Well, that's enough for me

[billythekidrock]

when that black huckle berry stuff ripens up in a couple few more weeks is when i see the most sign in the younger cuts. i think there in the timber  mostly now eating the salal berries. those are ripe and huge around shelton. so is the red huck too though. my bear was  eating the red huckle berrie bushes.

I agree. Especially  it is hot like it has been. Alot of people often confuse salal seeds for bears feeding on blackberries.  The "black huckle berry stuff" you mentioned is Evergreen Huckleberry and it ripens late and stays edible into November.

Here is a link to some good info on Evergreen huck. http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_vaov2.pdf

[sirmissalot]

Thanks for posting that billy, I've always wondered why the huckleberries here around town are much smaller than those up high. I think the smaller ones are sweeter, and they are literally everywhere around here. The red hucks are perfect right now, along with salal berries. The wild black berries are at the tail end of their season by my house, while the thorny big blackberries are mostly green but I did see some yesterday that get a lot of sunlight and were mostly red with some black ones mixed in. I'm finally getting out for my first real look for some bear sign tonight.

Doublej, I'm not sure but I think your area produces a ton of the evergreen huckleberries, even more than here closer to shelton, they grow like crazy and are easy to find in clear cuts. I will post some pictures from my phone in a few of some outside my window, the berries have a ways to go they are still very green.

[sirmissalot]

[bassquatch]

After multiple days out and not finding any sign, let alone bears, even though my boots are black from all the berry juice on them from all the berries I was stepping in, I think I'm done.  If I see one while hunting for something else, that's fine but, I don't think I want to waste any more gas looking for bears.  Gas is expensive and, with elk right around the corner to go along with the $4/gal gas we're about to swallow from the California refinery fire yesterday, I think I'll waste my money chasing elk rather than bear.

I would think you would be wise to stay out of those berries? If that's what and where you want to hunt, get above them somewhere with your favorite pair of bino's and your rifle about 2-3 hours before dark with this heat, keep the wind on your face and watch those berries like a hawk for movement!

It took me 5 years before I even saw a bear during bear season and I missed him! However, I love the challenge, the learning opportunities and it keeps me in shape for the deer and elk seasons! Keep at it, keep going to your area, it's only a matter of time

[Biggerhammer]

Years ago in a prior life I was laying on a barracks floor at about 4am in the morning at Ft. Benning GA up on sandhill, trying to get a grip on anything to keep from falling off the planet. I was swearing a oath that I would never drink again if the good Lord let me survive the night. In that moment a good friend leaned over the edge of his bunk. Looked my straight in the eyes, all serious as hell and said:

" GOD HATES QUITTERS!"

He passed me down another cold one and that was that. I've been in some crappy situations and for some reason my mind always takes me back to that moment.

[billythekidrock]

Here is a belly full of Evergreen Huck from an October bear in the CF.

[hornhunter1987]

thanks billy i always wondered what that evergreen huck was called. they just love that stuff

[DoubleJ]

Going out again up near the steel bridge here in about 2 hours.  Taking my oldest son and his friend