My Copalis adventures

[PastorJoel]

Hi everyone!  I am having a lot of fun out here in Copalis.  I have been out here several times but without the slightest bit of sign. Also, I am a bear hunting rookie.  In my life I have seen several mt. lions, killed several deer, seen elk, goats, quite a few bobcats, but NEVER have I seen a bear in the wild (although I did get within 100 yards of one last deer season.)

I will post a few more pictures from my spring season later (and hopefully one with a bear in it) but can someone help me with this scat id?  It is less that 24 hours old (I was here last night and it wasn't here).  It seems too small to be bear, or at least a large bear, but it is full of plant material.

[JimmyHoffa]

Fawns should be hitting the ground starting real soon.  Might try a call.

[brew]

looks like bear poop to me...looks like a lot of tree pulp in it and the only animals i know that chew on trees are bears and porcupines and if thats a porker hes a B & C model

[bearmanric]

Hunted there last two years. Outstanding for calling. Call into the reservation. Rick

[PastorJoel]

looks like bear poop to me...looks like a lot of tree pulp in it and the only animals i know that chew on trees are bears and porcupines and if thats a porker hes a B & C model

It had an awfully small diameter and I also found several other piles all smaller than this.  Will bears have such small poos?    My dog leaves behind larger sign.

[PastorJoel]

I was able to take my family with me on this trip.      (some pics are from previous trips this season)

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Cubs and smaller bears scat will be smaller. Might just be in an area with a few cubs and a sow.  Keep after it and you'll lay eyes on one. Walk those grass roads and blow on a fawn in distress call.

[brew]

love to see the family pics involved with your hunt...trying to attach a couple pics to keep you interested in the area.  this is the 3 legged bear i shot in that area in 2010...keep at it..be patient...it will be like someone flipped the switch and it will turn on

[bearmanric]

Last year. Rick

[PastorJoel]

I was ready to give up.  Now I am trying to figure out if I can fit in another hunt this season.    You guys rock.  Thanks!

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Don't give up. I tried to save all my hunting time til the bear started moving. How's that time.  Is your tag open til the 15th?  I only have a few more days to get it done.  Good luck!

[XJcoug13]

Hunt off the Aloha Tavern gate hard they are in there...i put in the time last year and I got one off the 6006.6..its all about putting in the miles and being in the right place at the right time..when you have distance use your binos.  I don't have a tag this year but i work in the area and have seen  a good amount of sign off the 6009 even though they are doing a cedar salvage in the area.  These last few weeks should be good, use the tag get out and hunt!!   
FYI: this bear measured 6 foot and as I was field dressing him a bigger bear was watching me 

[PastorJoel]

Hunt off the Aloha Tavern gate hard they are in there...i put in the time last year and I got one off the 6006.6..its all about putting in the miles and being in the right place at the right time..when you have distance use your binos.  I don't have a tag this year but i work in the area and have seen  a good amount of sign off the 6009 even though they are doing a cedar salvage in the area.  These last few weeks should be good, use the tag get out and hunt!!   
FYI: this bear measured 6 foot and as I was field dressing him a bigger bear was watching me 

Thanks for your advice.  I hope to make it back over there next week.

The Aloha Tavern gate confused me a bit because when I tried that a couple weeks ago there was a postage stamp of Rayonier land and then it was another company's land with a no trespassing sign and a trail camera focused on the road.  I tried using the neighboring DNR land to get around that other company's land but it didn't work out so well.

Thanks for the advice about 6009, I don't think I have tried that road yet.

I keep hearing about this cedar work, what exactly does that mean?

THANK!!

[bearmanric]

Latinos cutting ceder blocks.  at the Aloha gate you will see a cell tower in the clear cut. Seen quite a  few bears there last two years . Seen way more bears off the 101 hwy gate. Rick

[Ripper]

Keep at it, now is the time. With the good weather, this weekend should be hot!

[Jpmiller]

Keep hunting! Also I love the family pics. Don't think the wife will be much help on a pack out if she is already packing in. Or is that just practice for the fall hunting season?

[PastorJoel]

Keep hunting! Also I love the family pics. Don't think the wife will be much help on a pack out if she is already packing in. Or is that just practice for the fall hunting season?

She said, "Tell him I have incredible lower body strength!" 

[PastorJoel]

Two more days of hunting finished.

