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Planning Your Bear Hunt
As with any hunting trip, one of the first hurdles
to overcome is determining where you are going to hunt. A bear-hunting
permit will allow the hunter to hunt on either public or private land.
However, hunters must first obtain permission from the landowner
prior to hunting on private land. Once the Department has
notified you that you were selected in the random drawing, it is time to
choose a hunting area and begin scouting. Private landowners are often
the best source of information while scouting a place to hunt. Private
landowners can often clue you in to daily or periodic movements of
bears, location of natural food sources and cover, and provide
additional important information about the lay of the land. Increased
scouting of your hunting area will greatly increase your chances of
attaching your field tag to a bear.
Bear Habits
Based on their life requirements and habits,
wildlife will occupy certain types of habitat at various times of the
year. Black bears are creatures of habit that obey the demands of their
stomachs. Because they must prepare for months of inactivity and no
feeding during winter hibernation, bears will spend the majority of
their waking hours feeding, especially during the fall of the year.
Food
Being opportunistic, black bears will eat almost
anything edible and will generally concentrate on areas of food
abundance. In October, bears in western Maryland may concentrate on
stands of mature hardwood trees including oak, beech, and hickory which
produce an abundance of hard mast or nuts. They also enjoy fruits
including black cherry, apples, Aralia (devil’s walking stick), pokeweed
and others. In areas of agriculture, bears will feed heavily on field
and sweet corn. Woods that border a planted cornfield may provide great
hunting potential considering that the forest will provide cover and
travel routes for bears. Make note of available food sources while
scouting and use that information to your advantage come hunting season.
Water
Like all living things, bears require a source of
water. Because of their size, bears cannot rely solely on the moisture
content of their food for proper hydration. They must have a stream,
pond, or other abundant source of drinking water. Therefore, good
hunting spots may be located along a travel route to a water source or
overlooking the source itself.
Cover
Bears spend most of their lives as solitary animals
and require cover to feel secure and protected from threats such as
people, dogs, competing bears, etc. Bears typically prefer areas of
dense cover such as mountain laurel and rhododendron thickets where they
can move safely. They may also use young clear-cuts, pine, and hemlock
stands, and other dense vegetation for cover. Good cover surrounded by
bodies of water can be especially productive bear habitat. Areas such
as upland bogs, alder thickets, and swamps may provide all of a bear’s
major life requirements (food, water, and cover) in one location making
them great choices for the bear hunter.
Suburbia
The opportunistic nature of bears is part of the
reason they often appear in residential areas or other locations
frequented by people. Again, following the dictates of their stomach,
bears are often drawn to garbage cans, bird feeders, pet food, compost
piles, gardens, bee yards, and other backyard fixtures. The bear hunter
should not overlook huntable properties adjacent to suburban areas that
experience persistent bear problems. Some wild things require pristine
wilderness sites far from human disturbances. Bears are not in this
category. Like white tailed deer, bears have learn
If you choose to hunt near residential areas, be
sure to respect legal safety zones. Also, when hunting private property,
be sure that you have obtained written permission from the landowner.
Remember, pre-season scouting is essential for successful hunting.
Meeting a private landowner and developing a good relationship prior to
the hunting season can be just as important as locating a watering hole,
bedding area, or prime feeding site.
Travel Zones
Bears are traveling animals and the population in
Maryland is best described as regional. Tagged animals from
Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia have all been recovered in
Maryland. Likewise, Maryland bears have turned up in neighboring states
as well. The home range of a bear varies depending on a variety of
factors but, generally speaking, bears in Maryland will occupy a home
range of between 13 and 50 square miles and may travel many miles in one
day. Like humans, bears prefer to travel paths of least resistance.
Within a tract of forest, a bear is more likely to travel a trail or
dirt road than to bushwhack cross-country. Therefore, a trail linking a
water hole to protective cover or a food source such as a cornfield or
oak stand would be an ideal location to place a hunting stand. River and
stream corridors are also favored especially in open areas since they
are often banked with trees, shrubs and other cover.
Bear Sign
Owing to their size and habits, bears will often leave abundant sign in
areas that they frequent. Scat or droppings, claw marks on trees, and
footprints or tracks can help clue a hunter in as to the patterns and
activities of bears.
Scat
An analysis of bear scat can tell a
hunter several things about the animal that left it. First of all, it is
an indication that a bear has been there. During the fall feeding
frenzy, a bear may defecate 5 to 15 times a day resulting in an
abundance of scat. Scat can be in the form of piles or logs, the size of
which may give a clue as to the size of the bear. Small bears may
generate logs comparable in diameter to a D-size battery whereas a
really large bear may produce scat of the diameter of a soda can.
Scat content can help guide a hunter to the feeding
site of a bear. Bears that frequent cornfields will generate yellowish
scat laden with corn kernels. Bears feeding heavily on berries will
leave berry scat. Scat that contains plastic wrappers and garbage
indicate a bear that has been finding a source of residential trash.
Animal hair, seeds, and other indigestible items will travel through a
bear’s digestive system and be left behind in the scat. Since their
stomach guides their habits, scat analysis can be an invaluable guide to
the bear hunter.
Tracks
Bears have a characteristic track that is not easily confused with other
animals. Because they are the largest animal in the woods they leave the
largest track. Like humans, bears have plantigrade feet meaning their
heel and toes both make contact with the ground. Unlike most mammals in
the woods, bears have 5 distinct toes. The front feet make a track that
resembles a human hand with short, stubby fingers and the hind feet show
the same sort of fingers attached to a long heel. The toes may, or may
not, show the claws. A 200 lb bear will make a track approximately 4
inches wide. Like scat, big bears make big tracks.|
Tree Scratches
Bear paws are well equipped with large, sturdy claws used for climbing,
digging or tearing. Sometimes bears will leave scratch marks 6-8 feet
high on trees as a sign to other bears that the territory is occupied
and defended. Other times, while scaling trees for food, bears will
inadvertently leave scratch marks. Fresh tree scratches may help the
hunter better understand the activities of local bears.
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