Glacier Creek Rd (Baker)

[furiouzgeorge]

Hey guys (and girls),

  I friend of mine has asked me to come along with him to hunt black-bear up Glacier Creek Rd in Whatcom. I'm checking the area he wants to hunt out on my map and it looks like it's pretty cool country. Anyone have experience up there? This isn't an over-nighter but if we're lucky we'll be pulling black-bear our of them hills in the dark so I kind of want to get a feel for what you guys think. I generally shy away from hauling off into an area I haven't spent some time researching and memorizing maps and landmarks. This will be the shortest prep time I've had to hit a new place.
  Mainly I'm curious about a lot of the wolf sightings folks have had around Baker Lake area. How concerned should we be? Also I've heard Grizzley's are making their way over from the North East...how concerned should we be? Any advice or tips would be great and might keep us young bucks alive. I can tell on the map that the road turns into a logging road but I haven't been able to make out a gate on the satellite images (if they're open they wouldn't show up). Are there gates on the way up there? If so how far's the hike past the gate to get up to relatively clear country where we can set in and glass the slopes (i.e. more Alpine country). Thanks for any input!

James

[DaleVR]

 Go have fun, there are bears around there. Wolves not saying they're not there but I have spent a lot of time up there and haven't run into them yet don't not go for that reason. Depends where you go up there, there is some gates lots of ground. Have fun! Oh yea BRING BUG SPRAY!!!

[grizzlyadams]

Very nice area. havent been in there for a looong time though. Used to live up that way. i spent alot of time in that area hiking into backcountry with mules to camp for days in remote areas. I still have contacts who live and hunt up there. I havent heard anything about wolves from them but they swear the grizzlies have moved in. Carry bear spray or a 44 mag. for the very, very slim chance of even seeing a grizzly bear. If you run across wolves just remeber the 3 S's... Bring a gold pan for some mid-day fun. There's lots of gold in those parts.

[jgoetz]

The paved section of Glacier Creek Rd. is actually worse than the dirt portion.  Watch out for potholes in the paved stuff going up. 

[deadwoodbuck]

ive hunted hiked and hauled bear out of that area...never seen a wolf...but several dogs and hikers.  no sign of griz...not saying they are there not saying their not.  just keep yer wits and hunt the early morn and evening.  ditto on the bug spray...take lots of water.

[furiouzgeorge]

Thanks for the tips and PM's guys! Very excited about this weekend. MIGHT get a bear this weekend. Here's a question I've been thinking about for a while. When a few guys go out for an overnight and one gets a bear in the morning...how do you guys manage from there? Just curious if you guys have any methods of holding meat over while the second guy tries for his bear.

[xXLojackXx]

In this heat, you dont. Get it out of there and come back for the other guys bear another time.

[furiouzgeorge]

That's the only way that males any sense to me. Raises the incentive to hunt alone

[CAMPMEAT]

Put it in a cold creek.

[deadwoodbuck]

In this heat, you dont. Get it out of there and come back for the other guys bear another time.
thats the only smart thing to do...care for the meat in hand now...especially with this heat...then return for the one in the bush.  nothings guarrenteed except the meat will spoil if you stay hopeing for another.

[h20hunter]

When hunting with others I've always considered the hunt on hold once an animal hits the ground. First priority is to take care of the one you have. Once that is done the hunt can resume then or another time.

[baker5150]

Lots of hikers and traffic up to the trail heads.

[Sideswipe]

Sorry, not familiar w/that road. 1 1/2 wks ago I was a little further up the road towards Mt BAker & branched off on another road north that leads to the trailhead & twin lakes.  Nada but it was hot.  Got up to 6000' & while standing in a patch of frozen snow, it was still 80 deg!  Nothing but hikers & Border Patrol OPs.

On the way up I saw a big reddish/brown splotch in a meadow about 1/4 mile away.  The size & color made me think Griz....after 15 min thru field glasses & it not moving I realized it was a very old, rotten log.

Few sightings (2) of decent sized bear spotted in the last couple of wks that I know of were up high 5000', I'm sure there are many lower than that.  One of the two I just mentioned got a round between the eyes & died in place.  Hunter was walking up to a downed log when the boar stood up on his hind feet to see what was going on....bang!

