A couple of bear questions for Bear Hunt of August-September 2017

[Ridge Hunter]

Typically most people that hunt with pack goats take the goats along with them on the hunt. The goats can actually increase your odds as they look and sound similar to other animals in the woods, at least more so than us humans:) If you are going to leave them in camp I would either leave them with someone close by or have a decent portable hot fence.

For the bear hunting, if you have found sign, are away from highly traveled areas, there is a good food source, and you have a good vantage point, I would not have a problem staying in the same location for a few days, if there are other good vantage points close by I would try a few over your trip.

Thanks for the tips. I'm still not 100% sure I will have the goats available, especially if I go in September, which is when my friends who own goats are all in the backcountry archery hunting. Do you have any thoughts on my posting about meat care on this thread?

I would avoid using the plastic bags around the meat,you want that meet to breath, cool,  but stay dray at the same time. I think the comments by others about wrapping ice, using dry ice, or frozen jugs would be the way to go. Depending on what direction you go I would leave the drain plug open the entire time the meat is in the cooler if there is potential for liquid to build in the cooler from melting. Try to arrange the meat in the cooler so that you can get as much air around the meat as possible, even under it if possible.

[Eric M]

Typically most people that hunt with pack goats take the goats along with them on the hunt. The goats can actually increase your odds as they look and sound similar to other animals in the woods, at least more so than us humans:) If you are going to leave them in camp I would either leave them with someone close by or have a decent portable hot fence.

For the bear hunting, if you have found sign, are away from highly traveled areas, there is a good food source, and you have a good vantage point, I would not have a problem staying in the same location for a few days, if there are other good vantage points close by I would try a few over your trip.

Thanks for the tips. I'm still not 100% sure I will have the goats available, especially if I go in September, which is when my friends who own goats are all in the backcountry archery hunting. Do you have any thoughts on my posting about meat care on this thread?

I would avoid using the plastic bags around the meat,you want that meet to breath, cool,  but stay dray at the same time. I think the comments by others about wrapping ice, using dry ice, or frozen jugs would be the way to go. Depending on what direction you go I would leave the drain plug open the entire time the meat is in the cooler if there is potential for liquid to build in the cooler from melting. Try to arrange the meat in the cooler so that you can get as much air around the meat as possible, even under it if possible.

Thanks for the help!

[fish vacuum]

Use gallon jugs for ice. I put some upside down Tupperware containers in the bottom of the cooler and leave the drain plug open. The Tupperware let's any water or blood drain down but keeps the meat off the bottom.

[Eric M]

Use gallon jugs for ice. I put some upside down Tupperware containers in the bottom of the cooler and leave the drain plug open. The Tupperware let's any water or blood drain down but keeps the meat off the bottom.

Thanks!

[garrett89]

For a pack animal, your best bet is a mule. They handle their own.

[Eric M]

For a pack animal, your best bet is a mule. They handle their own.

Thanks. The goats belong to a friend and he said I could use them if he wasn't. I think our hunting times are going to conflict so where I've decided to hunt I'm probably not going to use or need any animals.

[Eric M]

Narrowed down where I want to go if I'm home in September. 

[Turner89]

 I think hunting with goats would be kind of cool . They should be low matenace......they would have plenty of food.

[Eric M]

I think hunting with goats would be kind of cool . They should be low matenace......they would have plenty of food.

It was the original idea when I was thinking of hunting the high country. Now I don't have the goats as an option. Apparently the goats I was going to use weren't very nice to the other goats so they got sold.

[Eric M]

Started looking at some of the country recently. Pretty places even with all the burned stuff.

