Re: Greenhorn's 2013 trail cam Little Naches last updated 9/25

[Greenhorn]

Thought that I would start a running thread on my trail cam this year.  No big bulls yet, but a lot more bears than I was expecting.  Gonna just use 50# bags of salt with selenium, can't afford to keep giving the animals candy.  I will post new pictures each time I check it.  I checked it 6/23 and then 6/30 so far.  Here are some of the pictures I like in order so far.  The pictures show the proper time and date.  Last year I had a bull tag for Peaches and that started my scouting with a trail cam.  This year I am just looking for spike elk (or bears) and love hitting the woods.

[Greenhorn]

Here are some pictures from 6/30.

[Greenhorn]

Here are the bear pictures from 6/30.  I checked the camera about 4pm on 6/30 and came across a bear hanging out by my little clearing with the camera.  I didn't know what to do so I started up my chainsaw and ran it a little bit.  He still stayed there long enough for me to get a picture with my regular camera and then finally left.  He must have showed up about the same time I did because he is not on my trail cam.  I am not sure if he is one of the bears that visited around noon on 6/30.  The first pictures are from the trail cam and the others are my regular camera.

[hoyt2002]

Nice bear's.

[carpsniperg2]

That bear you have in the last pic's looks to be a nice one. Come aug first you should slip in there and see if you can't get a calf killer!

[Nilehunter]

Sweet spot! Keep em coming.

[Greenhorn]

I have always bought a bear/cougar tag with my big game license but have never gone out looking for either one.  I have never seen one during deer or elk season and wouldn't know what to do with one if I got one.  That is one thing that I really enjoy about this website is learning from all of you.  I would love to get a bear this year.

[Huntboy]

Sweet pic's, thanks.

[rtspring]

I have always bought a bear/cougar tag with my big game license but have never gone out looking for either one.  I have never seen one during deer or elk season and wouldn't know what to do with one if I got one.  That is one thing that I really enjoy about this website is learning from all of you.  I would love to get a bear this year.

If you wanna hunt bear, just say the word! I know some spots too..  Got my first last year up by camp! 

[carpsniperg2]

I have always bought a bear/cougar tag with my big game license but have never gone out looking for either one.  I have never seen one during deer or elk season and wouldn't know what to do with one if I got one.  That is one thing that I really enjoy about this website is learning from all of you.  I would love to get a bear this year.

I don't know that area but they will probably move around. If you have a good water source by then they may hang out. It's hot in august when it opens that they like to be close to some kind of water. I can't tell if that one is a chocolate and showing red in sun or if that a real cinnamon bear. They are not easy to come by and it looks like a nice coat as long as he does not get to rubbed. They love them elk calves and deer fawns so if there is that many in the calving area you would be doing good by trying to take one for sure. If you are going in there to check cams you might as well pack a weapon and see if you can take a bear. Take a bow if you don't want to disturb the elk.

[Greenhorn]

Hey RT, sounds good.  I saw your bear trying to climb a tree at your camp last week.  I will be around up there when I can.  It is about 2 1/2 hrs each way and I have harvest coming up July/August.

[Greenhorn]

I don't know that area but they will probably move around. If you have a good water source by then they may hang out. It's hot in august when it opens that they like to be close to some kind of water. I can't tell if that one is a chocolate and showing red in sun or if that a real cinnamon bear. They are not easy to come by and it looks like a nice coat as long as he does not get to rubbed. They love them elk calves and deer fawns so if there is that many in the calving area you would be doing good by trying to take one for sure. If you are going in there to check cams you might as well pack a weapon and see if you can take a bear. Take a bow if you don't want to disturb the elk.

I would like to learn more about what to look for in bears ( I assume that size does matter) are all the different colors still black bears?  I will be packing a rifle once the season opens.  This is definitely a calving area next to the Little Naches River, lots of water around.  Last year I only had one bear on my camera late in the summer, but I didn't have my camera up until august.

[carpsniperg2]

Yeah they are just black bears. You can see chocolate/black/blonde/red and a few other varieties of those 4. Size does matter but a good colored bear will bite the dust if it steps out in front of me. They make really good mounts. Plus some early summer sausage and peperoni sticks!!! Bears are very hard to judge a lot of people will call 150lb bear a 300 and a legit 300lb'er a 500. Best way for me is the ears and the head. If the ears look big it's going to be a small bear and if they looked small and really spaced out then it's going to be a bigger bear. Big sows can fool a guy pretty east if you don't see cubs. That bear in you last pic's looks like a very good bear. Cant see enough to judge him but hope you can get some more trail cam pics.

