2009 Spring Bear Sign

[rasbo]

The skunk cabbage has been showing down here for a month, but I haven't found any sign near it yet.
I may go out for a quick drive today.

lillies are up,skunk here to..zero sign

[Rmef360]

Hey my name is Dave I drew a spring bear tag for capitol forest just wandering if there is a certain area with exceptionally high bear activity.  I am a seasoned bear hunter with over 20 kills just with the kids in baseball and sports this year my scouting trips have been non existant.  thanks for your help

[billythekidrock]

Welcome.
There are a few people here that know that unit, but I must warn you that first time posters usually get a lot of crap for asking about areas without telling a bit about themselves.

I would suggest posting about yourself in the "Introductions" thread in the "General" forum and maybe posting some pics and stories. That will usually grease the info wheels.

Again, welcome.

[TeacherMan]

Not my unit but found a big pile of bear poo on the edge of a field out off Toroda creek last week. Sherman Unit. I've had a couple students see fresh bear sign out spring turkey hunting and I talked to a large land owner up in this area last week and see said he has seen two in the last week, its time  .

[Bama76]

New bear hunter here.   Does this look like a peel to you fellas or maybe just diseased tree?  Which species do they normally target?

[Skyvalhunter]

Nice pictures Bama

[billythekidrock]

Bama -

Those are not bear peels/damage. Most likely bugs or disease. Below is a link to some images of bear peels.

Bear peels
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,7247.0.html

[Michelle_Nelson]

Bama76,

What type of tree is that?  Most of trees you are going to find peeled are Doug Fir.  Does the peeled area have claw and teeth marks in it?  If not I am leaning more to a dead tree that has lost it's bark.  Maybe a bear pulled it away to get at some bugs.

 I am curious to see what BTKR says if you resize the picture.

[billythekidrock]

Which species do they normally target?

It can very by geographic location and even by county. Typically Doug Fir, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar are the top 3 but no tree species is safe.

[Bama76]

Bama76,

What type of tree is that?  Most of trees you are going to find peeled are Doug Fir.  Does the peeled area have claw and teeth marks in it?  If not I am leaning more to a dead tree that has lost it's bark.  Maybe a bear pulled it away to get at some bugs.

 I am curious to see what BTKR says if you resize the picture.

I think it's some kind of hardwood tree.  It was a little hard to tell, they were in pretty bad shape.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Here are some examples of Bear peels.  Took these last spring.  You can see the marks on tree.  The first 2 were fairly fresh (with in a week).  The last one I havn't made up my mind if it was an early spring peel and the tree was just real sappy. 

[Bama76]

Here are some examples of Bear peels.  Took these last spring.  You can see the marks on tree.  The first 2 were fairly fresh (with in a week).  The last one I havn't made up my mind if it was an early spring peel and the tree was just real sappy. 

Thanks for helping a rookie bear chaser.   I gotta tell you, this bear hunting is harder than hunting whitetails in the southern brush and thickets.  I've been close, but it's almost like I see him in my binocs and then he vanishes when it's time to draw a bead.  At least Whitetails wave goodbye   But I'm addicted. 

There's guys around here harvesting them using every questionable means known to man.   Personally, I like the challenge of hunting them one on one.  There's bait piles everywhere and some guys have even resorted to driving them out of the brush and then a hunter will shoot him on the run or out of a tree.  Not really sure if that's ethical, but not illegal yet as far as I know.

[509er]

Here are a couple of pics of a peeled tree I found last 4th of July.

[Skyvalhunter]

Ok lets see some bears now enough stripped trees

[billythekidrock]

Ok lets see some bears now enough stripped trees

Yes, I agree. Or at least some peels from this year, hence the title 2009 Spring Bear Sign.