this year, every oak tree had just thousands of acorns, 33 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: whether it was a the right combinations of spring and 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: dry summer and weather before this time, whatever, this particular September, 35 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: there was just acorns everywhere, and because of it, it 36 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: really drew the bears out of the pine forests in 37 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: the surrounding areas and we're seeing an encountering quite a 38 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 1: few bears. So the food source was there, just everywhere, 39 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: acorns on the ground, and because of it, we're seeing 40 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: more bears than we'd ever seen in years past. On 41 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: this particular hunt, we were primarily focusing on elk, but 42 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: it's just kind of hot in a really hot dry September, 43 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: and the elk activity, the running activity was pretty slow. 44 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: So in the middle of the day, I just figured 45 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna go walk around and maybe try to find 46 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: some elk sign, maybe throughout some bugles, whatever. It's just 47 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: it was just getting pretty slow. And my hunter happened 48 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: to have a bear tag as well, because we've been 49 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: seeing so many bears. So we're working in this particular area, 50 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: and I think this was actually the same hunt. I 51 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: told the story earlier in a different podcast about the 52 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: elk almost stepping on me. This isn't that same area. 53 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: So there's to paint a picture. There's this big open meadows, 54 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: so there's these big slopes that go up the mountain 55 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: and then there's these big drop off canyons on one side, 56 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: so there's a big canyon that drops off, and in 57 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: between the meadows, it's these big pine forests, open meadow 58 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: going up, maybe some aspens mixed in, and then it 59 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: drops off into this canyon on the other side. And 60 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: in the lower parts and on the drier sides of 61 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: the hill, so all the north faces normally you know, 62 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: a lot of places north faces would be meadows. In 63 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: this particular area, seemed like most of the north faces 64 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: were like really choked thick with this oak brush. So 65 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: on this particular day, we're I'm walking through the pine 66 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: stuff with the wind was coming down the mountain. So 67 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: we're working the morning up and we end up at 68 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: the top of the hill and we've got this kind 69 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: of overlook over this valley and we just start working 70 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,559 Speaker 1: the pine edge around and I look and I start 71 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: seeing a lot of bear sign here. So I kind 72 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: of investigate the bear sign and I look and go, okay, 73 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: there's like bear scat everywhere in this one particular area, 74 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: and I think, okay, I kind of analyze it, and 75 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: they're just a corns in it. I'm thinking to myself, 76 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: there's only one real spot on this particular mountain up 77 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: high here that has acorns. So I get my hunter 78 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: and I'm like, hey, let's go see if we can 79 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: try to find a bear. He's like, okay, cool. So 80 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: we we walk up and there's this perfect overlook. It's 81 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: just it comes out of the pine forest and it's 82 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: just this like perfect rock rim maybe a ten foot 83 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: drop off the raw and it's surrounded by pines and 84 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: it's just this thick oak brush coming right up to 85 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: that from there, and I'm like, okay, out of everywhere, 86 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: this is where this bear has got to be living. 87 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's got the right habitat, it's within 88 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: a good range of where we're at. It's just thick 89 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: in there. There's a ton of acorns. This has got 90 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: to be the spot. So it's the middle of the 91 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 1: day and I tell my hunter, I'm like, all right, 92 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna bust out my call. I've got I just 93 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: carry this this jack rabbit and distress call with me. 94 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: And I'm like, we're gonna we're gonna call this bear in. 95 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: And the wind was perfect, it was coming up from 96 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: the bottom. Everything was just set right. We could see 97 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: all around us, and I'm like, ah, this is good. 98 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: So I tell me hunter, I'm like, all right, you 99 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: go and set up by this this big pine where 100 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: you can see down. I was about ten yards away 101 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: and I'm just gonna sit here and call and I 102 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: give them specific instructions. I've called plenty of bears. It 103 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: takes a long time for a bear to get active 104 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: and decided to come in. So I'm like, it's gonna 105 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 1: be a minimum of pretty five minutes and we won't 106 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 1: leave until after an hour. So I'm gonna be calling 107 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: constant for forty at least forty five minutes to an hour. 108 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: He's like, okay, So I get over in my spot 109 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: and start wrenching on the calle. I mean, it's just 110 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: like I'll do one of these stands calling for bears 111 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: maybe every few days, because it's just it's it's just 112 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: taxing to just blow on this call as loud and 113 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: as long and as hard as I can for an hour. 114 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: So I just get going and you can just hear 115 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,679 Speaker 1: it echoing down the canyon's perfect. All of a sudden, 116 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: it starts attracting the birds, which is just like first step, Okay, 117 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: it's working. Here comes some magpies, and about ten minutes in, 118 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: magpies are landing on all the trees around us, and 119 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: I keep about twenty minutes in, I am just taxed, like, 120 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: oh gosh, here you go, and I can see my 121 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: hunter is just kind of like, I'm like, okay, I 122 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: have an air on, be ready, you know, and he's 123 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: looking like okay, nothing's happening. I'm like, just wait giving 124 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: him the hands signals like it's okay, you know, be ready. 