Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: GeoSwan on September 15, 2025, 01:54:41 PM

Title: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: GeoSwan on September 15, 2025, 01:54:41 PM: Does anyone go out from mid October to mid November? I'd imagine they would be putting a lot of energy into fat storage and might be less skittish due to food motivation. Kind of like how a buck gets careless during the rut. I'd also guess that human traffic is much lower due to it being the only rifle season open and the REI crowd thinks it's too cold or something.
Any thoughts? Thanks.
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: bkaech on September 15, 2025, 09:54:14 PM: Just like any bear hunting, it is all about finding the food source. Once the berries have finished in the fall you just have to try to find what they might be eating, which is going to vary based on your location. I think it can be harder because they aren't moving as much, without a solid food source and cooler weather they start moving less. I am not sure what you mean by less traffic, rifle deer and elk seasons are in Oct and Nov, so there are lots of hunters in the woods then.
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: Pathfinder101 on September 16, 2025, 08:03:33 AM: Purely anecdotal, but I don't see them after about Nov 1st. Probably has to do with them switching food sources and not being in the areas they are earlier in the year, but in my mind, bear activity "stops" in Nov. I doubt they're hibernating yet, I just never see them... :dunno:
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: JakeLand on September 16, 2025, 08:09:59 AM: Earliest I’ve ever shot a bear is October 4th and latest was on the last day November 15th all have been cruising cuts
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: Matcrisp12 on September 16, 2025, 08:34:22 AM: I was looking for a bear this weekend. I found some poop that was at least a few days old. I hung a camera Sunday and the next day at 11am a cougar walked by, then by 1pm a mamma bear and two cubs walked by. Cool, but I'm not sure it helps me fill my freezer. The only berries still growing were white snow berries. I'll keep hunting bear in September because by late fall I'll be busy with deer and elk season.
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: JDArms1240 on September 16, 2025, 08:39:58 AM: Not very experienced bear hunter here: I have read that in the late season, when food becomes scarce, calling could be a good strategy. Which is something I want to try, I plan on trying a fawn in distress call, it might be interesting to see who shows their face.
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: dilleytech on September 24, 2025, 01:31:59 PM: I have found as the days get shorter there’s less reason to be out during daylight hours and they become a little more nocturnal. Called in a dandy a couple years ago October 31. He was mowing down mushrooms.
Title: Re: Hows the late season bear hunting?
Post by: dilleytech on October 25, 2025, 07:57:00 AM: Killed two bears this week, called on in on Wednesday up high around the huckleberry fields. Shot another yesterday in the oaks feasting on acorns. There were a ridiculous number of bears in this area. We had a really good acorn crop this year and all the bears seemed to be pretty honed in on them. I seen 6 bears all together yesterday. Latest in the season bears I have killed.