newbie bear hunting tips- what do i need to know

[bdaybuck]

Hey folks,
I am a long time deer bow hunter and have never gone after a bear. Now i have access to the north Georgia woods that has a bear population in what we call mountains. Looking for tips of how to even start the scouting process and how to hunt these animals. In Georgia, we cannot bait for bear. I will be hunting public land as well.

What strings on the forum would you suggest i read?
Any videos or books you would recommend?

What tips do you wish you had as a rookie bear hunter?

Thanks in advance for the tips.

[218er]

Check out the bear hunting magazines podcast. There are a lot of talks with a lot of eastern mountain men. I’ve heard of hunting ridges and food sources. That’s basically how people hunt bears out west spot and stalk.

[bdaybuck]

Thanks for the recommendation. I found this link upon your referral https://sportsmensnation.com/podcasters ... ne-podcast .

Our mountains are thick with tree cover and under brush, so the spot and stalk is out for this area.

[brancher147]

I have killed a few bears in the mountains without bait mostly with a gun but got one with my bow last year. You have got to find the food (usually acorns or hickory nuts here) and find fresh bear sign (scat, tracks and trails, beds). I like to still hunt and stalk because bears cover a lot of ground and are unpredictable. If your woods are too thick then I guess you will just have to sit a crossing and wait. If it’s hot you could look for a wallow or waterhole. Other than that I would hunt terrain feature funnels with lots of bear sign. If you can find a well used trail like this then you should setup on it.

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[bdaybuck]

Thanks. Headed out in the morning to scout. The woods are packed with rhododendron and mountain laurel. It’s thick. Hickory nuts are starting to fall though and could be sign related to those.