Huckleberry 2020

[cougforester]

My group of buddies has 4 tags. Would like to know if any other Hunt WA folks have em. Would be nice to share snow levels (pretty low now I'd imagine) or sightings. Going to be nice hunting an hour away from home!

First time having a legit spring bear tag too, since Kapowsin doesn't really count. Should be a blast.

[Shooter4]

I’ve got one just across 395 in 49

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

I have a bear on my Cameras in 121....

[hunter399]

I live in 121 by chewlah -drew 49 tag
I would say any high elevation for opener is gonna be touch and go .Snow in the shady areas ,if there is no snow gonna be mud .This will also apply for Turkey hunters as well.

[cougforester]

Was sort of thinking of turkey hunting the first couple weeks of bird season and using that to scout for bears then hitting the bear tag hard starting in May to let thing's dry up a bit and more green up to happen.

[Jonathan_S]

Most of those areas the snow isn't the concern, it's the mud that lasts 6-8 weeks longer.

[Bango skank]

Most of those areas the snow isn't the concern, it's the mud that lasts 6-8 weeks longer.

This was on may 6th. 

[cougforester]

Most of those areas the snow isn't the concern, it's the mud that lasts 6-8 weeks longer.

This was on may 6th.

Yeah we’re gonna try to avoid that.

[WAcoueshunter]

That's nuts!  Yes, definitely try to avoid that! 

[millerwheeler]

I drew a tag so in tagging along on the post

[buckfvr]

This was also May 6th but I got myself out somehow.   

[Bango skank]

I told ya you were gonna get stuck....

Yours was may 7th.  You were fashionably late to the party.

[KFhunter]

Most of those areas the snow isn't the concern, it's the mud that lasts 6-8 weeks longer.

This was on may 6th.

May 6th,  May 7th and May 8th     

[cougforester]

Holy crap. Well I guess we will be rolling with 2 trucks just in case. Good to know how bad it can be.

[Bango skank]

Yeah, i carry a shovel and whatnot now

[KFhunter]

Holy crap. Well I guess we will be rolling with 2 trucks just in case. Good to know how bad it can be.

two trucks = double the towing bill     

[Bango skank]

Holy crap. Well I guess we will be rolling with 2 trucks just in case. Good to know how bad it can be.

two trucks = double the towing bill     

Yeah, trucks #2, 3 and 4 didnt help one bit.  Just more rigs to dig out.

[WapitiTalk1]

Hey, have you bar' hunters thought about maybe camping down the hill and taking quads in?

[Bango skank]

Now what the hell would be the fun in that?  A little "surprise camping" never hurt anybody.

[HAGEMANIAC]

Attempted some shed hunting in this unit on Monday.  Still 2+ feet of snow in some areas, and plenty of mud!

[mtmn35rem5]

I have a tag as well and will be in the unit most weekends from now on until I fill it or season ends. Have deer hunted it before but never bear. If anyone wants to compare notes via a PM or over a beer out there let me know. Or if anyone needs a hand getting a bear out I would be happy to help if I am in the area.

[cougforester]

Been up here for 2 hours and seen two bears already. Big bears but a loooooong ways off. It’s nice when scouting pays off though.

[greenhead_killer]

good luck! keep us posted

[cougforester]

Ended up with 4 bears on the day. Made a move on one, had a shot at 450 yards before he went over the ridge but not a good rest. Didnt want to pull the trigger on a a marginal opportunity so early on, even though he was pretty nice. Raining tonight...

[cougforester]

Ended the weekend with 11 adult bears spotted, 3 of which were sows with cubs. Saw 5 cubs, so 16 bears total through 3 days of hunting. Not bad! Dropped in on a boar we spotted from a mile away last night, closed the distance to 200 yards just to see his butt going over the ridge into thick timber. Was a great spot and stalk, just missed an opportunity by about 90 seconds.

For those of you with Huck tags, get out there. Bears are moving. Only saw 8 deer and 1 elk the whole weekend and heard wolves two nights ago. The ungulates need help. Just don't come to my spot 

[greenhead_killer]

sounds like youre right in there with them. its just a matter of time now until everything lines up. good luck!

[cougforester]

Hunted from Saturday afternoon until last night tonight. Missed a boar Saturday night, video confirmed right over his back. Had another boar this morning pop out at over 2000 yards away and pushed into private. Put a hail mary stalk on the biggest boar we've seen this year, saw him a little over a mile away at 7-730ish and chased him. Gone by the time we got there. Heard lots of growling and fighting in thick timbered draws that I can only assume was bears fighting a couple times over the weekend.

Total cubless bear count for the weekend: 4 or 5
Sows with cubs: 3 sows with 5 cubs between them.
Saw 4 moose, few deer, called in a coyote to 100 yards, found a moose paddle, and some wolf tracks from the pack we heard last weekend. Had rain, wind, snow, fog and sun. Eventful trip!