[bowhunterforever]

Nice pics   and good luck tagging one of those bears

[woodman]

I have always bought a bear/cougar tag with my big game license but have never gone out looking for either one.  I have never seen one during deer or elk season and wouldn't know what to do with one if I got one.  That is one thing that I really enjoy about this website is learning from all of you.  I would love to get a bear this year.

Great pics! I am always partial to the bears. It is not uncommon to pick one up while hunting for deer. They just don't hang out in the clearings where I hunt. Normally have to be in the timber or the berry fields for me.

[Greenhorn]

All of the bears showed up last Sunday before, during and after me checking my camera last Sunday.  Same spikes, cows and calves showing up.  I am still excited about the spikes since that is all I get to shoot this year.  No good bulls yet.

[BullCrazy24]

if you really want a bear this year but dont have much time to hunt them let me know. only have to go a few miles from your house. i had 11 different bears on my cams last year up in our area.

[Greenhorn]

BullCrazy, that is an awesome offer that I should take you up on.  I have seen two bears around my place in the past but I haven't spent much time in the woods between us.  I deer hunt our own farm land and then elk hunt the Little Naches.  I have never tried to get a bear before, but this year I am going to.  Thanks for the offer, I will be in touch.  I will be pretty busy the first part of August with harvest.

[Greenhorn]

Here is a sample of what I picked up on 7/16.  I am still excited for bear season, not sure when I am going to make it up there.  Still no big bulls, but I am glad to see a new spike in the mix unless he splits.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Boy it sure looks like you have a good spot for bears come the 1st! Good luck!

[MLBowhunting]

  good spot

[bowhunterforever]

Don't think he will split

[Rooster1981]

  man those are some great bears.  And I agree that spike will stay close to the cows where ever they end up. Even if he is a loner.

[bendotti]

Awsome pics thanks for sharing.

[Greenhorn]

Just checked my camera last night.  Took the dog and what do you know, we got into the middle of a heard of cows and calves down by the camera.  We were able to just sit and listen to them talk back and forth for awhile.  Then they finally spooked and all gathered up and took off.  It was fun hearing the different sounds.  The dog thought he had died and gone to heaven watching them and sniffing the ground where they were.  Not much interesting on the camera.  Had one bear over a week ago and none since, kind of disappointing since bear season opens a week from today.  Had one cow with a collar #168 and an ear tag #450 with a calf.

[rosscrazyelk]

Looks like you found a couple spikes 

[Huntboy]

More great pics, thanks Greenhorn.

[Greenhorn]

  Checked my camera today 8/11/13, not a lot of pictures, no bulls except spikes.  There was one bear that came out right after I checked my camera last time and then another bear that laid down in front of the camera on opening day of bear season.  My brother checked my camera last week and forgot to turn it back on so there are no pictures from this past week.  The bears only leave one picture about once a week.  They hardly stop in.  I took my rifle and an old cd predator call, let it run for about an hour and got nada.
  The weather was very strange, thunder continuously rolled overhead, but I stayed dry.  When I took off to look for more bear higher up the hill I ran into pouring rain and hail.  It was unbelievable.

[Greenhorn]

Checked my cam This past Thur. and I finally got a big bull on it.  When I went down in the morning I came across a herd in the timber about 100 yards off.  I cow called and they were calling back and a bull was bugling until 9:20am.  Just guessing it was this guy.  No wolf, just a coyote and also a bear.  The bear seem to only come by once a week for one picture.  I used a predator call hoping to call in a bear in the area but to no avail.

[oldleclercrd]

Cool pics 

[elkh8me]

great pics.  what are you putting out to bring them in?

[CamoDup]

looks like salt to me

[Greenhorn]

Last year it seemed like I spent a fortune on putting corn and molasses blocks out so this year I just used two bags of trace mineral salt with selenium.  It seemed to really draw the animals in early but now they just stop by when they need salt in their diet.  Last year was my first year and most of the bulls just seem to start now and troll through without regularly coming back to it.  The salt is only about $9 for 50 pounds.

[Greenhorn]

Got a couple of new bulls but nothing big.  No bears this past week. I keep taking my rifle and hoping to see a bear and try calling for awhile but nothing.