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Author Topic: spring bear success stories. please share.  (Read 6726 times)

Offline sled

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spring bear success stories. please share.
« on: March 12, 2014, 09:47:41 PM »
  I Drew The Monroe Tag For The Second Time This Year.  The First Time I Drew I Saw A Couple But Didn't Connect.

  I Thought It Would Be Cool To Hear The Details Of Successful Hunters And People Who Have sSeen Them.  On The Side Of The Road, Time Of Day, What They Were Eating, Clearcuts, The Weather, The Month, The Day, And The Unit Hunted.  Anything Else,  And Maybe Some Pics.

  I Know The Monroe Unit Can Be Tough.  I Think This Could Help Alot Of People.  I Have Started Reading The Threads From The Past.  Alot Of Good Info, But It Would Be Cool To Get Some Stories Narrowed Down On A Fresh Thread.

 Tell Your Story.

  Thanks mike.

Offline arees

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2014, 10:23:33 PM »
I drew the Monroe tag as well again this year.  I connected with my first bear on the Monroe hunt a couple of years ago.  I was pointed to this site as a great source of local information and it sure was.  I put up a bunch of photos asking if they were showing bear sign.  At first, most were either not bear or old bear sign.  Eventually I was in the right stuff.  Then one day there were bears everywhere and one decided to post broadside at about 100 yards.  He met all my criteria for a first bear.  He was a bear standing still in my sights.

I will say that on that year at least there were very few bears out in the first half of the season and then one day they were out and my hunt was over.  It was like someone turned the bear switch on.

Here is my thread from that season that walks me through from knowing nothing to shooting a bear.  Maybe it will help you.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,23731.msg273598.html#msg273598
We need a crusade for the children, a children's crusade.

Offline sled

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2014, 11:08:38 PM »
I drew the Monroe tag as well again this year.  I connected with my first bear on the Monroe hunt a couple of years ago.  I was pointed to this site as a great source of local information and it sure was.  I put up a bunch of photos asking if they were showing bear sign.  At first, most were either not bear or old bear sign.  Eventually I was in the right stuff.  Then one day there were bears everywhere and one decided to post broadside at about 100 yards.  He met all my criteria for a first bear.  He was a bear standing still in my sights.

I will say that on that year at least there were very few bears out in the first half of the season and then one day they were out and my hunt was over.  It was like someone turned the bear switch on.

Here is my thread from that season that walks me through from knowing nothing to shooting a bear.  Maybe it will help you.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,23731.msg273598.html#msg273598
  Good Read.  Thanks.

Offline D-Rock425

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2014, 10:41:55 AM »
Sled if you need a hand this year or just want someone to open gates for you let me know.  I'll be happy to tag along on a few hunts.

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2014, 04:58:56 PM »
Sled if you need a hand this year or just want someone to open gates for you let me know.  I'll be happy to tag along on a few hunts.
  Thanks For The Offer.  See What Happens When I Get The Info On The Unit.  IM Sure There Have Been Some Changes In The Last Three Years.  IM Itchin To Go For A Drive And Scout It Out.

  I'll Be In Contact.  Pretty Sure I Still Have Your #.  Do You Know Anyone Who Had The Permit Last Year?

Offline h20hunter

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2014, 05:06:04 PM »
I'm in. Love to help out.

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2014, 05:25:09 PM »
I'm in. Love to help out.
  I Was Hoping You Would Chime In. Though IM Not Going To Be Picky, I Do Prefer The Bigger Bears You Seem To Shoot. :chuckle:
 
  Joking Aside Thanks To Both You Guys For Offering.  Not Many People Are Always Willing To Help As Much. :tup:

  I Plan On Hitting A Range For A Quick Zero Check This Comming Week.  Just Need To Figure Out Where.  Thinking The Marysville Rifle Range?  Need To Check It Out.

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2014, 05:46:39 PM »
I also drew Monroe this year, I'm stoked. It's my first draw permit ever!  I drew with 6 points  FYI. Ill be using the 300wsm with 180gr tsx bullets. I hope it leaves better blood than it did on the elk, though still left it quite dead. I've been trying to put a bear in the truck for 6 years during regular season. I really really hope this is the one! I'm reading all the threads I can, thanks for all the tips!

Offline t6

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2014, 09:10:58 PM »
Last year, I drew a Lincoln spring bear tag.  I had lots of time to scout before the opening, and lots of time to hunt during the spring season. (Lots of unused comp time)

My wife spent a few days with me exploring the Lincoln and some of the small towns in and around the area.  We met some really nice people who were not only friendly but almost anxious for us to come back and share our bear hunting stories.  We got back to a few of them and shared some stories over coffee. 

During the season my wife was sick and not able to hunt with me while we waited for her surgery date or afterwards.  Riding in the rough truck was not on option but she insisted that I go hunt.  She did come for a morning and we made it a short day.  She got to see two bears unfortunately they were well out of my range and harvesting one would have taken me most of the day.  Something she was not healthy enough to sit through.

