Post by: Ridgerunner on January 02, 2009, 08:03:15 AM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on January 02, 2009, 08:12:45 AM
Post by: bucklucky on January 02, 2009, 08:13:13 AM
Post by: Ridgerunner on January 02, 2009, 08:40:40 AM
Post by: rasbo on January 02, 2009, 08:45:36 AM
Like an idiot I haven't been building points, but now want a spring tag so I'll be looking at westside units, probably kapowsin most likely to give me the best odds of drawing.I got 5 points for kapowsin,my buddy has been drawn twice..Whats up with that
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on January 02, 2009, 11:34:57 AM
Post by: Antlershed on January 02, 2009, 11:48:29 AM
Post by: CP on January 02, 2009, 03:13:18 PM
Post by: Timberstalker on January 02, 2009, 03:24:57 PM
Post by: fc2038 on January 02, 2009, 04:32:56 PM
Like an idiot I haven't been building points, but now want a spring tag so I'll be looking at westside units, probably kapowsin most likely to give me the best odds of drawing.I got 5 points for kapowsin,my buddy has been drawn twice..Whats up with that
I have the same issue. I have 2 friends that have drawn twice and I am still waiting. :DOH:
Post by: billythekidrock on January 02, 2009, 05:42:23 PM
Not sure. Ive got 6 points this year and am thinking about cashing them in.......Skagit or Monroe ???
If I lived a bit farther North those would be the two I apply for. Good Luck!
Post by: TeacherMan on January 02, 2009, 06:58:51 PM
Post by: catwithboost on January 02, 2009, 07:03:04 PM
Post by: saylean on January 02, 2009, 09:00:42 PM
You have quite a few months till its due...I dont recall the exact date...says on the wdfw site.
Post by: Jerome on January 02, 2009, 09:14:53 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on January 02, 2009, 10:10:38 PM
Not sure. Ive got 6 points this year and am thinking about cashing them in.......Skagit or Monroe ???
If I lived a bit farther North those would be the two I apply for. Good Luck!
:yeah:
Post by: TeacherMan on January 02, 2009, 10:31:47 PM
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on January 02, 2009, 10:50:06 PM
Post by: Jerome on January 04, 2009, 12:53:36 PM
Post by: bobcat on January 04, 2009, 01:28:35 PM
Post by: Jerome on January 04, 2009, 01:55:41 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on January 04, 2009, 03:22:24 PM
Post by: Houndhunter on January 04, 2009, 03:35:42 PM
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on January 04, 2009, 08:08:15 PM
Look at the number of permits that they are handing out for the area. The larger the number of permits the fewer # of bears. They need to hand out more permits to remove the number of bears they want.? I know that logic works somehow but wouldn't more permits mean they want more pressure for less bears? a large population would be the result of fewer harvested and less pressure. I know the season was instituted to reduce spring damage to trees. You will only encounter a small percentage of bears in an area, most you will never see. If there is less bear in an area why would they hand out more permits? Also Copalis has a lot of permits and a resonable success rate. Kapowsin I know has a lot of bear but a very small success rate. Are you saying that they give out more permits because the odds of success are low and they need more hunters to actually harvest a few? does the longer season and more permits reflect ability to find a bear in an area with lower densities?
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on January 04, 2009, 08:24:04 PM
Also Copalis has a lot of permits and a resonable success rate. Kapowsin I know has a lot of bear but a very small success rate. Are you saying that they give out more permits because the odds of success are low and they need more hunters to actually harvest a few?
Yes
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on January 04, 2009, 08:28:20 PM
Just because they issue a bunch of permits doesn't mean their are a lot of bear.
Post by: billythekidrock on January 05, 2009, 06:13:06 AM
I have hunted the Copalis unit the last two springs and I spent a ton of time up there. I only saw a couple bears and everyone I spoke with said the same.
Here are a couple sticking points from the unit.
1. The engineers of the timber company said they didn't have a large damage problem.
2. Timber company employees talked of rampant baiting in some portions of the unit.
3. A lot of the bears killed were in the Copalis GMU, but NOT within the permit boundaries.
4. Hound hunting was going on.
But yes, typically the more permits, the fewer critters. More hunters are needed to harvest the the amount they deem right.
Post by: WDFW-SUX on January 05, 2009, 06:35:28 AM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on January 05, 2009, 11:27:23 AM
Post by: elkaholic_74 on January 06, 2009, 01:51:47 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on January 06, 2009, 05:28:26 PM
I'll be applying for Copalis #1 and Capital Forest #2 since I live next to both units.
