Kapowsin

[Shaqdiesel]

Have there been any bears taken this year out of Kapowsin?  With the additional areas being closed and the feeding going on in the south side I have seen little to no sign this year.

[oldschooltrucks]

I heard from the security patrols that 1 was taken in early may.  I saw a green card in the box last week but it was face down.  Not much sign still from what I've seen.  I was on fresh sign in 2 spots and suddenly no more sign

[Duckslayer89]

I was up mountain biking had a big chocolate at 20 yards on the bridge gate side then a sow and two cubs on the main gate side cross the road in front of me in a legal area. Both were around 12-1pm and it was like 80 degrees out. I ran into a guy leaving early saying it was to hot, I say warm is good.

[oldschooltrucks]

Legal area, where's that?  LOL. I've seen bears in there before, just not this year sadly.  Been kind of a weird spring weather wise imo.  Unless they change some rules next year, I doubt I'll be back in there.  There's a reason that area stopped selling out of their recreation permits a few years ago.  Definitely gone down hill, especially this year with them changing things after the spring drawing and even feeding the bears on that side. 

[Shaqdiesel]

Yea I would say they took away an additional 1/3 of the usual area away this year, on top of the fact those areas are where you would want to target the bears peeling the trees... 

[highside74]

I can't say with 100% certainty but I know from a good source that they have hired professional hunters to kill bears in there this year. So I'm thinking that they closed those areas because that's where the professional hunters are Working.

[oldschooltrucks]

I can't say with 100% certainty but I know from a good source that they have hired professional hunters to kill bears in there this year. So I'm thinking that they closed those areas because that's where the professional hunters are Working.

Not sure if they're in there right now.  Game wardens, security and those in the office said they're currently feeding them, but I've been lied to before.     if that's the case, give me my money back lol

[Shaqdiesel]

I also don’t know why they don’t open the whole area. I mean I have the key so let me hunt everywhere. 

[LHaub]

I've only seen one bear in there so far this year,  couldn't quite get a shot off, I have seen several bobcat though.

[Shaqdiesel]

I have definitely seen a lot of cat sign so I might be trying that out this winter

[LHaub]

What do they mean by professional hunters, hunters sitting over feed stations?

[Alan K]

Depredation permits are on hold this year (and were paused mid 'season' last year) because of a lawsuit against WDFW by the Center for Biological Diversity. In previous years, depredation hunts (hounds) were done at the same time as the spring bear boot hunt, but without that option the next most effective way of mitigating damage is being put in place - feeding. Obviously that would be a problem within the boot hunt area, so areas that are being fed in were closed off.

[oldschooltrucks]

the area's in question in Kapowsin were sold off to another land owner.  Hancock always allowed spring bear season on the south side of the river with no areas closed off, only the north side was closed.  this year those areas on the south side were closed because the new land owners were not familiar with Wa rules and therefore the areas had to be closed off bc they set up feed stations.  It's interesting that the areas were closed yet the same land owners owned other parts within Kapowsin and had feeders set up and those areas not closed off.  Myself and a few others found several feeders in the back open to spring bear.  Doesn't really pass the smell test to me that the land owners played dumb and closed off one area but forgot to tell Hancock about the others. 

unless something happened this week, only 2 bears have been officially taken

[Thehowler]

Found a feed barrel myself in a open hunt able area. This barrel had a warning label printed for Hancock Forest Managment.

[oldschooltrucks]

Found a feed barrel myself in a open hunt able area. This barrel had a warning label printed for Hancock Forest Managment.

the one's I found had no labels at all.  Hancock claims they have no feeders out there, only the new land owner but I don't really believe them.  What did the warning say?

[Harleysboss]

I happened upon a feed barrel. The only "sign" around it was the 30 big piles of Bear Poop in the road and chewed up trees!  I think I spooked a bear that was lounging for the afternoon. Backed out and went else where.  Have seen a total of 2 bears. One of which I missed my shot.. Will give an all day try for the last day tomorrow. Probably stop putting in for this permit.

[Thehowler]

Found a feed barrel myself in a open hunt able area. This barrel had a warning label printed for Hancock Forest Managment.

the one's I found had no labels at all.  Hancock claims they have no feeders out there, only the new land owner but I don't really believe them.  What did the warning say?

Yes, I did grab a pic!



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[BigCutty3]

Kapowsin is a complete joke anymore. Limited area open, way too many permits for available area to hunt, and they open what few walk ins are available to driving and they get pounded with pressure so the bears leave. 
And to top it off then they have active logging/thinning operations in the few areas that do open.  Some of these areas they thinned so much that no way will you be able to walk through them for years, they drop the trees and leave them there, Im talking nice 10"-12" diameter trees.  I'm no forester but the thinning ops took out way more trees than a bear ever will.
I hope the rumors about no more access permits are true so it forces me to quit being lazy and staying close to home.  I will be way better off leaving the place.  It was fun back in the day and I still kill some critters but its just not the same.  Do me a favor and pull the plug, Hancock.

[Alan K]

Maybe they should. 

Probably net the same amount auctioning off the dozen or so elk hunts and save on the extra road maintenance and bulk of security etc. that is required with all of the access permit people. But then of course there would be folks crying a river over loss of any access at all. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't it seems...

[Shaqdiesel]

Yes I also happened upon 2 bait barrels in open areas as well.

[oldschooltrucks]

I told them that I basically bought a $300 raffle ticket for elk hunting cause whats the point in trying to hunt anything else in there besides bear?  They attempted to justify the archery deer change because well, they need doe's to help make more bucks lol.  Now that everything is 2 point for deer and I have yet to ever see a buck in there, $300 for the opportunity to hunt bear when they close the place for fire danger is a joke.  By the time they reopen the place  most of the berries are gone and you're back to trying to figure out where the bears are    Found 2 barrels as well that were filled.  Most likely wont be back unless major changes are made but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  Hancock imo are just greedy and want our money which is evident from this years spring bear season. 

[oldschooltrucks]

Kapowsin is a complete joke anymore. Limited area open, way too many permits for available area to hunt, and they open what few walk ins are available to driving and they get pounded with pressure so the bears leave. 
And to top it off then they have active logging/thinning operations in the few areas that do open.  Some of these areas they thinned so much that no way will you be able to walk through them for years, they drop the trees and leave them there, Im talking nice 10"-12" diameter trees.  I'm no forester but the thinning ops took out way more trees than a bear ever will.
I hope the rumors about no more access permits are true so it forces me to quit being lazy and staying close to home.  I will be way better off leaving the place.  It was fun back in the day and I still kill some critters but its just not the same.  Do me a favor and pull the plug, Hancock.

I was told by hancock that the recreation program was sooo expensive to run and maintain that they barely broke even selling access permits...I'm no accountant but based off what I've seen in there, I don't see how that is even possible.  Nothing has been updated, no new signage, their maps are still crappy and hard to read and hardly any of their roads are marked    Now that they're feeding on the south side, maybe they should close it down and be done with it altogether

[Harleysboss]

Hunted from dawn to dusk on Saturday. Not one deer sighted! my son and I glassed clearcuts of all ages until our eyes hurt. Lost count of the elk spotted but not one stinking deer of any age or sex. WOW!  Oh ya not one bear spotted either. Come to think of it not any fresh sigh of a bear..no poop no nothing.  This is my last Hancock Recreation pass. I will spend my hard earned cash on something else.