Spot-and-Stalk Bowhunting for Bears

For a lot of people, seeing bears in the wild evokes fear. To many, a bruin is an overwhelming creature known for its sheer power, size, teeth and claws. Quite honestly, one swipe or bite can leave someone in terrible shape, or even dead.

About eight years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and hunting with Brian Barney. Brian is a well-known bowhunter, outdoor writer and podcast host, and he’s one of the most consistently successful bear bowhunters I know. Making him even more special is the fact that he only archery hunts for bruins spot-and-stalk style. So, after being asked to accompany him on a spot-and-stalk bear hunt in Montana one spring, I quickly became obsessed with this style of bowhunting bruins. However, little did I know that hunt would be the beginning of a four-year quest for my own spot-and-stalk bear with a bow.

Method to My Madness

So, one might ask, “Why in the world would anyone want to bowhunt for bears on the ground?”

Well, to answer that question honestly, I have to first tell you that spot-and-stalk bowhunting is absolutely my favorite way to bowhunt. To me, this form of archery hunting is super exciting, pure and difficult — a total game of woodsmanship chess. Combine all that with bowhunting an apex predator such as a bear — on the ground and face to face — and you have the ultimate bowhunting adrenaline rush. And, for those of you who are wondering — yes, I carry bear spray or a sidearm for added protection, just in case.

The formula for success on spring bears via spot and stalk is to utilize high points that let a bowhunter see a ton of country by using his glass. Binoculars and spotting scopes on a tripod are a must for this type of glassing. The greenest feed features, consisting of meadow grass, roots and tubers, will be sought by bears immediately after hibernation. South-facing slopes, hillsides and related areas will see the snowpack burned off the quickest and therefore have the earliest, best feed. I love to key on these areas!

You also need to keep an eye out for winter kills and those areas where elk herds are situated at this point in the year, because once the elk calves start dropping, bears will begin following the herds looking for a quick meal. Covering country all day with your legs and eyes from good vantage points will be your best bet to spot an old boar that’s out and about.

The Quest Begins

Having talked to Brian many times before coming out to hunt with him, I had a solid idea of the game plan that we would run each day. During the mornings we would hike into the area we wanted to check out for the day. With certain glassing points being our main focus, this strategy would allow us to see an abundance of country with green feed, and we would use our glass to our advantage in hopes of catching a glimpse of a bear off in the distance.

At each glassing point, we would spend an hour or so picking apart all the land features. During this time of the year, meadows, pockets of green grass amongst the timber and the edge lines of thick timber and blowdown country are extremely good areas to find bears.

From day to day, we would utilize bikes, trucks and lots and lots of hiking to check spot after spot as we looked for a boar to make a play on. A lot of bear hunting consists of glassing and being patient, as a bear can materialize out of the timber from nowhere. So, a smart bowhunter is always utilizing his glass and keeping a watchful eye out as he hikes.

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Close Encounters

The first three years of bowhunting black bears in Montana provided me with an ample amount of opportunities; just not the right bear. Having shot two really nice bears prior to bowhunting in the Treasure State, I had my mind made up that I wanted to kill a really nice boar or nothing at all. I was not here to settle and kill a younger boar or a sow. Instead, I wanted to be patient and find a mature boar.

My first year presented me with a couple of really solid opportunities. One day during that initial year, Brian and I glassed up a beautiful, chocolate-colored boar across a lake that we thought for sure would be a shooter. We quickly took off on foot headed towards a small series of meadows amongst some dark timber. This boar was headed right for these patches, and we knew we had to quickly get over to cut him off.

We were able to achieve our goal and the bear walked by at 28 yards. Unfortunately, he was not as mature as we thought — judging bears from a distance can be a tough task! After eight days and more than 100 miles walked, I left Montana empty-handed on year one.

The next two years I found myself in very similar situations. I made some great stalks on bears, but they seemed to be smaller than expected. One day, Brian and I got within 30 yards of a beautiful, blonde-colored boar. Unfortunately, he was young, but he was one of the prettiest creatures that I have ever seen to this day.

During those two years, I probably glassed and saw around 20 different bears. They were all shapes, sizes and colors, but, unfortunately, none of these opportunities worked out in my favor. A few of those opportunities slipped through my fingers, as I just never relocated the bear once I began my stalk.

Another time, as I was pursuing a great-looking, jet-black boar, I got winded at 50 yards and he took off. Some close encounters but no cigar. And, to be honest, I hadn’t even drawn my bow back in three years of bowhunting.

Years two and three left me with 20-plus days of bear hunting and more 200 miles covered. To say bowhunting bears on the ground is a challenge would be an understatement, but I am always up for a challenge!

