Newbie to bear

[TannerBoy92]

heys guys, so to start off the new year im done thinking of things i wanna do and now im gonna do them! i used to hunt when i was little with my dad but through sports, work, school etc i lost track and now i wanna start it up again, im 19 and have shot all my life etc and comfortable in woods but hunting bear is new. I plan on buying my deer elk bear cougar combo and gonna hit it hard with my bro and friend who are both hunters...now im not asking for hunny holes because i wanna do the grunt work myself and not expecting to shoot everytime i go out but is there any certain areas, towns, part of the woods that may be good to look at? after this post im going to look at the wdfw records etc but just thought i would throw this out to some real hunters that know more then I do..i live in western washington so would hunt mainly here but want to experience eastern as well.

do calls help? which kind? certain times?

hope you guys dont mind me picking your brain but just wanna learn as much as i can!

thanks for any info....really helps!

-tanner

[jager]

Welcome. 
I don't hunt the west side, but my best advice would be to login and search the bear forum. Tons of info.
You'll probably get more info from there than you will asking. There's some really good people on here! 
Hang around and let people get to know you and you'll be good to go...

[RadSav]

There are bear almost everywhere in Washington.  Trying to find them without baiting is the tough part.  Best thing to do to get started would be to hire a guide like "Bearpaw" here on the site.  You'd learn more in three days with a good guide than you will learn on your own in three years. 

#1 element in finding bear is, "Bear are where the food is!"

That being said your chances to find good bear numbers on your own tend to increase with altitude in the northwest cascades.  Once the berries get ripe up high you will find it much easier to spot bear on a regular basis in the alpine berry bowls.  Not that there aren't just as many bear down low, but they will be much easier to see in areas with fewer trees, lower brush and a high concentration of food.

My best bet for you would be to try and find someone who works clearing and maintaining the Pacific Crest Trail and/or other alpine trails.  You do not have to tell them you are a hunter.  Actually it is better not to.  Either tell them you want to photograph bear or that you are wanting to know what areas to avoid due to your extreme 'Ursaphobia" (phobia of the bear). 

Find the right alpine area and you could see multiple bear per day.  Our best day in the cascades was 14 in one evening in the same berry bowl.

The biggest mistake newbie bear hunters make is reading to much minutia about guns for bear.  Anything legal that is good for deer is fine for bear.  If you shoot the 270 win better than you do the 300 mag take the 270.  One of my favorite guns for bear is a 257 roberts with 117 grain bullets.  It's ultra light so my pack into the alpine does not tear my fat old arse up too bad and it shoots like a champ.  Never had a bear go more than 10 yards after being hit with it either.  Just be sure to choose your shot appropriately for the gun you are shooting and shoot that gun well.

Calls work well when the food supply is weak.  I use a custom double reed rabbit distress call that I've opened the reed a little for more rasp and a lower tone.  There are some guys on this site that make some bear calls and I've heard really good things about them.  Check out the sponsors page for some leads.  These guys should be a wealth of information.

Final tip would be to invest in the best pair of field glasses you can afford.  I've used 7X35 to 15X50's and they all work as long as they are bright and clear in all weather and light conditions.  I personally use the 7X or 8X glass more than anything else in bear country.

Nothing gets you more excited in the field of hunting than seeing and shooting your first bear.  At least it was for me.  That's probably the main reason I became a bear hunting guide back in the eighties.  Still after half a lifetime of harvesting bear all over the US and Canada my first sighting of a bear each year makes my heart beat fast and my knees go weak.  You are going to love it!!!

[Widgeondeke]

RadSav - that is awesome advice. I think I'll print it and save for myself.

[D-Rock425]

 

[DoubleJ]

3 replies and no obligatory C-Post reply yet?  You guys are slipping

[jennyfell55]

People are trying to keep C-Post a secret! Jeez DoubleJ... always giving away the good spots...

[DoubleJ]

People are trying to keep C-Post a secret! Jeez DoubleJ... always giving away the good spots...

Yea but, I didn't tell him North C-Post or South C-Post 

[jennyfell55]

I suppose I'll let you off with just a warning then....

[mtman]

Bears are ruled by hunger by the time hunting season comes around. Buy your self a book on plants. Figure out what bears feed on in the area you plan on hunting. Most the time it will be berrys. Then you can buy hicking books and some will tell you what plants are native to the area. Then put some miles on your boots.

[TannerBoy92]

hey thanx for the info, not sure what c posts are but if that had something to do with my not replying sorry, i switched my email on the forum and it logged me out and something went weird with my email so i couldnt log back in sorry...

for all the comments thank you i have listened and taken it all in. for the cooment about a good rifle i have a savage .308 and it truely is a savage, i sell guns for a living and have never seen a gun with such popularity and good reviews, its a savage axis if ppl were wondering lol.

ill start to look around for berrys and water supply and look for tracks and scat. my brother and dad are big hunters so hopefully i can get so help from them.

ive looked at some calls etc and they seem to help the people ive seen use them. i planned on getting an electronic caller like a primos or flextone for coyotes plus so maybe ill have some fun with that!

[RadSav]

.308 is dandy for bear.  Mine has taken more than 30 and has never failed to do the job.  I don't take it into the high country only because it is heavy.  But, if you run into me close to home it's either my bow or the .308 I'll be carrying.  Often both during bear season.

Make sure you keep us posted and share your pics.  We'll be looking forward to them.

[TannerBoy92]

.308 is dandy for bear.  Mine has taken more than 30 and has never failed to do the job.  I don't take it into the high country only because it is heavy.  But, if you run into me close to home it's either my bow or the .308 I'll be carrying.  Often both during bear season.

Make sure you keep us posted and share your pics.  We'll be looking forward to them.

ya ill post pics when it all works itself out and i get something, ya i love the .308, ive shot 30/06 etc and this seems to be smoother, quiter, and more accurate, as well as less kick....but thats just my 2 cents...

[sirmissalot]

Tanner, what part of the westside do you live in?

[TannerBoy92]

Tanner, what part of the westside do you live in?

puyallup, about 30 mins from elbe

[sirmissalot]

I would suggest you buy a snoqualmie pass from Hancock. Some good country there with lots of bears. There aren't a lot of areas you can honestly say lots of bears.... that area has a lot of bears