Willapa Hills 1 Bear

[Rem700LR]

WDFW made the Willapa Hills which consists of multiple GMU areas only a 1 bear limit. While all other areas are allowed two tags still. Please tell me how this BS makes any sense. I have 10 cams in the Willapa Hills area and have multiple bear on each camera.


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[bobcat]

Yeah I wasn't too happy when I noticed that. All the units I will be hunting have the 1 tag limit, AND they also moved the opening date back to August 15.

[BA Mongor]

Makes zero sense. We have so many bears it's ridiculous. If anything they should increase the limit to (3) bears, and we wouldn't even see a dent in the population. The amount of deer fawns and elk calves killed by the bears is incredible.

Not many people get to listen to a elk calf or fawn being eaten alive by a bear or coyote, but I have many times sitting on my back deck. There needs to be a balance, and that balance is heavily shifted to the predators!! For some us that live in the woods and can shoot in almost any direction, we get to see what reality is, and the this corrupt state has no idea what reality is.

It's time to bring things back in check...Just my 

[Clearcut]

Got only 1 cam currently set up and have 4-5 different bears cruising by. So little bear hiring pressure in my opinion of this unit mixed with how dense it is that it could be 3-4 bear limit for the few who actually spend any time or effort in this and it wouldn’t make a dent. I hunt archery typically every years and I’d say on average we run into 4-6 bears accidentally during that period of time.

[Threewolves]

Don't you guys remember this same thing happened more than a couple of years ago? We bitched about it and it was changed. The things that I wrote in about was 15 August start date, why make the hunting regulations more confusing. The traditional start date is 01 August. Don't create more confusion.

For example you are hunting along a GMU boundary, one side is two bear limit, across the road in the other GMU is one bear limit.  One starts on the 1st August the other on the 15th.

1. Those bears are going to cross back an forth across those GMU Boundary's. The bears don't know that they are suppose to stay in one GMU. It is possible for a bear in a one bear unit to cross over into a two bear unit and get killed. This is with in the realm of possibilities. 

2. Is this some kind of state money generating scheme to cause confusion and get other wise law abiding citizens to accidently become law breakers. Is the goal to make the hunting regulations as confusing as the fishing regulations?

I know we are supposed to keep up with all the changes, but why change. I know there are people who want to change happy to glad, but why? I do recall last time this came up I was hunting in an area took a bear, then it hit me, was I in a 01 August area or that other Area? Luckily I was three days past the 15th. But I was paranode. I would have lost my job. I worked in a field where if I made a mistake I would have been terminated. The "I wasn't aware" excuse would not fly.

What's strange is it is only Okanogan and Willapa Hills. I know Willapa Hills has a lot to timber company property to only have a one bear limit.

Also, how many folks remember the year the entire state went spike only for Elk both east side and west side? Change, just to change some thing.

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[ghosthunter]

I think it is 100% the foul four commissioners doubling down. The bears and cats are on their pet list. Less folks hunting bears and cats so low hanging fruit for their anti consumption views.

Next year if unchecked it will be Aug.15 for the whole state and one bear. They just keep chipping away. Than they will make bears a draw.

It’s all planned by the commission.

[Clearcut]

I think it is 100% the foul four commissioners doubling down. The bears and cats are on their pet list. Less folks hunting bears and cats so low hanging fruit for their anti consumption views.

Next year if unchecked it will be Aug.15 for the whole state and one bear. They just keep chipping away. Than they will make bears a draw.

It’s all planned by the commission.

Most definitely a planned and coordinated effort to chip away at the season. I’d really like to see some factual statistics on what actual % of hunters actually go out to pursue bear during bear season vs the “x” amount of tags sold because most people just get a tag in the event they bump into a bear during deer/elk seasons. I would honestly be surprised if it was anything north of 10%

[Blacktail Sniper]

They have to leave the timber company hound hunters and snare setters something to catch from April til August...

[BA Mongor]

This is so true Sniper. Most people have no idea that the largest percentage of bears are killed by the timber companies. Where I live, and with the amount of time I spend further west, I get to meet and talk with these guys taking care of business. Bears do a lot of damage and these few guys kill a lot of bears.

I ran into one a few miles behind a gate up in west valley, and we got to talking. This was in June, and he had over 30 in that area alone. Timber companies hate bears, and for the most part, anything that damages their trees...elk, deer and especially porcupines!

The policies in this state, and the individuals in charge are as corrupt as they come. They hate hunters, as much as the timber companies hate bears!

[Alan K]

They have to leave the timber company hound hunters and snare setters something to catch from April til August...

This is so true Sniper. Most people have no idea that the largest percentage of bears are killed by the timber companies. Where I live, and with the amount of time I spend further west, I get to meet and talk with these guys taking care of business. Bears do a lot of damage and these few guys kill a lot of bears.

I ran into one a few miles behind a gate up in west valley, and we got to talking. This was in June, and he had over 30 in that area alone. Timber companies hate bears, and for the most part, anything that damages their trees...elk, deer and especially porcupines!

The policies in this state, and the individuals in charge are as corrupt as they come. They hate hunters, as much as the timber companies hate bears!

A couple ignorant comments here... Hounds haven't been an option for depredation for years now, and slow/inefficient (comparatively) trapping by government agencies or postage stamp boot hunts are the only options these days. Even in the hound days the annual depredation take was in the neighborhood of 150-200 or so I want to say across the whole state, and I'd be shocked if the government trapping sniffed anywhere near there now.  A postage stamp boot hunt in reprod  has near 0 chance...   Recreational harvest is usually 1500-2000 a year.   

