Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: sled on August 02, 2010, 09:38:53 PM

Title: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: sled on August 02, 2010, 09:38:53 PM: So I found a trail tonight out of a swamp that crosses a gravel road. The grass was wet on the side of the road from it crossing, and the gravel is dirty three quarters across the road. I must have just missed it. Looks to me that it is frequently used. My question is how often do bears use the same trail, and do they use them around the same time everyday?
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: carpsniperg2 on August 02, 2010, 09:50:47 PM: kinda hard to tell they use them but without a camera to know for sure is a hard thing to do. there could be other animals that use it as well. i think it might be worth a shot. depending on pressure they get i would say it might be a good idea to check out ;)
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: saylean on August 02, 2010, 09:54:42 PM: Theres a trail I know of that just about daily in sept they get used between 4-6 pm. Different bears, same trail, every year.

I am sure other animals use this trail too, but its a good spot for me to take an afternoon nap.
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: Jamieb on August 02, 2010, 09:57:23 PM: Bears have a huge range and follow the food. With a trail cam you might be able to patern a bear but he'll move on looking for more food pretty fast.
YMMV but I dont think bears stay in a area more then a few days at a time.
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: Bscman on August 02, 2010, 10:04:57 PM: I'd set up on the area...as long as the food source is there, and it's not recieving a lot of pressure, it is likely to stick to it's routine--until something changes (food source). Just don't be disappointed if you don't see it next time you set up around the same time. I've found trails where the same bear(s) follow the same trails pretty much daily...and right about the same time of day. I've also found trails where a bear may use it a couple times sporatically or any/all times of day.

Try it for a couple days, keeping conscious of where/how you set up so you don't give the bears any hints that something isn't right.

FWIW, I've been watching an area for two weeks and am continually seeing the same (small) bear feeding in the same area...using the same trails in and out. I keep going back because I keep finding fresh sign from what appears to be a much bigger bear.
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on August 02, 2010, 10:22:56 PM: Quote
Bears have a huge range and follow the food. With a trail cam you might be able to patern a bear but he'll move on looking for more food pretty fast.

If food is there, the bear will stick around that area until a different food ripens or he/she's pushed out by humans or another bear. If food remains, then more bears will frequent the area. A bear's pallet will change with the season and foods available. Bears are tough to pattern by the clock though. Meaning, that the same bear that was there at 5pm one day might not pass through even within an hour or two the next day or the next. But a different bear might swing that way at a different time of day. Bears are eating a lot of grasses now, pealing trees/bark, rotten stumps infested with bugs/termites, as the berries ripen they'll move on to them.

I was in a spot on Friday where I'm told by a retired BOL person that a young Griz territory is overlapping a big Sow Blackie that has a 1 1/2yr old cub still hanging around her. Each of them eating pretty much the same foods. We stumbled into 6 Grouse in the same area within a one hour hike. Plenty of food for them and more coming as the hucks and salmon berries ripen. Found a big pile of scat that had grass and what appeared to be Yote hair in it. (I don't think it was deer/fawn hair) Would be a great place to hunt, but I don't want to call in a Griz at all.. No matter what the age. Think I'll stay away.

Good luck with your found/bear location. Hit it quick before someone/something else has an effect on the area.

-Steve
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: lewy on August 03, 2010, 06:31:14 AM: Buy a cheap trail cam and all ur questions will be answed......good luck
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: kbdavear on August 03, 2010, 02:50:05 PM: Quote from: saylean on August 02, 2010, 09:54:42 PM
Theres a trail I know of that just about daily in sept they get used between 4-6 pm. Different bears, same trail, every year.

I am sure other animals use this trail too, but its a good spot for me to take an afternoon nap.

You might need to show me that one, so I can confirm it, okay. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Found a bear trail tonight. Help with Question please!
Post by: saylean on August 03, 2010, 07:53:37 PM: My brother showed me it about 4 years ago...said he would wake up from his nap and see bears half the time crossing....

Sadly, my bro doesnt hunt the area any more, so I took over and turned out to be true.