Kitsap bear hunting

[Dbax129]

I saw that kitsap county has pretty decent bear numbers in it, from the harvest reports.  Where are these bears being taken from? It's not a big unit, but 20 a year?  Thats better than 80% of the other units out there.  Olympic is huge, and I am curious about the southwest corner of the unit.
Anyway, this post, about Kitsap. Is this all from the green mountain area? or the north end like indianola or hansville?  Thanks

[ghostshell]

do not know that area.... go scout, i have not seen any on my trail cameras yet this spring even near their dens.... not sure whats up with that?

[Dbax129]

I live here in Kitsap, and there are almost no places to get very far from people. I have lived here and my whole life. I also build homes, so I work everywhere out here. I know there are a few bear, just surprising to see how many are taken here compared to other units.

[snowpack]

lots of food for bears in Kitsap.  Homes with big yards and gardens backed up to wooded lots with salmon creeks.  Golf courses next to woods.  Lots of roads cutting the area up with tons of blackberries along them.  I would say that bears are probably spaced evenly throughout the west half of Kitsap, but you probably have better luck with access on the southern half--Seabeck to Green Mt and down to all the lakes around the forest to the south.

[Rooster1981]

I would say out by seabeck, near the mason-kitsap line on the pope land. Thats were I would start looking.

[fishngamereaper]

Kitsap has more bears trapped and relocated than killed by hunters. A huge overpopulation problem. Alot of bears come from private property in the north end. Most public land bears come from DNR, Pope and Menke land. Get out in the woods in July and August, find some berries and your golden.

[Dbax129]

Great! Thanks for the very productive advice fishngamereaper.  I'm glad to hear the north end of the peninsula is good, because I live in Suquamish, just between Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island.  There is a plot of state land up there, and the only signage is a little sign at the gate that says public trail.  Its just an old logging road.  If I get off the road and look in the timber I suspect there may be bear up there.
.357 or 12 gauge?  Its firearms restricted... or should I break in my new (to me) CVA .50 muzzle loader?  Choices choices... 
Gosh, it really feels good to know there is something big here on the peninsula that I can get out and hunt.  Thanks again!
Any other ideas are helpful...
I don't know if I know how to identify bear scat in spring and again in summer.  Or if its even worth scouting in spring, will they be in the same place come august 1st?

[Jonathan_S]

It's up to you but I would narrow it down to .357 or .50 CVA 

[DoubleJ]

Seems to be at least one bear hit by a car on the hill between Gorst and Belfair every year.  A 400+ pounder was taken out of that area last fall if I remember correctly

[bobcat]

A 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is pretty potent bear medicine. I think I'd take that over the muzzleloader. With a scope and a rifled barrel you're good to 150 yards, maybe even a little more.

[Dbax129]

A 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is pretty potent bear medicine. I think I'd take that over the muzzleloader. With a scope and a rifled barrel you're good to 150 yards, maybe even a little more.

Damn, now I wish I had a rifled barrel! That sounds pretty darn good!

[Dbax129]

Seems to be at least one bear hit by a car on the hill between Gorst and Belfair every year.  A 400+ pounder was taken out of that area last fall if I remember correctly

Yeah, I know that hill well. There 2 logging roads either side of it that are not gated. I wonder who owns that land. I think it backs up against all that state land south of green mountain though...

[Jonathan_S]

A 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is pretty potent bear medicine. I think I'd take that over the muzzleloader. With a scope and a rifled barrel you're good to 150 yards, maybe even a little more.

Guess I was thinking a less formidable form of 12 gauge 

[oldschooltrucks]

Last fall I hunted morgan's marsh in kitsap county.  It's really thick like copalis unit but the clear cuts are great and back up against several ponds.  I saw lots of bear poo.  It was everywhere, but I never actually saw any bears.  That was my fault though, being my first bear hunting I wasn't to familar with when the best times to go out was and well, I was out in the mornings.  Probably would have had better luck out there in the evenings.   

[Dbax129]

Just an update for anyone following this, I have found out a few places that are not huntable and am working on a few that are.
Pope land off of bond road is not open to hunting acording to the manager of that propery.  The land they own up in hansville is ok to hunt black bear in.  I don't think its open for deer, but I may be wrong on that.
Evergreen or Alpine tree farm is not open for hunting at all.
I read somewhere the state land around green mountain is available, but I'm not sure which areas are and which are not, as I beleive its all state, and working forest, but I know there are heavily used trails, and I'm not sure if you can hunt anywhere near them. It would seem like probably not.
I don't know about the pope land down there in seabeck, I will get clarification on that soon.  They said only hansville in north kitsap, but that's not really north kitsap there.  I have that foresters name and number, so I'll cal this week.
I don't know where any Menke land is in Kitsap.  I'll try their office this week.   If any body else knows of public access land to hunt in Kitsap, I would love to know.  Thanks!