Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: Pac_NW on May 21, 2019, 10:51:01 PM

Title: Bear tracking help
Post by: Pac_NW on May 21, 2019, 10:51:01 PM: Well, I was able to find my first bear with my Sherman spring tag. A nice cinnamon phase walking towards me about 50 yards away. He left a 400 yard blood trail, and it vanished.

I was wondering if anyone has experience, availability, or know a houndsman that may be able to help find where it is.

I do feel confident that it is dead, because my hunting partner and I heard the death moan. I'm going to be on the mountain searching tomorrow, but I'm welcome to any ideas. Would be a bummer to lose the first bear!
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Dan-o on May 21, 2019, 10:53:03 PM: Good luck!

Don't give up. You can find it.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: elkrack on May 21, 2019, 11:11:18 PM: Best of luck Finding the bear. When you feel you have looked enough look some more
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: elkoholic1 on May 21, 2019, 11:55:45 PM: PERSSISTANCE AND PATIENCE :tup:

If you heard the death moan its probably dead, get GPS start grid searching area back and forth they like to get into the thick &%it when hurt...
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: dune on May 22, 2019, 06:26:50 AM: They look a lot smaller o n the ground. If he is hit well head down and to water. Do a grind pattern search. Hope you find him.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: trophyhunt on May 22, 2019, 06:46:09 AM: Don't give up, look in the smallest holes, under fallen trees, that bear is dead.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: h20hunter on May 22, 2019, 06:59:18 AM: If you are searching and see a dark nasty thorny hell hole of a nook.....go there.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Woodchuck on May 22, 2019, 07:09:23 AM: :yeah: You would be amazed and how small of a nasty hole they can tuck themselves in to.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: HillHound on May 22, 2019, 08:31:01 AM: If you heard the Moan he is definitely dead in there somewhere. I did shoot a bear ones that left a blood trail for several hundred yards before it stopped. But he never moaned. I caught up with that same bear a week later and got him that time. The week before I had shot him across the bridge of the nose which explain the wide blood trail as he swung his head from side to side running away. I had never seen so much blood from a wound that did not lead to a dead animal.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: HikerHunter on May 22, 2019, 09:58:19 AM: Agreed, if you heard the moan, keep looking! But don't cut your search area out too short. That moan can be loud and travel a ways. I had one that we heard moan and found it 1/3 of a mile away.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Seabass on May 22, 2019, 12:51:47 PM: As everyone else has said,"if you hear the moan, he's dead." I can't prove this but I believe bears will actually seek out a place to hide/die. Deer and elk seem to be more likely to run until they die or run until they can't run anymore but they don't seem to look for "strategic" places to die or hold up like a bear will. I would be looking for places that the bear can conceal himself...might not even be a "nasty" place but still hidden.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Pac_NW on May 22, 2019, 01:01:23 PM: Quote from: HikerHunter on May 22, 2019, 09:58:19 AM
Agreed, if you heard the moan, keep looking! But don't cut your search area out too short. That moan can be loud and travel a ways. I had one that we heard moan and found it 1/3 of a mile away.

Good to know, this blood trail ended after a quarter mile. Still up here searching.

On the bright side I was able to see a show with two cubs.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: mountainman on May 22, 2019, 01:08:00 PM: I've actually walked over them dead as they wiggled down into layers of brush, vine maple etc
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: carpsniperg2 on May 22, 2019, 01:42:46 PM: For sure like others said, if you heard the bear death moan. It is dead some place not to far off. If you can get down wind of the area you think the bear is dead your nose can walk you to it. They have a smell to them. Go slow take your time.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Rainier10 on May 22, 2019, 01:48:44 PM: Keep at it. Hopefully you get a pm from a houndsman that wants to take their dogs for a walk. ;)

Wishing you the best of luck.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: 2MANY on May 22, 2019, 02:34:16 PM: Almost any dog for that matter.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: mountainman on May 22, 2019, 03:29:33 PM: Quote from: 2MANY on May 22, 2019, 02:34:16 PM
Almost any dog for that matter.
Bingo that👍
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Pac_NW on May 23, 2019, 09:14:30 AM: Quote from: mountainman on May 22, 2019, 03:29:33 PM
Quote from: 2MANY on May 22, 2019, 02:34:16 PM
Almost any dog for that matter.
Bingo that👍

I should have brought my German Shepherd if that's the case haha
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: lewy on May 23, 2019, 09:16:40 AM: I’ve had bears “death moan” and still be alive when I got to em FYI
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Decker on May 23, 2019, 11:55:02 AM: Quote from: lewy on May 23, 2019, 09:16:40 AM
I’ve had bears death moan and still be alive when I got to em FYI
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: lewy on May 23, 2019, 12:13:23 PM: Nope, just had it happen last week. Shot my bear at 365, it dropped and rolled down into a blowdown. After a minute or two it let out the notorious moan then silence. Took about 15 minutes to get over to it and when I did to my surprise it picked its head up. One more shot and it was over. Don’t tell me my business
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: D-Rock425 on May 23, 2019, 12:26:51 PM: Difference between a moan and a "death moan" is the bear doesn't die after a moan only after a "death moan."
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: h20hunter on May 23, 2019, 12:31:10 PM: Relax yall.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: lewy on May 23, 2019, 12:49:00 PM: Quote from: D-Rock425 on May 23, 2019, 12:26:51 PM
Difference between a moan and a "death moan" is the bear doesn't die after a moan only after a "death moan."

Genius....
I was only letting the original poster know of my experience. Oh and I have been on more bear kills than 99% of the people on this forum so I’m speaking from first hand experiences. Take it or leave it I don’t care
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Pac_NW on May 24, 2019, 09:12:03 AM: Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. Couldn't find him, but at least I know I did my due diligence and looked. I might get back up there this weekend and try to find another one.

I did end up finding some Morel mushrooms, and a sow with cubs about half a mile from where I shot the bear.

https://youtu.be/m6GszUq1KMU (https://youtu.be/m6GszUq1KMU)

Probably shouldn't have given them the horn at the end, but I wanted to make sure they were going away from where I was to be searching.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: 2MANY on May 24, 2019, 09:20:57 AM: Please shoot another one.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: lewy on May 24, 2019, 09:24:50 AM: Keep after it and good luck!
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Bango skank on May 24, 2019, 09:34:59 AM: :yeah:
Quote from: 2MANY on May 24, 2019, 09:20:57 AM
Please shoot another one.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: elkrack on May 24, 2019, 09:44:56 AM: I’m starting to think bango doesn’t bears :chuckle:
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Bango skank on May 24, 2019, 09:57:36 AM: I like bears within reason. When fawn and calf recruitment rates are in the crapper, and i get more bears than deer on my trail cams, something needs to be done. In had 1 week to hunt for a buck i was after in early september in 2017, then left the state until november (this buck always disappears mid september.) In that one week in stand i saw 3 deer. All does, zero fawns. But i saw 10 bears. That ratio is a bit skewed. I have some cameras up that get bears walking by nearly every single day in july and august. So many damn bears. I want their numbers reduced, but i dont hate them. With a few exceptions of course. A bear has come into my back yard twice this month to rip up my 3d targets that are 20 yards from my house. I hate that bear. Another ripped down the fencing around 6 of my young chestnut trees, stomped the fencing flat, then the deer ate the trees. I also hate that bear. Oh, and i hate every bear that flips my trail cams over and screws up a 9 month soak.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: skagitsteel on May 25, 2019, 08:22:19 AM: Quote from: Bango skank on May 24, 2019, 09:57:36 AM
I like bears within reason. When fawn and calf recruitment rates are in the crapper, and i get more bears than deer on my trail cams, something needs to be done. In had 1 week to hunt for a buck i was after in early september in 2017, then left the state until november (this buck always disappears mid september.) In that one week in stand i saw 3 deer. All does, zero fawns. But i saw 10 bears. That ratio is a bit skewed. I have some cameras up that get bears walking by nearly every single day in july and august. So many damn bears. I want their numbers reduced, but i dont hate them. With a few exceptions of course. A bear has come into my back yard twice this month to rip up my 3d targets that are 20 yards from my house. I hate that bear. Another ripped down the fencing around 6 of my young chestnut trees, stomped the fencing flat, then the deer ate the trees. I also hate that bear. Oh, and i hate every bear that flips my trail cams over and screws up a 9 month soak.

You are correct it’s true, too many bears in much of this state. I have noticed in areas that have multiple bears I get almost zero fawn pics. I was talking to one of the bio’s and he said if we had any idea how many fawns/ calves the bears take out we would have a bounty on them.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: mountainman on May 26, 2019, 03:45:13 PM: Pac, did you ever go back with a dog??
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: CAMPMEAT on May 26, 2019, 07:11:14 PM: PM me if you want. I know Ferry County and people very well, since I lived there almost 17 years.

Wolves might be eating on it, so watch out !!
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Pac_NW on May 29, 2019, 09:08:21 AM: I wasn't able to get anyone out there with a dog. I spent last Wednesday combing the area, but that has been it. I had to handle some things at home over the holiday weekend. I doubt the hide would be good after 10 days. What do you guys think?
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Doublelunger on May 29, 2019, 09:23:04 AM: Quote from: Pac_NW on May 29, 2019, 09:08:21 AM
I wasn't able to get anyone out there with a dog. I spent last Wednesday combing the area, but that has been it. I had to handle some things at home over the holiday weekend. I doubt the hide would be good after 10 days. What do you guys think?

After 10 days their is nothing left to salvage. Chalk it up as a loss and learn from the experience. You can even lose sleep over it if you want. A younger and more naive version of myself might have felt bad about letting a bear go to waste, but the current version of myself wouldnt care too much. :twocents:
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: 2MANY on May 29, 2019, 09:34:34 AM: Yup.
About equal to an above ground mole.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: bobcat on May 29, 2019, 09:38:07 AM: I wouldn't waste any more time on that bear. Go find and kill another one.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: D-Rock425 on May 29, 2019, 09:53:39 AM: Quote from: Doublelunger on May 29, 2019, 09:23:04 AM
Quote from: Pac_NW on May 29, 2019, 09:08:21 AM
I wasn't able to get anyone out there with a dog. I spent last Wednesday combing the area, but that has been it. I had to handle some things at home over the holiday weekend. I doubt the hide would be good after 10 days. What do you guys think?

After 10 days their is nothing left to salvage. Chalk it up as a loss and learn from the experience. You can even lose sleep over it if you want. A younger and more naive version of myself might have felt bad about letting a bear go to waste, but the current version of myself wouldnt care too much. :twocents:
Quote from: 2MANY on May 29, 2019, 09:34:34 AM
Yup.
About equal to an above ground mole.
I totally agree you should get after it and find another bear but I wouldn't take as far as saying it's just a ground mole. I loose any animal I've shot and i'm sick about it for a while.
Title: Re: Bear tracking help
Post by: Rainier10 on May 29, 2019, 10:01:04 AM: I hate it when I shoot something and don't find it. The not knowing what happened eats at you.

You gave it a good effort to find it. They are tough animals and sometimes the shot isn't as good as you thought. Lots of variables. I would get back out there and try to fill that tag. You never know you might shoot a bear that you already shot once.

Good job trying to locate it and good luck filling that tag.