@jayder1985 im in the NRV... got sign of a real big one on some private I hunt in Christiansburg but it's so darn thick I don't think I could see him, it's literally 8 or 10 foot high 20 year.old clear cuts mostly, he's been in there tearing down all the autumn olives, some bush with red berries and the pokeberries, 2 piles of scat size of dinner plate about a week apart in the same spot... was a 400+ pounder out there a decade or so ago... will probably take a day and creep around national forest above Blacksburg and try to find one!
@@jayder1985@jayder1985 im in the NRV... got sign of a real big one on some private I hunt in Christiansburg but it's so darn thick I don't think I could see him, it's literally 8 or 10 foot high 20 year.old clear cuts mostly, he's been in there tearing down all the autumn olives, some bush with red berries and the pokeberries, 2 piles of scat size of dinner plate about a week apart in the same spot... was a 400+ pounder out there a decade or so ago... will probably take a day and creep around national forest above Blacksburg and try to find one!
@@jayder1985@jayder1985 im in the NRV... got sign of a real big one on some private I hunt in Christiansburg but it's so darn thick I don't think I could see him, it's literally 8 or 10 foot high 20 year.old clear cuts mostly, he's been in there tearing down all the autumn olives, some bush with red berries and the pokeberries, 2 piles of scat size of dinner plate about a week apart in the same spot... was a 400+ pounder out there a decade or so ago... will probably take a day and creep around national forest above Blacksburg and try to find one!
I've been first time bear hunting the last week and a half in Colorado. I have found scat and tracks but nothing newer than a few days old. The cover in my unit is super thick and it's a mast year for acorns so they don't have to move around a lot. I am at a loss to how to actually see one at this point. I'll check out the literature you mentioned. We can't use bait, dogs, remote cameras, or night vision equipment. No wonder only 7-8% of bear tags are filled in this state.
Hey man, it sounds like you’re in a great spot! I’ll be in Colorado at the end of the month. I’d try to find the freshest scat you can, if you notice that there is numerous piles of fresh scat under a certain tree then that’s the tree or trees that they prefer. Sometimes you actually see multiple piles of scat with in a 20’ to 30’ stretch on a path & that is actually where I like to focus my attention when I’m seeing a lot of acorns and scat. Keep me posted on how your season progresses. Our early firearms three day season opens today so I’ll be out this evening trying to get one as well.
My apologies for the late response. I don’t know the exact number, but I’ll try to do some research and find out but I’d be willing to bet that most bears in VA are killed during a gun season with hounds.
Great video! I just got done watching the video you posted 9 months ago. I’m really hoping I can drop a NH black ear when I get back from this deployment. Would you recommend a .44mag Lever Action as a decent bear gun (with the right ammo)?
Thank you for your service and I hope you can make it happen in NH! I actually own a 44mag and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for a bear. I probably wouldn’t be taking a shot out past 100yards, but I’m sure your shots will be much closer anyway. So yes, take your 44mag out and put it to work!
yes!!!! i have taken 3 bears with 44 henry all weather. regular 240 grain loads will work but check out the underwood ammo 305 grain loads. they are real thumpers. i shot a 500 pound bear at 55 yards. went bout 40 yards and expired. did you get one with it?
Come on! That’s a loaded question! Haha I do my best to get out and look around a month or so before the season starts. Another good time to scout for bears is towards the end of spring turkey season because sows are coming into heat. We saw several bears this spring and that is where I will be this fall.
Before I answer your question, I want to be clear that I am not against hunting with hounds. Hunting with hounds is currently not on my radar, but I’m sure if I was going with the right group of hunters that I would have a blast and end up with a hound on my couch laying beside my doodle dog, a dog box in the bed of my truck and a nifty hound sticker in the back window. Now, it is not that big of a deal to me if hounds come in once I’m already out and hunting. I say now because not too long ago I would’ve packed up and left due to hounds being within ear shot of me, but now I just stay and hangout. I have actually met some houndsmen in the woods and they were super nice and actually suggested me to stay. Their idea and mine is that if the bear or bears are being pushed by dogs that they may come right by you or you could possibly cut them off. During Tennessee’s early bear season I had a group of hounds come in above me at almost dark, I had been listening to them slowly getting closer for almost an hour. I left at dark and they were still in there sounding off, when I got to my truck a group of houndsmen were also parked there waiting around on their dogs. They told me that they wished I had cut the bear off and tried to get a shot on it. So, going forward, if hounds are in the woods with me I’m actually going to move towards them, because that’s obviously where one bear is, but if there are trucks with dog boxes in the back parked at where I want to go I will simply get on OnX and find a new spot to go! I hope this helps! P.S. - Bear hunting without hounds is a marathon, not a sprint, keep getting in the woods, look for fresh sign and have a good time.
@@blueridgehunters Thank you for the quick reply! This past week I have been out a lot, and found hounds/dog boxes to be unavoidable. Finally, I said heck with it and went into an area anyway despite hearing hounds. I figured I'd like to talk to them either way to see their opinion on potentially shooting a bear that their hounds were on. I also wanted to ask how large of an area hounds can cover, and just overall how to interact with the fact that hounds are in the woods. I ended up not meeting anyone but followed tracks up a heck of a mountain top through some good looking area. I feel as though my experience aligns with your stance on the matter as well. Thanks!!
I’m glad you stuck with it and went anyway! Since I’m not a hound hunter I can’t give you a great answer on how far they travel, but I can say I met some hunters who were going in the mountain to get their dogs at dark and they were 7 miles from where they turn them out that morning.
Gonna try to harvest my first ever this year during the early rifle in Va... we shall see! Thanks for the info
What part of the state are you in? I hunt Dickenson County.
