Spring Bear Season with Doug Boze

Show Notes:

Doug Boze has been hunting for about 30 years and in his own words, he hunts anything that walks: deer, bear, and other big game. He joined us on the podcast to talk about his favorite hunt: black bear. I kicked us off by telling Doug about my experience in predator hunting and calling. 

Doug talked a bit about what he looks for in a hunting area. When he gets into the field, he looks for places that seem ‘bearish.’ While that might not sound helpful at first glance, it’s just one of those things that takes experience. Doug told me what defines ‘bearish’ for him – what type of landscape, drainage areas, and other hints that bears are present.

 

Food is the most important thing for bears. So, Doug says that should be the most important factor for bear hunters. Find out what bears are eating and where their food can be found. Bears also strip trees like no one’s business: that’s one of the best ways to find spring bears. Aside from that, there’s tracks, scat, and a few other telltale signs that Doug told me about.

 

We went on to talk a lot more about bear hunting and calling. Doug also has a great story about bear hunting with his brother during the late season. After that, we discussed the anti-hunt movement and the future of bear hunting. The politics of bear hunting are crazier than ever. Doug and I have some ideas about what we can do about that. 

 

What's Inside:

- What to look for when hunting bears.

- What a ‘bearish’ landscape looks like.

- Identifying trees stripped by bears.

- A deep dive on the politics of bear hunting.

- How to fix the issues with hunting legislation. 

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/

Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/

Days in the Wild: https://daysinthewild.com/

Douglas Boze: https://www.instagram.com/bozeandbears/?hl=en

 

Short Description:

Doug Boze is an experienced bear hunter and author. He joined me this week to discuss spring bear hunting techniques, strategies, calling, and more. You’ll also find a deep dive on the politics and future of bear hunting – we talked for a bit about the ‘state of affairs’ with the anti-hunting movement.

 

Tags:

Bear hunting, bear calling, black bears, hunting activism, hunting education, anti-hunting, hunting legislation, big game hunting, days in the wild, Doug Boze