Josh Kirchner from Dialed in Hunter packing out a fall black bear on a hunt in Arizona

At the time of writing this, it’s late July 2024. This time of year always makes me think of one thing, besides the unrelenting heat in my great state of Arizona. It’s Fall black bears. Our archery season starts at the end of August and I just returned from my first scouting trip of the year.

Josh Kirchner from Dialed in Hunter glassing for fall black bear in Arizona

This year I have decided to hunt a completely different area and learn it from the ground up. A somewhat lofty pursuit for someone that loves bear meat, but one that I’ve been looking forward to for a great deal of time now. The hunt will take place in the high deserts of Arizona. It’s going to be hot. It’s going to be challenging. And there will be bears. My recent scouting trip confirmed this.

My buddy Brian and I hiked a bunch of miles, drove a bunch of miles, and weeded out a lot of areas that we will likely not return to. In the same breath, we narrowed in on some areas of particular interest. Follow along down below with us as we explore this new area. I also break down my process for scouting Fall black bears in Arizona. I’ll likely have one more VLOG entry to my scouting before season, followed by a film of the actual hunt. Enjoy!

Fall Black Bear Scouting in Arizona

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Becoming a Backpack Hunter – A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry

Becoming a Bowhunter – A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Archery Hunting