The ONLY sign I saw was this one pile of scat.  I put on about 8 miles of walking in the area where I saw that scat hoping to see more but I didn't.  I also looked through my binos at a lot of bear like stumps but none of them would grow fur.

It was, however, lots of fun with the family.

The fawn is in the yard of the house we stayed at.

[WoolyRunner]

PM Sent.

[PastorJoel]

Day 7.

I have FINALLY seen a bear!!!  It was a cub. Now I have about 4 hours left to find a shooter!

[Jpmiller]

Day 7.

I have FINALLY seen a bear!!!  It was a cub. Now I have about 4 hours left to find a shooter!

Too far for a shot huh?

[Kit Carson]

Good luck! Hopefully you get one in the last bit of light! 

[PastorJoel]

Well..................

I had never seen a bear in the wild until yesterday, and then I saw three!

The third bear I saw I shot.  It appeared to be a med-large boar.  I was able to take my time, get in a prone position, I had (what I thought was) good shot placement, at 225 yards (a distance I have practiced at), and with a 30-06.  I was sure this was a dead bear.  I hit him hard but he ran into some brush.  I waited and waited, letting him die.  Then, finally, I approached the shooting site and found LOTS of blood and bone.  The blood trail was the thickest I have ever seen, leaves and plants had drops of blood hanging off of them.  In some spots the trail was wide and appeared to have blood spray.  I followed this blood into the brush that is as thick as it could possibly be.  For the first hour, I was 100% sure I would find the bear.  The blood was so thick I was getting soaked in it from following the trail.  Eventually, however, the trail just stopped.  I assumed the bear must have doubled back but was unable to find another trail.

After LOTS of looking in the dark, my dad (who I was hunting with yesterday) finally convinced me that it was no longer safe or prudent to keep looking.  Today it is pouring rain there and there is, therefore, no trail to follow.  I marked the spots and trail with GPS but later realized that I was getting a poor signal and all of the GPS points I made along the trail are probably only within 50 yards of where I actually was.

Even though didn't make it to bed until 3:00 am this morning, I couldn't sleep.  I have never lost an animal before and it's a terrible feeling. 

[Odell]

he's in there. Can you go back?

[Bob33]

That's a shame. Don't give up. I wonder if someone might possibly want to take a dog for a nice walk?

[Jpmiller]

I'd bet you he is in there. The hardest recovery I had was a blacktail buck the almost dropped in it's tracks. Was so thick I was almost standing on it before I found it. Keep looking and my money says you find him.

[PastorJoel]

I am doing my best to get a plan together to get back out there.  I am currently 3 hours away from the kill site because I have an important meeting to lead.  After that, I am planning on grabbing a friend and going and getting soaked in the brush!

[Jpmiller]

I am doing my best to get a plan together to get back out there.  I am currently 3 hours away from the kill site because I have an important meeting to lead.  After that, I am planning on grabbing a friend and going and getting soaked in the brush!

Good attitude lol can't wait to see the pics of it.

[ctwiggs1]

Dang man I wish I lived just a tad closer.  I'd bring my bird dog down to help. 

You've got this - don't let the doubt get to you.  Just keep going back to where the blood stopped and expand your search from there.

[PastorJoel]

This is totally crazy. But I bought a bunch of flagging tape and a huge machete and I convince my contractor friend to come with me! Hopefully I will have a picture of a bear in a couple of hours. The Bear is in a bog and it's raining.

[Buckewe]

Good luck you will find him he won't be to far. He is probably piled up in some nasty stuff.

[ctwiggs1]

This is totally crazy. But I bought a bunch of flagging tape and a huge machete and I convince my contractor friend to come with me! Hopefully I will have a picture of a bear in a couple of hours. The Bear is in a bog and it's raining.

Oh man wouldn't be the first animal found submerged LOL

[Kit Carson]

Hope you find him! 

[PastorJoel]

I came home from work and convinced my contractor to stop working on my house and go with me to find that bear.  It was raining HARD so of course there was no more blood trail.  We looked for a couple of hours, crashing through thick brush and mud, but we didn't find him.


Thank you all so much, everyone who helped me this season. Thank you j_h_nimrod for coming out to help me today, even though we were unable to connect.

[TomT]

Dang, sorry I couldn't make it to help!

[Kit Carson]

Damn. That's tough. Hopefully you connect on one this summer.