Dave,
I hunt them over bait in Canada as well but I’ve really come to love hunting them this way. It’s mostly still-hunting on high ridges way off the roads. In the early season, you sneak and listen for them in the trees and then pull a stalk. It’s pretty amazing stuff.
And you’re right about water. The mountains never go dry here. Even in the extreme droughts that we sometimes get, there is flowing water everywhere.
It’s pretty obvious, just from noticing the trails, that bears are not like deer. They cannot absorb as much water from vegetation as deer do. You can find any major food source in the area, and nearby there will be a major trail going directly downhill to a stream.
This time of year, I think the deer are getting all of their moisture from vegetation and dew.
The more I go up there, the more convinced I am that I’ve been missing out focusing so much of my efforts hunting middle and south ga. (way more deer, almost none left in the mountains due to the bear pop.)
I can’t wait to get back up next week and check out a few new areas.
