# of Spring Bear Permits in SE WA

[tucannon_coug]

I am getting ready to put in my spring bear tag and I noticed that there is a pretty noticeable decline in the number of tags available this year for the SE units. They dropped the number of tags for the SE from 155 to 115. Does anybody have any clues to why this is? I know that the hunter success rate in the spring is better than that of the fall, but I wouldn’t think it would be that much better. Any thoughts?

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Where did you find the numbers? 

[tucannon_coug]

I got the numbers from WDFW Game Harvest Web Site:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/index.html

[ThePascoKid]

I commented on this to WDFW last year when they posted these numbers, they claim the bear population in the blues is on a decline, I think they're full of it.

[Pathfinder101]

I commented on this to WDFW last year when they posted these numbers, they claim the bear population in the blues is on a decline, I think they're full of it.

If the bear pop is on the decline, it's only because the bear and cougars have hammered the deer and elk herds...
The friggin' Blues are lousy with bears.  I had one trail cam out this late summer and got 5 DIFFERENT bears on it.  Look at a herd of cow elk in May, almost every cow has a calf.  Look at the same group in September  and count the claves...   It's enough to make you want to eat your own face...

[BLUEBULLS]

I commented on this to WDFW last year when they posted these numbers, they claim the bear population in the blues is on a decline, I think they're full of it.

If the bear pop is on the decline, it's only because the bear and cougars have hammered the deer and elk herds...
The friggin' Blues are lousy with bears.  I had one trail cam out this late summer and got 5 DIFFERENT bears on it.  Look at a herd of cow elk in May, almost every cow has a calf.  Look at the same group in September  and count the claves...   It's enough to make you want to eat your own face...

well said!

[ThePascoKid]

I couldn't agree more, they cut the cow tags in blue creek from 75 to 25 and cut the spring bear permits, if you've got a decline in the elk wouldn't it stand to reason you've got an incline in bears and cougars.  The biologist drove through the blues once didn't see any bears so the population must be down.  Total BS.  I had the same thing on my cameras this year lots of different bears.  I'd put money on it that there is no decline in bear numbers whatsoever.

[tucannon_coug]

I have been looking through the 2009 Game Status and Trend Report and in the WDFW's own words:

“The black bear population in the Blue Mountains appears to be stable.”

They also state that because of the School Fire and Columbia Complex fires a few years ago that excellent habitat for bears has been created in the Blues. There is no indication that there is any decline or health issues that would relate to the number of tags being issued.

Just as a side note, the 2009 winter elk survey reported the highest number of bulls in the Blues since they started counting in 1992 (697 total bulls, with 531 those being Adult bulls). Also the Bull-per-100-cows ratio is the highest it has been since 1992 (23 bulls per 100 cows) and the calf-cow ratio is also near a high at 29 calves per 100 cows. Hopefully we will start seeing the number of tags go up based on the last couple of years.

[jackelope]

i know 3 people in the last 2 years that have eaten spring bear tag soup with lick creek tags.
2 of them saw bears, 1 didn't even see a bear and all of them covered a pretty good amount of country.

[ThePascoKid]

“The black bear population in the Blue Mountains appears to be stable

That's not the response I got to my survey comments.  If that's true why did they cut the permit numbers.

[tntklundt]

Where are you finding info on spring bear for this year for applying for special permits?  I must be going blind because I can't find it on the WDFW web site.

[saylean]

https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/special_permits.html

[tntklundt]

Thank you

[KillerMiller]

Maybe the fall harvest called for a reduction in the spring permits (i.e. overall harvest).

[runamuk]

I have been looking through the 2009 Game Status and Trend Report and in the WDFW's own words:

“The black bear population in the Blue Mountains appears to be stable.”

They also state that because of the School Fire and Columbia Complex fires a few years ago that excellent habitat for bears has been created in the Blues. There is no indication that there is any decline or health issues that would relate to the number of tags being issued.

Just as a side note, the 2009 winter elk survey reported the highest number of bulls in the Blues since they started counting in 1992 (697 total bulls, with 531 those being Adult bulls). Also the Bull-per-100-cows ratio is the highest it has been since 1992 (23 bulls per 100 cows) and the calf-cow ratio is also near a high at 29 calves per 100 cows. Hopefully we will start seeing the number of tags go up based on the last couple of years.

29 calves per 100 cows  damn thats a low rate

[jackelope]

it's almost an all-time high.
 

[runamuk]

it's almost an all-time high.
 

That tells me they already are suffering if thats a high......thats a 25% ish rate thats lame any animal manager would know that is a horrible breeding return rate, so is it predation, bad genes, poor bull fertility  anyone in charge even give a crap ??

[ThePascoKid]

I would say definitely predation, those bears hit the tall grass where they calve like a bird dog until they find a calf, not to mention the cougars.  More than once in the Blues I've watched bears work small herds of elk.  Actually with a spring bear tag, besides finding wild onions, finding elk herds isn't a bad way to hunt them.

[jackelope]

it's almost an all-time high.
 

That tells me they already are suffering if thats a high......thats a 25% ish rate thats lame any animal manager would know that is a horrible breeding return rate, so is it predation, bad genes, poor bull fertility  anyone in charge even give a crap ??

the ratio is on an upswing...thus showing somebody has been giving a crap I think. The blues elk herd is coming on strong by those numbers he posted.

[BLUEBULLS]

a very high percentage of the cows get pregnant and have calves. go up the first of June and dang near every cow will have one. go up a month or two later and you'll be disgusted. The WDFW is doing great as far as trophy bulls are concerned but due to damage complaints and predator control, the cows/calves are taking a beating. and yes, that's a great way to kill a bear, they'll stay right with them elk herds. usually they'll be bigger boars too.

[Pathfinder101]

a very high percentage of the cows get pregnant and have calves. go up the first of June and dang near every cow will have one. go up a month or two later and you'll be disgusted. The WDFW is doing great as far as trophy bulls are concerned but due to damage complaints and predator control, the cows/calves are taking a beating. and yes, that's a great way to kill a bear, they'll stay right with them elk herds. usually they'll be bigger boars too.

shhhhhhhh!!  Couldn't this post have waited until AFTER everyone put in for thier spring bear tags..?