I will be hunting bear this fall in Co. There are plenty of bear in this area. I plan to hunt from a tree stand over water holes. It is very dry in this area but there is water in the holes. I want to hear from people who have hunted bear without bait, from a tree stand or from the ground. Any experiences are welcome, tips, etc.

Hello Steve, I plan on doing the same thing. The area I hunt has lots of oak and on a calm morning you can hear them breaking oak branches all over, just no way to get to them. I think sitting water is my first choice and will probably sit in a blind.

Anxious to hear any tips as well though.

One year I hunted near Pagosa springs and I noticed very many of the oak branches were broken down. The bears were trearing them up. I'm pretty sure it will be hard to draw down on a bear without any bait to distract him. I know that they are territorial on their water holes also. I'm thinking set up later in the afternoon and sit till dark. I'm just not too keen on the ground blind idea yet. I do not like my vision being blocked by the blind.

Sitting over water is good if it's very dry and there are limited water sources.  Otherwise spot & stalk is the way to go.  Yes sneaking up on a bear is difficult but not impossible.    
 

Have fun.

Well....I'll say this, black bears are plenty smart. I did the spot and stalk in Colorado this past Sept. and I think I was spotted first, LOL. LOADS of fun though.