125 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: So he's sitting there and I keep wrenching on the call. 126 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: All of a sudden, the crows start circling. I'm like, well, 127 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: stuff thinks that this is a good setup, and it 128 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: just feels good. I know this is gonna happen. So 129 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: we're about I would say, forty five minutes into it, 130 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: and I kind of I give him like the thumbs up, 131 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: like we've hit the mark now where bears should be 132 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: coming in. We're just gonna keep an eye out. And 133 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: for some reason, I think he just got impatient, like 134 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: this is just not working. So he puts his arrow 135 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: back in his quiver and walks over to me and 136 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: I look at him and he's like, I think your 137 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: calls broken. And I'm like what and he's like, yeah, 138 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: it's not working, and I'm like, okay, yeah, but I 139 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: told you it's gonna take like even if it doesn't work, 140 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: like this is now we're in the time zone, like 141 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: if a bear is gonna come in, he's gonna come 142 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: in from now into the next ten minutes. So I'm thinking, 143 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: I'm like what, okay, And as soon as he said 144 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: his back is now to the downhill side and he's 145 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: facing me. He's like, you, you know, just talking to me, 146 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: like your call is not working. Like he's like, I 147 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: don't think this is gonna happen. And I was like, 148 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: what do you mean it's not working? It's like huh. 149 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: As soon as he said it wasn't working, a bear 150 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 1: stepped out, like thirty yards blown, Well, what about that 151 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,839 Speaker 1: bear right there? And he thinks I'm joking. He turns 152 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: around and just locks eyes at this bear and the 153 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: bears like thirty yards it's below us, It has no 154 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: like it can't see us the way that the angle is. 155 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: And he starts shaking and he gets down and rat 156 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: like rattling around, gets an arrow on on his string. 157 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: It was like from zero of this call is not working, 158 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: to all of a sudden me nonchalantly saying, oh, what 159 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: about that bear there? And of course bear right there? 160 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: So I range the bear thirty yards. He gets drawn 161 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: back and I can see he's it's just like the 162 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: nerves I think got the best of him from the 163 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: surprise of thinking that there's no bears two now here's 164 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: a bear thirty yards away. He draws back and shoots, 165 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: I know the arrow hit the ground somewhere way away 166 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: from the bear. I think between the adrenaline and the 167 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: shaking and the surprise that bear wheeled around and ran 168 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 1: straight back into the oak brush that he came from, 169 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: never to be seen again. I'm gonna break it down 170 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: into my three favorite bear hunting tactics, So we're gonna 171 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: call it glassing, cruising, and calling. Let's start with glassing. Now, 172 00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: if I was to describe bear hunting to someone that says, hey, 173 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: what's it like to go spot and stock bear hunting 174 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: in say, Montana, Idaho, my definition of it is it 175 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 1: is hours of boredom interjected with a few seconds of 176 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: sheer excitement. Now, the reason is is because there's a 177 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:20,439 Speaker 1: lot of time in between spotting bears, and that's probably 178 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: why it makes it so exciting when you actually see one. 179 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people the first time they 180 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 1: go bear hunting, they kind of get worked up too, 181 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: because the whole predator aspect, they've got teeth, they've got claws, 182 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: it's a it's an elusive animal that you don't see 183 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: very often. Not that there's low populations of them, but 184 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: they're just very elusive in nature, they can be hard 185 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: to find and there can be a lot of time 186 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: in between spotting, so when you actually do spot one, 187 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: it's like, WHA crap, there's one. What do I do? 188 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 1: All your time has been spent focusing on finding the thing, 189 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: and very little time has been spent focusing on what 190 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: are you gonna do when you find something? So I 191 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: think that adds to the excitement fact actor. Now, out 192 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: of all the successful bear hunts I've done, I would 193 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: say that I've probably many of them. The success is 194 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: probably split up amongst the three tactics. The cruising, glassing 195 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: and calling glassing I think