Early Bear

[the blur]

Early Bear season !!   With Rifle in September !!!

Are there really that many bears ?

[hunter]

No but we never seem to take enough because success rate is low.

[ATbuckhunter]

I hear that the catskills has some of the highest densities in NY for bear. I may get out and try it this or next year. 

[Two Track]

There is one that has been spotted a couple times recently in my town, of course I can't shoot it here.  a few miles down the road is huntable state land - no firearms until after Nov.1 there.  The piece closest to town is a archery only zone.  So it will be awhile before we can take a crack at him.

 

My daughter spotted another bear a couple towns over when she went to put in volunteer hours at a riding stable.  Not  sure if that one was close to an area that is open to me to hunt.

 

So there are at least 2 in my county that have been spotted over the past two weeks.

 

 

 

edit to cleanup mis-typings. Working with one hand down - yellow jackets nailed my dominant hand last night.  everything is taking longer to do.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Two Track

[GreeneHunter]

Greene County has had an uptick in the numbers these last few years !

[Doc]

It seems weird that some of these counties have a couple of bears wandering around the entire county, and they have an open season on them. Are they trying to eliminate them from spreading throughout NY? I always thought there had to be a surplus or some negative impact to critters before allowing hunting them. I am all for new hunting opportunities, but it seems it would be better to have populations established before opening a season on them.

[thphm]

Every year I would have 1 or 2 come threw or hang around for some time on the property, first hitting the bird feeders then looking for other food sources. I have not seen or had any trail camera pictures for 2 years.Do not need an early season here.

I guess the bee keeper eliminated them all.

[bowhunter]

This bear hunt is going to ruin the bow season, there will be way to much activity in the woods and it will affect  the deer. I can't believe it is a 10 year plan.

[BizCT]

Every year I hope to see one in Putnam county, but haven't yet. I think 0-2 get taken each year in putnam

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[Dorsilfin]

I heard about the early bear season over the weekend.   This great news for me in the catskills.  I have more bear around my property then deer and last year the week before bow season opened, all the food ran out locally on the property and the bears vanished to another part of the mountain.   This is going to give me a huge window to take a bear and I hope that one of the regular bears will present me with the opportunity to take one.

[Doc]

This bear hunt is going to ruin the bow season, there will be way to much activity in the woods and it will affect  the deer. I can't believe it is a 10 year plan.

Really? Do you really think there will be that many guys out there? Maybe it depends on where you live, but here in Ontario County, I will guarantee that I will never see a bear hunter even on state land. Oh, maybe the first year or two until they realize how totally unrealistic it is to go out hunting specifically for bears only. I imagine that most places will see more pressure from small game hunters than bear hunters......unless guys start sneaking bait out there and setting up illegal operations .... lol.

[skeets716]

A lot of bear sightings along Little John Road in NE Oswego County.  They've been trying to break into camps and have torn apart a couple of outhouses.  Will be interesting to see if I run into one this year.  Not sure I would shoot one, not a fan of the meat and the rugs are awful pricey to have done.

[NFA-ADK]

Yea I am not very happy with some orange gun hunters while I am in full camo and a bow.  Not sure why they overlap these seasons.  Just not a wise idea.  But I agree Doc, it is usually small game hunters that give me some issues.  O well, still fun just to get out in the woods, just hope I do not have to run for cover again.

[the blur]

They get $1700 for a Canadian bear hunt over bait. And out west, it cost big money too. Just the tag is big bucks, never mind the outfitter. And in NY, it's basically free, but the odds of it happening are not too high.

Edited August 5, 2014 by the blur

[turkeyfeathers]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html#Black

[jrm]

They get $1700 for a Canadian beer hunt over bait.

 

 

I know Canadian's like their beer, but $1700 sounds steep for a few cases of Molson.

 

 

 

-sorry - couldn't resist. Don't you just love auto-correct?

[mbucks27]

i get more bears than bucks on my cameras in 4r. Not really interested in shooting one this year but im going to take a buddy out and set him up in a good spot and film for him. Have a real good watering hole that they visit every 2 days or so. Just hope one shows up. I saw 3 different bears in one day during turkey season in the same area also. I don't think there will be that many guys out that it will affect bow season too much.

 

John

[growalot]

 

all the food ran out locally on the property and the bears vanished to another part of the mountain.

 

That's because of all those wondering goats...lol

[d-bone20917]

Early Bear season !!   With Rifle in September !!!

Are there really that many bears ?

 

What units are you concerned about?  This has been the case in the northern zone for quite a while.  

[WestchesterBowman]

i get more bears than bucks on my cameras in 4r. Not really interested in shooting one this year but im going to take a buddy out and set him up in a good spot and film for him. Have a real good watering hole that they visit every 2 days or so. Just hope one shows up. I saw 3 different bears in one day during turkey season in the same area also. I don't think there will be that many guys out that it will affect bow season too much.

 

John

 

We are in 4R as well. Same deal, more bears and coyotes then bucks. Last year,  two weeks before bow season, I walked just a few feet from a huge bear that was bedded down in the pines. Had it been 2014 he'd be a dead bear. But I had to just watch him walk away last year. I never saw him until he popped up. Amazing that such a large animal could blend in so well and you could walk RIGHT past him. 

Edited August 5, 2014 by WestchesterBowman

[WestchesterBowman]

 

Hope to see you soon

[Doc]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html#Black

So if I understand it correctly, the new September "early bear season" in the southern zone only applies to a few WMUs over in a parts of region 3 and 4 (Catskills). I thought it was for the entire southern zone. I'm not sure where I got that idea, but it was wrong.

 

Thanks for the link and the clarification.

[Two Track]

The two bears I mentioned were seen by my daughter and  my wife's friend who lives a few blocks away.

 

There are on average 6  taken in the closest state forest land to my house

 and few more taken in another town about an hour away.

 

I have to clean up the yard when it gets llight as the local bear is back made quite a mess.   My  inlaws put out trash with rotisseri chicken left-overs in it and we grilled steak last night.  Not sure which smell attracted it. but it dined on the leftover chicken parts.

 

We just came home from bringing my son back from Harvard summer classes last night. He woke up and decided to take something outside at 3:30am.  He saw the trash can laying down with a large black shadow over the can behind my black suv.

"Oh crap that is bear" is what he said his reaction was.  So my son came to wake me up. 

 

Dog is awake and never alerted us.  Just sctached and whined to get in our room to take over part of the bed to sleep. Barks at every squirrel, cat, and dog, and kid who decides to take short-cut across our yard Tries to get the deer to play with her.  Bear - not a peep.

 

We observered the bear for a bit.  My son is saying that it has a huge mouth and paws, and stated "I don't want to drag that out of the woods, don't think I would be much help."

 

Will check to see if got a decent pic to post later.

 

If i see it in the woods,  I want to take this bear down.  Never hunted bear intentionly, but plan on packing a couple slugs when squirrel hunting with the shotgun or will take the rifle out instead.

 

[BizCT]

Hope to see you soon

Westchester bear?

[Two Track]

 

Here is the bear in my yard/driveway in Orange County from Sunday morning:

 

Picture was taken from a window above.  I was not going out at 5:00 am on a Sunday to take the picture.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Two Track