NEED ADVICE.......Bear Hunting near Snoqualmie Pass or Chinook Pass

[RobM700]

My buddies and I want to backcountry bear hunt over a three day weekend and don't want to spend half the time driving due to our limited time....small kids at home, etc.  Snoqualmie Pass or Chinook Pass areas are close to us, but we would appreciate some advice on decent bear hunting areas.  Of course, we would rather be as remote as possible from hikers, but that may be impossible in the summer months around these two passes.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?  We're all in decent shape and are up for miles of hiking if necessary.

Thanks much!

Rob

[Kc_Kracker]

what time frame?

[Jonathan_S]

I know nothing as far as specifics for the Chinook or Snoqualmie areas, other than a general rule of finding remote berry fields, on South facing slopes.

I'd be careful of hiking too far in during the warmer months because bear meat spoils very quickly, not like deer or elk meat. There are a few very knowledgeable westside bear hunters here. Look at some of ShaneVG's older posts.

[Knocker of rocks]

Lots of bears on high on Granite-Bandera-Mailbox et al middle of fall towards the evening.

[saylean]

If you can try to find a trailhead that you can use to an area you want to hunt, then bail off to where you want to go. I dont know how many blue berry fields you have traversed, but up there, they can be as tall as you and a pain to cross...just a thought.

Google earth my friend, google earth, then put boots on the ground to get a better idea.

[gasman]

check out the American Lake area off Chinook Pass.

[xXLojackXx]

Are you wanting to back country it for fun or because you think there's a better chance of success? My bear hunting spot is about a mile square area with 5 different blueberry/huckleberry/wild strawberry patches and its only about 1/2 mile from the nearest logging road, but I have never seen another hunter up there. Between a friend and I last year, we shot at 4 bears and took home 3. But as stated before, in August you have about 2-3 hours max to get your bear on ice. My bear was shot at 7:30 am and out of there by 9:45 as it was reaching temps of 92 degrees that day. Be careful shooting a bear miles away from a cooler

[notellumcreek]

If you hunt up near chinook pass for bear, be careful of the national park boundaries. Otherwise there are some good size bears roaming around this neck of the woods. 

[boneaddict]

WHere there are berries there are bears.    I've killed a couple up Chinook area

[Watimberghost]

I agree with all the info on here so far. I don't know much about the Chinook pass area, but the Snoqualmie pass area holds a lot of big bears. Jump on the pct in Sept and head North, glass the alpine meadows. Should find some Bruins, especially if you split up the glassing with other huntin buddies. Good luck

[liljozie495]

Find the berries up chinook.... You'll have no problem finding a few bears out there, some hogs running around up there.... Isn't that right notellumcreek

[liljozie495]

Oh ya watch out for the private Hancock lands too, don't want to see anyone be in trouble unless ya got a pass.

[jess]

corall pass area is good and lots of trails to hike, i used to hunt the ridge between 410 and dewey lake and see lots of bears and saw a griz on that ridge too.. But you dont need to work that hard for a bear any forest road off 410 is fair bear hunting. 

[jess]

Got it on video!! No doubt grizz and yeah make sure you stay to the left of the trail as u head south so u dont get in the park

[Watimberghost]

Would love to see that video. The area you are referring to does seem out of grizzly range, but mother nature never stops surprising me. again, would be really cool if you could post the video

[notellumcreek]

corall pass area is good and lots of trails to hike, i used to hunt the ridge between 410 and dewey lake and see lots of bears and saw a griz on that ridge too.. But you dont need to work that hard for a bear any forest road off 410 is fair bear hunting.

You saw a griz? Ya right. There are no grizzlies down this far. It was probably a cinnamon.

It is really easy to fill a tag up there as Jess said.  Just make sure you aren't in the national park

I have heard from several people that there are a couple grizzlies around the kellies butte area/ stampede unit. At least use to be... haven't heard of anything in the last couple of years.