My Dad joined me and got to see me call in a nice bear.  I shot the bear twice and we spent the next two days tracking and then pounding the area without success.  I was disappointed and upset with myself for not making a fatal and immediate shot. 

About now, your asking where is the success in this story.....I got to hunt with my wife and my Dad.  They both got to see something they had never seen...... I'd call that a success.    As for harvesting a bear, next time.  Hopefully the wife will be there with me now that she's healthy again.   :)


Offline sled

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2014, 10:22:48 PM »
Last year, I drew a Lincoln spring bear tag.  I had lots of time to scout before the opening, and lots of time to hunt during the spring season. (Lots of unused comp time)

My wife spent a few days with me exploring the Lincoln and some of the small towns in and around the area.  We met some really nice people who were not only friendly but almost anxious for us to come back and share our bear hunting stories.  We got back to a few of them and shared some stories over coffee. 

During the season my wife was sick and not able to hunt with me while we waited for her surgery date or afterwards.  Riding in the rough truck was not on option but she insisted that I go hunt.  She did come for a morning and we made it a short day.  She got to see two bears unfortunately they were well out of my range and harvesting one would have taken me most of the day.  Something she was not healthy enough to sit through.

My Dad joined me and got to see me call in a nice bear.  I shot the bear twice and we spent the next two days tracking and then pounding the area without success.  I was disappointed and upset with myself for not making a fatal and immediate shot. 

About now, your asking where is the success in this story.....I got to hunt with my wife and my Dad.  They both got to see something they had never seen...... I'd call that a success.    As for harvesting a bear, next time.  Hopefully the wife will be there with me now that she's healthy again.   :)
Sounds Good To me :tup:

Offline D-Rock425

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2014, 10:52:44 AM »
I'm in. Love to help out.
  I Was Hoping You Would Chime In. Though IM Not Going To Be Picky, I Do Prefer The Bigger Bears You Seem To Shoot. :chuckle:
 
  Joking Aside Thanks To Both You Guys For Offering.  Not Many People Are Always Willing To Help As Much. :tup:

  I Plan On Hitting A Range For A Quick Zero Check This Comming Week.  Just Need To Figure Out Where.  Thinking The Marysville Rifle Range?  Need To Check It Out.
:nono:

Offline h20hunter

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2014, 10:57:59 AM »
I'm going to go ahead and give Lady Luck a bit of the credit for the size (decent) bears I've shot. Truth be told on the spring tag I'd have shot the first legal bear I saw. Not much more picky with a fall tag.

Offline D-Rock425

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2014, 12:08:38 PM »
Little bears are easier to pack out :twocents:

Offline sled

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2014, 12:37:45 PM »
Little bears are easier to pack out :twocents:
  But With The Spring Tag You Can Almost Drive Right To Them.

Offline h20hunter

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2014, 12:40:54 PM »
If you are lucky. I think you will be lucky.

Offline luvmystang67

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #15 on: March 17, 2014, 12:46:07 PM »
I'm in. Love to help out.
  I Was Hoping You Would Chime In. Though IM Not Going To Be Picky, I Do Prefer The Bigger Bears You Seem To Shoot. :chuckle:
 
  Joking Aside Thanks To Both You Guys For Offering.  Not Many People Are Always Willing To Help As Much. :tup:

Bigger bears... bigger luck you mean.  I can be DD for the day (Designated Drunk).  I also have a working chainsaw to clear the backroads from Lake Roesiger up to Spada (not really, but I think you can get a lot closer than I got when I had my tag.)

I'd advise we schedule hunts at the bar for the first few weeks of the season.  You can start to get serious in May when the bears actually wake up.  I'll bring a cooler (mobile bar) for those trips.  Expect to shoot one memorial day weekend.

  I Plan On Hitting A Range For A Quick Zero Check This Comming Week.  Just Need To Figure Out Where.  Thinking The Marysville Rifle Range?  Need To Check It Out.

Offline luvmystang67

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #16 on: March 17, 2014, 12:48:48 PM »
I typed a big thing, and it didn't go through.

In a nutshell, H20 is just freakin lucky.

We should hunt the first 3-4 weeks of the season at Hawkeye's Pub.

When the season does start, I can fill my mobile bar (yeti cooler) for bear road trips.

Expect to shoot one memorial day weekend when they finally come out to play.

H20 has a "truck" with no bed... his level of help is fine as long as there's no blood involved...

Offline h20hunter

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #17 on: March 17, 2014, 12:58:06 PM »
I'll take lucky.

The FJ has hauled two bears just fine. It can do a third easy enough.

Hawkeyes is known for some pretty big sows....might be worth an early season visit to stategize.

Offline arees

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #18 on: March 17, 2014, 01:02:05 PM »
I had been planning to do some more predator calling this time.  It sounds like if I crack open a can of beer I could call in a different type of predator.

