Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: raydog on July 29, 2014, 03:15:53 PM
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What time of the day did you shoot your bear in the regular season, or the majority of your bears? Comment on when in the year and how you got em' if you want.
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Most of mine have been mid morning, some afternoon.
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I think if I tally everything up in my head the most bear I have killed in the lower areas have been late afternoon and evening. Though I probably see more bear in the morning I'm not usually as well setup for the best shot opportunities until evening.
When it comes to high country bear I can not think of one I've killed in the evening. That may have more to due with evening fog and my own fatigue than how the bear feed in the evening at higher elevation. That and the fact if you hike in there the job usually gets done before mid day! Hasn't been much need to stay late on most high country trips.
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I am all over the board ..some morning - some mid-afternoon when it is hotter than heck and evening ..the ones I killed in Mid-Afternoon may have been because I was hunting an area where there was water and lots of Salmon Berries .. I am actually thinking of going on opening day and hiking into one of my honey holes ..it is thick nasty stuff but it always has bears in August ...not that I need to kill anymore bears but I seem to have an urge to do something :dunno: :chuckle:
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and once September rolls around and there are Blueberries then its an all day thing ... :tup:
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Not enough options. At first light, Noon, at last light and all times in between. Most were in the first half of the day.
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I haven't hunted them a ton, but the ones I've been involved with harvesting were around 6 or 7 a.m. (2), 10 a.m., and 5 p.m. I've seen plenty at all other times.
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The hour or two between rainstorms. :dunno:
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most of mine were killed an hour before dark. this years spring bear was killedat nine pm sharp.
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My 2014 spring bear took a nap right around 930 am
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Midnight.....cause I only kill them in my dreams.
All the bear I have had shots The last couple years have been between 2 pm and 7pm. I have yet to see a bear in the morning.
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Evening. Usually kicked back on a mossy rock in the shade napping :chuckle:
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bears are always hungry, so theyre always moving. any time in legal shooting hours is a good time.
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I got one a half hour before dark, one at about 10 AM, and the other at about 2 PM. When everything is ripe, the are active darn near 24-7. I think the better question is what was the weather like. I have seen FAR more bear on hot days than cool or rainy days but that could also be because its summer and its hot most days anyhow. :dunno: Personally, I think they are more active the hotter and the drier it gets. :twocents:
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I've had discussions with my bio friend about the hot weather. I get the feeling I've seen more in hot weather and after that first snow. His claim is that when the berries are there and ripe the activity is constant regardless of weather. It is ourselves that alter our approach when the weather is hot. We tend to spend more time in shade and do not move as much...two key things in bear hunting! As much as I hate to admit it ;) I think he is probably right! I know I sit and wait much longer and walk far less often during hot days and snowy days :DOH:
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The hotter the better as long as I have shade to sit in and remember the bug spray. All the bear I have seen have been on sunny days.
Last year I seen more bear the first week of November eating salal berries on sunny days than I did all summer in the blueberry fields regardless of weather.
In reality though it came down to finding that last patch of salal berries. I hunted the entire canyon for 2 weeks and never seen a bear anywhere except on that 200 square yards of ripe salal berries. But they were there every day as soon as the hill side got shaded from the sun.
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In my bear spot I see them all day long. They eat all the way to where they are headed. When they get tired they lay down right there. Then back up and eating again. From first light to last light.
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I voted evening but I think it's simply because i'm able to hunt evenings property 4 to 1 vs mornings. I've shot bears both morning and evening.
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I hunt the blues in Sept.I'd say all day, especially when fruit starts falln. Iv shot them from first light to mid day to last light. Makes for some long hunts since the hrs are from 6-8:30. Can't wait, jelouse of you guys on the west side getting to start in Aug. good luck
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I said evening but I have shot them mid morning also. I've seen them from daylight to dark but most are between 8 am and 6 pm.
