Post by: arees on March 27, 2009, 10:10:48 AM
What can I do to improve my chances? Will glassing and stalking be the best bet? I have heard of calling bears and have done it for coyotes before. Is it effective?
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Post by: PacificNWhunter on March 27, 2009, 11:03:51 AM
Be sure to introduce yourself too....Get to know a few guys, there's a ton of knowledge on these boards but no one gives it out to just anyone on their first post. Good luck.
Post by: zackmioli on March 27, 2009, 02:52:20 PM
I know there are a lot of threads in the archives with good information. Go to the search tab and type in spring bear, and see what you get.:yeah:
Be sure to introduce yourself too....Get to know a few guys, there's a ton of knowledge on these boards but no one gives it out to just anyone on their first post. Good luck.
Post by: saylean on March 28, 2009, 03:15:06 PM
I think the WDFW is in cahoots with the oil industry!
Post by: billythekidrock on March 28, 2009, 03:44:06 PM
The Monroe unit should produce some good bears again this year. It is only the second season that it has been open and there are limited permits. I would suggest picking up some DNR Quadrangle maps of the area. You can order them online from the DNR site.
I would also suggest you contact the two timber companies and find out if they have other maps of the area. Especially if they have a map of the most damaged areas.
Then you will want to learn as much as you can about timber damage as well as other spring food sources like grasses, dandelions, skunk cabbage and devils club. You will want to look for grubbing activity and torn up stumps as well as pay attention to when the fawns are dropping.
If you can glass, you are not in the damage areas, but that doesn’t mean it is not a good place to hunt. Though I would not waste time watching newer clear cuts. The edges of older reprod can be great places to look for sign or wandering bears.
Obviously I am an advocate for calling and it will work for spring bears. I would work on rabbit distress and fawn distress.
Do you have a GPS?
One big thing you can do to prepare is to take your paper/online map and take the time to transfer that data to a GPS software package so you can upload it to your GPS. I just spent a few hours converting N. Skagit info onto a GPS map...and I don't even have the permit.
Quote
I have heard of calling bears and have done it for coyotes before. Is it effective?
You be the judge.
WA pring bear called in.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F506%2F1443PICT0020.jpg&hash=04ed20be6ab8e2bead7d71760705c1df358577cb)
Good luck
Post by: arees on March 30, 2009, 09:42:55 PM
Here is my best picture with a bear (sort of) in it:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2Farcheryrange.jpg&hash=25fde7bac886a81c02df361f7171f346aeb47bbb)
That was shot on the archery range in my back yard. The two bucks were fighting around the bear target last December.
Here is one from my driveway for the predator callers:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBobcat.jpg&hash=f47fcd6100180c9846cba7dcd479a10369d8073b)
We see him every few months. The last snow had his tracks mixed with a coyote and a rabbit down by the pond. It was a bad day to be a rabbit.
As far as the calling, I can't argue with your picture. I have been coyote calling a few times and use a Burnham Brothers rabbit call. The technique I was taught was to envision that a small fox had caught a large rabbit but couldn't quite get the job done. The fox won't let go and the rabbit won't give up. You just need to play the sound track that goes with the image. It gets frenetic with bursts and pauses, rises and falls, trying to get a big dog to come in and finish the job. Is that the gist of what bears are after?
Only have a rather old Garmin GPS. It has a small black and white screen that certainly doesn't compare well to the current versions.
The maps from dfw show damage areas on the state land but none are shown on the Green Crow land. I'm not sure if that is because there is less damage on the Green Crow land or just less information on the map.
I expect to be scouting up there next Sunday. Are all the roads in the area gated or is there some access? Hopefully I can come back with photos of bear sign.
Post by: PacificNWhunter on March 31, 2009, 08:11:39 AM
Post by: boneaddict on March 31, 2009, 08:16:00 AM
Post by: Huntboy on March 31, 2009, 08:30:25 AM
Post by: billythekidrock on March 31, 2009, 05:40:50 PM
The maps from dfw show damage areas on the state land but none are shown on the Green Crow land. I'm not sure if that is because there is less damage on the Green Crow land or just less information on the map.
It could be that Green Crow does not track damage. There does not seem to be much interest in tracking or sharing current information. The map provided by F&W and DNR for Capitol Forest is from 2005 with damage dating back to 2000. What about the last 4 years?
