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Author Topic: New to bear hunting  (Read 4042 times)

Offline ZaneHunts

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New to bear hunting
« on: July 20, 2025, 05:35:10 PM »
Hey fellow hunters!
This is my first year really going after bear and I'm not real sure where to start. I would like to hunt the west side in the Olympic NF but would be willing to travel to the Cascades if prospects are better.

I'm not asking for anyone's hunting spots, just need help figuring out how to find promising areas worth my time. I know bears like berry patches but how do I find good berries? Does e scouting with onX help?
Any help getting me pointed in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!


Offline JDArms1240

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Offline ZaneHunts

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Re: New to bear hunting
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2025, 10:04:43 PM »
Awesome, I'll look at that. Thanks John!

Offline JimmyHoffa

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Re: New to bear hunting
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2025, 10:39:22 PM »
For westside of OP, there's likely to be a number of types of berries at once.  And then the difference between one drainage and the next, north facing vs south and the same type could be ripe a month apart.  The berries I find the most, fresh sign is usually thimbleberry.  But it usually isn't from the biggest bears.  Biggest bear poops seem to be by salal or cascara ( from what I find).
Likely to have thimbleberry, blackberry, cascara cherries, choke cherries, salal, huckleberries, salmonberry, raspberry and elderberry all in Aug and September.  If it's really hot I don't see the bears much during the middle of the day.  Usually see them before 9 and after 4, but occasionally see one in the road at noon.
I see most early season looking down in clear-cuts that have buffers for streams at the bottom.  I don't see lots of berries down there, other than salmonberry by the water and scattered huckleberries in the buffer.  So, probably headed high in the cut to the big patches.

 


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