Black Bear Hunts

We offer two different options regarding our black bear hunts. We have a baited black bear hunt during the month of June and a spot-and-stalk option in September.

Baited Hunt: Our baited hunt takes place in early to mid-June each year. The area where we hunt these bears stays colder a lot longer than surrounding areas, which seems to have a positive effect on the bear hides, as we have yet to kill a bear with a real amount of rubbing. The hunt is very straightforward and does not require a lot of physical endurance, as we are just sitting and watching bait barrels from either our makeshift blinds or from elevated positions. We offer a 3-day hunt and a 5-day hunt (see prices on the “pricelist tab”).

During the hunt, we typically do not eat freeze-dried meals, as we have a pretty well-established camp that allows us to properly cook meals. You will be sheltered in wall tents with comfortable cots.

Expect temps in the high 40s to the mid-70s. Rain can be a factor on this hunt, but June is usually fairly dry (bring your rain gear, though!). Fog, luckily, does not have much of a factor on this hunt, as we are hunting these bears at close range.

We recommend at least a .30-06 for this hunt if you’re a rifle hunter. This hunt is also very favorable for bow hunters, noting that we have killed plenty of black bears at sub-20 yards on this hunt (see the FAQ tab for more bow hunting information).

If the client wishes to take meat home, we have the ability to accommodate the client's meat in our deep freezers. The meat will be frozen and stored until the plane arrives for their departure. If the client brings “fish boxes” with them to the field, we can also very easily butcher the bear, package it, and freeze it so it is properly prepared if the client chooses to fly home with meat on the airlines.

Gear List For Baited Black Bear:

You don’t need as much on this hunt as on our other trips.

Bring a 5500 cubic inch pack if you plan on helping pack meat. If not, bring a 3500 cubic inch bag.

Also consider bringing:

2 pairs of pants,

2 tops,

puffy jacket,

4 pairs of merino socks,

2 pairs of underwear (one long and one short),

beanie,

baseball cap,

mechanic gloves (lots of thorns around),

wool gloves,

sunglasses,

sunscreen (a lot of people get sunburnt on this hunt, believe it or not!),

bug spray,

Thermacell,

bug head net,

32 oz Nalgene water bottle,

waterproof boots,

gaiters for your boots,

binoculars (do not bring a spotting scope),

1 box of ammunition (if using a firearm),

6 arrows (if using archery tackle).

Spot & Stalk Black Bear:

Our 2x1 Spot and Stalk hunts take place during the first week of September. The hunt is conducted high above treeline in the alpine country while bears are in the middle of hyperphagia and feeding most of the day on berries. The hunt is 7 full hunting days, and the clients will have the option to shoot multiple bears (the price of the hunt includes 1 black bear per person). The hunt is tent-based (10x10 dome tents), and we do a lot of sitting and glassing from first light until just before dark each day.

We are typically shooting bears no further than 200 yards, but the client should know what their rifle does at 300, 400, and 500 yards. We recommend a flat, .30-caliber rifle for this hunt (a .300 Win Mag is probably the most common round we see clients bring), and you are going to want to find a bonded bullet that shoots well in your rifle and bring a box of that ammunition with you.

We do allow archery hunters on this trip, but bow hunters beware that this is a fairly physical hunt, and you are going to be in very open terrain, which makes stalks difficult to pull off, but not impossible. (See the bow hunting section of the “FAQ tab” for more information.)

Expect weather in low 30s to high 50s during this hunt with freezing rain, snow and hail possible. You may also lose hunting time due to fog that is very common during this time of year, at this elevation.

 Client will also have the option to pursue Wolf on this hunt as well. 

A man in camouflage clothing holding a rifle, kneeling behind a large dead black bear in an open landscape with mountains and cloudy sky.
A man in outdoor gear posing behind a large, dead bear lying on the ground in a green, wooded area.
A man with a beard, wearing sunglasses and outdoor clothing, kneeling next to a large sleeping black bear in a green, wooded area on a sunny day.
Two men kneeling behind a large black bear in a forested area, with green foliage and bushes around them. One man is wearing a black hoodie and beanie, the other is wearing a camouflage t-shirt and sunglasses. They are smiling and posing with the bear, which is lying on the ground with its mouth slightly open.
A young woman with dark hair in a black beanie, smiling and holding an American flag, stands in a forested area with green trees and grass. A dead black bear lies on the ground in front of her, with a rifle resting against it. The ground is covered with yellow and orange debris.
A man sitting behind a large, dead black bear lying on the ground in a forested area, holding a bow and arrow.
A man wearing a cap and camouflage jacket kneels in a grassy area with shrubs, with a forest of tall pine trees in the background and a sky with a light gradient from blue to yellow.
Three people, two men and a boy, posing outdoors with a bear they have hunted, with hunting gear including a rifle and scope in front of the bear, in a grassy, wooded landscape under a partly cloudy sky.
Three men posing outdoors in a forested area, with one man sitting on a log and wearing sunglasses, another standing with a hat and sunglasses, and a third man with a long beard and camouflage clothing. A black bear mount is mounted on a tree stump between them.
Two men in outdoor clothing smiling and talking in a natural setting with sparse trees and green plants; one man has a rifle and a drink container. Text overlay says "A-Team Outfitting, LLC."