Ruidoso bear hunting

Bear season closes the day before mule deer season opens in November.

Has anyone ever had luck bear hunting around Ruidoso? I am thinking about heading up a few days early to try and bear hunt before my mule deer season starts.

I know there are tons of bears around town. My parents have had a cabin there my entire life and have seen bears off and on. Never thought to hunt them until I talked with my taxidermist the other day. Don't really want to pay for a guide and dogs, I am assuming the best strategy would be to hunt water while scouting for deer.

Since baiting is illegal in NM, may have to pattern one to a dumpster.

Do they sell OTC bear tags in NM?

yes they do. but they are on a quota system.


good luck

Check the dumpsters in the Camelot addition, the bears have really been hitting them lately.

I am not sure on bear hunting you better check with the New Mexico Game and Fish office in Santa Fe.

My brother is hunting bear in Ruidoso this year. He lives there and has been doing a lot of scouting. Seems to be a lot of them over on Capitan.

Where is you parent's cabin? My brother is in the Upper Canyon.

Sierra Blanca, off the road that goes up to Mt. Monjeau.

Has your brother been seeing any good deer? Elk hunted up there in 2011, went 1 for 4 with a bull that scored "304 or around that. Those elk are tough to pack out in the middle of the night!

He gets a mess of deer in his yard every morning and evening. Elk come through from time to time.

Hope your folk's cabin survived the fires last year. That whole Monjeau area burned.

Got pretty close, fire was less than a mile and then turned away from the neighborhood. It took out all of Villa Madonna.

Not sure of bears in Ruidoso...but I've hunted water holes for mule deer off of Capitan mountain and have seen black bears come in to water in the evenings. Lots of scat on trails too. I'm thinking about buying a tag. Last year was the first time I noticed an abundant sign of bear. I think they had a good year on litters for black bear recently.

They have incense type attractants that smell like food. Are they illegal to use in NM?

you should contact Joe Troyer, Little Joe's Hunts... New Mexico

I usually drink and make love in the National forrest out there and leave the bears alone.

Have you ever made love with a bear?

Heres a couple photos of a brute of a cinnamon phase Black Bear that was behind our cabin in Cloudcroft. This was over 10 years ago so it won't help you with you hunt.