spring bear scouting today

[rasbo]

Headed up soon.looking for poopage and girdling,hope I can get up there

[boneaddict]

Saw my first bear of the year Rasbo, so they are coming out.  Course...it was on the other side of the state from you.  I surprised him about as much as he surprised me so no pics. 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Still a tad early I think to find fresh peels.  One good indicator of when they are likely to start is when the Doug Fir start to candle (new growth).

Went up yesterday and found 3 peels from last spring but didn't see any old ones from previous springs or any new ones for this year.  Will probably go back and check out the area in a few weeks.

[pjb3]

What are "peels"?

[rasbo]

Saw my first bear of the year Rasbo, so they are coming out.  Course...it was on the other side of the state from you.  I surprised him about as much as he surprised me so no pics. 

thats awesome,I still cant access where I hunt,damn snow.however I looked for some sheds and found a 5 point blacktail in good shape,I will put it up when the brains of this outfit gets home from work.LOL chipmonks were nowhere to be found,usually around april 15 before I see bears.which is just right....

[Curly]

What are "peels"?

Peels, or girdling, is when a bear pulls the bark off of a tree to get to the sap.  It is the reason why timber land owners hire bear hunters to go out and kill bears.

[rasbo]

my find for the days bear scouting,my youngest son up and coming YAR candidate

[Michelle_Nelson]

They are eating the Cambium or Cambial layer (inner bark).  It is the live tissue that will eventually form and add to the outer bark (which is dead) every year.  This layer is full of sugar.  

In the Spring the trees are taking up the sugars that have been stored in the roots all winter in order to feed the new growth.  In the Fall that sugar will be put back into the roots to be stored during the winter.  I think one of the reasons we don't find bears peeling in the fall is because it is more work to get to the Cambial layer than it is to grab a mouth full of berries.  Basiclly it's not worth their time.

[littlebuf]

found a 357  helluva scouting trip!!

[rasbo]

found a 357  helluva scouting trip!!

44mag my next bear is going down with that gun there,still cant get to camp seven

[509er]

Here are some pics of a "peel" I found last summer.

[Jackjr]

Good Luck

[bowhunterforever]

Thats cool, i never new that bears ate the bark/sap off tree's. Good luck on the bear hunt.

[littlebuf]

found a 357  helluva scouting trip!!

44mag my next bear is going down with that gun there,still cant get to camp seven

that ought to be a helluva fun hunt. im gunna try later this week to get up to camp seven and as far as i can go past it. ill let you know how i do if you dont go back up there first

[rasbo]

still cant get to camp 7 tried today,my partner bought burnt up his clutch trying.I tried to hike in from another side got turned around in the dark timber,that was fun for a couple of hrs..Note to self,you never go anywhere without your compass, why did you today?never cut any sign,did find an awesome escape trail.