4th Time’s a Charm?

Coming into 2023, I felt like after the three previous trips to Montana I had a really good bead on bear hunting. Hunting with and learning a lot from Brian and our good buddy Dan Heavrin, who is also a well-accomplished bear bowhunter, had my confidence higher than ever, and I really had high hopes for my spring trip! I was going to spend nine days bowhunting and really believed this amount of time would give me a great opportunity.

After learning some great bear spots the previous three years, I had an excellent plan put together with Brian and Dan for a few areas we thought would produce bear encounters. I decided to hunt in June, which gave me a great opportunity for success, because the snow was mostly melted. So, green feed was readily available everywhere. Plus, the bear rut was kicking off. This meant that boars would be out roaming for sows, as well as feeding during the daytime.

My first few days only produced grizzly bear sightings — not exactly the kind of bear I was hoping to run into. Montana has a very healthy population of grizzlies, and one must always be cautious of his surroundings when in grizzly country! By this point, I had covered more than 50 miles, glassed 10 different grizzlies and had yet to spot a black bear.

On day five of my hunt, Brian and Dan were going to accompany me into an area that I had never hunted before. Dan had already tagged out on a great bear earlier in the year, but he wanted to help glass for Brian and I, as we both had bear tags. We decided to hike way back into a very remote area that held a lot of elk and had a ton of great glassing country. It was about a 10-mile hike in from the truck, so we decided to start hiking early and spend the entire day in this area. Hopes were very high that we would see some black bears.

Stalk of a Lifetime

After making it to our predetermined vantage point, I was awestruck. This country was some of the most beautiful that I had ever bowhunted. We immediately got our glassing setups out and started looking for bears. To our disbelief, we did not pick up any bruins in our glass the first two hours, but we did see a ton of elk, which was a good sign. Green feed was abundant everywhere, so hopes were high.

About three hours into our glassing session, Dan spotted a bear. Brian and I quickly panned our spotting scopes over to look at the animal and knew right away he was a good boar! He was a beautiful, blonde-colored bear with a cinnamon shade to his lower body. Since he was about three miles away, I knew I had my work cut out for me.

The boar was feeding above a herd of elk in a meadow, slowly flipping rocks over looking for grubs and bugs, as well as feeding on grass. He was headed towards a small saddle on the ridgeline above him, so my plan was to loop around the basin below him, get the wind in my face and get above his line of travel in hopes of beating him to the saddle.

I frantically gathered my gear and strapped my pack on. Brian and Dan would stay on the glassing point to keep glassing and I would go on the stalk alone. They would be able to see the whole stalk take place, which was really cool.

Using the onX Hunt app on my phone, I marked the spot where the boar was and his predicted line of travel towards that saddle, as well as my route to get there. I then took off and bombed off the vantage point.

I would need to drop about 1,500 feet in elevation and then gain another 2,000 feet to get back up on the elevation line that this bear was traveling. The stalk needed to be done quickly and efficiently. I had to maneuver above the herd of elk undetected and then slip past them towards the saddle, but that wasn’t the toughest part. The worst part was I would not have eyes on the bear until I got close to him. I would then have to find him again before he spotted me, which would be quite the obstacle.

The hike took me almost an hour and a half to get close to the saddle. I thankfully didn’t bump any of the elk below me and had the wind in my favor. Now, all I needed to do was find the boar.

Cautiously, I started glassing the meadow all around me. I really thought the bear had to be close. Suddenly, I heard something above me and lo and behold there he was, flipping rocks and searching for grubs. The boar was well within my effective range, so I slowly reached for my rangefinder and clicked the yardage. Seventy-six yards and quartering away with his head down — this was the moment I had waited four years for!

I confidently set my sight and drew back. Time seemed to stand still as I settled the pin behind the bear’s shoulder and started my shot sequence. Soon after, I watched my orange vanes hit right where I was aiming as the animal took about 10 steps and then started to tumble back down the hillside. A four-year quest was complete, and two of my best friends got to watch it all take place through the spotting scopes from three miles away!

All in all, we covered 25.7 miles that day from start to finish. We left the truck at 8 a.m. and returned the next morning at 3:30 a.m. To say that I earned and enjoyed every ounce of that brutal pack out in the dark would be an understatement. I loved every second of the pain and mental struggle my heavy pack created that day.

With the four trips in four years combined, I totaled 42 days of bear hunting, covered 400-plus miles on foot and created memories with great friends that will last a lifetime. There’s no doubt I am hooked on spot-and-stalk bear hunting!