works best early in the season, 196 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: but then where are you glass changes throughout the course 197 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: of the season. So at the beginning of the spring, 198 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: I'm always looking for those more alpine areas, big rugged 199 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: canyons where I can get up in there, post up 200 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: and look over a lot of country at once. Now, 201 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: the thing with bears is you expect them to move 202 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: and be fairly crepuscular, moving mornings and evenings. Yet I've 203 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: found throughout the years that sometimes you find bears moving 204 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: at just random times, and they might decide this. Certain 205 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,839 Speaker 1: bear likes to move at noon, and that's when it's 206 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 1: gonna move now. Because the days are super long in 207 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: the spring, that makes it a lot of time between 208 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: sitting and just watching the same area over and over 209 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: with nothing happening, and then all of a sudden, boom, 210 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: there's a bear. My particular tactic and my tips for 211 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: glassing or this, what I like to do is I 212 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: like to get into an area where I can get 213 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: comfortable and set up overlooking as many openings as possible, 214 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: a lot where I can I'm within range of what 215 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: I consider probably my a area, the best area where 216 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: I'm kind of expecting something, where I can look at 217 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: that with my eyes, and if something did pop out 218 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: in the open, I would be able to see it, 219 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: and then stuff further away that I can look at 220 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: with my optics. Now I do my setup this way, 221 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: it's very optics intensive and very looking intensive. So I 222 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: prefer to use high power binoculars during spring bear season 223 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: mounted on my tripod. I generally go with either twelves 224 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: or fifteens. I've even used twenty power binoculars. A good 225 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:52,439 Speaker 1: set of high power optics is key. You don't necessarily 226 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: need a spotting scope as much, but I do carry 227 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: the spotting scope for those times where I'm looking at 228 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: a bear at a far distance away and I really 229 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: want to judge that bear. I want to say, Okay, 230 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: that bear is two miles away, three miles away. There's 231 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff to get into position for that. 232 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 1: I better make sure that that's the type of bear 233 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: that I'm looking for, and I'm going to take the 234 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: spotting scope out and zoom in and say, okay, does 235 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: it have cubs? Is it a bore? Is it a sow? 236 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna really judge that bear through the spotting scope. 237 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: Some of the key tactics for glassing are really just, 238 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: like it sounds, sit there and watch one area for 239 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: a pro longed period of time. That might be an 240 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: entire day, or if you want to cut your day down. 241 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: Sometimes I'll choose weather. I'm hunting mornings or evenings on 242 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: those long days, and I'll go early. I'll get set 243 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: up in my position for the sun to come up glassing, 244 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: and then I glass until say two or three PM. 245 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: Or if I'm just hunting evenings, maybe I'll start at 246 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: noon and then glass until dark, which is that time 247 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: of year, could be ten thirty eleven, and walk out 248 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: and whatever, because by the time you get back to 249 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: camp and eat, it's just a long day. I've done 250 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: those all day glasses and it's just mentally beats you up. 251 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: So I found that for me personally, I just like 252 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: to pick now a morning or and evening and just 253 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 1: hunt half the day really hard. But if I've got 254 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: the time and I'm in the back country and camping whatever, 255 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: I'll probably just glass as much as I can. But 256 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: you want to be set up in an area where 257 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: you're just you're overlooking the same stuff and you really 258 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: get a sense of what is in front of you. 259 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: Now you'll notice there's things that will start looking like 260 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: bears and you'll be glassing, and then you'll start to 261 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: really understand and kind of memorize, Okay that I already 262 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: looked at that. I didn't look at that. So when 263 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: something pops out, it catches your attention immediately. And that's 264 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: what I do. I just sit there, get comfortable, have 265 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: your snacks or whatever, and just look. The longer you're looking, 266 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: the more likely you are to spot something. And it 267 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: sounds like, yeah, that's a no brainer, but there there's 268 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: so many times where I've been sitting there and we go, Okay, 269 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: there's nothing here, and then all of a sudden, a 270 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: bear pops out in fifteen minutes later another I've I've 271 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: been in one spot seen four bears, when previously I 272 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: thought I sat here long enough that I would have 273 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 1: seen something, And there's nothing here. I've seen it at all, 274 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden something pops out. The key 275 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: is to just find those areas like we talked about 276 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: the last podcast, and then just know that, Okay, they're