Bear Hunting Advice?

[issabeepboop]

I'm becoming more interested and motivated to pick a fight with a bear and hopefully win. However, I don't know what I should do if I were to go bear hunting. Any advice/help/tips/etc. would be greatly appreciated! 

Edited December 14, 2020 by issabeepboop
adding tag

[Serenity]

Hunt him at some place where the bear can't get to you. A rock, a fallen tree or the inside of a car.

[Daymo]

If you’re far enough away and crouching he’ll not be able to detect you and won’t know where the hit came from so he’ll scarper at top speed.

If you can lure the bear close to a house, fishing hut or car, you can duck inside, then go back out crouching, the bear will be close and probably won’t spot you (drop any meat or smelly stuff first). You can then take another shot and duck back in again, rinse and repeat. 
This has the added bonus that when it drops it will be close to shelter.

If you have a revolver and lots of bullets you can use him as big furry target practice and grind your skill level up a bit as bears will take dozens of revolver bullets without dropping.

Alteratively, you can get nekkid and wrestle bears. 

[ManicManiac]

@issabeepboop

I find I get the most consistent results with the rifle if I crouch down an get within "charging range," then stand to get it's attention, aim for the head, and fire... then take a second shot to the head while it's charging to put it down (if the first shot wasn't a critical hit).

I've taken many bears with this method, and so far haven't been mauled since first trying this technique successfully on the moose.
**Though a point of clarification, have to have good aim... because if you miss the mark, you will absolutely get horribly mauled.    It's risky, but if done right... I find it's highly effective.

Plus this helps you maintain control where it the bear drops.

You can also use yourself as bait to lure the bear into a more idea spot for your to take it on.  I once kited a bear from Clear Cut all the way back to the Camp Office just because it was a more convenient place for me to harvest.

True that "blindsiding" the bear (that is hitting it from a distance that the bear can't tell where the shot come from, sending it fleeing) is indeed probably the safest way to go... but it can sometimes be difficult to locate your kill after it's bled out.  Personally, I can't stand to waste a kill.

Edited December 14, 2020 by ManicManiac

[s7mar7in]

10 hours ago, issabeepboop said:

I'm becoming more interested and motivated to pick a fight with a bear and hopefully win.

You will have fun with this for sure @issabeepboop, it is an exciting "bravery test".

One good way to get started is base at the Camp Office, then travel fairly light with some food and water and warm gear.

Move to a hunting camp at the furthest Mystery Lake Cabin, (furthest end of lake).

The reason this is a great starting point is that this lake cabin has a large view of the bear's pathing from a safe distance.

Then when YOU feel ready, go and say hello to the bear.

All the hunting techniques can be tested and you can see what the bear does and where it runs.

Good luck my friend.

[UpUpAway95]

Approaching the bear with the wind blowing towards you from where the bear is helps to get you in a little closer without being detected.  Using trees, rocks or haybales for cover can also help.  If the bear flees, make sure it is bleeding.  If you find a blood trail, that pretty much assures that the bear will bleed out, but it can take several hours.  Find a sheltered spot outdoors to wait or sleep for a few hours, checking in your journal to find out when you're credited with the actual kill.  Listen for crows to find the bear's carcass.  They often work their way back towards their den before dying.  I've only lost bear carcasses when I've gone indoors to rest before they had actually bled out (which is, I believe, a bug that resets them when you go indoors).

Ironically, I may have another bug on the go right now.  I was attacked by a wolf shortly after I shot a bear today.  This is the Broken Railroad bear, and he's usually not very hard to find because his patrol area is very small.  My log shows both bear and wolf have gone down.  I've found the wolf, but I'm still looking for the bear.  Not sure if he has somehow reset or despawned because of the wolf attack.  I haven't checked the area above by the Hunting Lodge, but I don't think the bear can get up there anyways.

[past caring]

Speaking as someone who has had a fair few maulings and was, at least until recently, terrified of bear encounters, I'd say the following;

