Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: wints13 on September 20, 2019, 04:29:38 PM

Title: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: wints13 on September 20, 2019, 04:29:38 PM: How long do you watch bears before assuming no cubs are present? I have missed multi opportunity now from waiting to long.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: HillHound on September 20, 2019, 05:08:49 PM: If I am pretty positive it’s a bore when I see it I don’t wait long at all. And all but one of my bears have been boars. The one sow I shot I still only had enough time to let her get to the far side of the grassy road she was crossing and just watched her demeanor didn’t seem like she was waiting for anything and didn’t see anything coming out of the bushes so I shot her. Guess there could’ve been cubs hanging back, which there wasn’t. But like you said most of the time you’re not going home with a bear if you sit there and watch them all day long to be sure. I guess if they wanted us to be 100% positive before shooting they would say it is against the law to shoot a sow with cubs not that they recommend you not shoot a sow with cubs. I think they use that wording because they recognize how hard it can be especially when hunting in the thick brush. As with everything and hunting use your best judgment.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: X-Force on September 20, 2019, 05:32:42 PM: On the west side in thick stuff I typically hear bears before I see them and this time of year the cubs are pretty active so I’ll hear more then 1 animal coming through so I’ll sit on it to confirm.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: Stein on September 20, 2019, 07:31:26 PM: I don't wait all that long, I'll probably get flamed.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: logola512c on September 20, 2019, 09:38:08 PM: I watched a bear in a power line cut about 4 weeks ago for about 15 minutes. I always check my watch because adrenaline has a funny way of messing up my sense of time. it was just lazily feeding the whole time but had a funny paranoia to it and kept looking in all directions. Anyway, 15 minutes go by, and there was no sign of cubs, so I rotate the safety off, line him up in the scope, get the breathing right, and out walked 2 cubs. He was a she and I'm glad I waited a long time. Seemed like an eternity but her funny manner must have been telling me something was amiss. But it felt like I waited a long time.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: dilleytech on September 21, 2019, 11:08:18 AM: If there not in plain site mommas going down. They could 50 yards away and bear opportunities seem to be very short in my experience.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: bkaech on September 21, 2019, 06:53:24 PM: If I feel like I’ll have time I might wait 5-10 min, but if I likely won’t get another good shot I’ll usually take it without as much wait time as maybe I should. Of course I’ve only killed a couple bears so with experience and meat on the freezer wait time increases.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: lewy on September 21, 2019, 07:15:46 PM: In the spring the cubs seem to be closer by but by fall they can be a ways off and I usually watch for longer. It is a tough call but I promise missing an opportunity is easier to swallow than shooting a sow with young. Another great reason to bring baiting/hound hunting back :twocents:
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: CackleBird98 on September 21, 2019, 07:29:46 PM: I'm gonna get roasted for this, but really, this is why you buy both bear tags. Then if you shoot mama, then you can pop a cub. Bonus bears!! Less predators in the field means more fawns and calves are surviving. Sounds like a win to me. :twocents: :twocents:
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: dilleytech on September 21, 2019, 08:43:40 PM: Quote from: CackleBird98 on September 21, 2019, 07:29:46 PM
I'm gonna get roasted for this, but really, this is why you buy both bear tags. Then if you shoot mama, then you can pop a cub. Bonus bears!! Less predators in the field means more fawns and calves are surviving. Sounds like a win to me. :twocents: :twocents:

Wasn’t sure can you buy both tags up front? I’ve bought a second a few times but never before filling the first.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: lewy on September 21, 2019, 08:49:16 PM: Yes bears are predators and they need to be managed but intentionally killing a sow with cubs guarantees a struggle almost certain to end in death for the cubs and that shouldn’t sit well on any sportsman’s conscious
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: Bango skank on September 22, 2019, 01:28:06 AM: Quote from: dilleytech on September 21, 2019, 08:43:40 PM
Quote from: CackleBird98 on September 21, 2019, 07:29:46 PM
I'm gonna get roasted for this, but really, this is why you buy both bear tags. Then if you shoot mama, then you can pop a cub. Bonus bears!! Less predators in the field means more fawns and calves are surviving. Sounds like a win to me. :twocents: :twocents:

Wasn’t sure can you buy both tags up front? I’ve bought a second a few times but never before filling the first.

I bought my second tag before the season even started.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: dilleytech on September 22, 2019, 07:35:17 AM: Quote from: Bango skank on September 22, 2019, 01:28:06 AM
Quote from: dilleytech on September 21, 2019, 08:43:40 PM
Quote from: CackleBird98 on September 21, 2019, 07:29:46 PM
I'm gonna get roasted for this, but really, this is why you buy both bear tags. Then if you shoot mama, then you can pop a cub. Bonus bears!! Less predators in the field means more fawns and calves are surviving. Sounds like a win to me. :twocents: :twocents:

I’ll remember that for next year. Bear seems to be the best oppuratunity in Washington anymore.

Wasn’t sure can you buy both tags up front? I’ve bought a second a few times but never before filling the first.

I bought my second tag before the season even started.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: mountainman on September 24, 2019, 08:44:49 AM: Quote from: lewy on September 21, 2019, 08:49:16 PM
Yes bears are predators and they need to be managed but intentionally killing a sow with cubs guarantees a struggle almost certain to end in death for the cubs and that shouldn’t sit well on any sportsman’s conscious
👆
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: boneaddict on September 24, 2019, 08:56:35 AM: Thank you for your patience and for not being a slob hunter. Somewhere along the line I hope all folks realize there is way more to hunting than notching a tag.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: ctwiggs1 on September 24, 2019, 09:11:08 AM: Quote from: CackleBird98 on September 21, 2019, 07:29:46 PM
I'm gonna get roasted for this, but really, this is why you buy both bear tags. Then if you shoot mama, then you can pop a cub. Bonus bears!! Less predators in the field means more fawns and calves are surviving. Sounds like a win to me. :twocents: :twocents:

I see quite a few twins out there.
Title: Re: Bears has cubs? yes? no?
Post by: Machias on September 24, 2019, 12:44:48 PM: I was thinking of shooting this bear this past spring.

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