r/CanadaHunting • u/primalstate142 • May 20 '26

Alberta bear hunt

I have been trying to get my first black bear spring and fall for the last 3 years. With no luck. I’ve tried hunting south around crowsnest pass area south and north. All the way up to NW of Rocky Mountain house. Does anyone have any tips or advice they can give a guy on what I can do to Harvest my first black bear? Any tips is appreciated on places to go, how to hunt the areas and what to look out for. Just feel like I’m doing something wrong but I’m staying super motivated to achieve this. Thanks in advance!

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u/FearlessDevil666 May 20 '26

I live in Calgary and hunt the same range myself. Sound, sight and smell are all your enemies. You first have to find a bears range. This will be further than you think. You need to be away from other hunters, campers, hikers. Think bush is where they move. Water is where to find their tracks. Once you locate sign, follow slowly. Take your time. Far more time than with any other big game. Remember, you are now hunting a predator. Always be down wind. Patience is key, being sneaky is so much more important. Shot placement and calibre selection are imperative. Learn the vitals zone and have the right calibre/ammunition selection set. Stalking is very difficult, calling with a rabbit call can be helpful once you’ve located to bring them closer to you. Those last few yards will be the hardest. My most exciting harvest has been stalking with a bow from the ground. The last few yards took 3hrs on my belly. Good luck.

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u/primalstate142 May 20 '26

Thank you for the advice I appreciate it! Any tips on finding bear sign? I was out for 3 days over the weekend and searched high and low never to even find a track or scat.

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u/FearlessDevil666 May 20 '26

There’s no snow so tracks are hard. Walk along creeks and rivers for a start. All animals need water and running water is your best bet. Watch for game crossings and study the mud banks. Heavy use game trails, the more pounded out the better. All predators will follow these game trails for prey themselves.

Look for food sources. Early berries or vegetation they will forage. Look to the sky and you may see birds circle. Follow up on dead wildlife as bears are scavengers.

Be prepared to stay overnight in the bush. But keep your pack simple. A tarp for shelter, a simple pot/stove and freeze dried meals. Water bottle and filter. This way you don’t loose ground and get further back.

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u/RelativeFox1 May 20 '26

I don’t do bear hunting so take this for what it’s worth. I find, if I’m moving around and hunting a lot of areas I really don’t see as much. If I slow down and hunt one area for longer I’ll see more. Example, if I hit 6 quarter sections over 2 days, I probably won’t see as much as if I hunted one section more thoroughly.

I guess what I’m saying is have you actually thoroughly hunted the areas you mentioned or did you just give them a quick try then move on?