From rifles and bullets to coolers and cases, we’ve got your spring bear gear needs covered.
I love bear hunting, especially for big bears late in the spring. The end of May marks the start of the bear rut. Big boars can cover up to 25 miles daily in the West’s most rugged terrain, sniffing and searching for a sow in heat. This is a time of vulnerability and opportunity for hunters.
I’ve chased bears for 40 years. From the Western states to Alaska and parts of Canada, for black, grizzly, and polar bears, these hunts always excite me. Certain pieces of gear can make or break a spring bear hunt. I hold a prized spring bear tag in my home state of Oregon. Here’s the gear I’ll be using.
Rifle & Scope
Bears die quicker than any big game animal I’ve seen if bullet placement is through both lungs. Shot placement is critical. If hit poorly, bears can be impossible to recover.
I’ve shot a lot of bears with 30-caliber rifles. The most recent black bear fell to a Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR rifle chambered 6.8 Western. I’ve shot several animals with this caliber, including tough African critters. I’ve seen it perform flawlessly on other big game worthy of nothing less than a .300 magnum. In the 6.8 Western, I’m shooting Browning Long Range Pro Hunter 175-Grain Sierra Tipped GameKing. This bullet is accurate, hard-hitting, and perfect for black bears.
My 6.8 Western wears a Silencer Central Banish Backcountry suppressor. I love its reduced sound, recoil, and accuracy. My scope is a Leupold VX-6HD in 3-18×44 featuring their FireDot. Of all the camps I’ve been in over the decades, bears are the most often missed and crippled by hunters. The FireDot illumination technology of this scope eliminates the guesswork of where your crosshairs are on the black hair of a bear, even in low light and heavy shadows. The scope features a Custom Dial System (CDS) for the specific cartridge. If you’ve not explored Leupold’d CDS, consider it. It’s a game changer for many reasons.
Binoculars & Spotting Scope
No other big game animals I’ve hunted require glassing to the extent that bears do. From grizzlies high in Alaska’s Brooks Range to black bears swimming in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, covering the ground with your eyes, not your feet, is wise. It’s typical to spend 10 hours a day glassing.
I highly prefer a binocular with a built-in rangefinder, as that’s one less piece of gear to worry about. This marks my second year of using Leupold’s BX-4 Range HD Binocular in a 10×42. The glass in this rangefinder binocular is clear, and the range-finding technology is lightning-fast and accurate to astounding distances.
When hiking to high points to glass, atop my lightweight carbon fiber tripod is a Swarovski ATX spotting scope. I like the clarity throughout the entire HD lens. There’s no need for refocusing when studying objects positioned on the edge of the lens. This spotter has three options for objective modules: 65mm, 85mm, and 95mm. If you are hiking in steep mountains and want to cut weight, the 65mm is nice. On hunts where glassing points are reached on ATVs, a truck, or a short hike, the 95mm module works great. In habitats or situations that fall between, the 85mm performs well.
Boots
I tried Meindl’s Air Revolution Hikers for the first time last fall. I wore the boots on hunts all winter long, and now they’re my go-to hunting boot of spring. I’m wearing them into the spring turkey woods, when checking trail cameras, and on spring black bear hunts. These boots are waterproof and breathable, keeping my feet dry and warm, even cool on hot spring days. And I love Meindl’s Merino wool socks, too.
Coming off a recent back surgery, the ankle and sole support of these boots is perfect, and my legs and back feel great. The boots are constructed to keep your body in good posture. I can wear these boots all day, sometimes 17 hours, with no fatigue or discomfort. Two of my buddies recently picked up the Air Revolution Hikers and ranked them among their best hunting boots ever.
Clothes & Rain Gear
What I’d have given to have the quality of today’s hunting clothes 35 years ago when living a semi-subsistence life in Alaska’s high Arctic, where I also ran a 200-mile wolf trapline. As warm days approach more biting bugs invade the bear woods. To combat mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and white sock flies, Sitka’s Equinox Guard hoodie, pants, and gloves have greatly helped. The garments feature limited skin exposure, a unique bite-reduction fabric, and a built-in Insect Shield. It works and also keeps you comfortable and cool on hot days.
I like Sitka’s Intercept pants and hoodie on cooler days or when hunting in the mountains and drier habitats. The silent, comfortable, breathable material is revolutionary, and the knee and elbow pads alone are worth the investment. I round that out with their lightweight Dew Point rain gear, perfect for spring showers.
Shooting Sticks
I rarely take a shot at any big game without having a rock-solid rest, and BOG’s Carbon Fiber DeathGrip Infinite is my go-to tripod. It’s lightweight for its size and incredibly sturdy. If hiking into the mountains where weight is a concern, I carry their Havoc Tripod.