Go get em.

[xXLojackXx]

Put it in a cold creek.

Make sure you put the meat in game bags and then double bag it in water tight garbage bags. Cold water is a guaranteed way to spoil meat if it gets wet. Did that in Alaska in garbage bags and it worked out fine. Just make sure the meat stays dry.

[MatthewHunter98]

i wouldn't be to concerned about the grizzles, or the wolfs, you have a gun with you so no need to be concerned. i would want to plan the area out more than one day.

[furiouzgeorge]

Plans changed, going up tomorrow night and staying the weekend. Praying I wake up Saturday morning and nab a bear before breakfast... Would love to get one before the heat sets in.

[fish vacuum]

I don't know that road. Does your friend know that you're posting his hunting area on the internet?

[furiouzgeorge]

Oh yah, this isn't really his 'hunting area' because he's never been there and probably won't be back anytime soon. We're both looking at it as a one time deal. I'd prefer to know as much about an area as I can especially related to the safety of hunting a spot. So I figure the 'risk' of losing first dibs on a spot was worth the potential benefit of knowing more of what we're getting ourselves into. Both of us are new hunters (at least for Bear) and he's pretty young.

[baker5150]

Stop and get yourself a salmon bagel at Graham's store on the way down.
Best salmon bagel Ive ever had.

[furiouzgeorge]

Thanks man!

[jgoetz]

Well, furiouzgeorge is out there now.  Hope he has better luck than I did.  I spent 6 hours watching a clearcut and nothing.  All I saw was 2 guys get out of a truck and started hearing "grab your gun!"

They had no idea I was sitting about 20 yards away.  I was thinking,  did I miss something here?!

You never know where you will run into a fellow HuntWA member.  I hope you two connected.

[NW-GSP]

Stop and get yourself a salmon bagel at Graham's store on the way down.
Best salmon bagel Ive ever had.

I also like that store. I have not tried the salmon bagel. Will have to the next time I go

[furiouzgeorge]

Had a great time up there. Didn't see anything up there but a few grouse. Camped the night but wanted to hunt the area I've been scouting down south so we packed up and hit my stomping ground. We had a very scary encounter there which I will share tomorrow when it's over!!!!!

[ghosthunter]

Eyes in the night?

[furiouzgeorge]

Our mutual friend must have enjoyed my 10:30 call last night GhostHunter!!!!! Well last night after making considerable effort to sect of camping area out and having been very careful to keep all food stuff away from camp and up high we had something come right into camp about two minutes after lights out. It was pretty big and had eyes set apart a pretty good distance. We hiked down the mountain in the dark, me backward, and slept at my house. On our way down the way down the mountain we would stop regularly to listen and it would consistantly be making it's way down the hill with us in the brush. I picked a good thick stump to fire a round into in an attempt to scare it but when the ringing stopped (.45) we still heard it. It kept up with us till we hit the half mile mark (stalked us for about a mile) and then seemed to lose interest or got stealthy. Not the exit we were planning last night. My guess is that we've found an area that's got a good sized boar who isn't too skiddish due to off-road exposure and vehicle traffic. Might be a curious fellow. I'll gonna set up a game camera this afternoon and come back for it next weekend. We went back to camp just before daylight and it's in perfect shape.

[furiouzgeorge]

I guess I won't have to worry about hunting the wind with his one.

[ghosthunter]

You are going to be a riot in Elk camp. I can hardly wait.
 
Noah and I were sitting around the camp fire at deer camp last year late at night. He heard a twig snap about 50 ft away from us in the black. Ask him what I did.

I am kind of a curious guy so I would not have left until I got a look at those glowing eyes and what was behind them.
If we were in Alaska I might have worried. But this state, bring it on. After 50 years of hunting some real remote dark hell holes I have never come across anything that was to much of a match for the fire power I carry. If I ever do meet something that big and nasty it will be a hell of a story for the other guys to tell.

Next time we want to know what it was, go forth pilgrim and bring light to the darkness.

