Successful Black Bear Hunting (Paperback)

by Bill Vaznis (Author) "Americans have been enthralled with black bears and bear hunting ever since Davy Crockett "killed hiself a bar when he was only three..." (more)
Key Phrases: Swamp Bear, New York, Big Foot (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Woods-wise sporting enthusiasts rate the black bear as one of the most elusive beasts in the wild. His shy and secretive nature makes him quite difficult to study in his native habitat.

In this compelling combination of entertaining hunting stories and how-to instruction, Bill Vaznis details everything you need to know about black bears, along with guidelines for harvesting them successfully. You'll learn how to:

* Track, bait, call, and trail bears
* Choose the best hunting locations
* Get the most out of a hunt
* Choose the right outfitter
* Hunt trophy bears

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873496655
• ISBN-13: 978-0873496650
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #544,197 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a good baiting book, December 17, 2006

By	Tyler Forge "realist" (Sunnydale, CA) - See all my reviews

Somewhat good for techniques other than baiting. Locally, I have to spot and stalk. That doesn't keep me from going to places where I can bait. The tables showing bear populations and other data will help me choose my trips. Furthermore, I can use bait if I'm not hunting. Photography and scouting come to mind. This book has great photos.

Vaznis' instructions for dealing with guides, including naming names, is also good. I liked the bit on bear camp dynamics too. The discussion of the bear's senses and the behavior of different bears is great. Old boars get very wary and can live for a long time. Sows, cubs, and young boars are easier to notice, but subordinate.

I definitely enjoyed the hunting stories. Not just the successful ones, but the very many unsuccessful ones. I make mistakes and learn every time out. Hopefully, I can avoid some of the mistakes the he mentions. Vasnis also gives a sense of how time/labor intensive it can be crawling around looking for sign.

Lastly, thanks to Vaznis, I'm going to pack more than a 9mm along with my bow. I guess that bit of fear that comes with bow hunting such large carnivors never goes away and is well founded. I will never huff on a predator call in grizzly country (again) unless I have about 5 12 gauge slugs backing me up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overall Hunting Book on Tracking, Baiting, and What NOT to Do (and more!), September 21, 2007

By	Michelle (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

As a novice hunter, I found this book to be extremely informative. One reviewer mentioned that he didn't like the stories that Bill Vaznis opens each chapter with but that is exactly what I LIKED about this book!

This book provided an overall understanding of bears, how to interpret bear signs and track, how to bait bears, methods of tracking and taxidermy. It also discussed strategies to get "finicky bears", discussed mistakes to avoid (very important read for ANY hunter), and had stories of the author's "close calls".

As a female hunter just getting into the sport, this book allowed me to put into context all the hunting stories I've heard and this book managed to get me that much MORE excited for this season's hunt! In fact, while driving out to the bear camp I was reading the "close call encounters" stories to the men and we were all talking about it and having a great time!

If you are serious about bear hunting, or just getting into the sport than I would highly recommend this book!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book - for baiting, July 19, 2006

By	N. Haley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was excited to get this book in the mail to help prepare for a western bear hunt, but was pretty disappointed after getting through the first few chapters. Each chapter opens with a story of how the author got lucky (or unlucky) on a given trip, then meanders into how baiting is somehow related to the chapter title. It's a good book, I suppose, if you live in one of the rapidly decreasing number of states that allow baiting, however for the majority of states, this book holds little value. What I was hoping to find: more in-depth calling techniques, descriptions of food sources with pictures and parts of the country they may be found and during what time of year, better identification of bear sign, droppings, etc, shot placement and anatomy, maybe the various state regulations regarding bear hunting at the time of publishing - plenty of stuff other than "where to set up your bait station in a corn field, in a swamp, or in the timber." Sorry Bill, there's a ton you could have added to my knowledge on bear hunting, but fell very, very short...