Shots could be long when hunting in open country, so I’ll clip a small shooting bag to my pack. When taking a prone shot—my favorite position but one that’s rarely attained in brushy habitats—I want to be stone steady. If there are no rocks, stumps, or high points to rest on, toss down your backpack and put the sandbag on top. Packs, alone, are usually very unstable, but a sandbag will keep you stable.
Day Pack & Pack Frame
When I first got into the outdoor industry, fewer than two dozen companies made backpacks. I’m told there are over 200 today backpack makers today. I’ve tried several brands and even had a few custom-made over the years. I like a streamlined, ergonomic, lightweight pack that snugs close to my torso no matter how much weight is in it. It’s got to have multiple compression straps to keep loads in place.
I first tested Sitka’s Mountain Hauler 2700 two years ago. I loved it, and I’m using it this bear season. It features well-designed compartments, including one for a large water bladder, a low-profile top, plenty of pockets, straps, durable zippers and buckles, and very comfortable belt and shoulder straps.
A pack frame is one of the most essential tools of a bear hunter. It helps get the meat and bulky hide out of the woods while allowing air to circulate so there’s no spoilage. For years, I’ve used a Cabela’s Alaskan 1 Frame Pack. It’s helped haul out a lot of bears. Strap loads in place with a couple of LoopRopes, and you’re set. Don’t forget game bags.
Knife & Steel
Benchmade’s versatile Mini Taggedout is a durable, lightweight, low-profile knife perfect for carrying in your pocket all day then skinning out and breaking down a bear. The Mini Taggedout holds an edge exceptionally well. Even bear fat and course hair don’t dull it, and it touches up fast and easy on steel. The orange handle makes for an easy find when dropped or left on the ground, and the unique texture offers a firm grip when your hands are covered in blood and fat. It’s also a good caping knife.
I’ve relied on a Kershaw 9″ Ultra-Tek Sharpener, 600-Grit Diamond-Coated Oval Shaft, for years. It unscrews, and the shaft fits inside the handle, making it compact. It’s the ideal shape and design for quickly regaining an edge. I can’t begin to count how many blades have passed over mine.
Predator Calls
Late spring is a good time to call in a curious black bear. This is when breeding begins to take place, and boars are angry. They’re also hungry. For these reasons, various sounds can help bring these apex predators into your lap.
An electronic call is hard to beat for bear hunting in states that allow it. My E-call is a FOXPRO X24. It features a high-definition horn speaker and tweeter. The 24-bit audio sounds are loud and crisp, and the frequency response is tops, making it perfect for hunting a range of habitats throughout the West. The X24 will hold up to 1,000 sounds and comes with a TX1000 transmitter featuring a full-color graphic LCD screen that’s simple to see, an external speaker jack, an auxiliary jack to connect a Jack Predator Decoy and a charge jack for the lithium battery.
Headlamps
Bear meat is awesome, but you must get the hide off the meat and the meat off the bone fast. Snap a few photos and get to work because every minute is valuable. And because many bears are taken in the final minutes of daylight, a headlamp is essential. I’ve tried many brands over the years. Most have eventually failed me. I keep returning to my Coast Headlamps, a brand always delivered. Take extra batteries. I carry an extra headlamp, too.
Long Case
If you’re on the road, you want a sturdy gearbox. You need one that can take a beating while riding in the truck bed and protect the inner contents.
Pelican’s 1740 Protector Long Case. I initially got this case with foam layers to protect my photography gear on road trips. But it didn’t take long for me to remove the foam and use it for other purposes, like bear hunting. It’s excellent for storing trail cameras, butchering gear, ropes, duct tape, LoopRopes, first aid kits, trail cameras, tire pumps, shooting bags, and more. I love the rugged latches and wheels. The sides don’t bulge, no matter how much weight and bulky gear goes in. It’s a rugged, versatile gearbox I’ve been happy to add to my collection, and it’s 100% dustproof and waterproof.
Hard Cooler
Having a cooler or two or three with ice is important in salvaging bear meat. Due to the nature of the fat, bear meat quickly spoils. You want to get the meat cooling as soon as possible after the kill. Enter the YETI line of Hard Coolers. I’ve used the smaller models with good results, but when my buddy and full-time guide, Jody Smith, told me about the big 250, he got my attention.
“Instead of three or four coolers and having to spend time breaking down animals in the field to make them fit, I can just use the 250 and fit an entire, quartered, and broken down bear in one, and it’ll stay cold for at least two days,” Smith shares. They’re pricey, but Smith has never steered me wrong.
Should you run into me in the spring bear woods, this is the gear I’ll have. Some of it’s expensive but high quality and built to last. As I age, I appreciate the finer things in life, and top-notch gear that works consistently is atop my list of simple pleasures.
Note: Want to learn how to skin and break down a bear? Order Scott Haugen’s instructional DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning and Caping Big Game at scotthaugen.com. Follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
