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This topic came up a couple weeks ago when I was hunting with a member from BGH. We started out with 2 quick trees the firstday and tried for a third which was a huge boar that schooled the dogs for about 4 hours. After that we had 2 more walking and baying bears in a row. Even though I got within 20 yards numerous times I don't count either races as a catch as they did not climb. What do you think. Lets hear your opinion. Oh yah, If I had a client with me we would have killed the bear anyways.

We define a bear catch as either in a tree (that your'e at & underneath) or on a tailgate. That way there is an easy definition with no grey area. It might not be accurate for every bear you "could" have shot, but that term is pretty liberal depending on who you talk to.

Also, a sow with cubs/yearlings is ONE bear tree. The only time you can count multiple bears in a tree is if you harvest them. I've seen this a time or two when the acorns are real good and you may tree up a couple adult bear in the same tree. Most of the time these are layup races.

Nolte,

I don't bear hunt, but I'd like to hear your opinion on this... what if your dogs start a layup race and it's obviously a sow and cubs and they split up and say tree in two different trees.... maybe 1/4 mile from each other and your dogs split and catch all of them... do you count that as 2 trees? I've heard of cubs running up a tree and the sow running for a couple hundred yards and going up... dogs have to split up and keep all of them treed... still 1 hot race, but 2 different sets of dogs on each tree. How would you count that?

last spring we treed a sow and couldnt figure out why 2/3 of are dogs werent there. Long story short the other dogs had the cubs in a tree down the canyon.
I only count that as one cought though.

Chasin,

I would only count that as 1 bear tree. The majority of the time we tree a sow and cubs, they are in the same tree.

Usually for us to count it, there has to be a seperate track, run, and tree to count it. Unless it ends up in a harvest. Likewise, reruns are still a part of the first tree.

Our definition of a caught bear is when the dogs do their job and catch him to a bay! Its not our fault we cant shoot every bear they catch, Jus a different definition to me i guess. And as for the other question i agree if they split tree wit sow and cubs then its one tree. But on the other hand we have been on chases where their was a sow and yearlings and the sow will tree while they chase the yearling for a good 45 min to an hour then put it up. Now that one i call that 2 trees. What do you guys think of that?

If the hounds hold a bear bayed long enough for you to get to them and present the opportunity for you to harvest that bear at close range(whether or not you actually choose to harvest) is a caught bear in my book.Just because I choose not to drop the hammer on him doesn't mean the dogs didn't do their job.

Trueblue wrote:If the hounds hold a bear bayed long enough for you to get to them and present the opportunity for you to harvest that bear at close range(whether or not you actually choose to harvest) is a caught bear in my book.Just because I choose not to drop the hammer on him doesn't mean the dogs didn't do their job.

Thats a big 10/4!

when he is treed ,or stopped protecting his backside from all those pearly whites

If you get a good additional run from a yearling, it's another tree.

We only use our definition because "long enough" and "close" are very open to interpretation. Up a tree or on a tailgate are pretty cut and dried.

It really doesn't matter anyway, I've had great weekends of hunting with good runs, good dog work and plenty of bayups but never one "caught" by our definition. I didn't care and neither did the dogs. As long as you're happy with how the dogs did, forget all the rest.

I count a sow with cubs one bear, I don't care if you have a split race and they tree a canyon apart that is just one bear. Also, when you let a bear jump and tree him again that is also one bear. This is how I personally judge a bayed up bear that will not tree: if I can get into the bay up and the dogs have it stopped and I could have EASILY whacked him I consider it a caught bear. I also count bears in caves caught, because I could whack them as well if I choose too. I do not count it caught if the bear is running with the dogs behind it or if they have it stopped across the canyon and you would have to shoot it with a high powered rifle. I do not allow people to make that shot with my dogs around it so I do not consider it caught unless you could whack it up close.

Only if they tree, but I would also give a guy credit if he climbs onto a bayed bear and rides him for more than 30 sections!

Everyones goal should be to have the bear in the tree at the end. Almost all bears will climb if you are not making them climb all the time I would look to increase the bite in the pack.

I guess a treed bearis a give me. Now a walking bayed bear is not technically "caught" if he is still walking. I do consider a bear backed up sittin on his butt or in a hole caught.

I consider it a catch if I can get close enough to tell sex and size of bear and have the option to harvest, whether its on the ground or in a tree.

I consider at sow and 2 cubs as three bears. But i gotta boost my stats anyway i can!!!