Archery bear hunt in the Sierras

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rpm4463

New Member
This fall I'm trying to plan a bear hunt in deer zone X10 or X9B. My buddy will probably draw a tag in one of the zones and I'll go along as another set of eyes but I'll try to bag a bear. I've been backpacking in several areas of those zones (Kenney Meadows, Monache Meadows, Cottonwood Lakes, and several trails east of Bishop), but have never done any hunting in those areas. Of course I could just hang out near a dumpster, but I would like it to be a more legit backcountry hunt. I'm curious if anybody has advice for bear hunting methods in the Sierra's. Near Cottonwood Lakes and Kennedy meadows there is less ground vegetation in the timber, so I would expect feeding and travel activity would be around meadows, lakes, or along streams and creeks. Also glassing old burn areas with regrowth vegetation. We may go during the late season X10 in November, how is the bear activity different during that time of year?

Any advice or pointers would be appreciated. This coming weekend I'm planning a scouting trip to Cottonwood Pass and Whitney Meadows, I hope to find some promising areas.
 
Never hunted bear in the Sierra's but I have a couple times up north and was successful on my last hunt in putting an arrow through one. Most of the bear sign I saw was close to water. I also noticed they fed on these big leafy flowering plants that only grew where the ground was really moist. Its a totally different part of the state but there are similarities. I was hunting at about 7,500 feet whereas you might be higher. If you can find the bear sign, you will have found an area to hunt. Glass them up then put on a stalk. Thats some serious adrenaline rush sneaking in on a bear with only a bow in hand! Here is an example of the plant life and terrain we hunted. It was almost like a soggy marsh in some areas with trails made by bears. Good luck man, I'm stoked for you if you are able to do that hunt.
 

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I've killed a couple bears up in the Sierras, but on the western slope. Never on the east side. But what I've gleaned from my experiences is that where you find berries, of any kind, bears will tend to be close by. Choke cherries are a staple of the bears diet and they usually won't stray to far from stands of bushes loaded with the berries.

And like Breacher said, water is a likely spot to find them around also. A lot of times you'll find the berries near water. If you can find water, berries, and sign sit there and wait because you'll probably see a bear.
 
I don't have a lot of pointers for you, but I have hunted bears in D7 and X9A, most years Ive deer hunted those units(I don't call'em zones any more) I would buy a bear tag with success only once in X9A.
Lungpopper was with me once in D7 and we almost shot a tanker(Bear caught us napping), I know for sure the eastern side looks nothing like where breacher is in pic above.

If your friend gets a deer tag it will be early season which means hot and dry, so only pointer is to hunt as high as your legs will take you...OR hang out at Mc Donald's in down town Mammoth. Good luck
 
your right on that one..... i backpack there quite a bit have never hunted the sierras but thats the only place i see em.
 
I had an X-10 deer tag last year, and the hikers were seeing a lot of bear along the Jackass Trail. This is approximately 7,500-8,000 elevation.
 
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