Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: billythekidrock on May 04, 2013, 07:55:44 PM

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Title: Bear bed and recent sign - May 2013
Post by: billythekidrock on May 04, 2013, 07:55:44 PM

As I walked the edge of a small patch of skunk cabbage I noticed a smooth spot in needles and duff near a large stump. I saw this a couple weeks ago but didn’t investigate it further.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_03443.JPG&hash=3538f85d0672d7b3407c9eb580aaa9697f87519d)

This time I decided to take a closer look and when I went around to the backside I found a bear bed. You can see it's scat in the NE portion of the photo.
 
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_03408.JPG&hash=770b1dcfc872d92e640d10d94603b2c070b1e45c)

It looks like it has used this spot a few times in the last few weeks. There are at least 4 piles here.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_03418.JPG&hash=ecca1b07f184050a1b8a58275bbce5ccc9969281)


Here is an example of fresh and old scat.

The first photo shows a very fresh bear pile after it fed on grass. This pile is in the direct sunlight.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_027510.JPG&hash=a6b3d9140949e6e89e091d9c9286358ed7d86f04)

Here is the same pile exactly 2 weeks later.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_03254.JPG&hash=5515aa0efd6eb3ef9ed9010229c2542434326111)

Here is another pile that was only a few feet away. It was not there two weeks ago and is dry on the outside.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_03301.JPG&hash=2802e3c9970a8d4dae508428ac9413062622c045)

Here is what it looks like on the inside. Still wet and it had fly larva in it.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2FIMG_033212.JPG&hash=ee9bdea5f8efc346769fd95a50d3375612c10bd9)

Title: Re: Bear bed and recent sign - May 2013
Post by: Machias on May 07, 2013, 06:43:12 PM

I found a spot like that last year in Idaho, set up a bait and it was getting hammered by 5 bears within 4 days.  It was awesome!!

Title: Re: Bear bed and recent sign - May 2013
Post by: Ripper on May 10, 2013, 08:21:58 AM

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing Billy.