Post by: billythekidrock on March 31, 2009, 05:44:23 PM
As far as the calling, I can't argue with your picture. I have been coyote calling a few times and use a Burnham Brothers rabbit call. The technique I was taught was to envision that a small fox had caught a large rabbit but couldn't quite get the job done. The fox won't let go and the rabbit won't give up. You just need to play the sound track that goes with the image. It gets frenetic with bursts and pauses, rises and falls, trying to get a big dog to come in and finish the job. Is that the gist of what bears are after?
Yes, that is the gist. Only don't take too long of a pause. Bears will lose interest quickly.
Post by: Sideswipe on April 01, 2009, 05:50:11 PM
Post by: arees on April 02, 2009, 11:01:38 PM
Does anyone know if this is accurate?
Post by: billythekidrock on April 03, 2009, 05:48:51 AM
Post by: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:03:22 PM
Post by: Diehard0123 on April 03, 2009, 01:14:49 PM
Post by: Diehard0123 on April 03, 2009, 01:19:45 PM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:32:45 PM
Post by: arees on April 03, 2009, 04:19:07 PM
http://www.tgfoitwoods.com/images/MonroeBearMap.pdf (http://www.tgfoitwoods.com/images/MonroeBearMap.pdf)
You will need to rotate the view to see it correctly.
It looks like there are damage areas North of Kellogg Lake and both North and North East of Lake Bronson. There are also lots of damage areas near the Western end and a large block along the North edge of the map.
Post by: billythekidrock on April 03, 2009, 04:42:45 PM
Sending a pm in a minute.
Post by: huntncoug on April 05, 2009, 04:09:58 PM
Pretty impressive pictures sir. You're on the right forum for local bear hunting. A lot of knowledge & experience here. I have gotten quite an education here myself. Only part of Green Crow I really know is from the locked gate off Kellogg Lake Road. It turns northward off of SR 2-you can see the gate about 300 yds up on the right after you turn off 2. I always have parked there w/o blocking the gate & walked in. Where the road turns North you will see some trails thru grass & blackberries to the right. They lead off towards the river. This is a little past the backside of the hatchery which is on the other side of the small river. I have found sign here & for the rest of the way up that road. I told you on the other forum Wallace Falls, but as I am looking at the map now, it looks more like Olney Falls. There is also an interesting gated road to the right a few hundred yds past the falls which will lead to some grassy areas under the pwr lines. Good luck, watch out if you walk about a mile further or so for park boundry. Oh-Kellogg Lake Road is between Startup & Goldbar w/the hatchery just about in the middle. In years past bears have actually come down by the hatchery & cruised the apple trees in broad daylight-but I'm sure that isn't inside the hunt boundry.
This gate you are referring too is not Green Crow it is DNR. The Greencrow gates are the next two past this one.
Post by: huntncoug on April 05, 2009, 04:18:19 PM
Post by: huntncoug on April 05, 2009, 04:22:05 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on April 05, 2009, 07:13:08 PM
I have a few things to mention that I have not heard yet on this board. These Spring Bear hunts are damage control hunts. That means they are meant to cut down on the number of bears that are peeling and killing trees. I talked to some DNR biologists that told me that not every bear is a tree peeler. When you go out using calls to bring in Spring bears you will be killing the more predatory bears and not the problem causing tree peeling bears.
Remember that every bear is a predator and if you are calling near damage you have a better chance at harvesting that nuisance bear.
A couple more things to remember. These damage hunts are not intended to kill a bunch of bears but rather to keep them disturbed and to move them around. I got this straight from DNR when the started the westside hunts.
F&W has approached some of the private timber companies to provide "opportunity" even though the companies say there is no bear problem. Got that straight from a Rayonier employee.
Post by: huntncoug on April 05, 2009, 07:22:04 PM
Post by: arees on April 05, 2009, 09:17:36 PM
We did see what we presumed was bear damage on the trees. All of the damage we were certain of was from last year or before as expected. I have been told by a friend who works in the area that most of the bear damage starts in mid May once the sap is really running.
Here is one picture showing my hunting buddy with what we take for bear damage on a tree:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearBuddy.jpg&hash=184fe4f642ae4d3f601328eb948f943392f9a1c4)
Here is a closer look at that tree:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearTree1.jpg&hash=36a77e9b2e94c197b87c8a1169f406c7cce9e715)
Here is another that looked older:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearBuddy2.jpg&hash=af7bbbd364fb6dd6fde6cf650089059774594d9a)
We also saw some damage to trees that we were less sure of. The ones we were sure of started at the ground level and worked up from there. Here is one that I just don't know about because it was all higher up.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearTree2.jpg&hash=fb7f68095678b3c601d289c79c3c83aa31a3ef86)
Near by, we spotted these shreaded tree bits on the road. I don't know what to make of it.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FShreads.jpg&hash=9e922af6fe5a1a413f2918e3a91edbd61940daf7)
It was a good day prowling around the woods and getting to know one section of the access roads. When we pulled into the driveway at home, this is what greeted us:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FAtHome.jpg&hash=3ca1d95d8699b77885bdde981f1ed7aa6c2c1d90)
I think my hunting buddy is starting to take them for granted and they might be feeling the same way.
