Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: WoodHacker on August 24, 2021, 12:31:33 PM

Title: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: WoodHacker on August 24, 2021, 12:31:33 PM: I've spent 11 days hunting in GMUs 111 & 117 and have found surprisingly little sign of bears compared to where I've hunted in recent years. At least not fresh sign. It's new area for me so there's a lot of exploring and guess work. Most has been fruitless aside from 2 sightings of small bears along the road.

Nearly everywhere I've explored has had cattle, or their obvious signs, roaming around. I'm starting to wonder, "Do bears naturally avoid cattle?"
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: Machias on August 24, 2021, 12:35:07 PM: Nice looking mule in your profile photo.

I used to hunt a area in NE WA that had lots of free range cattle in it. Plenty of bears around the cattle. It did not bother the bears that the cattle were in the area.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: Cougartail on August 24, 2021, 12:48:16 PM: Quote from: WoodHacker on August 24, 2021, 12:31:33 PM
I've spent 11 days hunting in GMUs 111 & 117 and have found surprisingly little sign of bears compared to where I've hunted in recent years. At least not fresh sign. It's new area for me so there's a lot of exploring and guess work. Most has been fruitless aside from 2 sightings of small bears along the road.

Nearly everywhere I've explored has had cattle, or their obvious signs, roaming around. I'm starting to wonder, "Do bears naturally avoid cattle?"

When it is this dry out look for water and swampy areas.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: KFhunter on August 24, 2021, 12:59:01 PM: There's areas that are devoid of bears due to wolf activity.

If there's no fresh sign, move.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: buckfvr on August 24, 2021, 01:21:46 PM: Bear and cattle use many of the same browse specie and this year might be the worst condition Ive ever seen for browse. I know cattle that is usually on open range near me until october is already back home. Depending on the size of the heard, bears may well decide theres more grass/browse on the other side of the valley/fence, you get where Im going. Keep moving until you hit pay dirt.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: WoodHacker on August 24, 2021, 09:50:53 PM: Thanks for the input.
I'll definitely keep plugging away. We're low on bear meat and I prefer it over just about everything else I hunt.

It's funny how the fires have forced me to hunt in the N.E. when we bought property up there (on the line between GMU 111 & 117) back in December. This gives me a lot of time at 'the property' both for hunting/exploring nearby and for building turkey hunting blinds, making a nice camp, setting up a ladder stand, filling a deer feeder, etcetera.

Also need to replenish my bear grease supply...

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AM-JKLWSnssnX23f3zhqF2wInjDHPYxoDJuy4Hm2EzRPo9PtjBdJTN6UXGbG499LcDCJ_0kuCymINfTKoNlMKGoCEYU0lcj9opti2jf2K9k-QsJvoYlHZtvM1gng0TfSeTqNussy9hpGCQWNDlMgBRxQQBsFyg=w770-h810-no?authuser=0)
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: WoodHacker on August 24, 2021, 09:58:10 PM: Quote from: Machias on August 24, 2021, 12:35:07 PM
Nice looking mule in your profile photo.

Thanks. "Red" is everything bad you'd expect from trying to ride a retired pack mule and everything good you'd hope for when wanting a friendly mule that's not likely to kill you. And he's good company for our mare. LOL

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eop3x6cNU_p50vJe1t5LgP-bBXJ1jqvXXAuhmOEeo4QS6G4LornbfhybcNxbrmDh29UIJo2hV-w2mtjYJtRd0blEsqTSpBHFngne91eJs_mJnren_e1jjwUfQHsn_bgwZCs8Ovk9ZXsZTcBO2Y4vWjXSmHls-yju0_WRWsZawdm1xn4HX_gFVrdKGaxP83_5rgqrAJsY89GidLVd4bYnr87hjVf0EbCh50LhKmKevzFUCgglqXAgIOE0hQSnphXQ5P0ce8K2PeTg1GdF4eaE7drxPvkYAToeGqx-7QBObeR5q2XbduuFkvg3dT0YRSzFcWLV3m2R72D63v5hX1HcNkfeRxSzQvolg9XNUWkomkgaIxA7KVSKGDZFD38EGEtsBE3CoRhxMacWEICsL3VVe0wyH1JZDO8fQtUbBNBZqgfvmtpBaXyINP6kie6IDczWSEG9_54aXFaVWxIOcpStn1wL94uTsrZXmvvawx5W9v4ZC3yXPABIVH5A9McklBiwfdE-oTLeuVvCsXIPIDD2r_s5GMPIM5L79vtlfCoI7mX-TP4FSaXMt2bowFtYaTTTk4KgmVlIMwhs6lWm-w_I9PddJ1vqkrjK2oXkmKcVjU3rivfojpzP3ktdMAblxSNU2MzEhnhrFEQ7Y9E349zawZOf7Ju35r7Fua-RIkmP-L1nOrPtTIZZxIK0wZNF3hvqA2LcqW4Z6c6xe4sl-GVM0pMq=w1080-h810-no?authuser=0)
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: spadebit on August 24, 2021, 11:42:58 PM: A friend of mine and I were moving cattle in a basin, his horse started bucking and farted down hill towards the bottom where the cows were. After his horse ran over a few small pines, a bear jumped out to his right which spooked his horse even more and sent him flying for a hard fall. While laughing I watched that bear run hard almost right into the herd and both couldnt of cared less. When the horse got to the bottom, it had calmed down a bit and started pushing the cows and biting the slower ones in the direction we needed them to go.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: bearpaw on August 25, 2021, 05:46:17 AM: Some of my best bear hunting is on cattle ranches, cattle don't matter to bear. Bear totally follow the food, find the best food and you'll find bear.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: The100Road on August 25, 2021, 12:57:08 PM: So I hearing that bear don’t mind cattle but do cattle mind bear? If the cattle are there does that mean that the bear are not? Would the cattle move on if they had bear in the area?
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: bearpaw on August 25, 2021, 01:28:03 PM: Quote from: The100Road on August 25, 2021, 12:57:08 PM
So I hearing that bear don’t mind cattle but do cattle mind bear? If the cattle are there does that mean that the bear are not? Would the cattle move on if they had bear in the area?

As long as the bear leave the cattle alone and most do not seem to bother the cattle at all, I don't think the cattle care! Several ranches I hunt have cattle all over them, same with forest grazing allotments and timber company lands that are also grazed. The cattle are way more concerned when the wolves start watching them!
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: Broomd on August 25, 2021, 05:39:48 PM: They leave ours alone....grin.
Title: Re: Do bears avoid cattle?
Post by: BreezyBear on August 25, 2021, 06:54:58 PM: Got this pic of a bear wandering towards a couple of cows, it was the bear that took off once it realized it wasn't the only thing there.