I’ve dedicated a full week to hunting black bears for the last three seasons, and I’ve come to a conclusion: this isn’t for the faint of heart. Black bear populations are less dense than elk, they don’t run in herds, and their powerful noses can sniff you coming from, literally, a mile away.
That’s why it’s crucial to dial in your bear-hunting kit. When the bears are staying hidden on the hillsides, you don’t want to be too cold or too hot, fighting tired eyes from an uncomfortable sleeping situation, or nursing sore feet. When that shot finally does present itself, you need to be confident that your rifle, scope, and ammunition will perform.
I got a chance to put this kit to the test on a spring black bear hunt in Montana. You can watch the full hunt for yourself right here.
Rifle
For this hunt, I carried a Tikka T3x chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum. The standard T3x stock is fine, but I decided to swap it out for the HNT26 chassis system from MDT. The HNT26 chassis shaves off a few ounces, and I like the pistol grip, adjustable buttstock, and M-LOK forend. (For a full breakdown of how to swap stocks and more about the HNT26, check out this article.)
I topped the rifle with a super-clear Nightforce NX8 scope and packed a Spartan bipod system for prone shots.
To help control the noise and recoil from the 7mm Rem. Mag., I attached the Banish 30 suppressor from Silencer Central. The nine-inch suppressor made the rifle’s overall length a bit on the long side, but the performance is incredible. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to use this rig on a bear, but I did use it to take a mule deer buck back in November. It reduced recoil and sound enough that I was able to watch my bullet hit the buck at 500 yards, and I didn’t deal with ringing ears while cleaning it.
There are always trade-offs when using suppressors or muzzle brakes when it comes to noise vs. recoil management, but we are working on some of that with our friends at Silencer Central right now, so stay tuned.
Clothing
The mild weather we had during this week in the Montana mountains wasn’t great for bear hunting, but it was easy to stay comfortable. I relied on First Lite’s Trace warm-weather pants and the Wick quarter-zip base layer, which helped keep me cool while also offering some protection from the sun and mosquitoes. During the cool mornings and evenings, I relied on the Uncompahgre 2.0 puffy jacket. It’s light and easy to pack but also takes the bite out of the morning chill.
To keep my feet dry and comfortable, I opted for the Crispi Altitude GTX hunting boots. I’ve been extremely impressed with this boot. It blends a stiff, full alpine boot with a softer, more comfortable boot that still gives me plenty of support. It’s great for sneaking around logging roads or for that final stalk when you drop your pack to get as close as you can to the animal.
Camping
Seven full days of hunting can be taxing, which is why it’s important to make your camp a place to recharge. I won’t cover every piece of gear we had in camp, but I did want to highlight a few.
We slept in the Seek Outside eight-person tipi tent. It’s obviously not intended for backpack hunting, but since we were able to drive a car to our campsite, we took advantage of having plenty of room to stretch out.
Nemo’s Roamer self-inflating mattress is ridiculously comfortable. It’s four or five inches thick, and it may be more comfortable than my bed at home. If I ever didn’t sleep well at night, it was from thinking about smoked black bear hams, not from a sore back.
If you have a warm shelter and comfortable bed, the only other thing you need is good food. We prepped meals on the Camp Chef Mountaineer stove, and I really don’t know why they make other models. This thing is a workhorse. It’s simple to use, and the burners won’t blow out even in 40 mph winds.
Optics
Besides the Nightforce scope, I also carried a pair of Swarovski optics that helped me glass hillsides even when the smoke started to roll in. My binos, which I carried in FHF Gear’s FOB harness, were Swarovski’s NL Pure 12x42 model. For longer distances, I carried Swarovski’s ATX spotting scope with a 95mm objective lens.
Pack
I didn’t get a chance to use my pack to haul out any bear meat on this trip, but that’s partly why I was glad to bring Exo Mtn Gear’s K4 pack system. I like it because when I’m not packing meat, I can cinch it down and still fit 10 or 15 pounds of gear, water, and some food. It feels just like a day pack, but it’s ready to go if I need to pack something heavier (like a hundred pounds of bear meat).
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, a dependable kit is more important when the hunt isn’t going as planned. It’s easy to ignore cold or hunger or blisters when game is in sight.
But when the hillsides are empty, discomfort will send you home before anything else. The gear I brought on this hunt helped me stay in the game until the last seconds of daylight, and I can’t wait to get back out there again next year.
