Spring bear sign

[billythekidrock]

I put a lot of miles on the truck trying to get reacquainted with the unit and ran into a ton of traffic. There were lots of hunters, brush pickers and salvage loggers out all weekend. I did find a couple of areas that had promise though. It looks like the bears are on the move and starting to grub a bit. I found a couple of places that had lots of fresh activity.

I will post a few of this weekends pics here as I know we have had some questions about what to look for. Sometimes it is very easy to see the sign and at other times you will not notice it if you don't know what to look for. For faster load speeds these are low rez photos that don't show all the detail, but you will get the idea.

So obviously this is the easiest type of bear sign to read. This is a small track probably from a sub-adult.



The track was found only a few feet away from this small bit of sign. He took a peek inside this old pole and then moved on.



Here are a couple of real obvious ones.







Here are a couple that might be a little harder to notice or identify. Notice how just a small piece of wood is torn and the bark is removed. In a few weeks the sun will bleach the orange spots and it will just look like the bark slipped.

[mkcj]

Did you get drawn for capital forrest?

[billythekidrock]

Did you get drawn for capital forrest?

No. Copalis. You?

[Ghost Hunter]

That's enough to keep the interest up!  Wasn't a lot of traffic in the CF, considering what it will be later.  Had some late night traffic in camp, and one family that wanted to slide our camp chairs over, so they could run their dogs, and target practice through our camp, 10' in front of the camper door.  Just love the CF

[billythekidrock]

lol..I hear ya..
You didn't get much traffic from that Ultra Marathon or whatever?

[Ghost Hunter]

We drove by a couple checkpoints as they were setting up, but left the area they were in I guess   We tried to keep clear of most of the trails.

[tlbradford]

Thanks for the pics Billy...very educational.

[Houndhunter]

with a tag like this how picky are you on what you will shoot?

[billythekidrock]

with a tag like this how picky are you on what you will shoot?

While I would like to tag another spring whopper, I don't have my sights set high. Western WA is so brushy and the bears in this unit are so far and few between that I will take the first legal bear I see. If it happens to be a small 125 lber I will be fine with that. Gas prices are high, time is short, small bears are easier to pack and they taste fine are all reasons to shoot the first one I see.

Now if I had an Eastside tag and the bears were out, I would probably hold out for a nice color phase.

[Ghost Hunter]

That pretty much sums it up

[coastalghost]

For all you expert bear dudes and dudettes...I have a bear that has been in my back field.  I found a huge turd pile and thought it was a horse at first.  Big prints coming down an older trail that were washed out with the rain....still thinking horse.  Turds looked just like a horse pile....until I found a large bedding area with more "horse" piles. Followed the washed out track into the field where the bear has been feeding on the fresh grass growth.  Then I saw his prints in some mud....they look to be fairly large.  My question is: Can you tell the size of the bear from his scat pile?  Ive seen alot of bear piles but this one takes the "cake".  His/her "gate" while feeding out in the field looks to be lengthy as well.  Wish I had a trail cam and a spring tag 

[billythekidrock]

For all you expert bear dudes and dudettes...I have a bear that has been in my back field.  I found a huge turd pile and thought it was a horse at first.  Big prints coming down an older trail that were washed out with the rain....still thinking horse.  Turds looked just like a horse pile....until I found a large bedding area with more "horse" piles. Followed the washed out track into the field where the bear has been feeding on the fresh grass growth.  Then I saw his prints in some mud....they look to be fairly large.  My question is: Can you tell the size of the bear from his scat pile?  Ive seen alot of bear piles but this one takes the "cake".  His/her "gate" while feeding out in the field looks to be lengthy as well.  Wish I had a trail cam and a spring tag 

No way to tell for sure (though you will have "experts" that say you can) but if you can get a pad measurement you can get an idea of how small it ain't.  If I remember right, you are on the opposite side of the hiway for the local spring unit?

[coastalghost]

Well Id have to look at the boundary lines but I think Id be OK. Maybe next year.  His tracks were fairly washed out so its hard to tell size....hence the turd question.  Im going to set up this evening and hope I catch him/her coming into the field for some photo opp.  Thanks BTKR.

[billythekidrock]

If we had earlier notice I coulda come out and called..
Good luck.

[Sideswipe]

Hey BTKR: good pics-my old teacher would have called them a "text book example".  Gonna write when you get old?

[billythekidrock]

Gonna write when you get old?

Just 'cause I look younger then I am does not mean that I don't feel old..

[coastalghost]

Yo BTKR....took a little jaunt this afternoon and took some pics of the scat piles etc.  I wear a size 10 boot.  Everywhere this bear ambles he leaves some pretty deep impressions and the dirt is pushed outward from the pad.  I have average size hands.  One pic is of his bed area near his scat piles.  Give me your best guesstimate 

[billythekidrock]

Pretty good size would be my guesstimate! Stay on top of the sign and try to get some pics.

[coastalghost]

Yah...I tried to the other night...sat in a tree downwind until dark...nothing.  I think he frequents only at night then goes up into the steep jackfir hillside ravine during the day.  Dont want to bother him too much though. 

[Ghost Hunter]

Heading for another 3 day weekend in the CF.  Hope to see fresh sign like that, and not more gummy bears   Anybody else hunting the Capitol?  Looks like their moving most other locations.

[bearmanric]

just got home this afternoon. heading back friday morning. seen a big bear friday evening but vanished. just found this fresh sign last night. did some calling there but nothing. getting closer. Rick

Fresh peel


Fresh peel


Stand with fresh peel in front.


Stand


Camp

[SkookumHntr]

---Bearmanric, they are really starting to move in there. We seen a nice blacky but it was really movin' and was gone by the time we got out of the truck. Two other guys we talked to said the same thing. Hopefully this weekend we can catch him coming out.

[billythekidrock]

Good pics Rick..Did it ever start raining?
I didn't figure you would stay that long (didn't think we could kill that much time bs'ing either ). I may be back up Friday night as well.

[bearmanric]

leaving in the morning. thought it was wed's. going to take warmer clothe's was a little cold. was drizzling yesterday. Rick

[billythekidrock]

Good luck.