Glassed out a new area for deer season, looks like Im going Bear hunting

[ydeardorff]

I went out to a friends 10 acre plot near my home. I went to scout out new areas to hunt deer to find an area that had nothing but bear tracks, marks, scat, and I even think I pushed around one most of the afternoon. Most of this area would only be a good hunt with a tree stand, but the trails left in this place looks like someone drug a 4 wheeler all over the property. I saw tree sign as high as 8 foot up the side of a fir tree.
Toward the end of my stalk through the area glassing everything out, I kept hearing this Hi then low pitched moan. I didn't hear any jaw clicking that I could make out. Just that repeating two tone  moan/groan sound. I heard this for about 30 minutes while I sat on a tree stump trying to quit making noise, and listening for a bit.
I did push at least one deer out of an area alongside of a deep forest and old clear cut edge.
The bear sign was the thickest Ive ever seen in this area.
Any pointers on bear hunting? This will be my first time ever. Ill be hunting with a Czech .270 Mauser.
When I go back Ill take some pics of the tree marks and ripped open logs I found to show you all what I mean.

[grizzlyadams]

Beat the brush and try not to trip over him?  Spot him before he spots you and shoot. 

[ydeardorff]

LOL thanks,...

Should be interesting if I should bag a bear there, Id have no idea on how to get him back to my car. LOL

[b.roberts]

Cut him up and pack the bear out on your back.  Good luck.  Hope you get him!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

[Huntboy]

Good luck.

[high country]

Read up on how to make your skinning cuts.

[ydeardorff]

yeah thanks, the wife wants a rug if I get one. Im just wondering about the cost. Ive never hired a butcher and taxidermist before.

Any idea on how much that kind of stuff runs, so I dont get ripped off?

[high country]

Shoot a pm to michalle, I think she is as reasonable as anyone.

[ydeardorff]

I looked and I dont see her username in the list. Its early and Im still pounding coffee, so,... maybe its me. LOL

[Ripper]

Michelle Nelson Taxidermy. She has post all over on here. In fact she has a claw cleaning thread at the start of this section.

[ydeardorff]

Well another adventure out in the new spot resulted in not seeing a thing, but hearing things all around me for hours.
Fully dressed out in camo, scent spray, the works, and I could tell something was moving in my 12, 3, 6, and 9 o clock positions. It was loud, like a person walking through brush, then it would go quiet for 5 to 10 minutes, then repeat.
A few grouse got scattered on my left, yet I heard tons, and saw nothing. It seemed like I was sitting in the center of a clock, and the minute hand was sweeping noise in from all directions. I was able to listen to everything, but not see anything. At one point I even heard what sounded like a scream from a big cat. It only happened once, never heard it again. It didn't make me feel at ease any though.
Despite the book saying the end of hunting for the night was 745pm, I was unable to see in my location almost an hour earlier, and had to move to brighter terrain.
I had found a nice collection of alder trees with a common base, and sat in it, giving me a portion of rear coverage while I scanned the forest for noises.
Afterward , back at my car, I talked to the land owner that said there was a massive sow with cubs on her property a couple years ago, but they haven't seen it since.

Oh well Ill keep trying, I just need to park my butt next to a nice black berry patch and wait.

[halflife65]

Well another adventure out in the new spot resulted in not seeing a thing, but hearing things all around me for hours.
Fully dressed out in camo, scent spray, the works, and I could tell something was moving in my 12, 3, 6, and 9 o clock positions. It was loud, like a person walking through brush, then it would go quiet for 5 to 10 minutes, then repeat.
A few grouse got scattered on my left, yet I heard tons, and saw nothing. It seemed like I was sitting in the center of a clock, and the minute hand was sweeping noise in from all directions. I was able to listen to everything, but not see anything. At one point I even heard what sounded like a scream from a big cat. It only happened once, never heard it again. It didn't make me feel at ease any though.
Despite the book saying the end of hunting for the night was 745pm, I was unable to see in my location almost an hour earlier, and had to move to brighter terrain.
I had found a nice collection of alder trees with a common base, and sat in it, giving me a portion of rear coverage while I scanned the forest for noises.
Afterward , back at my car, I talked to the land owner that said there was a massive sow with cubs on her property a couple years ago, but they haven't seen it since.

