CannonBallZ

So over the last year, I've actively hunted and scouted for bear in units 22, 23, and 31. What I've noticed is that 22 tends to have more open perspectives granted by lots of foothills and vantage points but still a lot of dense foliage. This is particularly the case in Four Peaks and the Mazatzals, although it is noticeably congested in some canyons in the northern part of the unit. 23 seems to be just as congested but with less elevation differentiation across the unit, besides the Sierra Anchas and the Rim. This makes glassing even more challenging because you can't see as far and have the same level, if not more congestion with the added pines. I don't have a good enough grasp on 31 to really say anything about it, but it seemed less congested from where I camped. Anyone have advice on dealing with the overwhelming manzanita and juniper? The only thing I figure addresses it is calling and waiting for movement to key in on. So I obviously don't want people giving spots away, but are there any units or topographical sections of Arizona that contain bears but are more "friendly" to glass? I feel like I see hunting videos in Arizona of bears and they're not spotting them munching in the middle of a manzanita crop, they seem to be out in the grass with some manzanita or juniper bushes nearby. I've spent a lot of time in units 1/27 just growing up and fishing so I'd love to give them a try, but they're so radically different in terms of plants from 22/23 that it'll be an adjustment. I'm aware that 27 dips into the blue and foothills north of Morenci and figure that they might be the most similar to 22/23, but the high elevation areas near the black river will be interesting. I don't mind putting in the time to drive and hike, but I wish glassing was a bit more fulfilling. That may be a pipe dream and I might just need to work on my patience I guess. Just curious on peoples experience with glassing and want to pick everyones brains.

Over the last week or two down here in the valley I've noticed that the prickly pears seem to be fruiting. I found one squished open on the ground and it seemed to be very ripe and it smelled quite sweet. Basically I'm wondering if the black bears in AZ are already eating the fruits. I've heard varying things about when they are ripe from July-August OR September - December. I have no clue which one is true but based on how ripe they seem it seems reasonable that they fruit through August(especially at lower elevations) but might fruit later in the higher elevations. Does anyone have experience with how elevation effects the fruiting of the prickly pear and/or other forage for black bear? Thanks for all the responses in advance! I can't wait to get out there when the season opens this fall.

So I have an idea of what fruiting plants bears might eat, such as oak acorns, prickly pear, and manzanita. Are there other fruiting plants here in AZ they target, either in the desert or when it transitions to more of a ponderosa environment, or even the alpine environments near unit 1 with the aspen/birch(idk which they are)? Finally, I havent found concrete info on when things fruit here. Obviously the elevation plays a role, as well as the plants age(i.e. oaks fruit every 3 years but they overlap in age so theres always acorns).

Super interesting, when would you say bears start becoming more predictable in the fall? I would guess it lines up with whenever things that blooming heavily so they can pack on the pounds early.

Yeah, I am somewhat new to shooting. I inherited a savage 99 lever action in .308 with a Leupold 1.5-5x scope. The scope also has an ok ocular lens but the objective lens is the same diameter as the tube which I think is 1". From what I've been told, the rifle was 'modified' or at least had that scope put on it for deer in the mountain village where my grandpa lived(still an odd choice because not 30 minutes from the cabin there is antelope shooting in the plains so a higher magnification would've been smarter in my opinion). I haven't practiced past 100yds with my rifle yet and feel confident at 100 on a "lung" sized piece of steel that I think is 6" in diameter(but thats just me eyeballing it).

Thanks for this. It does seem like the best idea. Just getting used to what I'll have to deal with in the moment. Should I use the rounds I plan on hunting with? I'm a little strapped for cash an have abt 20 150gr winchester rounds left but if cheaper fmj rounds would work I'd rather save some money.

So this last thursday I took my final trip out for the spring black bear season. I ended up perched on the side of a slope that overlooked a brush filled creek and another slope. I didn't see much of anything until the last hour of light when I spotted a black bear meandering its say down the opposite slope and into the brush. I had eyes on for about 30 second and then had no idea what to do. This season was my first hunt ever and I was dumbfounded. I was 350 yards away from where I last saw the bear and new that that was not a shot I could take. This experience made me end my trip somewhat early and head back home because I knew that I wouldn't be able to take most of the shots that would be presented to me based on the terrain. Considering this, I wondered how I could practice long range shots in these conditions. On a slope, in brushy terrain, uphill/downhill, all of these factors can't really be simulated at the range so I was wondering how other hunters practice this. Is it as simple as getting out in the field, measuring out a spot, and then practicing that spot from different shooting positions? Quick aside, my rangefinder has 2 different settings for distance. One has a bold S and the other just gives distance. I assume that the S means it gives the point to point distance whereas the other one gives the horizontal distance.