[Eric M]

So for a little more background, I'm sort of hosting this bear hunt. I prefer hunting alone, but a couple of guys with no hunting experience really wanted to go, and now it's turned into up to 3 other guys. Two of them have never hunted really and one of them hunted Kansas whitetails 20 years ago. They all have their hunter safety done, and have rifles that should be fine for black bear. They know I've never killed a bear either, but for some reason feel like I'm the guy who will get it done. We plan to spend 5 days on the hunt and I plan to spend 5 days prior scouting alone. Anyway, I've started looking at the country, and honestly even if none of us shoots anything my major focus/worry is that everyone gets to see bears. My question finally, is with a group this size targeting bears specifically, should I keep everyone close or pair up and separate? They are all decent shots. I believe I'm the only one of us who will have any idea what to do with a bear if it gets shot. Cell service is spotty in the areas I've looked at so far. So if I spot a bear there's one of them I really want to get first crack at it, but the other 2 aren't going to work as a pair. Anyway, any advice about this would be welcome. Thank you.

[hunter399]

 

[Eric M]

If it was me I would spilt up a lot to cover ,and glass more ground.

Yeah it just won't work in pairs. Maybe I'll just put them all on the same ridge at different elevations. I guess I'll figure something out.

[high country]

Your odds of seeing good bears in groups is slim. If you do see a pair of bears it'll likely be young bears traveling together or mom with offspring. Big boars don't tend to like company outside of mating.....and you're going to be late for that.

If I had to hunt with several guys and stay together,  I'd keep it to short range weapons and post up someone to video and a couple guys to cover a get away bear. Big bears are going to fit in a kitchen garbage bag once you're skinned and boned out (not advocating the use of plastic, just sharing the size). You don't need a 150 quart cooler, you will be money ahead to keep the hide in a cool breeze and flesh the he k out of it. Their hide is super thin when fleshed. If it looks or feels like fat....it is and it should go. I've killed bears in the back country and been hauled out via horse, they were ok with it as long as it was covered. I have no idea how goats will do with the sight/smell of bear.

I'd spend some time learning the typical size of eyes and ears, vegetation in your area and use that to help judge the size....all bears can look big, then suffer ground shrink.

[Eric M]

Your odds of seeing good bears in groups is slim. If you do see a pair of bears it'll likely be young bears traveling together or mom with offspring. Big boars don't tend to like company outside of mating.....and you're going to be late for that.

If I had to hunt with several guys and stay together,  I'd keep it to short range weapons and post up someone to video and a couple guys to cover a get away bear. Big bears are going to fit in a kitchen garbage bag once you're skinned and boned out (not advocating the use of plastic, just sharing the size). You don't need a 150 quart cooler, you will be money ahead to keep the hide in a cool breeze and flesh the he k out of it. Their hide is super thin when fleshed. If it looks or feels like fat....it is and it should go. I've killed bears in the back country and been hauled out via horse, they were ok with it as long as it was covered. I have no idea how goats will do with the sight/smell of bear.

I'd spend some time learning the typical size of eyes and ears, vegetation in your area and use that to help judge the size....all bears can look big, then suffer ground shrink.

Thanks for the help. The goats aren't a factor anymore. They got sold due to being mean tempered and they ran off unless you were feeding them, haha. I don't think we'll be in backcountry at this point. Two of the guys are partially disabled from military service so I have been looking for good country to glass from forest roads, but I did get a good deal on a decent 120 quart cooler. I also have game bags and at least one of the other guys will also. I like your idea of short range weapons but I'm the only guy that has anything meeting that criteria. I was thinking maybe 1 guy to shoot, one guy to spot, and I can sit there and laugh? I think we'd all be happy if we can just get one bear.

This might sound like a stupid question but do you bring your fleshing knife and board with you or just use a knife to cut off the larger chunks of fat?

Also if I find us a good berry patch and we actually kill a bear, would you take another look at the same area the next day?

I've been looking at bears from my old trail cam pics and youtube and I have everyone watching the Montana video as well as other identification videos.

Worst case scenario we see some nice country and these guys get to do their first Washington hunt. I know I'm looking forward to it being entertaining.

Thank you again for the help. It's appreciated.