Copalis is a slam dunk to draw. CF is a lot harder since they went to 50 permits.
Post by: Shannon on January 06, 2009, 08:51:37 PM
Post by: Ghost Hunter on January 06, 2009, 10:04:53 PM
Post by: yelp on January 07, 2009, 07:39:14 AM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on January 07, 2009, 07:46:04 AM
Post by: Old Wanderer on January 15, 2009, 07:32:54 PM
1. Kapowsin
2. Capito Forest
3. Monroe
4. North Skagit
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on January 17, 2009, 11:04:03 AM
Post by: saylean on January 17, 2009, 11:24:03 AM
Having not been drawn (yet) and only seeing bears in the fall, how do you locate them? Spot and stalk? I know the west side is not very conducive for that unless its on clear-cuts. I am not a big fan of just driving around looking out the window hoping to see something. What are there preferred foods in the spring? no berries or salmon, The bears around here don't hibernate so do they still eat grass? what about skunk-cabbage? how do the rest of you see bears in the spring? I am not asking about spots, just habitat preference and foods. I will probably be hunting CF because it is close to home and I have 4 pts. I usually spend my spring down here looking for turkeys and will combine my hunts. I have a Double-Bull Darkhorse blind and Dekes if anyone else gets drawn and is interested in joining me and showing me some tricks. (I use a recurve but am not a snob)
lots of this type of info on the bear thread. Basically, they eat grass in the spring, yes. As well as bark from sapling trees. Find meadows/grass shoots, and young trees in the spring, berries in the summer/fall.
Post by: billythekidrock on January 17, 2009, 04:55:40 PM
Some spring foods include grass, grubs, cambium, skunk cabbage, devils club, dandelions.
Post by: Ghost Hunter on January 19, 2009, 07:21:29 AM
Post by: billythekidrock on January 19, 2009, 06:53:31 PM
OK, changed my mind......I'm in........2 new units for 1st & 2nd choice and 3x tried and failed (Capital) for 3rd choice. :dunno:
Man...you should have put CF first. I was rooting for you or your wife to get drawn again. Talk about all the luck. :chuckle:
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on January 21, 2009, 07:48:10 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on January 22, 2009, 05:51:28 AM
CF will probably not be available next year.http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasonsetting/2009-2011_recommendations/spring_bear_232-28-286.pdf
Bout time. I was hoping they would close it after the first 3 year cycle.
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on January 22, 2009, 12:51:46 PM
Post by: rasbo on January 22, 2009, 01:00:55 PM
Post by: BrushChimp on January 22, 2009, 02:06:30 PM
Post by: rasbo on January 22, 2009, 02:29:27 PM
How many bears have you folks seen at this time of the year over your entire lifetime? Or tracks. Do y'all see any tracks in snow?I start seeing tracks in the snow around april 15.An old houndhunter taught me to start looking then.I found bear tracks in mid dec this year,1st time ever,he came down and ate off a gut pile from a late muzzy hunt
Post by: saylean on January 22, 2009, 04:02:50 PM
How many bears have you folks seen at this time of the year over your entire lifetime? Or tracks. Do y'all see any tracks in snow?I start seeing tracks in the snow around april 15.An old houndhunter taught me to start looking then.I found bear tracks in mid dec this year,1st time ever,he came down and ate off a gut pile from a late muzzy hunt
Cool rasbo :P
Post by: bobcat on January 22, 2009, 04:59:06 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on January 22, 2009, 06:18:08 PM
How many bears have you folks seen at this time of the year over your entire lifetime? Or tracks. Do y'all see any tracks in snow?
Only seen a couple bears at this time of year, but I usually start seeing tracks in the snow in March near the coast.
Post by: billythekidrock on January 22, 2009, 06:20:37 PM
Why?
Because they knocked the crap out of them the last few years. Prior to the spring hunt there were less then a dozen killed up there every year. Since the spring hunt those numbers shot up. But now it doesn't really matter if they don't let us hunt in August.
Post by: Ghost Hunter on January 22, 2009, 07:57:28 PM
Can't blame me for that :chuckle: We just did our job of chasing em around :dunno:Why?
Because they knocked the crap out of them the last few years. Prior to the spring hunt there were less then a dozen killed up there every year. Since the spring hunt those numbers shot up. But now it doesn't really matter if they don't let us hunt in August.
Post by: HoofsandWings on January 22, 2009, 09:22:00 PM