here, 277 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: this is a good area. Now I'm going to sit 278 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: here and play the waiting game. How long is too 279 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: long to wait? Well, if you've gone a couple of 280 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: days and I haven't seen anything, maybe it's time to 281 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: move spots or check a new area. But for the 282 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: most part, if you sit there and you watch it 283 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: and there there, you should see them because they should 284 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: come out at some point while you're there. You just 285 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: have to stay vigilant. And that's where that boredom factor 286 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: of okay, am I doing this right? Am I looking 287 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: hard enough? Comes in Now in those times where I 288 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: try to use my eyes and my chest binoculars, my 289 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: lower power binoculars to glass the more open stuff. In 290 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: those times where I'm not really seeing anything. Then I'll 291 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: use my higher power optics to really grie some of 292 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: the thicker stuff that I should be able to pick 293 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: something out in with more magnification. So I'll constantly go 294 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,119 Speaker 1: back and forth between looking wide and say the openings, 295 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: the edges, the grass is, the good food sources, and 296 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: then I'll spend my down time looking and cover with 297 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: my more magnified optics. Now the key is to grid it, 298 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: so I'll just sit there. I know it's I'm pretty stationary, 299 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: and I'll go start at the top and go left 300 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: to right, down and then right to left. So what 301 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: you're doing is you're just covering your like making a 302 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: grid on the mountain, and then you're using your optics 303 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: to cover every square inch of that. And that works 304 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: really well because you can you can actually see into 305 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: some more of the covered areas with those higher power optics. 306 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: So I'll do that, and then I'll jump back and 307 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: forth between looking intensely and then taking my eyes out, 308 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: letting them adjust on the hillside, using my smaller optics 309 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: to just get a broader view of the more open stuff. 310 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: So I'm going back and forth between cover, gritting and 311 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: just taking my eyes off the binos and looking at 312 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: different ranges. That also helps keep the headaches down and 313 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: the eyes strained down by kind of going in and 314 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: out of your optics so you aren't constantly focused at 315 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: one level. And then you pull your eyes off your 316 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: optics and you get kind of this blood rush headache, um, 317 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: weird vision because your eyes were focused looking through these 318 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: magnification and then you kind of pull it off and 319 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: your eyes done and just the real world so fast. 320 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: So I like to go back and forth between the two, 321 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,239 Speaker 1: have like tripods set up, gritting, head off, looking at 322 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: the open glassing some stuff, back to my gritting pattern 323 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: and don't lose track there. I've had a lot of 324 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: success spotting bears that way. So I talked a lot 325 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: about in a canyon early season. Now as the season progresses, 326 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 1: I like to change my view point to maybe looking 327 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: towards other open areas, more meadows and parks, as well 328 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: as glassing into elk calving elk feeding areas. So as 329 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: the food source just change, you're gonna change your positioning 330 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: and where you're glassing from and what you're glassing into. 331 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: And that's key for spring bear hunting is being adaptive 332 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:11,880 Speaker 1: to where the food sources are and then moving your 333 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: locations based on that. That's key. Now we're gonna go 334 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: into cruising. So cruising I consider cruising country is in 335 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: more thick country, so more timbered areas, areas that don't 336 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,719 Speaker 1: lend themselves to glassing very well. And these can be 337 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:32,120 Speaker 1: super productive because the food sources can be more limited 338 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: in these timbered areas. They come up later, they're in 339 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 1: a smaller area. But the cruising tactic just means that 340 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,479 Speaker 1: you're moving a lot more and covering more country. As 341 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: opposed to letting your eyes do the walking, you're doing 342 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 1: the actual walking. And I've had a lot of success 343 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: doing this, especially in timbered areas early in the spring 344 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: and even a little bit later. What it is is 345 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: these logging roads, most of them would be gated logging 346 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: roads where there's no vehicle access, but you can walk 347 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: these roads from previous logging activity. What that does is 348 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: it opens up the canopy of the forest and allows 349 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: sun to grow and hit these roads, and they start 350 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 1: to get the new growth, so they'll get the new grasses. 