Also that's a size 15 boot those tracks are next too...

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Machias]

Nice, sounds like a great trip!

[bowhunterforever]

Sounds like a great hunt so far

[jasnt]

Hoping to see some good bears hit the dirt, preferably in my hunting area 😎

[Bango skank]

Ended the weekend with 11 adult bears spotted, 3 of which were sows with cubs. Saw 5 cubs, so 16 bears total through 3 days of hunting. Not bad! Dropped in on a boar we spotted from a mile away last night, closed the distance to 200 yards just to see his butt going over the ridge into thick timber. Was a great spot and stalk, just missed an opportunity by about 90 seconds.

For those of you with Huck tags, get out there. Bears are moving. Only saw 8 deer and 1 elk the whole weekend and heard wolves two nights ago. The ungulates need help. Just don't come to my spot 

If you get that close and dont have a shot, dont just watch em walk off, call em in!

[cougforester]

Ended the weekend with 11 adult bears spotted, 3 of which were sows with cubs. Saw 5 cubs, so 16 bears total through 3 days of hunting. Not bad! Dropped in on a boar we spotted from a mile away last night, closed the distance to 200 yards just to see his butt going over the ridge into thick timber. Was a great spot and stalk, just missed an opportunity by about 90 seconds.

For those of you with Huck tags, get out there. Bears are moving. Only saw 8 deer and 1 elk the whole weekend and heard wolves two nights ago. The ungulates need help. Just don't come to my spot 

If you get that close and dont have a shot, dont just watch em walk off, call em in!

We tried calling on another one the weekend after that...didn't work. But certainly will keep at it, especially since I've been seeing fawns on the ground lately.

Headed out this weekend for one last hurray to run into one.

[cougforester]

Bear hunting in the fog and 45 degrees isn’t very fun.

[jrebel]

Bear hunting in the fog and 45 degrees isn’t very fun.

After looking at the weather forecast I decided to stay home till tomorrow.  Even tomorrow is gonna be cold and wet.  Next week looks a lot nicer.  The weather this year up there has been bipolar and super wet. 

Good Luck 

[Bango skank]

Bear hunting in the fog and 45 degrees isn’t very fun.

I always avoid bear hunting when its wet.  I just think about how unpleasant it is to pet a wet dog, then think that skinning a wet bear would be 100x worse.

[cougforester]

I did find a dink chocolate at 390. Just couldn’t find it in me to pull the trigger. Beautiful coat but.... just wasn’t interested. I’ve got one more weekend at the very end of June for one last shot.

I was gonna stick it out through tomorrow but I’m likely gonna get snowed on tonight. Looks like I’m pulling stakes.

[jrebel]

Tomorrow is suppose to be much nicer.  Not much warmer...but definitely not as wet. 

[cougforester]

Tomorrow is suppose to be much nicer.  Not much warmer...but definitely not as wet.

The afternoon may be nicer, you’re right. Might come up for an afternoon hunt if it does get better. I know I’m not staying tonight at least though!

[jrebel]

I should have come over....you could have whacked out at the cabin.  I doubt your far from it. 

[cougforester]

Thanks for the offer, very generous. Luckily from my door to the gate I saw that bear behind today is an hour fifteen, and it’s 1.5 miles behind that gate. So under 2 hours from garage to glassing, not bad!

[Bango skank]

I should have come over....you could have whacked out at the cabin. 

 

[jrebel]

I should have come over....you could have whacked out at the cabin. 

 

Shacked!!!!!!   LOL.  DAMN PHONES.   

[Buckhunter24]

Lmao

[Buckhunter24]

I saw a decent bear 2 days ago in the southern end of the unit, not far of the pavement. Hopefully see some success pics soon 

[Utah]

Bear hunting in the fog and 45 degrees isn’t very fun.

I always avoid bear hunting when its wet.  I just think about how unpleasant it is to pet a wet dog, then think that skinning a wet bear would be 100x worse.

Never missed a chance to do the Upper Priest Loop when I lived there.   West side lake road up around upper priest down the eastside.  We ALWAYS saw more bears just driving that loop when it was at the very least a sprinkle.  Best day was 12  all within 50 yds of the road.

[cougforester]

Ok question for the masses. I rarely see any tips for hunting this late into June since seasons aren't normally open. I've Hoyt Friday and Saturday to hunt this weekend. Should I stick with glassing in areas I've seen bears earlier this spring? Which also have a few ungulates in them that should have dropped recently. Predator call in thicker timber?

I'm most confident while glassing but don't want a boar to cruise out of sight too fast and not stop to eat since he's got ladies on his mind.

[jasnt]

I’d be glassing morning and evening and call during mid day down in the holes