Anyone know where bears hide in AZ?

I been all over AZ hunting Javalina, Deer, Elk, Turkey, and everything else but I have never seen a bear. 15 years of hunting, camping, and hiking in AZ and never seen one. I been in Hells Canyon and all over 6A, 4A, 5B, 23N, 7E, etc. Anyone know any good techniques for spotting Bears in AZ without dogs?

Look at the local dounut shop .

Four Peaks has one of the densest populations of Black Bear. Not sure if you can hunt there though .

Used to see them all the time in my great-uncle's backyard outside of Show Low.

I've seen bears up in 6B and 4A, but only for split seconds as they dash across roads or slip in between trees. I saw a bear last month down in a southern unit, however. When everything is brown and green, a black bear really stands out at a 1200 yards.

I hunt 5B north for elk and see Bear every year. Andersons mesa east end also diablo canyon near meteor crater. if you see any Bison go some where else.

From the Arizona game and fish web site:
In the fall, bears are frequently found in or near Gambel Oak thickets when acorns are available. Other areas to look at include the canyons coming off of the northern and eastern rim of Anderson Mesa such as Grapevine, Young's, Padre, Cherry and Mormon Canyons. Bears are also found in the higher terrain of 5B-S such as Hutch, Pine and Turkey Mountains and the upper end of Jack’s Canyon.

Good luck

Few years ago I saw a bear down by McNeal, I was up in the hills east of town hunting yotes and saw tracks and caught a glimpse of one across a valley. Guy down there runs them with dogs from time to time with some success.

Empty country down that way. At least to somebody from the midwest.

Saw two on Monday while hunting for coues deer down in unit 29. I know where I'm going for fall bear next year.

My dad saw one last month . . .

usually good places to start the search is in the woods if not there they can usually be found in the local zoo

I saw one at Lake Mary just south of Flagstaff in 08

Check Coleman lake south of Williams
Start by finding Oak Thicket
look at the map for the area

Hint ( Modeste tank )

Woods Canyon Lake... See at least one everytime i head out there.

HMMMMM.....

this time of Year ...

Maybe ?? CHICAGO !!!????


Certaintly Not DALLAS

Galiuro Wilderness area is a good bet in addition to some of the other areas already listed. Some of the side canyons that feed into the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness hold BIG bears. All along the Black River is excellent, especially on the San Carlos Reservation, but you'll have to buy a back country permit. The White Mountains headwaters areas all around Mount Baldy. Escudilla and south into the Blue Range. Side slopes of Mount Graham. Pine Mountain Wilderness. I've seen one down in the saguaros in the SW part of the Mazatzal too.

Looking into hunting that area this fall (October). Some acreage around that area priced right too, finances willing.

south of the border trying to escape into Mexico they want to be lazy and not have to work for a living.

There are bears in most mountainous areas of AZ, with the Mazatzals, Sierra Anchas, and Pinalenos being good bets. There are essentially four bear hunting techniques, which are, in probable order of success, using a competent guide with good hounds to run one down, bay it, and afford you the opportunity to assassinate a frightened, exhausted animal, like shooting a fish in a barrel. Next best bet is "spot and stalk", whereby you set up to watch areas where bears might expose themselves to view (which they don't much care for...) such as when, in August and September, they leave cover and expose themselves, usually around dawn or dusk, to feed on prickly pear cactus fruits found mostly on south and west facing slopes ––- once spotted, they can be stalked by a good hunter to within ethical rifle range (or, stalked unethically, by using spotters to guide the hunter via radio communication). Another technique is to identify good bear habitat, seasonal food sources, travelways, critical water sources, etc., and lure the bears to you, using a predator call ––- to my way of thinking, the ultimate challenge for a bear hunter. The least productive technique is to take your rifle for a walk, blundering around and hoping by pure blind luck to bump into a bear that hasn't already got your number, and has stuck around long enough to present a shot ––- a technique pretty much in the same category as planning your luxurious retirement around lottery winnings.

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