Bear Advice

[furiouzgeorge]

Hey folks,

  I wanted first to introduce myself a little. I haven't posted much around here mostly because I've felt that the majority of what I can do here is learn. I'm a brand spankin' new hunter (still have that new hunter smell...working on that), and have no hunting tradition in my family. My exposure to hunting comes from a friend and his Dad (Ghosthunter) and what I've been able to glean from this forum.

  I've slowly been piecing my gear together over the last six - eight months and reading everything I can about my target species (Deer, Elk, Cougar, and Bear). I've spent as much time as I'm able to scouting the areas I'm planning to hunt this year. I live on Whidbey and will likely hunt around Skagit for both Bear and Deer and hopefully the East side for Elk. If not the east side I'll head to Rainier.

  Because Bear opens so soon (even the kids are counting down for me now) I took of to the foothills this afternoon to see if I could check the berries and and hopefully find some good bear sign. The place I'm most interested in hunting can be reached from a gated gravel road that branches off from the HWY and sprawls through some clear-cuts and up a pretty gentle slope toward the ridge of a small mountain range. It's a pretty easy hike (something I'm trying to stick to for my first hunt) and should be a reasonable pack-out if I'm successful in bringing down a bear. Once on the ridge you can glass down either side of the mountain through some extensive clear-cuts. They were logged about four or five years ago (by my dad) and are growing plenty of blackberries (still in the flowering stage). I found plenty of Salmon berries and some tiny red berries that grow in clusters which I haven't had time to identify at the same elevation as the road. About 100-200 feet higher in elevation (when you hit the clear-cuts) there are blackberries everywhere with salmon-berries lining the road. The 'ascent' is from the south side of the mountain and the berries will likely be ripe in a few weeks. There's also a very nice creek criss-crossing through this range providing plenty of opportunity for them to get water access.

  I found a ton of scat, looks like they are eating the small red berries and some of it was super fresh (not an expert but if I took a dump in the middle of the road this morning, I'd expect it to look like the scat I found this afternoon...a little lighter on the berry seeds of course  ). Each pile I cracked open (which were on the road) seemed super fresh. I'm assuming some of the bears use the logging roads as highways. I say some because there are spots where they just bypass the switchbacks and plow through the grass to the next clearing. I didn't have a good opportunity to get off the road because I had the kids and my pregnant wife with me and had enough to worry about without getting off the beaten path. I also had a goal for us to get up to the mountain top early to hopefully glass some bears on the northern side. Didn't happen because about half way up the slope we came across some really fresh cougar scat and some really overgrown switchbacks that made me nervous for the little ones. We decided to call it a day.

  I titled this Bear advice because I seem to have found a good place to find bear, but am still pretty unsure about their habits and the best way to hunt them given the terrain. Any advice would be awesome. Below are some thoughts I've had about this area.

• There's another road which is also gated and restricted to motor vehicles of any kind that according to my map will take me right up to that ridge without having to take all of the switchbacks. Depending on the wind, hunting pressure, etc. I think if I can get to that ridge early in the morning and or reach it by the previous evening and camp I'd have a good chance of hunting down on them on either slope. I'd like to hunt down the Southern slope because I could pack the meat down the mountain and to the roadside where I could have a friend pick me up.
• There are game trails EVERYWHERE around here. I'm not sure how much of it is bear but on the ground the trails are about a 6-12" wide and at about two to three feet off the ground the brush is spread out nearly two feet. Doesn't look like the game trail of a deer (too short) and probably not a coyote (too wide) What you think? I believe there's a chance these critters are pooping when they cross the road and not traveling along them. It always seems the scat on the road is in line with a game trail. Any thoughts?
• I'm a new hunter as I've said before. I have two friends who are willing to hunt with me but I don't think either are as committed as I am. I know my way around the woods and a camp-site really well and I'm not too nervous about going it alone if I had to. Does this sound like an area that has a pretty high bear population and should I be more nervous about going out there by myself? I have no experience with black bears but from what I've read they're pretty easily spooked. I've also read a few threads on this forum that describe some close calls, but I believe most of those were in the spring (new cub time).
• I've heard bears have a pretty good sense of smell. I can at times be a VERY stinky guy. I've got non-scented deodorant and some synthetic's that should probably help keep the stink off but do you guys have any advice for a scent cover for bears? I've heard that Deer and Elk aren't bothered by the smell of smoke, but I have the feeling Bears might know better (maybe it's Smokey's fault I feel this way). Any tips? I should say now that I'm REALLY uncomfortable covering myself with the scent of a prey animal with all this talk of wolf re-introduction.
• Lastly, related to hunting areas. We have too many agencies and departments managing too many small patches of public land. I'm unsure at times as to whether or not I can hunt this piece or that piece. Do you guys have an easier reference that I can use to find public land that's open for hunting? I know some DNR land is closed to shooting (like Walker Valley ORV) and other maintained recreation areas they manage. I'm sure some WDFW land is closed but they advertise that there's a bunch of available hunting ground which they manage. Anyway, something a little simpler than getting my feet on the ground and reading their poorly maintained signs would be AWESOME!!!!

