Bearpaw Season - Spring 2020

[Machias]

Awesome and some great photos!!!

[bearpaw]

Another good morning, Steve just got this Tom, good job Steve!

[bearpaw]

Daniel got this Tom about an hour ago!

[bearpaw]

Our first two Idaho bear hunters last week cancelled due to covid travel quarantine restrictions where they work.

Doug and Kathy are our first two Idaho spring bear hunters. Doug and guide Brian chased a big bear with the hounds on the first morning of the hunt, it was a big mean boar that wouldn't tree, Brian managed to catch the hounds when the bear crossed the road headed for big country, one of the hounds had gotten beat up pretty badly by the bear but is already recovering well. Kathy who was hunting with Brandon passed a small bear the first morning and then passed a little bigger bear in the evening. On the second morning it was raining hard so nobody hunted. On the second evening Doug nailed an average black boar with guide Brandon, nice shooting Doug, you tagged our first bear of our season, congrats! 

[HillHound]

Awesome. Glad to finally start seeing some bears hit the ground. Too bad they could not catch up with that old boar. I would’ve love to see a picture of him

[MtnMuley]

So, fishing guides have to wait until May 15 before they can take clients and turkey guides can guide hunters now? I was under the assumption that all fishing/hunting guides had to wait until May 15 here in WA?

Not any kind of attack meant, but what's the official "rules" these days for guides with this ridiculous covid pandemic?

[bearpaw]

So, fishing guides have to wait until May 15 before they can take clients and turkey guides can guide hunters now? I was under the assumption that all fishing/hunting guides had to wait until May 15 here in WA?

Not any kind of attack meant, but what's the official "rules" these days for guides with this ridiculous covid pandemic?

The rules in WA are pretty clear, guides and guests can't travel in the same vehicle or boat, we haven't been able to feed guests indoors, and we must maintain social distancing. We comply with all these. Each guest or family has their own cabin, each hunter follows the guide with their own vehicle, we don't hike or sit close to guests when hunting, we enhanced our sanitizing/cleaning, we ordered take out platters and utensils, we take meals to our guests cabin, set the meal down, knock on the door, guests pick up their meals and eat alone.

In Idaho we also have direct guidance from the state for operational procedures which we are following.

Thanks for your sincere concern for our well being!

[bearpaw]

FYI: The way I read the rules, fishing guides could operate if they had their guests follow in a different boat so that social distancing can be maintained, otherwise they would need to wait for the next phase of reopening.

[bearpaw]

Daniel drew a WA spring bear tag, he hunted yesterday morning and found a ton of good bear sign in one of our usual spots. He went back this afternoon and nailed this nice off-color bear with one shot at 250 yards. Great shot, congrats Daniel, that bear is going to make a beautiful rug.

[MtnMuley]

Well, that's some positive news that at least you can operate at some level. 

[bearpaw]

We prefer to provide a lot more service than we can now, but in order to operate we had to modify and scale things back. The hunters have been very understanding and happy that they can finally hunt and it hasn't seemed to hurt their success.

[bearpaw]

Bob passed several birds waiting for the one he wanted, finally the right bird made the wrong move and came right to Bob giving him the opportunity he had been waiting for, whammo, three year old tom down, nice going Bob!

[Skyvalhunter]

Whammo that is a nice bird

[cougforester]

Daniel drew a WA spring bear tag, he hunted yesterday morning and found a ton of good bear sign in one of our usual spots. He went back this afternoon and nailed this nice off-color bear with one shot at 250 yards. Great shot, congrats Daniel, that bear is going to make a beautiful rug.

Well that gets me excited. Loading up the truck and headed north for 4 days for bears. Can't wait!

[Machias]

Yea, some nice bears hitting the ground!!!