Post by: saylean on April 05, 2009, 09:20:47 PM
Looking forward to getting my first trip in up there. I will probably see some of you guys there.
Cheers!
Post by: billythekidrock on April 05, 2009, 09:28:17 PM
Post by: arees on April 13, 2009, 07:50:11 AM
We only ran into one pair of hunters on Green Crow land. I am looking forward to getting out with a rifle in hand soon.
Post by: Diehard0123 on April 13, 2009, 05:11:33 PM
Post by: saylean on April 14, 2009, 01:42:32 PM
Post by: rasbo on April 15, 2009, 05:23:28 AM
Just got my official permission slip to head out to Green Crow property...should be a kick! I passed along some of my bear sausage to be nice to the boys (and girl) over there.let the air out of one for us :drool:
Post by: arees on April 16, 2009, 07:31:31 AM
We hiked in along an abandoned road and then off through the woods to get to a place between a marshy area and some old peels. After waiting for a while and listening we called for about 45 minutes with no response. We moved on for more scouting before the light completely failed.
All told, we saw two deer, some young skunk cabbage, some new grass, and some old peels. No bears.
We will be out again on the weekend.
Post by: saylean on April 16, 2009, 04:56:06 PM
Post by: huntncoug on April 16, 2009, 06:30:03 PM
Post by: arees on April 17, 2009, 06:57:09 AM
Post by: arees on April 19, 2009, 08:25:49 AM
We did bump into both Saylean and Huntncoug while we were out.
Here is the calling duet of Bob and James with Bob working the jackrabbit call and James on the mouse squeaker:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FCallingTeam2.jpg&hash=3426ef8d9a4dcb7e9a4e9fb04f5dedf2dcb98fc1)
As far as we know, we only had one listener for our concert:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FAudience.jpg&hash=7c42aea16f628e256305002041d1c31fe5c9995e)
Our calling locations focused on areas that had openings for greenery to grow, water for skunk cabbage, and south facing slopes. Just before lunch we got into an area that looked promising (i.e. it had more than just last year's peals). We found what we think is bear scat, not from today but we think it is from this season at least. Perhaps one of the experts could confirm our guess.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearScat1.jpg&hash=b5368fe416d8827c94afa30ad97a9d4db15229db)
The area had several torn up logs and this stump had lots of debris around it that looked recent.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FTornStump1.jpg&hash=ed5bbefe67349c90371d1c6da49244a73e270692)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FTornStump2.jpg&hash=254b23886f2fabb6945d45bcbf13bd6ed8dac9da)
In the afternoon we made it up to the snow line but didn't see anything promising up there. We did hear a few shots lower down but they may have been target shooting. All in all it was about as good a day as we could ask for without a bear showing up.
On the way out, my son announced that he had finally spotted a bear for me. It was a little out of the hunting area and may have a collar on it.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FSnowBear.jpg&hash=b54df17d8e3fe62d05f6068cdaa2e70292d6fd21)
Post by: saylean on April 19, 2009, 10:01:27 AM
Post by: billythekidrock on April 19, 2009, 07:17:20 PM
Post by: arees on April 20, 2009, 06:02:28 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FSkull.jpg&hash=0133ad465784c707fbd719d6ec362d8fd89bd64a)
The other was more of a mystery. We found a feather hanging from a thread in the brush just off the road we were hiking on. It was right near the beaver skull. I'm not sure what to make of it but was concerned that it might be related to beaver trapping so we did not investigate too closely.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FFeather1.jpg&hash=61877dbdbd77a0903da9f2b916157bf32d44d766)
The hunt goes on...
Post by: rasbo on April 20, 2009, 06:36:04 PM
Post by: saylean on April 20, 2009, 06:58:14 PM
Post by: huntncoug on April 20, 2009, 07:30:30 PM
Post by: huntncoug on April 20, 2009, 07:31:19 PM
Post by: saylean on April 20, 2009, 08:34:59 PM
guess im old school.