Little late, but 2 weeks ago I went up to Willow Springs and it was 32ish in the morning with light ice over parts of the lake and snow on the banks. Also, the lake was way higher than ive seen it and super murky.

Way late to this, but I'm curious around what time of year bears like to frequent watering holes daily. It's already getting pretty hot and I've got 1 more weekend before the rifle season closes. Might it be worth it to find a tank 1 or 2 miles from the nearast road and/or trail and just try to find a knoll above it to glass until something shows up? Also, have you tried predator calls to pull one into your zone? Would it be better to try to call when they wouldn't be looking for water or do it when they're looking for water(heat of the day?) to speed up their desire to head that way? Also based on the fact that the spring archery season is later that spring rifle, would sitting at a tank a little lower maybe 4500-5500' be a better bet for where the bears might be roaming during the end of rifle season?

Way late but I'm also trying to get a handle on this bear hunt. How does a consistent food source work in the spring? Cause acorns, berries, pears, etc are really blooming yet(might be leftovers from winter I suppose but now in april i figure those are diminishing). Also, based on the trinity, say that a canyon with a rocky north facing side, water in pools in the bottom(or a spring) that foster a riparian environment, and a south facing side with green ups(flowers, grasses, etc for spring hunting). Would this basically be perfect? A mix of water, food, shade, and ruggedness? Also, how do most tanks stack up against runoff water in canyon pools? Is there a preference? Cause tanks are "easier" to access than rough terrain for bears.

Hey Eli, thanks for your response. I totally get the rocky + remote guidline. I guess one of my problems has been what to prioritize when choosing a spot. Do I watch drainages mid day when the bears are still and wanna be near water? Then switch to patches of open land when there are green ups during the morning and afternoon cooler hours? How does spring food vary from fall food because theres not nearly as many fruiting plants? How far away from dirt roads should I go in? Do campers attract or scare bears? Cars seem to scare em but food might attract em. When should I be calling? All the time to see if I can stir something up? Also, regarding whether I've seen sign or not, I think I have. I've seen some tubular fibrous scat that looks too big/frequent(in a pile) to be coyote and I've seen some small manzanita berry scat that seem to small and frequent to be bear(thinking javelina) but that otherwise look just like general bear pies with berries. I'd say my biggest weakness is patience(a big one haha) and I just need to position myself somewhere nice and high so I can glass into valleys as well as onto the sides of valleys.

I noticed that there haven't been many posts in here so I signed up for an account to ask some questions and maybe liven up this place. I just started hunting this year when I inherited a savage lever action .308 and I decided that for the cost, black bear made the most sense for me to attempt(despite the obvious difference in challenge it creates versus mulies or other deer). So I started scouting around Unit 22 before the season started and have been on hunts every weekend since the season open, usually 1-2 days long. I bought a primo fawn bleat and ball call to see if I could call one out of the brush and haven't had luck with it. For some context, Ive been in a few parts of the mazatzals(both the high elevation and foothills) and some of the land east of payson and west of the 260. In unit 22(N and S) and 23(only N this season apparently), I know there are a TON more spots available. I done lots of searching via google earth for nice spots and many seem GOLDEN but are a 10+ mile hike(good on one hand but bad for the hike out). In my research I have found mainly anecdotal reports of bear hunts for AZ but the overall amount of "experts" reporting on their bear hunts are people who hunt in the other western states which can be quite different from AZ. I guess after this long ramble what I'm asking is, does anyone have advice for determining bear locations in AZ? How does AZ vary from other locations in terms of how bears operate? The elevations may be similar in certain areas but the overall climate varies, from what I can tell. I'm aware that scrub oak, manzanita berries, and other scrubby vegetation produce food in the fall along with prickly pear, but what about the spring? Is it really just green ups of flowers and grasses? Little long winded...TL:DR: Any advice for a new bear hunter and general hunter at that? How to scout places via google earth/onx and in person? How do bears vary here from other states? What are the absolute MUST-KNOWS before getting out there and possibly "wasting"(not really wasting) your time? I sincerely appreciate any responses, I'm really just looking for some input from anyone with more experience than me. I typically tend to overanalyze things, so when presented with bear hunting info from alaska, montana, and the east coast, I'm not sure what to think.