The Bears are still out!

[Ripper]

I was hunting Sunday and I spooked something up a ways. There was a big patch of black berries there with ripe berries still. I was surprised to still see some around. I'm going to check that area out this weekend to see if there is a bear around.

[davk]

Anyone have tips for finding them this time of year?  The areas I have been in lower elevation still have a few berries but sign has gone extinct.  Haven't seen any scat for about 3 weeks now, haven't seen a bear in just about as long.  Idk if MF deer and tons of people flooding the area pushed them out.  Was thinking about heading up high to ~5000 this weekend, but Im not sure if that will be productive.  Just trying to change things up.  Been a pretty rough year with hunting 5-6 days a week since the start of August with nothing on the ground ... any help would be appreciated.

[saylean]

all the bears I've seen recently have been up high. find a vantage point and glass and or predator call.

[PolarBear]

Saw one at 2,500' a couple of days ago.

[LandofRath]

I am still finding fresh signs near sea level.Keeping an eye out while elk hunting.

[Old Man8383]

This occurred on Oct 18 in the Toutle Unit.  Temperatures still in the 60's.  Still finding fresh bear sign up to the end of Oct:

Happiness is a warm gut pile. Dragging my son's buck down through the downfalls is the second best cardio conditioning there can be. Best cardio conditioning? While he went to get the truck, a large boar black bear (a "Bubba" even by Quinault standards) popped out of the brush 50' away on the deer drag back trail. There I stood 20' feet away from my unloaded rifle leaning up against a tree next to the deer. I yelled at him with no effect. When he took another step towards me, I went for my rifle. He then turned and walked parallel to me while disappearing into the dense hemlock. I kept one eye on the brush while jamming shells into my rifle, it was then the bear "Woofed" up out of the hemlocks on his hind legs directly across the road from me. With the metallic sound of the lever action slamming a shell into the magazine the bear whirled and was gone before the front bead could settle on him. Leaving me kind of cold and sweaty and thanking I'd taken my blood pressure medicine that morning. Geeee......

[MuzzyHunter28]

This occurred on Oct 18 in the Toutle Unit.  Temperatures still in the 60's.  Still finding fresh bear sign up to the end of Oct:

Happiness is a warm gut pile. Dragging my son's buck down through the downfalls is the second best cardio conditioning there can be. Best cardio conditioning? While he went to get the truck, a large boar black bear (a "Bubba" even by Quinault standards) popped out of the brush 50' away on the deer drag back trail. There I stood 20' feet away from my unloaded rifle leaning up against a tree next to the deer. I yelled at him with no effect. When he took another step towards me, I went for my rifle. He then turned and walked parallel to me while disappearing into the dense hemlock. I kept one eye on the brush while jamming shells into my rifle, it was then the bear "Woofed" up out of the hemlocks on his hind legs directly across the road from me. With the metallic sound of the lever action slamming a shell into the magazine the bear whirled and was gone before the front bead could settle on him. Leaving me kind of cold and sweaty and thanking I'd taken my blood pressure medicine that morning. Geeee......

Geez! Talk about a rush! I bet you won't leave your gun that far away again......I wonder if the food sources for him are started to disappear, so the dead deer smell brought him in. Hmmm. Interesting either way!

[MuzzyHunter28]

Anyone have tips for finding them this time of year?  The areas I have been in lower elevation still have a few berries but sign has gone extinct.  Haven't seen any scat for about 3 weeks now, haven't seen a bear in just about as long.  Idk if MF deer and tons of people flooding the area pushed them out.  Was thinking about heading up high to ~5000 this weekend, but Im not sure if that will be productive.  Just trying to change things up.  Been a pretty rough year with hunting 5-6 days a week since the start of August with nothing on the ground ... any help would be appreciated.

Not sure what the elevation differences will produce, most of the bears i see are between 3 & 4500 ft, that doesn't mean anything though! I always resort to my same motto " South/West facing slopes, sit & glass till your butt goes numb, then sit for 2 more hours after that"....

[crowinghen]

Hoping to see one this weekend! Still have a tag and I was just thinking with this warm weather there is still some nice grass!

[Kit Carson]

Hoping to see one this weekend! Still have a tag and I was just thinking with this warm weather there is still some nice grass!

Me too. Good luck! 

[Old Man8383]

Ya I've taken some "heat" for the distant unloaded gun.  The other part of the story is I unloaded the gun when we dragged the deer down the steep slope (safety first).  I propped the gun against the tree next to the deer and stepped away to take a pee.  I'd just zipped up and turned around when the bear showed up.  Yikes!

This time of year the berries are mostly gone though we still found some in the bear scat we later saw.  We found fresh bark peeled from stumps and downed wood in nearby clear cuts when bears were feeding on insects.  Mushrooms are also very important for deer, elk, and bear this time of year.  As warm as it's been there is still good grazing for the bears.  Your best bet is edge between dark mature timber and a green clear cut that has not been sprayed.

[Milkman]

Saw that fat bruiser again this morning about 445 am in Sammamish, Sahlee Golf Course area.  Had about 7 garbage cans knocked over feeding off the buffet line haha.

[saylean]

Saw that fat bruiser again this morning about 445 am in Sammamish, Sahlee Golf Course area.  Had about 7 garbage cans knocked over feeding off the buffet line haha.

Nice...