Planning a Father/Son Bear Fall Hunt - 1st timer (modified from original)

[diyhunter192]

Just joined the forum but have been reading it for months.  I live in Texas and have been hunting out-of-state for quite a few years with my brothers...mostly in Colorado...and mostly unsuccessful.  We were finally successful last year taking a couple nice Mule Deer in Nebraska.  All the hunting we do is public, DIY, unguided, hiking in, etc...  If you do this type of hunting, you will know that it gives the word 'tough' a new meaning and requires a ton of planning.  My son is finally at the age (14) where I think he's ready to the whole DIY thing and was happy to find that Washington has OTC Bear licenses and the season starts in August, before school. 

Modified:  I'm modifying this post from the original.  Originally I was planning on NE Washington but due to late opener in that area I have readjusted and am focusing on the western Cascades...specifically the Snohomish area (Boulder River Wilderness and eastward).  Been doing a lot of Google Earth scouting and am planning on possibly driving in on the Mountain Loop Road and parking on a NF road and hiking up and camping close to a creek or lake (so we don't have to carry water).  Giving ourselves five days in the wilderness...just going in with one tag for my son.

I'm sure there a lot of hikers/bikers in the area this time of year...how far do you feel we need to hike in to get away from the majority of them?  I see some great looking areas within a few miles of the roads, but previous experience in other states has shown me it's important to get in farther than that. 
 
The advice sent to me on thus far both on the postings and via PM's has been invaluable.  Thanks to all of you who have been so forthcoming with helpful information.

[bobcat]

I don't know much about the bear hunting in NE Washington, but you might want to verify those dates. I believe most of the GMU's over there open September 1st.

[billythekidrock]

Thanks for the compliments on our Bear forum. We do have a lot of great information. My suggestion would be to get a hold of Bearpaw and purchase one of his maps. Let him know your plans and he will get you pointed in the right direction. And as mentioned above, double check your dates. Not all areas of the state start on August 1st.

[diyhunter192]

 I thought I had checked those units' hunt dates...not sure where I dropped the ball, but thanks for the heads up.  For anybody else wanting to DIY in another state, this is perfect example of why you start planning early and always seek the advice of locals. 

[3nails]

 If an August hunt is what you need you may want to consider the westside of the state above tree line. Due to an extremely low snowpack this year the berries will be on WAY earlier than usual. This will mean August should be good. More bears on the westside too.

[diyhunter192]

Is there a resource for determining when berries are ripening in certain areas of the state? 

[3nails]

 It can vary drastically year by year. This year on the westside things are going to happen very early. Normally berries ripen up fairly well by mid September and peak by the end of the month or first week of October. I would not be surprised at all to see berries ripe in late July.

[diyhunter192]

So I've been going over the Hunting Prospects on the WDFW site and some of them are great and some of them are just so-so.  One thing I've noticed is that some of the Units that are predicted to have 'good chances for taking a bear' actually show low harvest numbers...on the other hand, some units that have no prediction at all show high harvest numbers.  I'm not sure how to reconcile that except that maybe it just has to do with whomever is writing the prediction.  As per the advice above, I'm trying to focus on the Coastal units.  GMU 658 and 660 have a good prospect according to WDFW, but seem to have very low harvest numbers.  My gut is telling me that I should base my planning on actual harvest numbers rather than the Predictions....any opinion?

[Killmore]

At the very least get one of bearpaws DIY maps, Will pay for itself in fuel  alone.

[bobcat]

658 and 660 will not be easy hunts. Those units are mostly owned by private timber companies and they take a lot of bears off their lands with the use of hounds. If you want to hunt the west side of the state, you'd probably be better off in the Cascade Mountains on public land. Get up high above the tree line and into the berries.

The data you see in the harvest reports can be misleading. Many of the bears harvested are not actually killed by someone who was bear hunting, but instead by a deer or elk hunter who stumbled into a bear and had a bear tag in his pocket. Bear tags cost next to nothing when you purchase it with a deer or elk tag, so most people will get a bear tag even if they don't plan on hunting bears.

[diyhunter192]

Thanks....I'll check those two units off the list.

[h20hunter]

For the OP...I know it has been mentioned but I'd also suggest talking with Dale @ Bearpaw. I've looked into his DIY maps and think that an out of stat'er, looking for some father son hunting time, not familiar with the area....how could you go wrong. I've not hunted with Dale but have simply seen to many pics, heard to many stories, to not think even on these DIY map hunts he does all he can to help you fill a tag. Good luck and keep us posted.

[diyhunter192]

Thanks for the advice.  I'm guessing his maps are only Eastern WA, but I've dropped him a line and am waiting for a response. 

[h20hunter]

I think you are correct. Keep in mind that Dale is out killing gobblers so you may not get a reply right away.

[bobcat]

Have you purchased the new "No Bait... Just Bears" book that was written by a member of this forum?

If not, see this thread: 

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=170988.0