1.  if you actually want to hunt the bear, then try to pick the fight yourself - i.e. on your own terms.
2. if the objective is to harvest the bear (and why wouldn't you?) then @ManicManiac's advice about luring the bear is on the money. For this, ideally you want clear sight of the bear and the bear to have clear sight of you. If you're just within scent range it will follow you endlessly without charging if you don't shoot at it. I reckon a safe distance is approximately 70 - 80 real life yards. But just experiment - get it to follow you, keep backing away and if you increase the distance too much you will know because it will stop following. Just shorten the distance and it will start again.
3. this method doesn't just have the benefit of bringing the bear close to home so harvesting is easier, you can also use it to bring the bear to where the odds are stacked in your favour - my favourites are the porch in Pleasant Valley Farmstead where a bear will spawn in close proximity anyway (or you can lure it all the way over from PV Outbuildings) luring across the lake in Broken Rairoad and into the Maintenance Yard and from inside the Poacher's Camp or Old Spence Farmstead in Forlorn Muskeg. Those three locations give you the benefit of being able to shoot from inside so the bear cannot jump you - or from very close to inside, so you've got enough time to get inside in time to avoid being jumped.
4. of those three, Pleasant Valley Farmstead is probably my favourite because it's relatively easy to track the bear if he bolts with minimal chance of getting jumped by a wolf whilst you're doing the tracking - which isn't to say there isn't any chance of that, but in good weather you should be able to see any wolves from some distance. Broken Railroad and Forlorn Muskeg can be a problem if you haven't cleared out the wolves in the vicinity before hunting the bear.
5. for locations, the Climber's Hut in Timberwolf Mountain and Quonset Garage in Coastal Highway or also worth a mention. The Climber's Hut is good as it's very easy to track the bear if he runs - just remember the bear can get inside the hut and maul you if you don't shut the door, so lure the bear close to the hut, go and open the door and leave it open, then stand right next to the door and only then shoot the bear - you will not have time to shoot the bear, open the door, get inside and shut the door if he charges (found out the hard way 🤣). Quonset is great, plenty of cars to duck into (make sure you're stood right next to the door when you shoot) but it can be a bit of a pain tracking the bear if he bolts - and the number of wolves in the area makes it very likely you will become the hunted.
6. use your stats tracker - 'rifle shots taken' and 'wildlife rifle hits' will let you know whether your shot actually hit - something which isn't always obvious whilst the bear is still on his feet (I'm thinking in particular of when you're ducking in and out of cars around Quonset). The same with the bow and arrow.
7. the bear is a particularly good choice for practicing your archery skills on lower levels - no great mystery to this, he's just a bigger target and so easier to hit.

Good luck!

(first time I shot the bear next to Quonset, he bolted off up the hill and I tracked him. Found him collapsed some distance away but as I approached I realised he was still breathing. Decided I'd put him out of his misery with a revolver shot to the head, but it only woke him up!! - he danced a jig around me a couple of times then bolted off up the hill again. I nearly fell out of my chair. 🤣🤣)

[gotmilkanot]

Bears are now afraid of fire, and they will LITERALLY stop in front of you to get an easy headshot if you're near a campfire or a lit torch on the ground. If they don't die in one headshot, then just pass an hour or so at your fire and they'll drop pretty much near the area. No more trekking across the map to find the carcass.

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by gotmilkanot

[past caring]

And sometimes you just get lucky....

Second day of a new run I've just started in TWM and I'm trying to back away from a wolf that has me in his sights. I'm needing to back away as my only chance is putting a deer between us - so I don't see the bear until I literally bump into him. Why the hell he ran off in fright I've no idea - but he also scared Mr Wolf out of his skin. 🤣

[ChillPlayer]

The bear in TWM near Crystal Lake is quite easy to hunt. When leaving the hut keep right to not attract any wolves and sneak/crouch up on the hill where you can overlook the bear cave and the way towards Echo Ravine. Once you see the bear far right of the cave, go left and climb ontop of the cave, the bear can't reach you there.

Generally speaking this is the best tactic for bear hunting. Anticipate it's route, go somewhere where it can't reach you and wait for an opportunity to shoot it.

[UpUpAway95]

Update:  My bear in Broken Railroad was nowhere to be found anywhere in the zone.  I reloaded and did a thorough search several times.  I really think the wolf attack somehow interfered with the bear carcass spawning.  At least I was able to harvest the wolf that got me.

[Valuable Hunting Knife]

It's more difficult to aim, and will only ever lead to bleed out (and a hunt for the carcass) rather than a direct hit, but going with the flare gun does have the advantage that if you miss the bear should at least be frightened away rather than mauling you.

 

My own preferred super safe way is to find the fishing hut with a door on mystery lake, hole up there with plenty of wood and practise my fishing until the bear (but not the wolves) is about, then sneak out, take a pot shot, run back and lock the door and then if it's not a direct hit back to the fishing until bleed out.

[flakeinator]

I took down a bear near the Trapper's Cabin. I put 4 rifle shots into him and then got mauled. I think that the mauling is worse when they are injured. I barely survived. Once I got up and grabbed the rifle I gave the bear a minute or so to get some distance and shot it again in the butt. It turned and got on its hind legs and growled at me. Another shot to the chest took it down. I seriously thought that when I got mauled I was not going to survive because it was such a long animation and my character made a comment on how badly it was going.