[furiouzgeorge]

Yah I've been kicking myself all day for not trying to figure out what it was. On the way back up the mountain today I found big piles of carnivore scat in the area we stopped hearing the noises. Not sure what to think about that! At the end of the day I was closing my truck door and crushed my index finger tip...great way to end a hunting weekend. I'll be a riot alright!

[johnsc6]

 "go forth pilgrim and bring light to the darkness"

 

[NW-GSP]

reminds me of my first hunting experience in eastern wa, I was in my tent alone and my buddy had his tent set up about twenty yards away.
I woke up in the middle of the night hearing something outside my tent and see my buddys lab so I think nothing of it and start falling asleep again until I realised why would his dog be out of the tent in the middle of the night? so I start yelling at him asking if his dog was in his tent? he says yes! so I reply with are you sure cause if shes in there then there is a bear right outside of my tent he says shoot it! I have my shotgun loaded with slugs and buckshot but the bear took off before I could get a shot off, I was waiting till it was 100% safe

we think it is the same bear that had been coming into my buddys camp the year before, he was tired of it coming in so he tied a bunch of empty canned food containers to his cooler but the bear took off with his cooler and he didnt even wake up he found it all tore up the next day

[MP123]

Yah I've been kicking myself all day for not trying to figure out what it was. On the way back up the mountain today I found big piles of carnivore scat in the area we stopped hearing the noises. Not sure what to think about that! At the end of the day I was closing my truck door and crushed my index finger tip...great way to end a hunting weekend. I'll be a riot alright!

Sasquatsh for sure!   

[grizzlyadams]

Sounds like Yogi and Boo Boo found a new park to play in...

Seriously though, I have never heard of or been in a situation where black bears actually stalked a human. Sounds more like cat activity than bear to me.

[furiouzgeorge]

Ha ha, good replies guys. I definitely feel a bit like a girl after reading this thread. I AM more committed to heading back up and getting that critter either on my plate if it's a Black Bear or on my camera if it's anything else. Might just have to set up camp again and try all over...is that considered baiting since I know he likes me so much?!?

[NW-GSP]

Ha ha, good replies guys. I definitely feel a bit like a girl after reading this thread. I AM more committed to heading back up and getting that critter either on my plate if it's a Black Bear or on my camera if it's anything else. Might just have to set up camp again and try all over...is that considered baiting since I know he likes me so much?!?

Don't feel like a girl I would have prob done the same thing

[furiouzgeorge]

Sounds like Yogi and Boo Boo found a new park to play in...

Seriously though, I have never heard of or been in a situation where black bears actually stalked a human. Sounds more like cat activity then bear to me.

My friend insists that the eye space (about 7") and the behavior sounded a lot more like a grizzly. Do cat's have heads that big?

[baker5150]

THe wife and I saw a Grizzly cub by the lower lodge of the ski area 3 or 4 years ago, it was in the Herald that people were feeding it scraps.  It's momma was hanging out in the parking lot for a couple days afterward.  Forrestry dept. locked the gate and had a guy warning people at the bottom.  They are definatley around up there.  I live in Maple Falls (que banjo music) and we hear of cat sightings from time to time as well.

[grizzlyadams]

I know there are grizzlies up there, and I am absolutely no grizzly expert but it still seems like cat to me. From what I know about grizzlies, they will either charge you or leave. They don't stalk. Maybe if they are used to being fed by humans, theycould follow you thinking you're going to drop some food or throw them some scraps but actually stalking you a ways down the mountain just doesnt sound like bear. Cats on the other hand have stalked many hunters and hikers. They are smart and at night they are in hunting mode. They take chances at night that they would not take during the day because they know they have the sight advantage. Many of them won't even scare off by a gunshot because they equate a gunshot to a kill. Many hunters have been cleaning their kills at night only to find a cat watching and waiting for a meal. Hard to tell for sure, but I do know from experience that that area is thick with mountain lion. They need to be thinned out so go get'em  ....

Here's an old internet pic. of just such an experience. Some say this pic has been photoshopped and is not real, but there are plenty of stories of cases such as this.

