Worked my butt off for 5 full days in NE Oregon, hunting the south side of the Wallowas, to fill my first spring bear tag. Hunted three days with my dad and two solo in some incredible country that was full of wildlife, blooming vegetation, bi polar weather and a relaxing stillness that I have been craving since last fall. I failed to fill my tag but it wasn't for lack of seeing bears- it just didn't work out to harvest one but that's hunting. I learned a lot about bear hunting, got a jump on my fall hunting preparation, tested out some new gear and made it out of the woods without a tick bite (I think).
Some new gear that performed well was my new K2 frame, First Lite Stormtight pants and Halstead Fleece and Garmin Rino 650 with On X Maps chip.
Couple things I learned hunting bear- I concentrated a lot on south slope green up but I saw most of my bears on green north and east facing slopes slopes, especially because they had good lush feed and more shelter from the hot weather. Ticks are relentless and will show up even after thorough tick checks. Always take your time when evaluating bears, cubs may not be apparent until a while later. If you think a bear looks small, it probably is.
