Bear experts

[boneaddict]

Thoughts on what an early out does for them.  Will they have more time to mess their hair....will they be bigger as they didn't burn as much and they have more time to eat.  ANY thoughts abou this very early year. 

[Pathfinder101]

Interesting questions.  I don't have anything useful to contribute to this thread, just want to see what the experts say...

[saylean]

Hmm...To me (I am NO expert), it would stand to reason that they would start to rub their hides a bit early....so it might be hard to find a good hide during spring bear.

Will that deter me if I get drawn..Hell no!

It will be interesting to see. I know the last two years, they were starting to drop about the first week in May. Perhaps we will have more dropping around the opening....

[rasbo]

heat will make them rub their hides,soo that would determine that,I have seen no bear sign yet,and dont expect much till april 15...wetside is very cold in the mornings yet 27 degrees this morning.I do imagine a very good year for spring bear hunters,best access Ive seen so far unless there is some real changes soon

[Pathfinder101]

Just put in myself and PathfinderJR for our spring bear tags.  Thanks for the reminder...

[GoldTip]

With the heat they will start rub earlier, even sometimes before leaving the den, will roll and thrash more leading sometimes to rubs before even leaving the den.  I used to live next door to the #1 black and Griz trapper for the F&G boys back home in MT.  He told me following the collars, the weather had nothing to do with when bears left the den.  He said they left the den the same time each yeargive or take 5 days regardless of the weather every year.

[boneaddict]

Interesting.   I figured they have an internal clock.  My only thought process contrary to that was I saw bear sign all winter.  I ran into several in December and January that I don't believe would normally be out.   "Yogis first Christmas"   

[carpsniperg2]

yeah my thoughts are they will start rubbing and not be as prime because of that when the seasons start up.

[cohoho]

Everything I have heard is what GoldTip states.  Of course my experience is from AK, but they emerged always darn near the same time frame year after year.  We'd have early springs and if the lake wasn't still froze, we'd get out on the lake and search for bear but never would see any till 1st week of May in this one area.  And year after year they hit the bait almost always for the first time around the 13th -16th of May...

[DOUBLELUNG]

Interesting.   I figured they have an internal clock.  My only thought process contrary to that was I saw bear sign all winter.  I ran into several in December and January that I don't believe would normally be out.   "Yogis first Christmas"   

 
I don't claim vast knowledge, but my understanding is they don't den until they go into a negative energy balance (start burning fat).  If there is enough food, they may not den at all in some climates and locations.  Den emergence, though, is predictable enough that season dates can be modified to alter sex composition of the harvest. 

Males emerge first, in Wyoming spring harvest was nearly 100% males in May, with female harvest increasing in June.  Where bears were scarce, the spring season ended May 31.  If populations were in a desirable range, spring season ended June 7.  Where conflicts were high and population reduction desirable, spring season ran to June 15.

I am sure emergence dates are quite a bit earlier in most of WA.  I've seen tracks in March, but not February; but haven't spent a bunch of time out in the field in February, especially at elevations most bears den.

[Alchase]

I was under the impression it was not the weather but the length of daylight that determines when they emerge?

I was also under the impression that at least on the wet side, they do not hibernate per se` like they do most other places and that they come in and out quite often?

[bearpaw]

From everything I have been told and read, a mild winter is good for bear, they don't use as many resources staying alive. Everything says a long hard winter kills bear. It also seems that hot days is what will cause them to rub.

[rasbo]

the heat is what makes them rub...they will sometimes get out during hibernation but return..They do hibernate here..The April 15 date I gave out is from an old hound hunter that has taken a few hundred bear..He never got excited till that date and found mostly it was a waste of time to run his dogs or burn fuel before then.Most his hunting was in the promised land and what is now Hancock..Ive learned from him the April 15Th date is a good tool..This for the wetside...The reason a lot of males are taken in spring,late spring, is they move more than the females do looking to breed..Long ridges that cover many drainages are hot spots for big boars roaming and marking areas..

[Alchase]

Cool info

[KillBilly]

I saw 2 bear or the same one twice on saturday going north on 101. I saw one about 8:00 crossing the road at the Dosewallips bridge. There was lots of nice green grass in a big field below the road. The second sighting occured at about 5:00 in the evening at the same spot. Suspect the same bear because it was going back the other way. Some bears are up and moving for sure.

[cohoho]

Another thing was smaller bears were the first to hit the bait and it wasn't till 1 June when the big boys rolled down for a look.  Several bio's I talked to thought that might be due to the females coming and hanging around bringing the horny boys to follow???

[boneaddict]

Nice input all.