Bear Hunting with Seth Watts
Show Notes:
Seth Watts joined me on the podcast to talk all things bear hunting. He’s been hunting his whole life, but about a decade ago, Seth started bear hunting in California. It was great to hear his thoughts on bear hunting, scouting, and conservation.
“The first thing I always do is call a biologist for that area.”
Seth and I talked about the first steps to a good bear hunt. We can’t all spend weeks scouting an area, so calling a biologist is a great way to learn about the land. Biologists will share all kinds of great information for hunters, including feeding areas and elevation distribution. Bears can be tough to find. But at the end of the day, they’re food-driven. Wherever the food is, you’ll probably find some bears.
Seth’s in Northern California, where he says the bear populations are getting bigger and bigger. They’re not afraid of people, and are often seen in town. We’ve got the same situation here in Arizona. Seth and I agreed that hunting is an important tool to deal with bear populations.
It was great to hear Seth’s ‘boots on the grounds’ thoughts, too. Scouting is important, but it’s critical to take some strategy into the field. We talked about ambush hunting vs. spot-and-stalk. There are pros and cons to each approach, so Seth provided some insight on his personal approach.
We touched on the recent fires in California, before ending with some discussion about calling. Seth provided a few tips for beginner bear hunters as well.
What's’ Inside:
- Ask a biologist for hunting tips. They’re usually happy to help.
- Bears can be tough to find, but Seth gives some tips on what to look for.
- Bears are getting braver – hunting is an important tool for population control.
- There’s nothing more consistent than change – what that means for hunting.
- Insight on how to call for bears.
- Beginner tips for bear hunting.
Mentioned in this episode:
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Seth Watts: https://www.instagram.com/black_bear_pursuit/?hl=en
Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/
Short Description:
I sat down with Seth Watts to discuss bear hunting. Seth is an experienced bear hunter in Northern California, and he’s got plenty of great knowledge about the sport. We talked about all things bear hunting, including calling, field action, scouting, and more. It can be a tough hunt to get into, so it was great to get Seth’s perspective on getting started.
Tags:
Bear hunting, big game hunting, bear calling, ambush hunting, beginner hunting, california hunting, bears, days in the wild, spot and stalk, bear hunter, calling, scouting
Hunting Javelina with Rick Forrest
Deer Behavior 101 with Moriah Boggess
Muley Hunting with Richie Wilhelm
6.5 CM the worst gun ever?
South Dakota Recap with Dan Graff
Upcoming AZ and WY Draw with Dave Barnett
Coues Deer with Fred Bohm
Blood tracking with John Jeanany throwback
Blood tracking with Richard Smith Throwback
The ribeye in the sky John Odell
The Alaska draw and hunting opportunities
Coues Deer Hunting with Craig Van Arsdale Throwback
Elk Season 2023 tagging bulls, saving kids and blown opportunities
Turning Feral with Zach Hanson
Rusty Smith Elk Hunting in Idaho
Early Season Whitetail Deer with Art Helin
The Hunting Public and John Stallone
Scoring Coues Deer with Jay Scott
Shane Edgar Coues Deer Hunting Throwback Thurs
Mule Deer Hunting Tips and Tactics with Jess Reveal
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The MeatEater Podcast
Bear Grease
Live Wild with Remi Warren
Outside Podcast
Cal’s Week in Review