Maybe Mongor was talking to a tribal person? I have heard of some companies allowing tribal bear hunting since they don't have to abide by any state rules and WDFW has been so little help with damage.

You'd be hard pressed to find another industry that has a higher percentage of it's workforce that hunts/fishes/camps, etc.  To say that the industry hates wildlife is laughable.  Maybe some of the investment group folks have that mindset, but certainly not any of the locally owned timber companies that I have been around.

As our deer and elk herds continue to spiral downwards with the overabundance of predators I'm surprised there are hunters that would have any opposition to additional predators being harvested, even if not for the explicit purpose of helping out our ungulate populations.

 

Back to the core of the topic though, a one bear limit and curtailed season is ridiculous. Look no further than the fact that black bear populations withstood an unlimited bag limit, year around season, and the use of hounds, bait, and traps in the 60's and 70's on the west side.  Even had bounties back then. Now after 30 years of basically none of the effective tools of harvest left, to think populations are in any danger is absurd.  Clearly politically motivated by the commission.

[BA Mongor]

Alan,

I agree with statement that hound hunting hasn't been a factor for over 15-years now, but some of your other misguided statements are comical at best. I started hunting in the sixties and had a neighbor who was a hardcore hound hunter for bears. Back then there was a bounty and killed a lot of bears.

Either you're unaware, or just don't know, but most of the timber companies and or investment groups that own large sections of timberland pay to have nuisance animals removed. This isn't a knock on the "industry", it's just their way of managing their lands and mitigating damage. To say otherwise, and comical to say the least.

If you truly believe that our commission has our best interest at heart, I have some ocean front property in Arizona for you! The commission hates hunting and continue to do their part in removing as many opportunities that they can. Or at least mismanaging them to the point where they're meaningless.

Bottom line is, there is no reason for a single bear limit in 506. None.

 

[TitusFord]

Last season I bumped in to 14+ bear and killed one. Most of them were in 530/506. Every time I went elk hunting I was on fresh bear tracks or scat.

And as far as the trapping, timber companies do utilize the government bear trappers and they have to follow a lot of rules and can only trap in areas with fresh bear damaged trees and can only trap 2 bear per square mile or something along those lines. They also only trap in may/June not April through august.

The trappers and the timber companies agree its silly to restrict hunting and have trappers catch the bears instead but that's not who makes the rules.

The bear in the picture I watched at 230 yards for over 30 minutes while I couldn't get ahold of anyone with a bear tag.

[Alan K]

Mongor,

Please elaborate on which parts are misguided?

I am a forester by trade and have worked on just about all of the different land owners' property over the years in this state, both public and private.

Re-read my post, maybe a little slower this time.  My one comment on the commission was that this change must have been politically motivated, it's certainly not based on a lack of bears - which I explained the entire paragraph leading up to that sentence.  Quite the opposite of the way you comprehended it?

And hounds as a depredation remedy was done away with after lawsuit in 2018, and recreationally nearly 30 years ago. Not sure where your 15 is coming from.

And most companies I know are either supplemental feeding, attempting the boot hunts, or trying to find government trappers which again are nowhere near as efficient in their work as hounds and I can't see them coming even close to historical hound removal. From what I understand there isn't even the capacity to have a meaningful impact. 

You falsely claim that timber company depredation removals make up the largest percentage of take... That is not even remotely close to reality.  I would not doubt that there could be 30 bears in a general area in total, but removed? I can't imagine WDFW's conflict specialists would allow for anywhere near that density to be removed. Even in the hound days that wouldn't have been possible unless you're talking about an entire region or cluster of GMU's.


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[hunter399]

Last season I bumped in to 14+ bear and killed one. Most of them were in 530/506. Every time I went elk hunting I was on fresh bear tracks or scat.

And as far as the trapping, timber companies do utilize the government bear trappers and they have to follow a lot of rules and can only trap in areas with fresh bear damaged trees and can only trap 2 bear per square mile or something along those lines. They also only trap in may/June not April through august.

The trappers and the timber companies agree its silly to restrict hunting and have trappers catch the bears instead but that's not who makes the rules.

The bear in the picture I watched at 230 yards for over 30 minutes while I couldn't get ahold of anyone with a bear tag.

Very cool pic.
I wouldn't worry about her this year.
No tag needed this year,sows with cubs are off limits this year.
Still very cool pic ,I'm sure just observation was very awesome.
Thanks for sharing.👍

[TitusFord]

Last season I bumped in to 14+ bear and killed one. Most of them were in 530/506. Every time I went elk hunting I was on fresh bear tracks or scat.

And as far as the trapping, timber companies do utilize the government bear trappers and they have to follow a lot of rules and can only trap in areas with fresh bear damaged trees and can only trap 2 bear per square mile or something along those lines. They also only trap in may/June not April through august.

The trappers and the timber companies agree its silly to restrict hunting and have trappers catch the bears instead but that's not who makes the rules.

The bear in the picture I watched at 230 yards for over 30 minutes while I couldn't get ahold of anyone with a bear tag.

Very cool pic.
I wouldn't worry about her this year.
No tag needed this year,sows with cubs are off limits this year.
Still very cool pic ,I'm sure just observation was very awesome.
Thanks for sharing.👍

There was no cubs with this bear. Appeared to be a young sow on her own and perfectly legal to shoot.
It was very fun watching it pick berries though!