[furiouzgeorge]

It does look a bit photo shopped but I can see it happening!  Maybe you're right that it was a cat but the eye-spacing just seems a bit wide for a cat. Anyway, either way I'm out of the hunting game a bit while my broken trigger finger heals. I crunched it in my truck door Sunday afternoon and have NO good feelings in it. Just the bad kind you don't really wanna have.

[ghosthunter]

It does look a bit photo shopped but I can see it happening!  Maybe you're right that it was a cat but the eye-spacing just seems a bit wide for a cat. Anyway, either way I'm out of the hunting game a bit while my broken trigger finger heals. I crunched it in my truck door Sunday afternoon and have NO good feelings in it. Just the bad kind you don't really wanna have.

Ahhh James just put some duck tape on it and go hunting. 

[wildweeds]

I'd bet the night activity was a cat.............My buddy lives at the bottom of the road,you drove right past his house............he has shot at 2 cougars in his yard,one on the porch and the other between his house and shop,you could hit the centerline of the glacier creek road with a girl thrown rock.

[furiouzgeorge]

It does look a bit photo shopped but I can see it happening!  Maybe you're right that it was a cat but the eye-spacing just seems a bit wide for a cat. Anyway, either way I'm out of the hunting game a bit while my broken trigger finger heals. I crunched it in my truck door Sunday afternoon and have NO good feelings in it. Just the bad kind you don't really wanna have.

Ahhh James just put some duck tape on it and go hunting. 

I can't bend my finger!!!

[Jordanskylery]

Shoot with your middle finger or lefty 

[Deep Forks]

reminds me of my first hunting experience in eastern wa, I was in my tent alone and my buddy had his tent set up about twenty yards away.
I woke up in the middle of the night hearing something outside my tent and see my buddys lab so I think nothing of it and start falling asleep again until I realised why would his dog be out of the tent in the middle of the night? so I start yelling at him asking if his dog was in his tent? he says yes! so I reply with are you sure cause if shes in there then there is a bear right outside of my tent he says shoot it! I have my shotgun loaded with slugs and buckshot but the bear took off before I could get a shot off, I was waiting till it was 100% safe

we think it is the same bear that had been coming into my buddys camp the year before, he was tired of it coming in so he tied a bunch of empty canned food containers to his cooler but the bear took off with his cooler and he didnt even wake up he found it all tore up the next day

That Lab has one fine nose.  

Yah I've been kicking myself all day for not trying to figure out what it was. On the way back up the mountain today I found big piles of carnivore scat in the area we stopped hearing the noises. Not sure what to think about that! At the end of the day I was closing my truck door and crushed my index finger tip...great way to end a hunting weekend. I'll be a riot alright!

Sasquatsh for sure!   

You're lucky that Big Foot didn't start chucking rocks the size of a small VW bug.         Next time make him some bacon and eggs, poor him a cup of coffee and go back to bed.     

[baker5150]

reminds me of my first hunting experience in eastern wa, I was in my tent alone and my buddy had his tent set up about twenty yards away.
I woke up in the middle of the night hearing something outside my tent and see my buddys lab so I think nothing of it and start falling asleep again until I realised why would his dog be out of the tent in the middle of the night? so I start yelling at him asking if his dog was in his tent? he says yes! so I reply with are you sure cause if shes in there then there is a bear right outside of my tent he says shoot it! I have my shotgun loaded with slugs and buckshot but the bear took off before I could get a shot off, I was waiting till it was 100% safe

we think it is the same bear that had been coming into my buddys camp the year before, he was tired of it coming in so he tied a bunch of empty canned food containers to his cooler but the bear took off with his cooler and he didnt even wake up he found it all tore up the next day

That Lab has one fine nose.  

Yah I've been kicking myself all day for not trying to figure out what it was. On the way back up the mountain today I found big piles of carnivore scat in the area we stopped hearing the noises. Not sure what to think about that! At the end of the day I was closing my truck door and crushed my index finger tip...great way to end a hunting weekend. I'll be a riot alright!

Sasquatsh for sure!   

You're lucky that Big Foot didn't start chucking rocks the size of a small VW bug.         Next time make him some bacon and eggs, poor him a cup of coffee and go back to bed.    

I hear they like Jack Lins Beef Jerky