• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Colorado Black Bear

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Zutt-man

Zutt-man

45 Cal.
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
698
Reaction score
1,175
Location
Kansas
My dad and I planned a high country mule deer trip in mid September with our flintlocks. He drew a tag for Unit 444 and I’m ‘guiding’ him so to speak. We both also picked up bear tags. I’m going to try to get him his deer first, but looking for advice as bears are new to me.

I realize I’m looking for berries and acorns, but not sure where a good starting point is. Anyone have any advice for the unit? I’m getting familiar with the topography via maps, but what kind of elevations would you see them running around in? (For those not families the unit is 8,500-12,000 on the public land side)

Any advice is welcome!
 
No expert on bear hunting, but I was in Utah and we called in a pair with a rabbit in distress mouth call. The type of call you would use for predator hunting. Might be worth carrying one along in case you spot some and aren't able to get into flintlock range. Good luck!!
 
At those altitudes you won’t find acorns. Most bears I’ve seen around here has been by chance and generally by looking at clearings at a distance. Seems to be more coming into town to get into trash then in the high country. None the less good luck and show us pictures!
 
Like Phil says, they will be low where the berries and acorns are. The general area blocked in is a possibility but I've not been through it. There's enough public land to stake out. It probably holds deer as well. If high country is important then it's still possible to get into a bear. They will be moving around a lot putting on fat and can pass through anywhere.

Screenshot_20240821-223608_onXHunt_copy_800x545.jpg
 
Zutt-man said:
My dad and I planned a high country mule deer trip in mid September with our flintlocks. He drew a tag for Unit 444 and I’m ‘guiding’ him so to speak. We both also picked up bear tags. I’m going to try to get him his deer first, but looking for advice as bears are new to me.

I realize I’m looking for berries and acorns, but not sure where a good starting point is. Anyone have any advice for the unit? I’m getting familiar with the topography via maps, but what kind of elevations would you see them running around in? (For those not families the unit is 8,500-12,000 on the public land side)

Any advice is welcome!
Click to expand...
Pic taken by my sister last night 5 minutes from downtown Aspen! Gorging on sarvis berries now but they’ll probably be gone by mid September. Lots of scrub oak at that altitude (8500’+-). Most Colorado bear hunting (second hand info from family) is glassing valleys then trying to get close enough for a shot.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0934.jpeg
    IMG_0934.jpeg
    2.1 MB
Fizzle1 said:
Pic taken by my sister last night 5 minutes from downtown Aspen! Gorging on sarvis berries now but they’ll probably be gone by mid September. Lots of scrub oak at that altitude (8500’+-). Most Colorado bear hunting (second hand info from family) is glassing valleys then trying to get close enough for a shot.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! Aspen isn't terribly far south of where we'll be.
 
I’m not familiar with that specific unit or area. Find oak brush if you can. That’s where the acorns will be. And it grows into the elevations you mentioned. Acorn crop changes year to year. Some years it’s good, some years it’s not. Choke cherries are another good area to look in. I’ve had good success sitting water too. Water with either oak brush that has good acorns or choke cherries is a good recipe for bears. Good luck!
 
CoHiCntry said:
I’m not familiar with that specific unit or area. Find oak brush if you can. That’s where the acorns will be. And it grows into the elevations you mentioned. Acorn crop changes year to year. Some years it’s good, some years it’s not. Choke cherries are another good area to look in. I’ve had good success sitting water too. Water with either oak brush that has good acorns or choke cherries is a good recipe for bears. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Appreciate it. Drought reports look promising in this area. I think I’ve identified a few locations where we can glass flats as well as higher slopes to cover our tag bases (deer and bear). I’d be content with some encounters, thrilled if we came home to render bear grease
 
hawkenhunter50 said:
No expert on bear hunting, but I was in Utah and we called in a pair with a rabbit in distress mouth call. The type of call you would use for predator hunting. Might be worth carrying one along in case you spot some and aren't able to get into flintlock range. Good luck!!
Click to expand...

The Ultimate Guide to Black Bear Hunting by Douglas Boze is a good book on calling bears and hunting western bears.

Bob
 
Zutt-man said:
Appreciate it. Drought reports look promising in this area. I think I’ve identified a few locations where we can glass flats as well as higher slopes to cover our tag bases (deer and bear). I’d be content with some encounters, thrilled if we came home to render bear grease
Click to expand...
We all expected pic after the trip! Bear or no bear! But hopefully bear!
 

Similar threads

Zutt-man
High altitude hunting
Replies
15
Views
919
Buff1958
Buff1958
B
New to BP with a 10 gauge and hopes of a turkey
2 3
Replies
40
Views
2K
Terrier
Terrier
Flint62Smoothie
The PA ‘One-of-a-Kind’ Flintlock Deer Season Turns 50!
2
Replies
34
Views
4K
CAPTAIN
CAPTAIN
dhaverstick
A Black Powder Hunting Tale of Woe and Misery
2 3
Replies
52
Views
4K
CaptainVane
CaptainVane
T
Idaho Muzzleloader
2 3
Replies
57
Views
5K
Sixgun_Symphony
Sixgun_Symphony

Latest posts

Back
Top