351 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: You'll see a lot of dandelion, a lot of clover, 352 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: especially early, and these roads draw the bears in from 353 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: that surrounding thick country. The best time to hunt the 354 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: roads is when you notice there's not a lot of 355 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: growth in the timber, but there's growth on the logging 356 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: roads because it provides an area that's open for the 357 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: bears to feed. And then it's easy walking, quiet walking 358 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 1: away that you can move around and cover a lot 359 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: of country. Just by covering more country, you're you're increasing 360 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 1: your chances and your odds. Now, I've even gone as 361 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: far as scouting these roads on like a pedal bike 362 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: or even some of these roads you can take like 363 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: a four wheeler or a dirt bike or whatever, but 364 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: just using it as a scouting tool to cover a 365 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: lot of country and look for sign. Now I do 366 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 1: the same thing to try to figure out when a 367 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: bear is using that portion of the road. So what 368 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: I'll do is I'll i'll cruise these logging roads. When 369 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: I'm looking for bears, you're kind of looking off the 370 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: side of the road, on the road all around, but 371 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: you're also looking for sign any kind of droppings. Now, 372 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: if i find bear sign, what I'll do is I'll 373 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,479 Speaker 1: pull out my phone on my ONYX map. I'll just 374 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: drop a pin scat right here, and I'll put the 375 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: time that I saw it, and then I'll kick that 376 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: off the road, and then I'll walk the road back 377 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: out and then come back. Now I pay attention both 378 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: ways in and out and see if there's any more 379 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: sign okay, and then I walk that same road a 380 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 1: different time or that same time the next day or 381 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: a different day. So what I try to do is 382 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: I try to have a bunch of different roads that 383 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 1: I know are possible good spots for bears or a route, 384 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: and then I walk that route, and then as I 385 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: see sign in a certain area. Most of the time 386 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: what will happen is the bears will keep coming back 387 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: and feeding in the same general area. Over the course 388 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: of my time hunting, I can kind of build out 389 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: a timeline of when the bears are hitting it. So 390 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: if I walk the road in the evening, i'll walk 391 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: it the next morning and if I see sign there, 392 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: then I'll know, okay, it was coming out in the evening. 393 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: But if I walk it in the morning, kick the 394 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: sign off, and then walk it in the evening and 395 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: see it again, that I know it's coming out in 396 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: the daytime. Between those two times that I walked it. 397 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: So what I keep doing is I keep narrowing the 398 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: times that I walk it into pinpointing when this bear 399 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 1: is particularly coming out. It's a fairly rudimentary system, but 400 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,120 Speaker 1: it ends up working over the course of time because 401 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: you've got multiple areas that you're going. You're creating data 402 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: of saying this bears probably coming out this time, so 403 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: you'll walk those sections of the road at certain times 404 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: when it's most advantageous that that bear is going to 405 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: come out. I hope that makes sense. So you're you're 406 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: you're just building a bunch of data based on Okay, 407 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: the bears are out here, I'm seeing sign here this time, 408 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: or maybe you're seeing sign every couple of days that 409 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: you know, okay, well in a day, and you can 410 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: kind of build these patterns based on the sign that 411 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: you're seeing in the times that you're walking those logging roads, 412 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: those gated areas. Now, the key to the cruising method 413 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: is you have to have the wind right. So you 414 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 1: have to find places that have the wind right, have 415 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: the grass and feed, and you're gonna be able to 416 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 1: be more successful. If you're walking a section where the 417 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: wind's wrong, it's essentially pointless because they could be right there. 418 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: But bears have such a good sense of smell their site. 419 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: They don't really pay much attention to sound. They don't 420 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: really care about but if they catch your wind, it's 421 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:39,479 Speaker 1: all over. So the key to the cruising technique is 422 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: you have to have the wind right now. You can 423 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: also go a more shotgun approach to the cruising where 424 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 1: maybe you aren't seeing signed but you've got the food source, 425 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,119 Speaker 1: you've got the wind right. Just continue cruising and keeping 426 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: on a lot of different roads that have all the 427 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: right things. Sooner or later you will bump into what 428 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: you're looking for. Now, it doesn't seem as predictable as 429 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 1: maybe some of the other methods like glassing, where you go, okay, 430 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: I'm sitting here, I'm actively looking at seems it feels 431 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: kind of random. But what you'll notice is over the 432 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: years and the time of doing it, you'll find certain 433 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: roads during certain times that attract the bears. And what 434 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: you need to do is you need to kind of 435 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: make note of that because, as we talked about in 436 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: the first one, bears are very predictable and patternable. It's 437 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: