Spring Bear Season?

[npaull]

Has the bear spring season always been by draw permit only? If not, why the change?

[KopperBuck]

I can't speak to whether it always had, but I would assume because they're easier to target/more concentrated in the spring. Fewer food sources to choose from. But I'm just an armchair biologist.

[bobcat]

There used to be a general spring season. I can't remember exactly when they did away with it, but it was sometime in the 80's I believe.

[RadSav]

Seems to me the last general spring bear I shot was around '86 or '87.  I remember GMU choices being limited though.

[KFhunter]

I owuld like to see this changed to OTC tags


we got so many bear

[notellumcreek]

I owuld like to see this changed to OTC tags


we got so many bear

[trophyhunt]

I would rather cougar season be opened year round and dogs allowed,  the spring permit is a very fun hunt.  Over the counter would ruin the quality of it, in my opinion.

[RadSav]

I would rather cougar season be opened year round and dogs allowed,  the spring permit is a very fun hunt.  Over the counter would ruin the quality of it, in my opinion.

Cougar and Bobcat season through turkey season would be sweet!  Even without dogs.

[bobcat]

I'd be fine with spring bear staying permit only, but there's no reason there can't be permits in every GMU that has a decent population of bears.

Prime example- Capitol Peak. Plenty of bears and with it being 90% state land, very few bears are killed via depredation permits. They had spring bear permits in that unit for a few years beginning in 2005 and ended the permits for no apparent reason.

There are several other units in SW Washington that could handle a few spring bear permits as well.

[grundy53]

I owuld like to see this changed to OTC tags


we got so many bear

and in most gmu's.

sent from my typewriter

[Limhangerslayer]

I'd be fine with spring bear staying permit only, but there's no reason there can't be permits in every GMU that has a decent population of bears.

Prime example- Capitol Peak. Plenty of bears and with it being 90% state land, very few bears are killed via depredation permits. They had spring bear permits in that unit for a few years beginning in 2005 and ended the permits for no apparent reason.

There are several other units in SW Washington that could handle a few spring bear permits as well.

I  like the expanded spring permit idea,  I've always thought that was a good idea. I think all  of south and north central gmu's  could handle s few permits.   Be it 1 - to  ten permit

[Eli346]

Bobcat,
 They ended those spring bear hunts in Capitol Forest saying that all the quotas have been met although the stats don't show us much in that regard. We've got a spot in Capitol Forest that we always see bear in and counted 7 different bear in three days up there last year. Only 2 of which were cubs. The spring permit system was discontinued the year after the woman hiker was shot up in Skagit because she was mistaken for a bear. I really think that's the only reason they discontinued the hunts as Capitol Forest is such a highly used recreational area for the west side.

[npaull]

I'd be fine with spring bear staying permit only, but there's no reason there can't be permits in every GMU that has a decent population of bears.

Yeah it's always seemed odd to me how limited the spring opportunity is. I agree - permit would be fine, but a few permits for most of the GMUs would seem reasonable.

[Curly]

My belief for them discontinuing the CF permit hunts is because the WDFW bios are idiots.  They couldn't catch yogi or booboo if they had a 20 cage traps and 1,000 picinic baskets. 

They set out traps for bears and caught very few so they estimate the population way lower than it really is.  (That's my theory anyway after having a run-in with a couple bios up there several years ago).        

[KFhunter]

My belief for them discontinuing the CF permit hunts is because the WDFW bios are idiots.  They couldn't catch yogi or booboo if they had a 20 cage traps and 1,000 picinic baskets. 

They set out traps for bears and caught very few so they estimate the population way lower than it really is.  (That's my theory anyway after having a run-in with a couple bios up there several years ago).        

Could it be for other reasons?  Like people leaving ruts in the roads or some such?

I'd bet a beer it's some reason like that and not based on population numbers.