Oh well Ill keep trying, I just need to park my butt next to a nice black berry patch and wait.

Since you're so close to it when you go in there, maybe you should replace the scent free stuff with donut scent.  Better yet, bring a buddy and have HIM wear the donut scent.  Just buy a box of maple bars, throw it on the ground when you get there and then have him roll around in it.  Make sure it's someone you don't like all that much, though, just in case things don't go as planned.

(Seriously, though, DON'T bait the bear.  Or if you do, PM me with the location and the time that you'll be doing it so I can get some points.)

If it was a cat in that brush you probably wouldn't hear it, unless maybe it's dragging your neighbor off or something.  If it's not already eating on your neighbor, the first thing you'll hear of that cat is your neck breaking.  But don't worry about it, they don't attack people.  Much.  But since you can hear it, it's probably only a bear.
 

Ok, seriously:
One thought on getting that (probable) bear - maybe you can come up with a tree stand and get elevated a bit.  I'm not sure how big the trees are or how thick the canopy (tree branches) are but maybe that would allow you to see above the brush "just enough."

Also, my personal thinking is that I don't shoot sows with cubs, but do what you will.  I just wouldn't do it (not that I took your post to mean that you WOULD do it, just expressing my own opinion on the matter.)

[ydeardorff]

Of course I wouldn't shoot a sow with cubs.   ( I wouldnt want the babies to grow up needing counseling or anything)        A sow without, sure, drop her like a bad date. 
If her info is fact, and not fiction , the sows cubs would be over 2 years old by now.
The canopy is very thick, I found an intersection of two old roads that were overgrown, and were probably built for access to the old clear cut I was sitting next to. I used my range finder, and the maximum distance I had in any direction was about 32 meters. The average was less than 20, to 0.

And one thing, though baiting is a tantalizing option for deer, I will probably not do it for either animal. Where I grew up its not allowed for any game species, so I dont feel comfortable doing it all.
Of one thing I'm sure, there is deer there, quite a few. So at minimum Ill be returning to this spot in Oct.
There are grouse, may be worth checking into.
There was at least one very large bear there, there still may be more bear in the area, There is bear sign everywhere in this area. Ill just have to try, and try again till I get it right.
There isn't much info on hunting bears, is there? Aside from don't let them smell you, and look for berry patches.

Tree stands? Id love one, just don't have the cash right now.

[ydeardorff]

Well, still nothing.
I got the great idea to get up at 3AM last night, pack up and drive out to one of my spots. I was walking in at about 5am, still pitch black out, and blowing like a tornado was coming. I got up to where I had to wait for it to get light enough to even see, let alone wait for the "go time" set by the wdfw. I had a wait time of about 30 minutes before I could see. Well before that I had apparently already scared off two animals, that were on the move well before sun up, what they were I have no idea.
Now after trekking easily ten miles on foot, I saw scat, some fresh, some not. I saw tracks about the size of a small saucer dish (maybe 8 inches across).

But again, no bears.

What is the trick here? Ive never hunted bear before. I mean I don't have a stand, so that option is out for me. All I got is sit (freeze, but quiet), and stalk(makes noise, but keep warm). But neither seem to reveal anything that would be called success. Even just seeing a furry butt running off would be something. I know they're there, its just getting frustrating. I used descenting sprays, home made woods tea cover spray scents...nothing worked. They still see/smell/hear me far before I get even in visual, or audio range. lol


Oh yeah and that wind/rain storm this morning?,... THAT SUCKED! I was wet down to my buster browns, in 5 minutes. Plus with the extensive rain drops falling everywhere, I could hear anything but that.

Worse case I suppose Im scouting out for next years hunt. lol