just on a larger scale. So once you understand which 438 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: roads they like which areas they're going to and and 439 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: maybe not necessarily the time of year, but what's going 440 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: on on that road Over the years, I take notes 441 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 1: on Okay, I walked here, I saw a bear here? 442 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: What was going on? Okay, the grass was this tall? 443 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: Here's what it looked like in the forest around it? 444 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:48,479 Speaker 1: Was there? Any calving activity was there? Any of this 445 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: was there? And what's going on in this area at 446 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: that time? And then replicating that each and every time 447 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 1: you go out, because the more you hone in on 448 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: the spots and the races and things that they like, 449 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,400 Speaker 1: the more likely you are going to be to intersect 450 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: their paths. And that's all it is is bear hunting. 451 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,159 Speaker 1: A lot of times, it's just like spending time to 452 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: where your persistence intersects with their pattern. And that's the 453 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 1: key to a lot of this as far as spring 454 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 1: and spot and stock bear hunting goes. Now another tactic 455 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: and we did touch on it last week a little 456 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,159 Speaker 1: bit along with this cruising is if you start to 457 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 1: find like a really grassy patch and you say, okay, 458 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: there's bear sign here. There's a lot of tracks, there's 459 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: a lot of sign. Maybe it's a wallow or something 460 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: that you find along the way of cruising. You can also, 461 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,479 Speaker 1: if it's legal in the state that you're hunting, put 462 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,640 Speaker 1: up a trail camera and see and try to gain 463 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: a sense of a pattern of where that bear is eating, 464 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: and then hunt that. I've had a lot of friends 465 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: that have have walked roads and they keep finding, say 466 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: a green grassy patch that has a lot of sign. Well, 467 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: the bears are gonna keep coming back to that. Maybe 468 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 1: it's got some good clover, some good dandelion, and it's 469 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,640 Speaker 1: just the sun hits it right, the snow melted off 470 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,639 Speaker 1: just right. Maths, that's its food source for right now 471 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 1: while that's happening. If you find a place that has 472 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: a lot of sign, don't be afraid to just set 473 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 1: up and wait. I've been very successful just cruising logging 474 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: roads and finding the spot like, Okay, this grassy bend 475 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: is the best one. It always has sign in it. 476 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna sit here and wait and almost like 477 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: you would set up a tree stand, set up a blind. 478 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: I don't really do a tree stand, but I would 479 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: set up like a makeshift ground blind, tuck in, get 480 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: the wind right and just wait and watch that spot 481 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: because that's the spot where they're preferred feeding and they're 482 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: gonna keep coming back to. And that's all just based 483 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 1: on the knowledge that you've gained by cruising and covering 484 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,199 Speaker 1: a lot of country. Now, the third tactic is going 485 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: to be calling. Now, I think calling works great in 486 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: both the spring and the fall. In the spring, I 487 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 1: find it pretty effective, especially in elk caving and deer 488 00:25:55,400 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: fawning areas. Now I will focus in on those areas 489 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: later in the spring season, and I use a combination 490 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: of the method, so I'll glass those areas. I might 491 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: change my glassing pattern to a calving area. Also, a 492 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: lot of times elkal cabin in maybe say clear timber 493 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: or some more timbered pockets where there's good grass a 494 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: lot of cover for the fonds to survive. So a 495 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: cruising through those areas can be super effective. But also 496 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,399 Speaker 1: calling in those areas can be effective. It's because bears 497 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: will mostly use their nose to suss out food, but 498 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: every once in a while they'll key into those audio 499 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: cues of oh, there's a free snack over here. So 500 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: here's the deal with bear calling. I have done it 501 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: pretty extensively and had quite a bit of success with it. 502 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:50,199 Speaker 1: But there are a few things that you need to 503 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: understand when you're getting started. Bears are very strange responding 504 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: to a call, whereas a lot if you're used to 505 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: other predator calling or what have you, bears. I've actually 506 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: called to bears that i've seen just outsay quarter mile 507 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,919 Speaker 1: away or whatever and start calling, calling, calling, And the 508 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: technique of calling a bear is you pretty much have 509 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: to blow. Is loud, and is long, and is constant 510 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: on the call as you can for as long as 511 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: you can. It's very strange. But for some reason, I've 512 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 1: I've seen bears where they're they're just feeding, they're doing 513 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: their thing, and you start blowing on the call. You'll 514 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: blow on the call for thirty forty five minutes and nothing, 515 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, the barrel whip its 516 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,120 Speaker 1: head up and run in. I don't know why. It's 517 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: just like maybe it's something in their head. They're like, 518 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: if I hear that long enough, then it's worth going 519 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,159 Speaker 1: over there. I don't really know the explanation why, but 520 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,959 Speaker 1: that's just seems to be the successful tactic to calling bears. 