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Hunt big black bears in the Arizona desert hills |
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This hunt produces big black bears in the rugged desert mountains of central and southern Arizona. The outfitter spends time long-range glassing huge canyons, and once he locates a big bear, you'll stalk within shooting range. The hunt is highly successful in dry years because the bears then spend long periods foraging on prickly pear cactus in open terrain. In wet years an abundance of food in the higher mountains, especially acorns, fungus and manzanita berries, attracts the bears to areas with more cover, and the animals don't spend as much time in the prickly pear canyons. The bears are typically active in August and September as they work to put on a layer of fat for the winter. Often the guide can lure a bear close by using a predator call.
"We usually see quite a few bears," the outfitter said. "Last year I had an elderly gentleman miss one the first day and another one the second day. He ended up shooting a 350-pound black-colored bear that had a 20 1/2-inch skull. "You should be prepared to take some long shots. Most of our bears are killed at 250 to 300 yards, but we've taken some at even longer ranges. I use a rangefinder when we can." |
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