2008 Blue Mountain Spring Bear

[Rufous]

I have hunted spring bear in SE AK in 2004, Idaho in 2003 (Selway Bitterroot Wilderness) and in the Blue Mountains of SE WA state (in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007). After 4 years of applying I got drawn for the Blues in NE Oregon. I was quite excited when I first got the news but after a bit of scouting I kind of wonder if I wasted a tag and a bunch of money (I am a WA resident) as there is so much snow that I wonder when in the heck I will be able to access the areas I want to hunt. Boy I hope it warms up some and stops dumping fresh snow or I may never get into the good spots before the end of May when the season closes. I know there are many of you in the same boat. Good luck to you all, Rufous.

[bucklucky]

Good luck on that one!

[onewakuwa]

Just checked WDFW site - drew a Wenaha tag and am thinking like you are Rufous.
Have your SE WA hunts been in the Wenaha?  I've only hunted the Dayton unit for Spring bear.
Any turkeys in Wenaha unit?  I did like the Dayton unit because of this, also a bit more accessible earlier.
Good luck in Oregon.

[Rufous]

My spring hunts have been in the Blue Creek unit in 2000 and 2005, the Wenaha unit in 2001 and the Dayton unit in 2007. All have been good hunts. The Wenaha hunt was a tough one because I could not access much due to snow drifts. I started out in the bottoms and hiked up. Tough work. I eventually killed my biggest bear to date on that hunt on May 19th. He was 13 years old and had a 20" skull, weighed about 375# live weight and squared 6' 10". He made a very nice rug which hangs on my living room wall. I do not recall seeing turkeys in the Wenaha but there could be some in there by now. Good luck. By the way I ended up getting my bear by accessing the unit from Troy Oregon. Rufous.

[BrushChimp]

Rufous, I was wondering if you saw a lot of deer or sign of deer in that southern portion of the Wenaha unit? I was looking at possibly getting in there next year for muleys. Sorry if I jacked your thread... 

[Rufous]

I was only there for part of a day and do not remember seeing much in the way of deer sign. Rufous.

[BrushChimp]

Alrighty.. Thanks..

[bucklucky]

BC it gets crowded with people during rifle deer deason, not to sur about the other seasons though.

[BrushChimp]

Thanks for the heads up bucklucky. According to the 2006 Game Harvest report on the WDFW website, it is far less crowded then the units I have been hunting for several years with the same success rate. Of course the numbers could be wrong. It also says only 2 bowhunters hunted there last year. When compared with previous year this seems to bit a bit off.

[billythekidrock]

Of course the numbers could be wrong. It also says only 2 bowhunters hunted there last year. When compared with previous year this seems to bit a bit off.

Those numbers are not always right. Not everyone answers honestly and it is easier to say no and not answer anymore questions.

[Coasthunterjay]

well roufus you are talking about my home stomping grounds...There are alot of bears up there, well alot fo animals up there all together...if you want a for sure spot PM me and i will set you up.

Im feeling generous so if anything we can talk and see were i lead you.

[Rhinoron247]

Still checking to see if anyone on here got drawn or knows anyone who got drawn for the Lick Creek or Tuc bear tags.   

Curious to see who our neighbors will be? 

[Opportunist]

Rufous, Which tag did you draw? I've hunted the west blue mountain, chesnimus/sled spring and the snake river tag.

[Rufous]

I drew the West Blue Mountains tag. I live in Walla Walla so plan to focus on the Walla Walla and Mt. Emily units as they are closer to home. Rufous.

[Opportunist]

It's kind of assbackwards from where you live but you can get up  Phillips creek and Dry creek up out of Elgin early on. I went with a buddy of mine first week of May, 4 years ago and we had a lot of snowpack. You couldn't get through the summit ridge road from I-84 until the last week of the season and then you were still bucking snowdrifts.

We were able to get up on top up to summit ridge road from dry creek by buck mountain and hunt out it, the road to the same area from Walla Walla side was still inpassable, Toll gate was open. My partner missed a good cinnamon 250+ pounder and we saw 6 or 7 other bears, a couple were hogs. He went back the last week of the season and shot a small cinnamon up Phillips creek. We moteled it out of Lagrande and tried hunting from I-84 up summit ridge road. We hunted meacham creek and bear creek but mostly saw other hunters so we switched back to up out of Elgin. Buck mountain is good country if you can get out there, we had to hike 3 miles over the top of timbered snow pack, one step good, one step breakthrough, one step good, one step breakthrough to get out there. Wish we had had a quad.

My buddy drew the same tag this year but missed the purchase date. He thought the opener was April 15 not April 1. I gave him alot of *censored*. He drew a grizzly tag in British Columbia where he lives so I'm going along with him on that hunt.