Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: hunter93 on February 12, 2014, 03:28:17 PM

Title: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: hunter93 on February 12, 2014, 03:28:17 PM: hey was wondering what every ones opinions are if you think the bear will come out earlier this year due to lack of snow in the North West???
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: Curly on February 12, 2014, 03:31:46 PM: Don't they come out based on the amount of light during the day? So, the weather wouldn't really affect the timing much? :dunno:
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: notellumcreek on February 12, 2014, 03:40:52 PM: I wouldn't start saying lack of snow yet... we have had almost 2 feet of snow in the last week and at least another another 2 feet expected through monday(crystal mountain). I would imagine if the weather is warmer earlier in the season, then yes, possibly. I also agree with curly that they are pretty set on using the lenght of daylight as a way of knowing when its time to come out.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: idaho guy on February 12, 2014, 04:13:56 PM: one of my freinds takes in orphaned cubs in the fall for the Idaho fish & game and then they release them somewhere in the spring. I asked him about them waking up earlier with easy winter or early spring and he said they seem to start moving same basic time of year regardless. So I would agree has a lot more to do with amount of daylight than weather. But I think early spring and green grass coming up sooner might get them moving a little earlier but not alot.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: Ripper on February 20, 2014, 12:47:32 PM: With the snow fall we have gotten in the last few day's, I don't think they will be able to get out until June! :yike:

:chuckle:
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on February 20, 2014, 01:28:08 PM: According to Ralph Flowers, when you see chipmunks and squirrels, its time to go bear hunting !
Most of us will have to wait for August...
But as in all other phases of game movement, I think light triggers it (photo-period) but if March has a bunch of sunny days....
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: jackelope on February 20, 2014, 01:31:06 PM: No lack of snow in the mountains right now. They've been pounded up there recently.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: JLS on February 20, 2014, 01:32:50 PM: Quote from: idaho guy on February 12, 2014, 04:13:56 PM
one of my freinds takes in orphaned cubs in the fall for the Idaho fish & game and then they release them somewhere in the spring. I asked him about them waking up earlier with easy winter or early spring and he said they seem to start moving same basic time of year regardless. So I would agree has a lot more to do with amount of daylight than weather. But I think early spring and green grass coming up sooner might get them moving a little earlier but not alot.

I've been told the same thing about photoperiod, with the caveat that if there is just snow and ice they'll likely go back to their den and sleep for a while longer.

I saw a bear out of its den in February once, doubt he stayed outside too long :dunno:
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: h20hunter on February 20, 2014, 01:36:52 PM: I believe a few of our bear guys....Saylean or maybe Rick....one of the guys...has posted a few pics of fresh tracks in the snow. I've heard they don't truelly hibernate...like zonked out...in many areas on the state and may get up and go for a short walk every now and then.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: Ballance1 on February 20, 2014, 01:51:20 PM: Usually it has to do with Diurnal winds. When you get more (photo period) light in the day and the air heats up and cools off in a 24hr period this causes the winds to shift up and down a slope. daytime warming night time cooling. When the temperature and consistency of these patterns increases the air flowing into a den causes the thermostat to trip and wake up the bears. This is how they know to wake up when there is enough grass etc. to feed on and not starve to death. Obviously there are variable's that can cause some to wake up with snow, etc.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: idaho guy on February 20, 2014, 01:57:38 PM: I have seen bear tracks in the snow quite a few times. I think they wake up around the same time of year but in the early spring with more grass coming up they move around a lot more and further from the den. So easy winter and early spring we see a lot more bears earlier cause they are moving around a lot more.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: kodiak 907 on February 20, 2014, 01:57:58 PM: It was so warm on Kodiak this year some of the bears didn't go to sleep at all. They just hung out at the city dump like a bunch of guys around a camp fire.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: headshot5 on February 20, 2014, 02:01:03 PM: According to the groundhog they are going to sleep in... :dunno:
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: bearpaw on February 20, 2014, 02:15:39 PM: For NE WA it all depends what the weather does in April. :twocents:
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: Decker on March 04, 2014, 06:29:24 PM: Before this dump of snow, NE snowpack was 101%.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: woodman on March 04, 2014, 06:35:34 PM: I got my first videos of bears last year the first week of March. I am hoping for the same this year.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: buckfvr on March 04, 2014, 06:50:33 PM: Ive found a couple dens shed hunting........could go up and stick my head in there and say hellooooooooo...............na....maybe not. :yike:
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: MountainWalk on March 04, 2014, 06:54:09 PM: Instead of hibernation, they "estivate"(spelling?).
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: steeleywhopper on March 04, 2014, 06:55:32 PM: I saw a sow and cub tracks on the Cascade river in early February a couple years back. So yes they can be out this early.
Title: Re: Do you think the bears will come out early this year??
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on March 05, 2014, 02:55:43 PM: According to my experience and research (others knowledge, my interpretation) Only bears at upper elevations and climates "hibernate" those in less extreme altitudes and climates can enter a period of "Torpor" , not true hibernation.
Evolution implanted the need mostly due to lack of food availability during winter, but in warmer climates it is not a necessity.
The only real need is due to reproduction, although mating season is in the spring, the embryo does not turn into a zygote and implant itself into the uterine wall until the bear (sow) enters this state in the fall, and even then only if the sow has enough fat reserves to support a fetus (or 2-4)
They can, and will wake up for a variety of reasons because it is not a true hibernation, there was even a study done on Long Island due to a drop in cubs, found out a boar was going around and killing cubs while still in den.
But if the sows are in their dens with young, the boars have no reason to wake up from their naps, the only reason they get moving in the spring is when they get hungry, that has to do with new growth of plants, bringing us back to photoperiod and weather...
It will be around the same time every year due to photoperiod, but amount of traveling, and feeding will be directly related to weather.
Again, put a bird feeder up, when the squirrels start showing up, the bears are moving... :twocents: