American black bears live only in North America. These familiar bruins are primarily woodland animals, occupying forests as far north as forests grow in Alaska and Canada and as far south as Florida and northern Mexico.
As a kid I was raised hunting in treestands. As time progressed they invented tri-pods and elevated hunting box blinds. And now they have pop-up hunting blinds that are portable. Last week I got a Browning Phantom pop-up blind and took it bear hunting. It's sweet.
Black bears are one of the most regal animals to roam the wilds of North America. They are also one of the most widespread, with huntable populations stretching from coast to coast in Canada and most of the contiguous 48 United States, plus Alaska. Having said that, black bears are not always black. If you're looking to add a bear to your trophy room that sports a coat of a different color, here's what you need to know.
If you've found a good bear hunting location, the next step would be to consider bait. Bears may favor caviar but it is doubtful if you have an endless supply of caviar so the real question is, what food source do you have available?
There is certainly no shortage of black bears in my home province of Ontario, and I have hunted them a couple of times and even managed to bag a decent one a few years back.
I love bear hunting. I used to take a lot of kids and Ed Sweet, the host of Kid Outdoors, would film them. Then I'd go write articles on the hunts. On a normal bear season we'd take kids after school and sometimes hunt every other night until 1 a.m. and then get up at 4:30 a.m. to go to work. By the end of season, I'd be fried.
Whether you hunt them in spring on a trip to a Canada or during fall in the U.S., the black bears are among the most fascinating of all big game animals. They can be pursued in a wide variety of ways, from driving to glassing and stalking, still hunting to chasing with hounds, floating rivers to watching bait. The pelt makes a great addition to any den or living room, and a bear shoulder mount on the wall is always a rich conversation piece. To top it off, bear meat is delicious — like a combination of rich beef and pork, but tastier than either of those domestic meats.
My brother-in-law and the kids came out to visit us in Idaho one year. While here, my 16 year old nephew Monty said, "Uncle Tom, could I come out bear hunting?" I said sure. To make a long story short, he missed a big one.
