2011 Spring Bear Sign

[billythekidrock]

I went out to set up some cameras for bears this morning in an area that they like to eat the grass in the spring. Two weeks ago there was no sign and I planned to put the cameras up last weekend, but that never happened. So this morning I am on my way in at about 7 am and I jump a doe. She heads towards my target area, but on a different trail than me. I walk another 50 yards and I hear something take off, splashing water as it went away from me. At first I thought it was the doe, but it didn’t seem quite right. I then heard more water splashing and brush breaking so I assumed it was a bear. I took my pack off and took out my camera, all the while scanning the thick brush hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. After sitting still for a couple minutes I heard some blowing noises out in front of me. Now I am thinking it could be a deer or bear. I grabbed my pack and moved forward about 15 yards before I heard tree bark being scratched. About 20 yards in front of me was a bear climbing a large evergreen tree. As I got closer I realized that it was two cubs in the tree. One was climbing and the other was blowing and chomping its jaws at me. After a few pictures and some video (when I got home and played the video for my son he started laughing at all of the sounds those cubs were making), one decided to climb down and leave. As it ran off I could hear it reunite with mama about 50 yards away. After a few more minutes the second cub had enough and climbed down and went the same way but I never heard the other bears. About 2 minutes later I heard a couple bawls, then some loud brush popping and off they went sounding like a herd of elk.







I found one bed and probably 20 piles of scat, but none of it was more than a couple days old so I think I timed it right. Last year I got my cameras out a little later. They have used this bedding area a few times in the last couple years and I am hoping to catch some interesting photos with a cam nearby.

Bed




They have already been by my old camera spots leaving me little presents.
Before.


After


Mama poo


Cub poo


While looking for scat along the trail I happened to find this little pecker bone.

[shedcrazy]

Cool pics, glad to see them out and about!

[Decker]

Awesome! Thanks BTKR!!!

[h20hunter]

Out and about this morning I may have come across some sign. I've seen quite a bit of scat during the later season but haven't been out much early on. So, anyway, this morning the scat I saw was fairly good sized in volume, not that I measured it, but it seemed to more "woody" and dense. It was very similiar to the pic posted. Is this fairly typical of early season scat?

[Sideswipe]

This could be classified as heresay but my next door neighbor was up high in the DNR portion of the North Skagit area today.  He said there were bear tracks in the snow on all the roads he was on.  Don't know how fresh they were but some bears are moving eh?

[dscubame]

I love the xtratuffs.  I live in those things.

[dogtuk]

was out looking today and covered a lot of ground but did not see any sign around here today

[Austrian Hunter]

Awesome, but no Spring tag for me

[alecvg]

Awesome!  My and shanevg saw some big bear tracks today up in the snow while looking for goats, looked like they were from today.  I am so pumped to start seeing some bears!

[ICEMAN]

I saw that the Skunk Cabbage is popping up around my place. This just happened there, in the last few days....

[Dean44]

Great find BTKR.  It is great to see some activity already. 

We made a quick trip to Lincoln last weekend and found some big chunks of sod that had been freshly uprooted and turned over.

[Gutpile]

Not even close to being ready in Huckleberry where i hunt.    I did see these though when leaving town. 

[Gutpile]

Dang BTKR thats really outstanding. i've got a few weeks left over here. That one pile is a big one and who doesn't love seeing cubs. Very cool.

[D-Rock425]

nice pics

[billythekidrock]

Out and about this morning I may have come across some sign. I've seen quite a bit of scat during the later season but haven't been out much early on. So, anyway, this morning the scat I saw was fairly good sized in volume, not that I measured it, but it seemed to more "woody" and dense. It was very similiar to the pic posted. Is this fairly typical of early season scat?

Right now they are primarily feeding on grass so it will look just like photos, but could be a yellowish color to shades of green to black if it is old. Basically it looks like wierd piles of horse crap.
 
Did you happen to see any signs of feeding activity?