Any pointers on a PA Bear hunt???

I'm new to the forum.

I've been thinking about heading over to PA for a DIY Bear hunt next year (I'm From Ohio). I have been searching for valuable info and I can only come up with little information. Any pointers? I've been bow hunting Deer for several years in 3 different States, and planned on a Bear hunt when I lived in California but I was never in the States when that time came around.

I primarily hunt Solo and I'm willing to Scout durring the off season when I can.

Thanks

 

I would wear a bacon suit if I were you.

 

look up kill numbers on PGC website to narrow down your search....Clinton, Lycoming and Monroe are big bear counties but they are also large tracts of land that will be hard to scout....good luck

 

My family used to have a cabin located in Cowans gap state park, my dad always saw bears there while deer hunting good amount of sign only hunted it once for bears and my dad and I had no idea what we were doing


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Hunting bears is tough without the ability to bait. In Virginia we randomly get them on camera and it seems they come through every few weeks.

I found this link though:

PA Game Commission Offers Bear Hunting Tips


So best bet is on the ground and finding areas with lots of markings, scat and tracks that lead from really thick areas to food sources. Good luck.

 

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I have seen several bears in this area. The exact spot is slightly lower than the center of this pic. I usually have encounters in archery season. I have had encounters over many a long span. Over many years. Here is a video of one encounter. Bear Encounter while Archery Hunting - YouTube

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Having recently completed a DIY bear hunt I will caution you to really do you homework on the front end. I went DIY in WI, thinking that the cost would be significantly cheaper than using an outfitter. However, because I ended up hunting each weekend of the season (5 in total) the added fuel and lodging costs absorbed most of my "savings". In the end, I was within a few hundred dollars and did not see a single bear on stand.

DIY is rewarding, but in hindsight the years spent to draw the tag probably justified the added cost of an outfitter.

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Thank you for the information. I'm staring my Map recon. Hopefully I can plan a camping/scouting trip soon