521 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: Very rarely have I had a bear just come in 522 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: right off the bat. It's mostly calling, calling, calling, calling, calling, calling, calling, 523 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: and then they just decided to come in quick after that, 524 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: at least the ones that I've observed with my eyes 525 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 1: while calling to them, and I'm pretty sure it's the 526 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: same in any scenario. The other thing you have to 527 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: really consider when calling to bears is, I mean, it's 528 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: it's fairly difficult to blow on a mouth call for 529 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:12,679 Speaker 1: that long that many times, so you really have to 530 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: pick your set up correctly. So you want to pick 531 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: a set up in an area that you know is 532 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: very likely to hold bears. And that can be kind 533 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: of how that story played out. Where you find sign 534 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: and okay, what's in the sign, what is the bear eating? What? 535 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,399 Speaker 1: Where is an area that has that type of food source? 536 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: And then get close to that area, get the wind 537 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 1: right and start calling. They're probably gonna be hanging out 538 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: and thicker stuff during the middle of the day. I've 539 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: actually had some pretty good success calling bears in the 540 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: middle of the day. And maybe that translates into why 541 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: it takes so long too. Maybe they're just kind of 542 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: hanging out, chilling, laying down, taking it easy, and then 543 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: they hear something and think, okay, well that's worth going 544 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: and checking out. There are a lot of setups where 545 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: I've I've called, called, called, called, called, and nothing came in, 546 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: and then I walk out and see a bear track 547 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: down wind to me. So you have to pick your 548 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: spot where it's gonna be hard for the bear to 549 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 1: circle you and get your wind because they won't come in. 550 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: And for the most part, you're gonna be blowing on 551 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: that call for an hour. You're gonna exude all your 552 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: vocal and calling energy into calling, and that bear is 553 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: just gonna circle around, catch your wind and leave and 554 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: you won't even know that he was attempting to come in. 555 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: So when you set up the setup is the number 556 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: one thing. You got to find a spot where it's 557 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: hard for the bear to get behind you and you've 558 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: got the wind right. So I like to try to 559 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: find places where i might be at the top of 560 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 1: a hill or I've got a good like rock outcropping 561 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: that I'm on top of and I'm expecting the bear 562 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: to come from below me. That's generally the best. You know, 563 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,239 Speaker 1: calling in the bottom of something is tough because they 564 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: can circle around you. So if you're in a tight gut, 565 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: you know, maybe position yourself in the goalie where you 566 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: you think that the bear will come up from the 567 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: bottom and you've got good vantage on both sides. I 568 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: do like to use the call, and I think it 569 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: works really well, especially in Southwestern states, um more arid climates, 570 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: it works really well. I kind of refrain from using 571 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 1: the calling technique in areas where there's grizzly bears just 572 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: as far as a safety concern, I don't want to 573 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: have to deal with it, so I just go with 574 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: the cruising or the glassing in those areas. But if 575 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: you're in a spot where there's no grizzlies, um, you've 576 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: got a good set up and you know that there's 577 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: bears close by, calling can be super effective. The other 578 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: key is just after you've got the set up right, 579 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: being consistent with the call, long loud, keep it going, 580 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: keep it going, keep it going until you pretty much 581 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: can't go anymore. You're gonna find that the most successful 582 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: calling is gonna be when you're within I would say 583 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: eight hundred yards or so of probably where that bears at. 584 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: So you really have to pick your spot precise the 585 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: first time, because you're gonna you're gonna run out of 586 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: energy to do this multiple times. I mean the idea 587 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: of oh yeah, I'll just go calling bears is great 588 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: and make stand after stand after stand, but most states 589 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: don't allow electronic calls, and the actual act of blowing 590 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: on a predator call for that long that many times 591 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: is exhausting. So you really have to pick the scenario right. 