The takeaway: A host of factors–from growing populations to new seasons–are boosting the popularity of bear hunting in some states. While bear hunting is much different from deer hunting, those with trail cams have a head start.
Bear hunting is growing in popularity, with more than 200,000 hunters applying for permits or preference points in Wisconsin and Michigan last year alone. Bear hunting is not easy, but if your deer hunting skills are strong, you’ve got a head start on bear hunting. And if you have already deployed trail cams, you are that much further ahead of the game.
Deer Hunters Have an Advantage When Bear Hunting
While deer hunting and bear hunting are fundamentally different, seasoned deer hunters already understand wind and scent control, reading sign, and how animals use terrain. You’re already used to patterning and thinking in terms of where animals are feeding, when they are moving, and how pressure changes behavior.
However, there are areas where a deer hunter may struggle. Bears don’t behave like deer: there is no rut movement pattern, food changes quickly, and activity can flip from day to night suddenly. Plus, judging a legal bear is harder than judging a buck–hunters need to quickly evaluate size, body shape, and behavior as well as the presence of cubs. On top of all this is the challenge of bears themselves, and while bear attacks are rare, they do happen, particularly if bears are surprised at close range, cubs are involved, the bear is wounded, and if there is poor visibility.
Why Deer Hunters Go After Bear
There are sound reasons for adding bears to your hunt. In some states, bear seasons overlap with deer, or they are adjacent on the calendar. Deer hunters who see bear sign or pictures on trail cams may decide to drop a bear tag in their pack and try if the opportunity is there.
There are more reasons than that, however. Scouting tech is similar, with stand placement, wind reading, and trail cameras playing roles in both seasons. Plus, some deer hunters may simply wish to take on a new challenge or a different kind of game. Bears are often bigger, more unpredictable, and require slightly different tactics, but the core mindset is familiar.
Know the Rules for Bear Hunting
Bear hunting rules vary widely by state and unit. Some things to be aware of:
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Baiting is legal in some states and banned in others
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In some cases, cell cams are illegal for “same day” use
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Distance from bait or roads may be regulated
Using Trail Cams to Hunt Bear
Once you know the rules and are legal, here’s how trail cams can inform your bear hunt.
Use trail cams for patterning, not just sighting. Look for:
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Time of day movement
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Travel routes
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Movement with respect to wind direction
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Boar vs. sow behavior
Set your cameras:
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Along well-worn bear trails
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Facing north (to avoid sun washout)
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On natural funnels like ridges, saddles, and creek bottoms
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3-4 feet off the ground, angled slightly down
Use trail cameras to refine your hunt:
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Cam data can help you understand the best stand site, best wind, and best time window
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Then, use wind to your advantage and minimize human scent
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Take note if trail cam imagery shows that bears are aggressive and/or traveling with cubs
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If you are using bait, never walk into a bait station blindly–always check photos before approaching using on-demand image request
Best Trail Cam for Bear Hunting
The best trail cam for bear hunting will have features like long battery life, fast trigger speeds, and on-demand photo and video requests.
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Tactacam REVEAL Ultra: Strong image quality, switchable low-glow and no-glow IR flash, and on-demand photo delivery capable
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Tactacam REVEAL Pro 3.0: Great balance of price and features, with GPS, good battery life, and no-glow flash
How to get on-demand photo or video:
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First, purchase the Xtra plan, a nominal REVEAL plan upgrade
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From the REVEAL app, select camera, choose camera location, set check-in frequency to “Instant” or “Record Video”
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Select “Request On-Demand Photo” or “Request On-Demand Video”
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Find the photo or video in your Event Log or Camera Media tab–it should take less than a minute