Thanks a lot folks!!!

James

UPDATE: I grabbed these berries out of my pack and apparently they got crushed by my rifle clip (forgot the berries were in there). Strangely enough the berry juice ate the finish of of the clip COMPLETELY wherever it touched. Wouldn't want that stuff in my stomach!

[dogtuk]

Those look like elder berries to me and it sounds like your in a good spot get out there early and up high and glass early in the morning and late in the evening and just wait you will see them when they start moving and stay until dark good luck hope you get a big one

[KFhunter]

Also, you don't need to throw gobs of money at equipment.  Save your money for time spent in the woods, motels if you need them or gas and chow.
 
The latest Sitka gear, and packs, and guns, and "junk" isn't going to make you a hunter.
 
the junk will come over time, most of us been collecting junk for years and years, so if you try to outfit yourself you'll go broke. 
 
 
(disregard if you got deep pockets and don't give a crap)
 
 

[ghosthunter]

Hey James glad to see you on here. If you knock one down give me a call I will help pack it out. I have a game hauler you can use.

Have you been to the range? Need to know where that gun is hitting before you wound blackie.

[furiouzgeorge]

No deep pockets here! My wife and I were considering buying half a cow this year but decided the money would be better spent getting set up to hunt. Even with the green-light to spend a little money I'm trying to do as much as I can on the cheap. My hunting rifle was actually obtained through a work trade about five years ago along with a remmington semi-auto shotgun I'll use when duck season rolls around. I spent a good deal of time shopping in the off-season when the local shops were discounting stuff, so overall I've gotten by with very little cash spent. I'm hoping most of this years expenses will be 'long term' expenses so hunting next year should be much cheaper!

Ghosthunter, no but I've been to the clear-cut!!! Greene's Gun shop is member only and takes about a month to get in. I had my hopes up that because they're so close I'd have a lot more range time but I'll have to keep it to the back-woods and gravel-pits to keep in shape. No wounded Black Bears aloud! Thanks for the offer to help haul it out, I hope I need the help!

[windygorge]

you talk a lot furio.   there are a lot of great hunters in this forum with lots of great advice.  good luck

[Kola16]

Make sure you spary the scent killler all over you no matter who you are. Don't forget the bottom of your boot  Always stay positive too. If you go out fifty times, and haven't even seen a bear, go in the next time like you are going to shoot the world record. Stay positive  And don't rush your shot and calm yourself before you squeeze. Oh and get out of Skagit county, that is my terf, there are no bears here anyway  Just kidding.

[NW-GSP]

Sounds like you already know allot and have been doing allot of reading. The best thing is that your getting out and getting some boot time in, keep at it and don't give up.

I have not shot a bear yet but I still had allot of fun trying to find one last season

[saylean]

Hey Furiouz....welcome to the site. Congrats on wanting to start to hunt. I hope you find it as enriching as most do on this site.

Sounds like you have a good area. Sounds like one to keep an eye on. I wish you the best of luck in your search...and its true, you dont need a ton of new gear.

Bring water/snacks, watch your wind, know your weapon and how to shoot it, and when/where to shoot a bear....you should do fine. Remember to always be 100% sure of your target.

As far as the game trails you found...they are probably just that...game trails...for game, not just bear, deer, etc...take a look along them and find thorns...check the thorns for hair, you can tell alot by snagged hair on thorns.

As far as you stinking, we all stink super bad to animals. The second you start sweating (even before that) any anti scent product doesnt do anything in my very humble opinion. Just watch your wind as best as you can, that will be your best strategy.

WDFW has a "Gohunt" tab you can click on, on their website, you might find that helpful as far as finding land to hunt.
Best of luck, looking forward to the stories.