592 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 1: And I do find that in the springtime, picking a 593 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: scenario where you're near a calving area, or say you've 594 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 1: glassed and you saw a bear in this elk caving 595 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: areas sniffing around in that area, going and setting up 596 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: in those kind of scenarios, you're gonna have a lot 597 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: more success than if you just start blind calling in 598 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: the woods. So you really want to pinpoint your calling, 599 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,719 Speaker 1: set up, and then call along and hard and loud, 600 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: and you will be surprised at how successful it can be. Also, 601 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: as a note to the calling, you just gotta watch 602 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: your six. I mean, you can't treat it as I'm 603 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: just gonna start calling here, because a bear is coming 604 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: in expecting a meal, and they can be aggressive predators, 605 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 1: so you should have your gun loaded, you should be ready, 606 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: you should be watching and paying attention, and also have 607 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: something against your back so they can't sneak up on you. 608 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: I don't know how many times I've called, called, called, called, called, 609 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: Think nothing's there, turned and look and there's a bear 610 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 1: ten twelve feet away. I mean I've had bears walk 611 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: up right there. I actually had one one time. I 612 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: was calling set up, had a big rock behind me, 613 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: and I kind of hear a little bit of wrestling, 614 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: and maybe six seven ft away is this bear standing 615 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: on its hind legs looking down at me. I mean, 616 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 1: they walk in so silent, so quiet, So you just 617 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 1: really have to be on edge, paying attention and really, 618 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: you know, be smart about calling. Although black bears tend 619 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: to not be aggressive, there is always that off chance 620 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 1: that you could do something stupid and have one become aggressive, 621 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: especially if it's got cubs and comes in or whatever. 622 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure at this point, with everything going on a 623 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 1: lot of you're feeling pretty cooped up right now. I 624 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 1: know I definitely am. I actually somehow got sick while 625 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: pretty much avoiding everybody, so I don't even know what's 626 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: going on. But um, yeah, you're just kind of ready 627 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: to get out and do some hunting. But I really 628 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: hope that this bear hunting episodes, this two part deal 629 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: helped a few people out because I did get a 630 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 1: ton of questions about it, and I thought, okay, this 631 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: would be a good thing to take a little bit 632 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: of time and talk about. Now, if there's something that 633 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: you didn't understand or I don't know, maybe you want 634 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: more information, more specifics on you know, feel free to 635 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Remy at the meat Eater 636 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 1: dot com, at Remy Warrant on Instagram. Probably the emails, 637 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: you know, we do a lot for the podcast and 638 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: then as well as the Instagram. I kind of take 639 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,640 Speaker 1: from both. So next week we're gonna do another Q 640 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: and A. So if you've got any other questions on 641 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: spring stuff, whatever, hunting tactics, shoot me messages this week 642 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 1: and we'll try to get as many answered as we 643 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: can next week. Label it if it's like a hunting 644 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: tip that you want to know, maybe a gear stuff, 645 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: we'll do some gear stuff in the subject. Just let 646 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: me know, kind of break it down into category. We 647 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 1: also had a little category we called life advice or whatever. 648 00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: Any kind of just random questions that might be fun 649 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: or need to answer. Those are cool too, so reach 650 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: out shoot me some messages. Also, while we're all quarantined, 651 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: and everybody is kind of like in this weird holding 652 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: pattern and we're whatever. We don't know what's going on. 653 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: If there's people that you know that might enjoy this podcast, 654 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: share it with them. If you listen and you don't subscribe, 655 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,720 Speaker 1: please just click the subscribe button or the follow button 656 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: on whatever kind of podcast app you listen to. We 657 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: appreciate that. And if you haven't given us a reviewer 658 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 1: rating and you like the content that's getting pumped out, 659 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: please jump on there and do that. I honestly really 660 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,800 Speaker 1: appreciate all the messages and the responses and the ratings 661 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: and all that stuff that that means a lot to me. 662 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 1: So it keeps me excited to do it, and I'm 663 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:46,000 Speaker 1: just hope that, honestly, you get something out of it. 664 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: Everybody that listens gets gets something. And maybe you weren't 665 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: a guy that's gonna go bear hunting this spring, that's okay. 666 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 1: You can take some of these tactics into other types 667 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,280 Speaker 1: of hunts and hopefully some of the stories are entertaining 668 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,280 Speaker 1: as well. But if there's things you want to know about, 669 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,760 Speaker 1: shoot me some ideas, some questions, whatever. We're gonna answer 670 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: some questions next week and until then, I gotta use 671 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 1: the same as yet don't cut the distance to each other. 672 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 1: We guess we gotta stay separated and I don't even know. 673 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: Crazy times, friends, crazy times. But we're gonna get through it, 674 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 1: and we're gonna have some pretty awesome, exciting outdoor adventures 675 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: in the months to come. Catch you later