Actually, the key I have fit in the lock, but I couldnt get the lock to turn, so I just hiked in and ran into Arees and family up there.
Post by: billythekidrock on April 20, 2009, 09:19:14 PM
Post by: huntncoug on April 21, 2009, 05:57:30 PM
Post by: saylean on April 21, 2009, 05:58:50 PM
Post by: saylean on April 23, 2009, 09:46:35 AM
I did have something hang up on me in the woods while calling though...could have been anything. I was sitting waiting for the area to calm down once I got to my spot, I hear a crash not far off in the woods and a bird go nuts for a second. So I grab the old Bearmanric call and give it a whirl for sometime. Heard it a few more times, but just wouldnt come in. Didnt sound like a deer, more of something crasing around. :dunno:
Talked to another hunter up there, he hasnt seen anything, sign wise either.
Another week or so, we should be better off. :chuckle:
Post by: arees on April 25, 2009, 07:46:01 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FCatTrack.jpg&hash=2c9a76f63283ce225c4bb02714ff0c90414ffdcd)
I hope to be out again Sunday and possibly tonight.
Post by: arees on April 26, 2009, 11:09:38 PM
I made it to a log pile looking for a steady rest. The bear stopped a couple of times, once behind some brush from my position and again but not long enough for me to get a shot off. It disappeared over a shoulder of the hill and we never caught site of it again despite making a run across the clear cut trying to get to a better position. This photo shows the path the bear took running from right to left up the hill and over the shoulder.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearPath.jpg&hash=81cdba3549d3a8532814999af87d8cc9bab5bb7c)
It didn't help to have my five year old ask why I didn't shoot the bear, but at least he was with me for the adventure. It did give me the chance to give a talk on why you never take the shot unless you are certain you will hit. It would have felt better to have shot the bear. Oh well, the season is still young.
We did see some sign that might be recent. Here is a picture of where we think a bear was starting to eat a tree. Unlike all the others we have seen, there is no sign of sap in the damaged area. The others all show hardened sap somewhere around the damage, but not this one. Expert opinions are certainly welcome.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FTreeDamage.jpg&hash=71f72cb819ad2bce96cfb977b89be6ba83381dd2)
Besides the bear, we spotted a couple of frogs (photo to fuzzy), some morels, and a couple of deer in the clear cuts:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FDeer.jpg&hash=4cc66fbd5eb13c7f2f9cf38f0502b18855e95aa9)
It was the day for James to spot interesting airplanes. He spotted this one fly by underneath us while we were glassing one clear cut.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FAirplane.jpg&hash=82246bf8b1484815ec456c6ae8d167e3aad03bcc)
When we had stopped for some BB gun practice, he spotted a glider going overhead.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FGlider.jpg&hash=3fbe1d4c96db01599c58253e3be9b40c3ad09934)
All in all it was a good day. It could have been a great day, but I will take the good ones.
Post by: billythekidrock on April 27, 2009, 06:07:21 AM
The Alder tree looks like a buck rub to me. I don't know how large the tree is, but that low to the ground with deep gouges a couple inches apart rememind of of eyeguard damage. It is definately last years and I highly doubt it is from a bear.
Post by: arees on May 02, 2009, 09:44:41 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearScat2.jpg&hash=3199d8b639f1e0c1de20d705a343730b79bc1781)
I admit that the previous torn up stumps I have been seeing have not passed muster, but I think this one will.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FTornStump3.jpg&hash=bf6d144b3dfde46103c57dfa738eb561ffa5dff2)
I think the claw marks on it will be convincing.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FTornStump4.jpg&hash=09839d3a57e23950e30c105ab6b8ed81eaa28faa)
I didn't have my son along this time so I was able to sit near the scat and the stump surrounded by peeled trees from past years and call for a full hour. The farthest I could see in any direction was about 30 feet. I never saw anything nor did I hear anything conclusive, but my spine sure tingled each time I heard a twig snap.
Just before dusk I stopped at a spot where I could glass a large valley including the hillside where I saw the bear last weekend. No bears were spotted, but I was treated to a drumming display by the local grouse.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FGrouse2.jpg&hash=33a3e9b336d8132210a573cd49c9796d07e1e4a8)
I was also able to get some video of him drumming but I don't have it posted anywhere at the moment. He really didn't care about me at all.
I will be back out on Sunday hunting and learning.
