Got Drawn-Now What

[billythekidrock]

Wow, Buckley is close.   I figured you lived in Chehalis or something.  Anyway, congrats on drawing the permit. 

If I drew a bear permit for that area, I'd concentrate on DNR lands since the Weyerhauser land has probably been hunted (and will be hunted again this spring) by contract hunters with hounds.  Start your scouting trips out now with any free time you have looking over the DNR lands for peeled trees (probably not any fresh ones yet, but look for peeled trees from last year).  You should be able to spot the dead trees fairly easy just driving around.  Then get out and check the area out a little closer on foot.  Try noticing where possible food sources are like grass and skunk cabbage.  Learn to use a predator call and you might just find yourself a bear.  Good luck.  (BTW, I've never hunted bears myself so take what I say with a grain of salt.........)  I have called in a few spring bears and helped pack one out though if that counts.

Has WDFW even said where the Lincoln boundaries are yet?

I am sure we will have to wait for a phone number for the timber company and then have to sign up and possibly pay a fee before we get a map or boundary description.

But I am pretty sure that it will NOT include state land. If you read the regs it states "That portion of GMU 501 that is designated as the hunt area by participating commercial timber landowners."

[Curly]

That blows.  Doesn't make any sense to me.  Of course it doesn't make any sense to me why the whole state isn't open for spring bear either.......

[billythekidrock]

That blows.  Doesn't make any sense to me.  Of course it doesn't make any sense to me why the whole state isn't open for spring bear either.......

Same here......

[bobcat]

So they could give you a 1 mile square area for all 50 people to hunt in.

If you read the regs it states "That portion of GMU 501 that is designated as the hunt area by participating commercial timber landowners."

I have read that but I don't think it necessarily is excluding the DNR land. After all, the DNR is essentially a "commercial timber landowner." They grow trees and sell them, same as private companies do.

I really think the DNR land will be open. I emailed somebody at the WDFW today about it. Maybe I will get a reply back tomorrow.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I hope the DNR land is open, as long as they keep the f@*king gates closed....
If they open them, I guess it will be a cluster of guys in that area, but there is some good spots on Weyerhauser land.
They already opened a couple gates (WH), and the one at the end of Bunker opens the 15th of April, so there will be lots of places to drive in....
One of the gates on Ingalls has a sign "Walk in Hunting Only", so you might see my truck parked there..........

[billythekidrock]

I hope so too, but when we called F&W and Rayonier the first year of the Copalis we were told we could only hunt land owned by Rayonier. No state land even though there were many small pieces of state land within the boundaries.