How important is scat?

[Jordanskylery]

Hey guys I know I ask a lot of questions but I want to learn all I can.

I have been hunting several different areas this season and all of them seem to be promising.  Both areas have scrapes on pretty much every other tree and which appear to me to be done within the past few months.  One of the areas has a decent amount of berries and torn up logs but I only found fresh scat during opening week along with one bear, but heard several others.  Given I haven't hunted that area the last week due to closure for fire danger, but before that it was probably a good 2-3 weeks without fresh scat.  The other area has TONS of fresh scrapes, tons of mountain blueberries along with other berries and torn up logs but I have yet to find any fresh scat.

Questions are (and might sound dumb sorry):

1.  Do bears care where they crap?  Do they tend to not do their business on the roads?  I'm guessing if it is in the brush it will be harder to see.

2. How important is the scat if other signs are present?

3. If you personally found all the signs mentioned above, but didn't have fresh scat, how long would you hunt the area before moving on and where would you move to given the recipe seems right in all these locations?

4. One more to start a debate and not related to scat.............. Morning or evening for bears this time of year?


I've gone out a good 13 or so times since August 1st, gone 11 times morning - 2 evening, Get there before sunrise or several hours before sunset, wash all my clothes and scent eliminate, wear socks over my boots for silence and move extremely slow or stay stationary for an hour or so at a time glassing, Spent countless tanks of gas scouting for good looking areas and learning the terrain, Heck I even covered myself in honey on one outing ( JK)!!!!  I love being out in the woods even if I don't get anything but I've only seen one bear and heard a few others and am starting to get that defeated feeling.  Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated thanks!!

[carriz]

I don't think bears care where they do their business.

If I couldn't find fresh scat I would verify the other signs are bear. Look for claw marks in the peelings. Look for hair on the trees or hanging off the the berry branches. Are the berries being eaten? You should be able to find some scat near the food sources. Do you see any tracks? It does sound like most of your sign is old tho. If you decide to move, I would change altitude. It sounds like bear was probably there at one time or another. Either they were killed, or moved away. If there is a food source present they shouldn't move unless pressured to do so. If there are bear in the area, you should see fresh sign.

It could also be that one bear was doing all that damage and was harvested early?

[h20hunter]

Very. I love a good pile of scat. Here are some of my examples.

Sweet cob with a touch of apple.

[h20hunter]

Some mixed berry....

[h20hunter]

Really I think bears often take a path of least resistance, just like us. Therefore we find their poop. I think the main thing is that the scat tells us where they have been. Hopefully they will be there again and we can hunt them.

[rasbo]

don't get defeated,bears poop anywhere they feel the urge,one bear can make a bunch of girdled trees look like many bears might have been there...If you find a good food source in bear country a bear will be there eventually,,I have seen berry patches that looked like pastures there was some much poop,and some the poop was a ways off..bears can be feeding in berries and you might not see them.find a good spot look it over for hair as said before,tunnels in the brush...

[Kola16]

1. I have seen crap in the road many times.

2. Scat is very important because it (along with tracks) is the easiest to tell how fresh it is

3. Without finding scat in a few days, I would move on

4. Morning or evening does not matter. It is where the bears are that time of day. Morning and evening is just the best time to hunt them it doesn't matter which one, it just matters where the bear is at that time.

Stay positive, and don't get frustrated. It is ok that you ask a lot of questions 

[jackmaster]

don't get defeated,bears poop anywhere they feel the urge,one bear can make a bunch of girdled trees look like many bears might have been there...If you find a good food source in bear country a bear will be there eventually,,I have seen berry patches that looked like pastures there was some much poop,and some the poop was a ways off..bears can be feeding in berries and you might not see them.find a good spot look it over for hair as said before,tunnels in the brush...

[Jordanskylery]

Good advice.  I agree that finding scat is a great sign because it is so much easier to determine the length of time it has been there.  As far as the other sign go I can pretty well just the markings on the tree.  They are clearly bear claws and bites.  Some are hard to judge age on but some with that deep reddish brown and fresh sap and moisture indicate to me it is somewhat fresh.  The land I am hunting is fairly solid ground which doesn't allow for easy prints, except the old ones left from times of heavier rain, and is more like a meadow that joins the forest not leaving clear signs of tunnels.  There are a few smaller areas I have checked out that have the so called tunnels but other than that and tree markings the only sign in from elk and deer, so its hard to determine who the perpetrator was.

The one place I have found fresh scat, tunnels, tree markings, seen a bear and heard others .....happens to be closed at this time and is only walk in with VERY steep terrain, making it difficult to hike in farther than a mile or two at peak times.

The hotspot closing for a short time led me to move to a higher elevation into the mountains, and like I said the signs seem to be plentiful and there are far greater number of berries but NO POOP!

I know most people try to hide their hard earned scouting locations BUT, is there  anyone who is truly experienced with bear hunting and is close by to come check out my spots and let me know what you think.   I would be willing to drive, pay gas, and food in exchange for coming out with me for the day and checking out my locations and letting me know  if they are good, if not help point me to the type of terrain I should be looking for. 

Could also offer a "pretty sure thing" archery deer hunt in exchange if close by and willing to come to the property a few times. 

Bear date anyone??! 

[sebek556]

if there are berries they will be there sooner or later.  keep a eye on it

[Jordanskylery]

Thats what I was figuring.  Phone was dead so I didn't get a picture but what are the small berries that grow on a small bush or vine type plant on the ground at higher altitudes, berries are mainly dark blue and some I saw were reddish?  Mountain blueberries?

Also offer still open if anyone wants to join me for a day and critique my bear spots and point me in the right direction.  Free steak in it for you and maybe a bear if were lucky!

[saylean]

Thats what I was figuring.  Phone was dead so I didn't get a picture but what are the small berries that grow on a small bush or vine type plant on the ground at higher altitudes, berries are mainly dark blue and some I saw were reddish?  Mountain blueberries?

Also offer still open if anyone wants to join me for a day and critique my bear spots and point me in the right direction.  Free steak in it for you and maybe a bear if were lucky!

Geez man, a few months too late...i just moved from Redmond.

I would gladly hunt an area without noticible scat, if other fresh bear sign was in the area. Good luck, keep at it...I say you will bag one in mid sept.

[KenPCPilot]

Unfortunately scat doesn't equal finding a shooter.  2010 bear hunt a few area fresh scat saw 6 bears got one.  2011 saw a ton of scat.  I mean just crazy and fresh mountains of crap.  Did not see one bear.  but i am firm believer if you are finding crap it probably has something near they are feeding on a good area to concentrate you hunt.  south facing clear cuts lots of berries.  only other thing i have enperienced unusal with bear hunting is they are a shy but not quiet animal.  it sounds like lodge poles snapping in half when they move through. 

[Jordanskylery]

Okay guys well I went out again this morning sense I've been busy studying for masters I haven't got to go evening which I'm looking forward to tomorrow or friday.  Anyone up to come with?

Also got some new updates and pics to share and which need some clarification as to what they are....will post in a few hours!

[EAS]

i came across this fresh pile... and i mean fresh. i sat 400 yards away on the hill top all day glassing... at 7:30pm he popped his head up and was only about 80 yards or less from the fresh pile. bigger bear, over 300 for sure. i was so excited to take a shot, i made a bad call on yardage and missed by 6"... he slowly walked into the thick while i searched for my range finder... i went in to search the area, found his den... man, it was like he had a designated area for his bathroom there was so much crap around his den... not to mention all the bedding and torn up logs. this was last Saturday, I'll be back this weekend! hope to post some pics of a bear, and not just his crap!