Post by: saylean on May 04, 2009, 08:41:55 AM
Post by: arees on May 06, 2009, 11:20:56 PM
We called for most of an hour with no success before we had to pull out and meet my friend Rolf for the afternoon hunt. Here is a picture of my hunting buddy keeping a look out for any movement.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBuddy1.jpg&hash=871aec527a3eb1681a8d9092dfbe923fe28409ee)
After meeting up with Rolf, we went out scouting a new area that had been on my list of places to check. The GPS had been left behind on the counter where it would be safe. This left us to make some guesses where we were and this time the only thing we were sure of was that we probably weren't where we wanted to be. After getting home and consulting the satellite photos I figure we were skirting in and out of the hunting area. We were just outside the area when we found this:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearScat3.jpg&hash=62400e5a4d20de022e895cad26301aabe9eb21bf)
We were close enough to the edge of the hunting area that I'm sure this bear crosses the boarder.
I went back out solo this evening, armed with a better understanding of how to get to where I wanted to go. I was looking for an out of the way marshy area that was bordering a bear damage area. The topo showed it was fairly flat so I thought it might have a healthy skunk cabbage population. I made it as close as I could by road and set off on foot trying to get the lay of the land. I found an old road heading generally in the right direction that looked like it would take me up a hill that would give me a good place to glass from and the road should be going through the bear damage area.
About half an hour into the hike I got to an overlook that let me spot the swampy area I was looking for but I decided to continue hiking up the road because it had lots of grass and looked promising. At the end of two hours of hiking I was back down at the bottom of the hill and ready to try for the spot I originally was looking for.
I headed off down a thickly overgrown road that paralleled the swamp, hoping for someplace to cut over. The forest between the road and the swamp was thick brush and trees about 20 feet tall. I found a spot where some large animal had cut across the old road and had broken a hole through the brush in the direction I wanted to go. The visibility would be poor and the footing treacherous, but I had my Ruger revolver and set off.
About 20 yards into the brush I came across some pretty good sign:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FNewPeel1.jpg&hash=77585e33f1a405a1866b695ed264ecf45bcfe4fa)
I think it is safe to say that this is fresh and the peeling has started.
I never found a passable way to the swampy area I wanted to get to. I had a glimpse of it from higher up and it looks like it has a clearing with grass. With time running out, I set up along the creek leading into the swampy area. It cost me a few handfuls of devil's club but I got to a spot next to an old cedar stump where I could see for a little ways around me. I called until I ran out of light but never got a response.
No success yet, but things are heating up.
Post by: Diehard0123 on May 07, 2009, 06:39:11 AM
Post by: saylean on May 07, 2009, 09:12:13 AM
I wish I could still go out! :'(
Post by: nwvarmithunter on May 11, 2009, 08:17:58 PM
Post by: arees on May 12, 2009, 08:47:55 AM
On Saturday I was out alone again. I went back to where I had seen the fresh peels and tried to reach what looked like a clearing. It was an hour of climbing through a skunk cabbage swamp to get to the edge of an overgrown beaver pond. It was not the clearing I had hoped for, but there was forage there and I was able to set up for an hour of calling between the swamp and where I had seen the peels earlier. Other than the occasional mysterious noise in the woods there was no action.
I cut out of the swamp through the area with the peels and up to one of the abandoned roads for some more hiking through likely territory. I certainly found encouraging sign. First there was scat...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearScat4.jpg&hash=eb09723b4b2b99f21e31af2809d44b67f93113a9)
Then there were the first track (this one looked like he stepped in some old scat)...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearTrack1.jpg&hash=6054aefaa04ac109b46290bfaa6dab4f1cbf32bd)
and the second track...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearTrack2.jpg&hash=8ff588d5b242b5448dbf0777109569cf0212b395)
and more scat (this seemed fresher than the others)...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearScat5.jpg&hash=dff879d5710721a3664017551f1026787ee3df3c)
and more scat...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgfoitwoods.com%2Fimages%2FBearStuff%2FBearScat6.jpg&hash=03f51a65176259fcbe07f2847ab656845cd9d9a2)
but still no bear. The sign keeps encouraging me, I just need to be there at the right time.
The end of Saturday was spent looking at a new area where I came across a bear feeder. I posted that in a separate thread.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,26998.0.html
Post by: jackelope on May 12, 2009, 09:39:18 AM
Post by: huntncoug on May 12, 2009, 05:45:40 PM
Post by: arees on May 12, 2009, 09:17:23 PM
Post by: arees on May 17, 2009, 10:16:27 AM
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,27239.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,27239.0.html)