Olympic high country bears

[bankwalker]

I know the wynoochee is a pretty good bear unit in general. And i have seen quite a bit of bear sign in the skokomish unit.
But does anyone hunt the higher elevations bordering the park? Ive been mainly thinking of scouting east of lake wynoochee

I really like getting up high in the alpine areas looking for bears. And when living in Seattle it wasnt hard to drive up to snoqualmie pass area to find great Alpine areas to hunt...
now that i live towards the coast i dont exactly know where or if i can find that type of terrain in the olympics without getting into the park...

Any advice is appreciated

[washelkhntr]

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[JimmyHoffa]

I find most of the large berry patches (blue/huck) are in the park (the westside alpine).  There's some bushes scattered around in the olympic high country on the outside, but most of the alpine outside of the park is on the eastern edge--a large portion is drier and I don't find that many berries in alpine.  I find the sub-alpine better--food and sign, around the 5,000 ft mark.  Seems like they like to eat a lot of watery-new growth, which starts growing later in the season up high due to snow melt.
 

[mossback636]

As much as i hate to say it i'd hunt a lil lower for the bear unless the high country is what you love.  I've grown up hunting both the nooch and skok units.  There are lots of bear all over the place without a doubt! The last couple of years have been pretty good for the low land briuns. simply because of the berry count, so plentiful in the low country a guy would have a hard time not killin a bear or two

[Houndhunter]

Just marking this thread, been hunting up high on the nooch the first of august and have yet to see a bear

[bankwalker]

Ive seen a couple bears this year. But the sign ive seen is absolutely pathetic in both units. East side of the nooch and west side of the skok.

I haven't been actually scouting them. But noticing bear sign is pretty easy when out and about. And I'm out every day

[mossback636]

i hear ya, im out everyday also. i tend to stick more to the skok side just cuz i'm a valley boy if ya know what i mean. the high country gets worse and worse just because its gettin so thick. the berries seem to be pathetic up there lately to. dink around the 600 a lil bit and see what ya come up with

[bankwalker]

Ive been up around the 600 a few times and haven't been impressed. I've seen more bears on the nooch while fishing.

If we are talking the 600rd that cuts across from wynoochee rd to kelley rd?

[mossback636]

yeah, talkin around the 615 area and bite. even the schafer grade. i know that sounds dumb but i do work for green diamond and what not. kinda tough to hunt em but once ya pin point em its a no brainer

[bankwalker]

Oh yea, those clear cuts around the 600 look really good. And back up around the west fork satsop has some good salmon berry patches where I've seen the most sign. Its just to thick for my liking