Blacks for bear

[Bighorse]

Last year I took a Black Bear on Kuiu. On inspection of the trophy photo I realized I was wearing all black clothing. I mean solid black. I kept creeping up an open flat estuary all the way to the back on my hands and knees thinking I'll never get close to the bear. I wasn't thinking about my clothing just the wind. The wind was right but still his visual of me was perfect and I wasn't concealed. I closed the gap to about 75 yrds. I suspect it was because I was wearing all black and creeping in on my hands and knees.

Has anyone tried this approach before? All black clothing with the right wind.

Maybe a big male bear seeing a smaller black bear doesn't care.

I figure this is a good topic considering many of us will be doing the sping bear thing soon.

 

[LuJon]

Last year I took a Black Bear on Kuiu. On inspection of the trophy photo I realized I was wearing all black clothing. I mean solid black. I kept creeping up an open flat estuary all the way to the back on my hands and knees thinking I'll never get close to the bear. I wasn't thinking about my clothing just the wind. The wind was right but still his visual of me was perfect and I wasn't concealed. I closed the gap to about 75 yrds. I suspect it was because I was wearing all black and creeping in on my hands and knees.

Has anyone tried this approach before? All black clothing with the right wind.

Maybe a big male bear seeing a smaller black bear doesn't care.

I figure this is a good topic considering many of us will be doing the sping bear thing soon.

Very interesting topic! I plan on going after em with whites in the sheep hills next chance I get. I have been stalked up in the chugach range while wearing whites before.

 

[pike_palace]

It's certainly possible. I think Bears rely on their nose more so than their eyesight so it's possible he was not concerned about you since his nose could not accurately identify you.

Pictures of this bear?

 

[CGSwimmer25]

In 2009 I was stalking a bear on a sandy area in Cordova wearing all black raingear. He cut up into the mountain and out of sight in the thick stuff so I decided to close the distance and see if I could get a clear shot as he headed up the hill. When I approached the area where he had cut into the brush I saw the trees moving only about 75-100 yards away so I immediately started getting ready for a possible shot. At that point I assume I had been making a bit of noise with all the excitement and the bear had obviously noticed it as I could see him move to a more open position on the hill trying to see what was down on the beach. When he saw me he began popping his jaws and pushing brush around in a very aggresive manner. I was alone at the time and was afraid of being charged, so I backed up to give myself more time to shoot if he did come down off the hill after me. At that time he cotinunued lumbering along through until he was gone, not giving me a clear opportunity. I know nothing about bear behavior, but at the time I just got the impression he though I was a smaller bear and was basically telling me to back off or I was going to get my butt whipped!! Who knows, but I am looking forward to spring blackies here in a few months!! Good luck there Bighorse

 

[pike_palace]

Very interesting topic! I plan on going after em with whites in the sheep hills next chance I get. I have been stalked up in the chugach range while wearing whites before.

I've used the whites in the Brooks Range. Got us to just barely in gun range of a legal Ram and we got him. Def. worth the effort to take them.

 

[jim in anchorage]

Last year I took a Black Bear on Kuiu. On inspection of the trophy photo I realized I was wearing all black clothing. I mean solid black. I kept creeping up an open flat estuary all the way to the back on my hands and knees thinking I'll never get close to the bear. I wasn't thinking about my clothing just the wind. The wind was right but still his visual of me was perfect and I wasn't concealed. I closed the gap to about 75 yrds. I suspect it was because I was wearing all black and creeping in on my hands and knees.

Has anyone tried this approach before? All black clothing with the right wind.

Maybe a big male bear seeing a smaller black bear doesn't care.

I figure this is a good topic considering many of us will be doing the sping bear thing soon.

I would definitely make sure there were no other hunters in the area.

 

[goaty]

Jim has a great point. Last year I saw something black in a blue berry patch. I giggled to myself as I approached because the set up was perfect and I knew it was probably a done deal. Unfortuantely, it was a man. But his skull still looks great on my mantle and he squared 6'4"...pretty good for a man. (they are some stinky bast @rD$ though)

 

[FurFishGame]

I would definitely make sure there were no other hunters in the area.

I was wearing brown once, stalking a moose, and when I poped up to see if I could move to my left a little cause teh wind was shifting, and I saw 2 hunters with thier guns on me....now I wear drab green with a red hat.

