10 Fall Black Bear Hunting Tips
Fall big game seasons begin with black bears
By Tom Ryle/WDFW
Washington’s fall black bear hunting season just opened on Aug. 1 and runs through Nov. 15. For many big game hunters, bears are something of a mystery, but following these go-to tips can help put a bruin in your sights this fall.
- First, consult the regulations
In Washington, there are a few restricted game management units (GMUs) and a required bear identification test to complete before hunting in certain GMUs. It’s your responsibility to know and abide by the black bear hunting regulations.
This bear was spotted searching for food along this timbered treeline. (Eric Siverson)
Finding fresh tracks after a rain is an indication that a bear is likely nearby. You can also discern the relative size of a bear, if it’s a single bear or if the track is accompanied by smaller cub tracks. (Tom Ryle/WDFW)
Bears are opportunistic feeders and can be found on open hillsides flipping over rocks, digging to find insects, and munching on greens. (WDFW)
- Focus on food
Bears have essentially one laborious job to perform day in and day out: eat. Let this fact guide your search. Black bears feed throughout the day and will consume a variety of food sources including insects, grasses, skunk cabbage roots, nuts, fruit, carrion, and most notably as of this writing — berries! Find ripe blueberry, salmonberry, huckleberry, or blackberry patches, and you’ll likely find a bear. Key places to search are open alpine hillsides, clear cuts, creek bottoms, riparian zones, and along logging roads adjacent to clear cuts, where blackberries thrive in the summer sunlight.
- Invest in optics
Unless they are actively feeding, black bears tend to be moving constantly in search of food. Spend time watching clear cuts early and late in the day, searching for black blobs that appear out of place or to be moving. Quality optics and a tripod are required gear.
- Calling all bears
Black bears can be called into view using distress calls simulating an injured rabbit, fawn, or elk calf. There are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating these sounds and how bears typically respond. Use caution if using this technique; consider employing this approach with two people for safety reasons. When calling carnivores, you are communicating that there is an easy meal at your location. Naturally, this tactic can create a dangerous scenario if a bear approaches quickly or gets too close.
Blackberries. (Tom Ryle/WDFW)
Black bears are not always black as evidenced by this cinnamon color phase bear. (WDFW)
Getting meat cooled quickly and keeping it cold during transport are critically important aspects of any hunt. Plan for success by taking coolers and ice so you aren’t having to drive to find ice after hours, which is very difficult in remote locations. (Tom Ryle/WDFW)
This hunter is all smiles after harvesting his first fall black bear. (Curtis Petty)