[bearpaw]

Move slow and quietly when you are in the most sign and hunt with your eyes and ears, listen for them working the brush and keep the wind in your favor whenever possible. As a rule the thermals rise uphill in the morning and downhill in the evening. Try not to pollute your hotspot with human scent. Carry an empty bottle to pee in, pack it out, and do not crap in that area, as soon as the bear figure out you are hunting them they will likely find another location. Hunt the area frequently while the bear are there, but don't let them know you are hunting them. 

Do not use scented deodorant, aftershave, laundry detergent, etc. I do think the no scent and scent away products help, as long as they are unscented. I prefer the no scent laundry detergent and bathroom soaps when hunting. If you are a smoker or chewer, try to not do that in your hunting area. Tobacco stinks even to a non-smoking human. But you still need to keep the wind in your favor whenever possible. 

welcome and good luck, hope we see some bear pics....

[furiouzgeorge]

Thanks folks for the great advice. I'll definitely take all of this into consideration. And yes, if successful there will be plenty of pictures. 

Speaking of pictures, here is a Google Earth image of where I'm hunting. The farthest slopes you see are about 1.5 miles out. The slope in the lower left is about 500 yds. out. Just curious what kind of optics you'd recommend to glass the longer range clear-cuts. I think this vantage would let me 'cover' the most ground.

[saylean]

Whatever optics you have readily available. You will often hear them, long before you see them.

[furiouzgeorge]

Saylean, I'm mostly deaf out of my right ear. My left's ok though. It'll all be a game of trying to figure out which way the sound is coming from. If my phone rings in the house it's a pain to find it, I've gotta get the kids looking!!!

[jackmaster]

just remember the bear smelled it fall, out of all animals bear have the keanest sense of smell, they dont hear like a deer and they dont see to well, move slow and listen out of your good ear, alot of times you will hear a bear tearing stuff apart long before you see them, one big thing is if you do shoot at a bear make a good shot, they dont bleed very well a good quartering away through the lungs and break the shoulder on the opposite side, you sound like a pretty dedicated fella and have done alot of work, if you havent shot your gun that would be the first thing i would do, anyone can go to the tacoma sportsmans club or paul bunyan, and if that dont work hit me up i built a rifle range in my back yard complete with a shootn shack, i have a 100yrd target and a 175 yrd target, good luck to ya sir..

[saylean]

They have a product called "game ear" or something like that...helps enhance sounds...might work for you, depending on what type of damage/defect you have.

I just use my old leupold Mesa 10x40's (i believe).

[furiouzgeorge]

Thanks for the offer Jackmaster. I'll be up at Coyote Ridge here in Skagit tomorrow afternoon to make sure I don't run the risk of injuring a Bear and feeding Wolves. Thanks for the tip Saylean, from what I understand that probably won't help me much, it's nerve damage or deformity since early childhood or maybe even birth. I'll just have to live with the 4.5 senses God gave me. I'll still hear the noise...just gotta figure out which direction it's comin' from. This is reason #1 I won't be hunting alone this year (and maybe ever). I don't wanna be on the dinner plate.

[saylean]

Its good to see a new member (even one new to hunting) putting in some effort to figure things out, instead of just asking for honey holes.

Best of luck to you my friend. 

[furiouzgeorge]

I guess I forgot to ask, where are all the honey holes anyway?!? 

[windygorge]

I guess I forgot to ask, where are all the honey holes anyway?!? 

you can't go wrong with washington, oregon, or idaho.  all three are honey holes

[headshot5]

It sounds like you have your stuff together pretty well.  The one thing I would recommend would be to look at a bear cross-section and how where there vitals sit in relation to its shoulders.

See Example linked below.

<http://www.dundeesportsmansclub.com/Dundee%20Pic/bearshotplacement.pdf>

[furiouzgeorge]

Thanks headshot! That was really helpful. I figured the lung, heart, lung shot was gonna be the winner for a Bear and have seen a few diagrams but that had a lot of useful material to read.

[Kola16]

This is reason #1 I won't be hunting alone this year (and maybe ever). I don't wanna be on the dinner plate.

It is a lot more fun to hunt with a friend anyway. Putting safety aside, I would still hunt with a buddy 

[furiouzgeorge]

Yah I'm pretty sure I'd have more fun with a hunting partner. No one I know has the time to hunt as much as I'd like to this year (unless I'm lucky and get bear early...which I don't expect!) so I've had to find two or three friends who want to go at different times.