 

[tyrex13]

Jim has a great point. Last year I saw something black in a blue berry patch. I giggled to myself as I approached because the set up was perfect and I knew it was probably a done deal. Unfortuantely, it was a man. But his skull still looks great on my mantle and he squared 6'4"...pretty good for a man. (they are some stinky bast @rD$ though)

I hear the meats pretty good when they're in the berrys, how was it?

 

[Bighorse]

photo

photo



I posted it before but since you asked.

Your right about other hunters for sure. There was a tragic case of a hiker getting killed in WA a year or two ago that was confused for a bear.

I think on the remote western side kuiu that I could pull it off without too much risk of other hunters. I would hope in this situation they would be wanting to shoot the big bear vs. me.

I'm thinking open flats here with low grasses and little concealment. Sometimes those esuaries are very deep.

 

[jim in anchorage]

I was wearing brown once, stalking a moose, and when I poped up to see if I could move to my left a little cause teh wind was shifting, and I saw 2 hunters with thier guns on me....now I wear drab green with a red hat.

Yeah never assume there's no one else around. I was almost killed once by the lowest form of life in the woods-a sound shooter. Scarey how different the report of a gun sounds when it's almost pointing right at you.

 

[FurFishGame]

Yeah never assume there's no one else around. I was almost killed once by the lowest form of life in the woods-a sound shooter. Scarey how different the report of a gun sounds when it's almost pointing right at you.

I know, it was a week day, late in the morning, There wasn't any cars or anything, so i figured I was safe, I couldn't even hardly walk the mile back to my 4 wheeler or hold my gun.

 

[AlaskaTrueAdventure]

Black 4 Blacks...
Jim Shockey wears black pants and shirts, saying his black camo helps him hunt black bears. But I notice on TV thst his celibrity hunters continue to wear traditional camo. With black bears, I do not believe that blacks or traditional camo will make much difference. It they see movement, that will make a difference. It they smell you, that will create an immediate difference, as in "the bear went over the mountain".
AlaskaTrueAdventure/Dennis

 

[strangerinastrangeland]

A very good idea.

Thank you.

 

[Roland on the River]

Back in the 60's in my home state of N.H. I decided to go Black Bear hunting on the opener Sept.1st as a scouting trip for Deer.
I knew of an old abandoned apple orchard so l hiked in about a mile to the location. Saw some sign so I sat and waited.
Oh my gosh, aBear. So glad I did.nt look thue my scope as I saw the "black thing " approaching. Lo and behold it stude up "a man" wearing a Navy black "pea jacket" I gave him some choice words and he apologized.
Less than 2 weeks later a hunter was killed in Vermont by someone too anxious.
Never, and I mean NEVER point your gun and try to identify using your riflescope. IS THERE SPELL CHECK ON THE FORUM ? guess it's too early as I can't remember how to spell "stude" like stand up.

 

[Roland on the River]

OK, that 2nd cup of coffee did it." HE STOOD UP"

 

[Bighorse]

It's alright, if Jack London could sell great literature by miss spelling to infer accent your just fine.

I'm not looking to get shot here guys. Just get closer. Please consider in this circumstance I've been in a remote location for a long time and have enough savy to identify if other bear hunters are in the area.

Heck, humans are easier to find than the bears.

 

[johnnycake]

yeah.....having been shot in the thigh before for not wearing orange while hunting......I'll pass on that one.

 

[FurFishGame]

It's alright, if Jack London could sell great literature by miss spelling to infer accent your just fine.

I'm not looking to get shot here guys. Just get closer. Please consider in this circumstance I've been in a remote location for a long time and have enough savy to identify if other bear hunters are in the area.

Heck, humans are easier to find than the bears.

What about if they fly or boat or hike in that same day, and you don't know they are there, and they don't have a whole lot of common sence and they see you out of the corner of thier eye and open up with a scattergun, there ain't much gettin away from that.

 

[Snowman1979]

Black bears sight is not all that great as they are near sighted. I was walking down a trail on a flat over in Cordova once and was able to run to within a hundred yards of a blackie on the hill side. He was feeding on blue berries and I rested on my back on my pack for a shot. Unfortunatley he ambled in and out of the brush and never gave me a shot. I was wearing standard camo at the time.
One thing to think about when trying to appear like an animal. Most have some kind of predator that feeds on them. Big brown things love to munch little black things and they have pretty good eyesight. So care a brown bear tag to just in case.