This video features a 2008 Spring Black Bear Hunt on Vancouver Island. Anavidhunter with Saskatchewanoutdoors.com Chad takes a big Boar with his new PSE X-force bow. With a late afternoon hunt, you can have your work cut out for you! We were finally in the truck at 1:00am in the morning heading back talking about the awesome big Boar that “Bear Hunter” had just harvested. The third evening and second day of the hunt, and we had our second Boar. We ended the seven day trip seeing over fourty bears, and harvesting two, however we all had several oportunities. It was a great Trip.
Vancouver Island has long been considered a world-class bear hunting destination. The island has long been known for it’s great trophy-sized bear and the high population of animals in the area. It’s not uncommon to see a bear or two grazing on the side of the road. What’s also interesting to note is that the bear on Vancouver Island were discovered to be a separate sub-species of the black bear, called the Island Bear.
Open season for Vancouver Island bear hunting is April 15 through June 15 in the spring, and September 10 through October 31 in the fall. It’s important to know when planning your trip to Vancouver Island that the climate will fluctuate greatly. A hunter should expect a temperate rain forest with precipitation very common nearly ever day of the hunt. Temperatures can also fluctuate greatly with daytime highs in April of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows of 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
With these fluctuating temperatures and weather conditions kept in mind, a hunter needs to pack accordingly. While it isn’t easy to predict what the hunter may need, the one thing to count on is a full body rain suit. Otherwise, take suggestions from your guide service, as they’ll not only be able to tell you what to bring depending upon the season, but also they’ll know what weather has been like recently.
British Columbia, the province in which Vancouver Island is located, boasts the greatest population of black bears in North America, and Vancouver Island has the greatest density of them. Game records also indicate that the island has the most successful hunts. The reason that Vancouver Island has such a plentiful bear population is because of the great conservation efforts of the area. Game management is the highest priority and for good reason, the local economy depends greatly on the influx of hunters every season. The island also produces record sized bears reaching as high as seven feet in height. The island bear has no color phases, though the rare bear might be seen that is jet black with a white strip on the chest. Hunting for Vancouver Island bear can be the greatest black bear hunting experience in North America, and offers the hunter beautiful terrain on top of it. With a little planning and research a hunter can be off for his island bear hunting trip next season.
