griz in nw whatcom county?

[7.62Warbird]

So I was out hunting a spot I've seen lots of bear before (not this year of course) and I run into a couple of guys hiking. Surprisingly friendly to a guy strapped head to toe with rifle,pistol,knives, and optics. Heck sometimes I scare myself with the way I look! Anyway they proceed to tell me how they had seen not one but two bears, on another hill popular to hikers not 300yds off the trail! Need I say my blood was boiling from frustration at my bad luck and their good at this point.
  So the one guy says one was black and the other a grizzly! Now the pessimist in me is saying yeah right but he goes on to describe the grizzly as being brown and having a big hump on his back and so on.
  Well what do y'all think? Sure would hate to mistake a grizzly for a color phase and shoot one. 

[Billy]

It's possible a grizzly could be in that area.  WDFW says there are populations of grizzly in the Selkirk Mountains, Okanogan Highlands and North Cascades.  My first guess is they saw a color phase black bear, but the shoulder hump could have been a grizz.

[grizzlyadams]

Grizzlies are more prevelent than the authorities are letting on to. I saw one up around Stevens Pass summit a few years back now, then reported to wdfw. They said they have had other reports in the area but would not officially confirm or deney their presence.    Why the secrecy and unwillingness to report to the population the true numbers and location I have no idea, but it seems that we the public arent getting the whole story.    Just like the wolf population. SHHHHH, dont touch them, don't talk about them and maybe everyone will get board with the topic and we wont have to tell the real truth.

[Eli346]

 About a month ago there were pics of one taken not 50 miles east of I-5 and Seattle. They're here and probably alot more common than we think. I was pretty sure I bumped into one 3 years ago hunting over towards Mission Ridge.

[snocobearhunter]

There are grizzlies in whatcom county not to many but i do know that for a fact i know a guy who did mistake one for a color phase up there long story short he got some hefty fines so dont make that mistake

[cem3434]

There are grizzlies in whatcom county not to many but i do know that for a fact i know a guy who did mistake one for a color phase up there long story short he got some hefty fines so don't make that mistake

You mean he didn't practice the 3 S's?

People make mistakes and the State hammers guys that try to be honest about a mistake, so that's why a lot of us have found animals that have been mistakenly killed and then left by the hunter.  I think you get fined more and face more jail time for killing a mistaken animal then you do for manslaughter, if that tells you how screwed up our system is.

[3nails]

 I was in the high country on the north side of Baker deer hunting with my son last Oct and saw one run off a huge black bear out of a berry field. I believe it's the second one I've seen in Whatcom Co.

[7.62Warbird]

@3nails... I also believe I saw one there aswell. Sure looked griz to me at 700yds. What a beauty. Wanted that rug on the floor.

[Knocker of rocks]

There are grizzlies in whatcom county not to many but i do know that for a fact i know a guy who did mistake one for a color phase up there long story short he got some hefty fines so dont make that mistake

One has to wonder if WDFW fined a hunter for bagging a grizzly in Whatcom County, then why has they been claiming that physical proof of grizzlies has been a wee bit lacking? 

[bear]

There are grizzlies in whatcom county not to many but i do know that for a fact i know a guy who did mistake one for a color phase up there long story short he got some hefty fines so dont make that mistake

One has to wonder if WDFW fined a hunter for bagging a grizzly in Whatcom County, then why has they been claiming that physical proof of grizzlies has been a wee bit lacking? 

Sounds a bit fishy to me.

[Knocker of rocks]

I'll defer to your greater knowledge, you are the one named "Bear"   

[3nails]

 Respectfully, I will fall into the highly skepticle catagory. That's 112 bears. On the north side of Baker? Where I've hunted my whole life? No, I'll fall into the "didn't happen" catagory. 

[bearpaw]

At least one grizzly bear has been confirmed by WDFW in the North Cascades and we have a couple dozen in Northeast Washington.

I have been ranting for 2 years that WDFW should provide a grizzly bear test for bear hunters. Here is the Montana test, take it until you pass with 100% and you will be much safer of not accidentally shooting a grizzly bear.

http://fwpiis.mt.gov/bearid/test.htm

[Knocker of rocks]

Respectfully, I will fall into the highly skepticle catagory. That's 112 bears. On the north side of Baker? Where I've hunted my whole life? No, I'll fall into the "didn't happen" catagory. 

 

No way could you drop off 112 grizzly bears in an area of about 200 square miles and not have carnage.  Add to the fact that this would have been done without an EIS.  The whole thing would have taken a rather monumental cover up, and would have resulted in a Pulitzer prize for any journalist who discovered such an event.

If this took place as a biological "black op", and was ever uncovered, there could very well be jail time for some participants, and several agencies could expect a thorough hammering by a number of politicians.

It never took place

[snocobearhunter]

If anyone wants to look up an article and picture of a confirmed grizzly above marble mount taken in the last year it was in the bellingham herald on july 1st 2011 the article title is (Photo confirms grizzly in Washingtons N. Cascades)