@jayder1985 im in the NRV... got sign of a real big one on some private I hunt in Christiansburg but it's so darn thick I don't think I could see him, it's literally 8 or 10 foot high 20 year.old clear cuts mostly, he's been in there tearing down all the autumn olives, some bush with red berries and the pokeberries, 2 piles of scat size of dinner plate about a week apart in the same spot... was a 400+ pounder out there a decade or so ago... will probably take a day and creep around national forest above Blacksburg and try to find one!
@@jayder1985@jayder1985 im in the NRV... got sign of a real big one on some private I hunt in Christiansburg but it's so darn thick I don't think I could see him, it's literally 8 or 10 foot high 20 year.old clear cuts mostly, he's been in there tearing down all the autumn olives, some bush with red berries and the pokeberries, 2 piles of scat size of dinner plate about a week apart in the same spot... was a 400+ pounder out there a decade or so ago... will probably take a day and creep around national forest above Blacksburg and try to find one!
@@jayder1985@jayder1985 im in the NRV... got sign of a real big one on some private I hunt in Christiansburg but it's so darn thick I don't think I could see him, it's literally 8 or 10 foot high 20 year.old clear cuts mostly, he's been in there tearing down all the autumn olives, some bush with red berries and the pokeberries, 2 piles of scat size of dinner plate about a week apart in the same spot... was a 400+ pounder out there a decade or so ago... will probably take a day and creep around national forest above Blacksburg and try to find one!
I've been first time bear hunting the last week and a half in Colorado. I have found scat and tracks but nothing newer than a few days old. The cover in my unit is super thick and it's a mast year for acorns so they don't have to move around a lot. I am at a loss to how to actually see one at this point. I'll check out the literature you mentioned. We can't use bait, dogs, remote cameras, or night vision equipment. No wonder only 7-8% of bear tags are filled in this state.
Hey man, it sounds like you’re in a great spot! I’ll be in Colorado at the end of the month.
I’d try to find the freshest scat you can, if you notice that there is numerous piles of fresh scat under a certain tree then that’s the tree or trees that they prefer. Sometimes you actually see multiple piles of scat with in a 20’ to 30’ stretch on a path & that is actually where I like to focus my attention when I’m seeing a lot of acorns and scat. Keep me posted on how your season progresses.
Our early firearms three day season opens today so I’ll be out this evening trying to get one as well.
Do you think most bears that are harvested in Virginia are during firearms season? Or is it likely during archery season?
My apologies for the late response. I don’t know the exact number, but I’ll try to do some research and find out but I’d be willing to bet that most bears in VA are killed during a gun season with hounds.
Awesome video I’d love to harvest a bear this year!
You should!
Great video! I just got done watching the video you posted 9 months ago. I’m really hoping I can drop a NH black ear when I get back from this deployment.
Would you recommend a .44mag Lever Action as a decent bear gun (with the right ammo)?
Thank you for your service and I hope you can make it happen in NH!
I actually own a 44mag and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for a bear. I probably wouldn’t be taking a shot out past 100yards, but I’m sure your shots will be much closer anyway. So yes, take your 44mag out and put it to work!
yes!!!! i have taken 3 bears with 44 henry all weather. regular 240 grain loads will work but check out the underwood ammo 305 grain loads. they are real thumpers. i shot a 500 pound bear at 55 yards. went bout 40 yards and expired. did you get one with it?
Thanks for the great video! How long before the season opens do you typically start scouting?
Come on! That’s a loaded question! Haha
I do my best to get out and look around a month or so before the season starts. Another good time to scout for bears is towards the end of spring turkey season because sows are coming into heat. We saw several bears this spring and that is where I will be this fall.
How do you avoid hound hunters during bear season? If hounds are out on a moutain, is the whole area blown! Thanks
Before I answer your question, I want to be clear that I am not against hunting with hounds. Hunting with hounds is currently not on my radar, but I’m sure if I was going with the right group of hunters that I would have a blast and end up with a hound on my couch laying beside my doodle dog, a dog box in the bed of my truck and a nifty hound sticker in the back window.
Now, it is not that big of a deal to me if hounds come in once I’m already out and hunting. I say now because not too long ago I would’ve packed up and left due to hounds being within ear shot of me, but now I just stay and hangout. I have actually met some houndsmen in the woods and they were super nice and actually suggested me to stay. Their idea and mine is that if the bear or bears are being pushed by dogs that they may come right by you or you could possibly cut them off. During Tennessee’s early bear season I had a group of hounds come in above me at almost dark, I had been listening to them slowly getting closer for almost an hour. I left at dark and they were still in there sounding off, when I got to my truck a group of houndsmen were also parked there waiting around on their dogs. They told me that they wished I had cut the bear off and tried to get a shot on it. So, going forward, if hounds are in the woods with me I’m actually going to move towards them, because that’s obviously where one bear is, but if there are trucks with dog boxes in the back parked at where I want to go I will simply get on OnX and find a new spot to go! I hope this helps!
P.S. - Bear hunting without hounds is a marathon, not a sprint, keep getting in the woods, look for fresh sign and have a good time.
@@blueridgehunters Thank you for the quick reply! This past week I have been out a lot, and found hounds/dog boxes to be unavoidable. Finally, I said heck with it and went into an area anyway despite hearing hounds. I figured I'd like to talk to them either way to see their opinion on potentially shooting a bear that their hounds were on. I also wanted to ask how large of an area hounds can cover, and just overall how to interact with the fact that hounds are in the woods. I ended up not meeting anyone but followed tracks up a heck of a mountain top through some good looking area. I feel as though my experience aligns with your stance on the matter as well. Thanks!!
I’m glad you stuck with it and went anyway! Since I’m not a hound hunter I can’t give you a great answer on how far they travel, but I can say I met some hunters who were going in the mountain to get their dogs at dark and they were 7 miles from where they turn them out that morning.