The help on this site is really incredible.   :chuckle:

Who is planning to make it to the Monroe meeting?
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Offline D-Rock425

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #19 on: March 17, 2014, 01:03:41 PM »
Monroe meeting :dunno:

Offline D-Rock425

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2014, 01:04:50 PM »
I typed a big thing, and it didn't go through.

In a nutshell, H20 is just freakin lucky.

We should hunt the first 3-4 weeks of the season at Hawkeye's Pub.

When the season does start, I can fill my mobile bar (yeti cooler) for bear road trips.

Expect to shoot one memorial day weekend when they finally come out to play.

H20 has a "truck" with no bed... his level of help is fine as long as there's no blood involved...
when did you get a yeti cooler?

Offline h20hunter

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2014, 01:13:21 PM »
If the Monroe meeting you are referring is like it was last year you should all go. It was held in Mill Creek and that is where we picked up gate keys. Well worth going.

Offline luvmystang67

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2014, 01:39:41 PM »
My bro is poor so its a small yeti, so it's good for a traveling cooler.  The problem is that it'll keep beer cold much longer than it'll last, given that it might only hold a case.  We really should have a strategizing bar get together...

You can borrow my fawn decoy...

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2014, 01:51:33 PM »
h20hunter,

Yes, I was asking about the Mill Creek meeting where we can get the keys.  Last time I drew the tag there was no meeting.  We just showed up individually in Mill Creek to get our keys.

I am planning on showing up.  I find there is no shortage of new things I can learn.
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Offline D-Rock425

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #24 on: March 17, 2014, 01:54:04 PM »
Maybe us bear hunters that didn't draw can set up a meeting at a local place so we're not left out.

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #25 on: March 17, 2014, 04:23:22 PM »
I'll Be There For Sure! :tup:

Offline arees

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #26 on: March 17, 2014, 11:59:49 PM »
I will be the 6' 9" red head.  I'm kind of hard to miss.  Come over and say hello.
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Offline liljozie495

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #27 on: March 18, 2014, 04:38:43 PM »
We'll we drew kapowsin last year notellumcreek and I did, spent good time learning the areas, met the almighty WOODMAN one cool dude! We saw a couple great size bears to stalk, 1 we never saw while stalking he was kind of on the move, the other we stalked in some thicker marshy area he ran thru a 5ft wide clearing 30 yds in front of us as quick as lightning, head was in one side of clearing and butt was in the other side he knew we were there, were still to this day trying to figure out who crapped them selves first that bear or us... Haha but I'll give it success because we got to hunt had a great season and time up there met some cool guys up there too. And let alone we stalked 2 GOOD bears nothing happened but hey that's hunting and it was our first spring bear tags last year, we learned a lot from it.

This year we drew copalis... 2 years of spring bear in a row :-) if anyone has any tips there I'm all ears, don't need honey holes just maybe some tips on hunting that country. Be fun to make a few good weekend trips of it and I know were gonna have a blast because we will be hunting... I'm Getting excited for it to start!
Boom boom boom...

Offline billythekidrock

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #28 on: March 18, 2014, 05:34:42 PM »
We'll we drew kapowsin last year notellumcreek and I did, spent good time learning the areas, met the almighty WOODMAN one cool dude! We saw a couple great size bears to stalk, 1 we never saw while stalking he was kind of on the move, the other we stalked in some thicker marshy area he ran thru a 5ft wide clearing 30 yds in front of us as quick as lightning, head was in one side of clearing and butt was in the other side he knew we were there, were still to this day trying to figure out who crapped them selves first that bear or us... Haha but I'll give it success because we got to hunt had a great season and time up there met some cool guys up there too. And let alone we stalked 2 GOOD bears nothing happened but hey that's hunting and it was our first spring bear tags last year, we learned a lot from it.

This year we drew copalis... 2 years of spring bear in a row :-) if anyone has any tips there I'm all ears, don't need honey holes just maybe some tips on hunting that country. Be fun to make a few good weekend trips of it and I know were gonna have a blast because we will be hunting... I'm Getting excited for it to start!

It is very flat and very wet. The two seasons I drew it there was always a ton of brush pickers and cedar salvage going on. Some salvage by truck and some by helicopter. There is lots of area and I would start in the south west.




Offline sled

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #29 on: March 18, 2014, 06:24:44 PM »
I will be the 6' 9" red head.  I'm kind of hard to miss.  Come over and say hello.
  See You There.

Offline kevinlisa06

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #30 on: March 18, 2014, 08:56:02 PM »
Need any help getn a bear out in the Monroe area let me know. I live just out of Monroe. Unless I'm chasing turkeys I'm game to help pack one out.


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Offline sled

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Re: spring bear success stories. please share.
« Reply #31 on: March 18, 2014, 10:25:21 PM »
Need any help getn a bear out in the Monroe area let me know. I live just out of Monroe. Unless I'm chasing turkeys I'm game to help pack one out.


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