Map scouting

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I plan on doing a little leg work in preparation for this upcoming spring bear season and was wondering what you guys look for when staring at topo maps prior to getting out and walking.
I am hunting one of the west-side units and will be scouting  from now until season and wondered what kind of terrain I should concentrate on, creek heads, south facing slopes, benches, saddles between drainages...etc.?
should I concentrate on swamps, or new clear-cuts?
I am new to Spring Bear, but did get close to one last year while going after a tom turkey. It was coming out of a new cut (year old) into creek-bottom.
because this is west-side and the weather is so mild I am pretty sure they are not hibernating, and feeding on new growth, grubs and ants.......
What say? any advice?
 

[rasbo]

should be good this year there isnt any snow to speak of..steep wet drainages with grown over roads..young reprod,they will girdle

[bobcat]

I'd look for reprod units with trees anywhere from about 6 inches to 18 inches in diameter. Keep an eye on those areas and you'll start seeing fresh bear "peels" about the middle of May. Of course also look for older peels, many of which the tree will be dead.

You sound pretty confident you'll be hunting this spring. How many points do you have?

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

 I have 5 points, but am applying for only one hunt choice. They are offering 50 permits for it.

[SkookumHntr]

I plan on doing a little leg work in preparation for this upcoming spring bear season and was wondering what you guys look for when staring at topo maps prior to getting out and walking.
I am hunting one of the west-side units and will be scouting  from now until season and wondered what kind of terrain I should concentrate on, creek heads, south facing slopes, benches, saddles between drainages...etc.?
should I concentrate on swamps, or new clear-cuts?
I am new to Spring Bear, but did get close to one last year while going after a tom turkey. It was coming out of a new cut (year old) into creek-bottom.
because this is west-side and the weather is so mild I am pretty sure they are not hibernating, and feeding on new growth, grubs and ants.......
What say? any advice?
 

-Ya, you might want to draw the tag first, lol! Lots of us have 5pts!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Even if I dont draw a tag, I will still be Turkey hunting, so it does not matter.
No reason not to get out in the woods though....I mean what if I do get drawn?
with a 3.6 point average I stand a 50% chance of getting drawn, either I will or I wont......
I am not going to use it as an excuse NOT to scout.

[SkookumHntr]

Even if I dont draw a tag, I will still be Turkey hunting, so it does not matter.
No reason not to get out in the woods though....I mean what if I do get drawn?
with a 3.6 point average I stand a 50% chance of getting drawn, either I will or I wont......
I am not going to use it as an excuse NOT to scout.

-You can never scout enough as far as im concerned, I will be scouting the same unit as well, starting now too

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

How do you know what unit ( another member on this site wants it to stay "secret"),
I know its pretty obvious. , but anyhow, what point are you accessing it from ?
I have spent most of my time walking in the DNR roads, but did almost get a tom last season after having a sow and cub at 30 yards one morning on Weyerhauser property.

[SkookumHntr]

probably up deep creek or behind my cousins up chilvers rd

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

That is DNR land, probably not part of open area for Bear, most likely it will be other side of Bunker, Ingalls, Lincoln Creek out to Elk Creek (Doty) and north to Gerrard.
BTW, I live on Chilvers, Christmas tree farm on 2 borders of property.

[SkookumHntr]

If deep creek isnt in the open area I will be going in on the access points off south bank road then more then likely,

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Back to topic...
I cannot tell what areas are reprod without walking or driving to them....
I was wondering if there were any terrain features (on a map) that you look for such as saddles, benches, south facing slopes,...etc....

[Shootmoore]

Back to topic...
I cannot tell what areas are reprod without walking or driving to them....
I was wondering if there were any terrain features (on a map) that you look for such as saddles, benches, south facing slopes,...etc....

Google Earth, check the area and it should have a date when the satalite photo's were taken.  Its a pretty good tool.  Is that your place at the end with all the outbuildings   

Shootmoore

[bobcat]

I think a food source is the most important thing to look for, but I'm no expert. Why don't you try using the "Go Hunt" GIS map on the WDFW site, and use the aerial photos to look for clearcut and reprod areas.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I have looked at those sites, all of them.
I have topo maps, Weyerhauser maps, Google Earth, Virtual Earth, been to WDFW GoHunt etc....
 I am asking about terrain features to look for on a topo map,
reprod is all over and I was just curious if there were any particular type of "travel corridors" that bear prefer.
What makes one patch of reprod better than another?
 I guess it must be a stupid question.
There really is no substitute for boot leather..........

[billythekidrock]

I agree. The state land will probably be off limits.
It is funny that this came up as today at work I was thinking about bear scouting this weekend in the hopes that one might be out and about.
I doubt they would be moving or feeding much right now, but with this weather you never know.

In a couple months I will be scouting the edges of a few swamps and looking for beds. Sometimes you can find travel corridors if you scout ridges of reprod from a distance.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I am going to take a little excursion tommorrow, do a little glassing.

[Shootmoore]

Sorry StiknString I missunderstood what you were looking for.  I've never hunted spring bear before, all my experience with bear is East Side fall.  I'm lost over here on the wet side, no pear orchards around 

Shootmoore

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

My previous experience with bears is limited, I have encountered a few while elk hunting in the Manastash, enough that I probably will give it a try up there come august.
I usually see at least one bear a year, but never really went looking for them, and haven't shot at one. I just buy a tag "just in case" but other fhan sows with cubs I cannot get close enough to release an arrow.
Many years ago I read a few books and tried baiting, that almost worked for me. Then they made that illegal
Almost everything I can find to read has to do with baiting, and very little with hunting spring bears that aren't coming out of hibernation.
I have acquired a few calls and read as much on calling as I can find, but was hoping to get an idea on where to start looking.
Randomly walking logging roads, hoping to see one and then call it in to range just seems to be how I deer and elk hunted back when I didn't have a clue.........
Sitting by a patch of reprod hoping there is one nearby seems even more foolish...
I will just have to get out and look for sign, and hope to learn something about these critters.