[past caring]

On 12/14/2020 at 6:44 PM, past caring said:

........The Climber's Hut is good as it's very easy to track the bear if he runs - just remember the bear can get inside the hut and maul you if you don't shut the door, so lure the bear close to the hut, go and open the door and leave it open, then stand right next to the door and only then shoot the bear - you will not have time to shoot the bear, open the door, get inside and shut the door if he charges (found out the hard way 🤣).

Turns out this was wrong. That damn bear can teleport through a closed door......🤕

[therealgardenhose]

On 12/15/2020 at 11:35 AM, UpUpAway95 said:

Update:  My bear in Broken Railroad was nowhere to be found anywhere in the zone.  I reloaded and did a thorough search several times.  I really think the wolf attack somehow interfered with the bear carcass spawning.  At least I was able to harvest the wolf that got me.

Funnily enough, I had the exact same issue a few weeks before Hesitant Prospect released, the carcass was no-where to be found even though the kill got credited (this was also in BR). It was very strange.

Edited December 16, 2020 by therealgardenhose

[issabeepboop]

On 12/13/2020 at 11:59 PM, issabeepboop said:

I'm becoming more interested and motivated to pick a fight with a bear and hopefully win. However, I don't know what I should do if I were to go bear hunting. Any advice/help/tips/etc. would be greatly appreciated! 

I killed a black bear a few days ago! 

[s7mar7in]

30 minutes ago, issabeepboop said:

I killed a black bear a few days ago! 

Congratulations @issabeepboop, well done.

Limit yourself to about 2.2 lbs. bear meat per day to keep risk of parasites low.

Stay safe my friend...looking forward to some details from your bear hunt.

Edited December 16, 2020 by s7mar7in

[ManicManiac]

35 minutes ago, issabeepboop said:

I killed a black bear a few days ago! 

Indeed, well done.

Where you able to find a technique that worked well for you?
(that is to say, where you able take down the bear safely and escape the mauling?) 

[UpUpAway95]

3 hours ago, therealgardenhose said:

Funnily enough, I had the exact same issue a few weeks before Hesitant Prospect released, the carcass was no-where to be found even though the kill got credited (this was also in BR). It was very strange.

I was curious so I started another save in BR and ultimately shot the bear there again.  This time, the carcass was recoverable but it was sunk halfway into the ice on the lake.  I know awhile back, people were losing carcasses under the ice, so I wonder if that is what happened to our bears.

[Lumiiyx]

On 12/14/2020 at 10:34 AM, Daymo said:

If you’re far enough away and crouching he’ll not be able to detect you and won’t know where the hit came from so he’ll scarper at top speed.

This worked for me on a bear and a moose. Mind you I am in Pilgrim. At Miner's Folly I crouched coming out of the cabin since the bear wanders in. Had my rifle out and shot the bear in the neck. It ran around so I cooked up some of the deer I killed and water. Couple hours and dead bear not far from the cabin.

As for the moose. Where the 3 ropes are to get up to the gold mine. I climbed the last one down and heard the moose. It fled away from me so I climbed onto a near by rock and crouched. Took 2 shots to get it. 

[Mike in GA]

On 12/14/2020 at 9:34 AM, Daymo said:

Alteratively, you can get nekkid and wrestle bears. 

Wins.

At the far eastern end of coastal highway map there's usually a bear that lurks around jackrabbit island and Misanthrope's and it comes back over there near the houses. I usually shoot the bear, and run my butt back into the house and let it bleed out.  From now on I may just strip and off go wrestle it with a knife.

[odizzido]

TLD, the game where you strip down to your underwear and head out into -50 degree weather to fist fight a bear.

[Daymo]

4 hours ago, odizzido said:

TLD, the game where you strip down to your underwear and head out into -50 degree weather to fist fight a bear.

Then you can go down the pub.

[odium]

best method is baiting to a fishing hut, you can shoot once, then step inside, he will start to walk slowly away. pop back out for another shot and so on till he drops.  occasionally they will run away and die somewhere else but often you have food right at a windproof cooking location.  the hut closest to fishing camp in CH is an ideal location for this method, i hunt that bear every time he spawns and my fishing hut is absolutely slammed full of meat.  in addition you can do large water boils on the hut stove.  set 2L to boil then fish for 2 hours and repeat.  bring loads of coal from the transition cave and you can fish for days