nys bear hunting tips

[bfk123]

Hi, I am new to theforum and to bear hunting. I live in cny and plan to hunt bear this year in the catskill region. Baiting is not legal here and I plan to hunt on public land. I have narrowed my search area down to several townships in ulster and greene counties based on kill reports over the past couple of years. I was just wondering if anyone has experience in this area or insight as to terrain types that attract bears and maybe any calling methods that have worked for them in the past . I am trying to do as much scouting online prior to making the drive down any advice is much appreciated thanks.

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[dan]

I don't know much about the area... Any low land?

[MACHINIST]

If you are just wanting to hunt bears drive around and ask farmers in the area to hunt for them and tell them no deer hunting by you.I use this tactic (only with coyote hunting)and have gotten on some great farms that way after taking out a few totes.I bet the same tactic would work on a farm that has crop damage from bears

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[moog5050]

I have never hunted bear, but being a NYS resident, I have heard that (without baiting in NYS) almost all bear are shot while a resident is deer hunting. Opportunistic kills rather than targets so to speak. That said, maybe the members can at least point you in the right direction to up the chances for such a kill based on geographic features, typical food sources, etc.

[moog5050]

I don't know much about the area... Any low land?

Catskills are mountains in SNY. I am sure there are swamp lands in the region though. Lots of river bottoms if that is any help.

[gjs4]

From what Ive heard you may have better bears there than the MTNS. Have buddies in Avoca and others in Stueben and Catt cos....seem to be on them every season.

[Uncle Lou]

I was just talking to a neighbor who would go up north and buy honey from a bee keeper. They had claw marks from bear on their honey processing building.

So instead of targeting farmers, see if you could search up any beekeepers or honey processing locations and ask them if you can help out with some bear reduction efforts.

[ihookem]

If you have a lot of river bottoms you may be on to something. I would walk along a river and look for bear sign. Maybe a feeder creek going into the river would be a good area especially if there is standing water in a swamp when it's hot. You will need to find food. If there is a lot of rasberries in an area like that I think that is as good as you will find without bait. I have seen bear trails through rasberry patches several times while early deer scouting , when I scouted in August.

[dan]

I don't know much about New York, but going out West I noticed its the opposite of Wisconsin. Bears here seem to thrive in the low lying areas (low cool swamps) and bears out there stay up on the mountains in the dark forests where its cool... I think the theme is dark, thick, and cool.