[furiouzgeorge]

Well my experience at the range was a lot less than ideal. My scope mount launched off of my rifle and pounded me in the forehead (twice). The Manufacturer (ATI) has sent out a free replacement, no questions asked. After losing the mount the second time and regaining consciousness (just kidding) I spent the remainder of my ammo verifying that my iron-sights were on and that I was comfortable shooting without the scope while I wait on a new mount. I found that if I stay within 100 yards I should be just fine without the scope. Where I'm hunting it's hard to see more than 100 yards without being on a mountain top (which was my hope). 

[jackmaster]

dude sorry but that is funny as heck, only cause you didnt suffer serious damage, yeah i am thinkn i would take that gun to a gun smith when you get your new mounts and just make damn sure there isnt any other possible reason your mounts fly off and cause you un consciosness (SP) sorry still laughing, and if you need a range to shoot at the offer is still open, but beware if your scope mounts fly off again i might have to run away for a little bit so i dont chuckle in front of you, after you wake up of course and there is no major bleedin 

[magnanimous_j]

Yah I'm pretty sure I'd have more fun with a hunting partner. No one I know has the time to hunt as much as I'd like to this year (unless I'm lucky and get bear early...which I don't expect!) so I've had to find two or three friends who want to go at different times.

Seattle isn't too far from Whidbey. I've only got an apartment, so I don't have the freezer space for a deer or anything, but I could definitely be interested in meeting up for some grouse and rabbit later on this year.

[furiouzgeorge]

Yah I'm pretty sure I'd have more fun with a hunting partner. No one I know has the time to hunt as much as I'd like to this year (unless I'm lucky and get bear early...which I don't expect!) so I've had to find two or three friends who want to go at different times.

Seattle isn't too far from Whidbey. I've only got an apartment, so I don't have the freezer space for a deer or anything, but I could definitely be interested in meeting up for some grouse and rabbit later on this year.

That sounds great! I have no idea where to look for Grouse!

[furiouzgeorge]

dude sorry but that is funny as heck, only cause you didnt suffer serious damage, yeah i am thinkn i would take that gun to a gun smith when you get your new mounts and just make damn sure there isnt any other possible reason your mounts fly off and cause you un consciosness (SP) sorry still laughing, and if you need a range to shoot at the offer is still open, but beware if your scope mounts fly off again i might have to run away for a little bit so i dont chuckle in front of you, after you wake up of course and there is no major bleedin 

I gotta say it was pretty darn funny. The range-master seemed pretty entertained. He was impressed that I had the mental capacity after the second impact to hit my target consistently without a scope. I was a bit dizzy driving home.

[fisheral87]

That sounds great! I have no idea where to look for Grouse!

Gravel roads lined with brush near water.

I spend the most money on optics. A good pair of binos is a must have.


Compare brands, I converted my friend to leupold after comparing them to his nikons.
The difference in brightness was night and day.

You seem to be in a good direction in general.

Best of luck. Glad you aren't in my county.

[magnanimous_j]

Yah I'm pretty sure I'd have more fun with a hunting partner. No one I know has the time to hunt as much as I'd like to this year (unless I'm lucky and get bear early...which I don't expect!) so I've had to find two or three friends who want to go at different times.

Seattle isn't too far from Whidbey. I've only got an apartment, so I don't have the freezer space for a deer or anything, but I could definitely be interested in meeting up for some grouse and rabbit later on this year.

That sounds great! I have no idea where to look for Grouse!

Meh. Me neither, but I'm sure we can figure it out. I'm still confused as to where its legal to hunt. Once we get that out of the way, the rest will fall into place 

[Jordanskylery]

Hey Furioz you may have mentioned but what specific area are you from?

I'm in the same boat as you in that I don't have many hunting partners who have the time I do and are actually dedicated to make things happen and not just walk through the woods talking loud enough to scare everything off.

I got all the gear needed and a few promising spots, went out opening morning today bright and early and almost got a shot off on a pretty nice mid sized before I bumped a branch and he spooked. 

Figure it looks like you got a good area, as do I, interested in meeting up and possibly switching off on locals if your nearby?

[furiouzgeorge]

Had an encouraging encounter with something in the bushes this eve until a couple of friggin' mountain bikers stormed into my spot. Not cool! I'm not the kind of guy to say, "Yah I almost had one but the stupid (insert excuse here)!!!" Better luck next time I guess.

Jordan, that doesn't sound bad at all. PM me and we can talk about it. Also, thanks to all you guys and your encouraging responses and PM's, definitely feeling pumped about this season.