# Bear hunting questions



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

I know next to nothing about hunting bears with dogs. These are honest questions that I thought about while watching a chase this weekend. Hopefully some of you guys can help me out.

(it was quite exciting watching this chase unfold. For whatever reason, we found ourselves rooting for the bear. Maybe that's just the "rooting for the underdog" coming out...)


A. How do you know what you are chasing? I'm assuming the dogs will pick up scents of mountain lions and bears alike. So when hunting a bear, do you sometimes end up chasing lions (and vice versa)?

B. Similar to A: after treeing a less than desirable bear, how do you go about hunting again without the dogs just chasing the same bear again?

C. When chasing a sow and a cub, does the pair get separated? Do the dogs split up? Or will the sow stick with the cub no matter what? (we watched the sow and cub running together, but when the sow was tree'd there was no sign of the cub. We watched the sow come down from the tree, and never saw the cub. However, the next day we glassed the sow and cub together again...)

D. Can you shoot a sow? Can you tell the difference when they are tree'd (just by size?)?

E. How often do the bears decide that they've had enough, and fight back?


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I can only answer D because I’ve had to do the bear orientation to buy bear points. 

You may not shoot a sow with a cub(s). It is illegal. 

The bear orientation goes about how to identify a sow vs a boar. Sows without cubs are legal to kill, but discouraged. (I think...) 

I have no idea how this plays out if sow/cub(s) get seperated by dogs or any of the other questions you asked.


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## Hunttilidrop (Jun 12, 2018)

A- the Houndsman can tell by the tracks. That’s usually how they get the dogs on a bear. Some dogs can rig a bear. (Smell it, then track it on their own). B- the Houndsman just move on looking for a different bear and sometimes end up chasing the same bear anyway.C- from my experience the sow with a cub will run her cub up a tree or hole or whatever then lead the dogs away. That’s why she was in such a hurry to get out of the tree once they leashed their dogs. To get back to her cub.E- the big boats do it a lot. Sometimes even just walking along with dogs in tow. Occasionally stopping to swat one around a bit and then continue on it’s way. Those hound dogs are relentless in their pursuit. I’ve seen them go in bear caves chasing. The Houndsman usually has to go in after them to get them out!😳


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

thank you.


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