Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: Sideswipe on April 17, 2008, 07:44:46 PM

Title: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Sideswipe on April 17, 2008, 07:44:46 PM: You'd think that being lucky enough to be one of the 20 in the North Skagit hunt would mean lucky enough to at least see a bear. Scouted twice as far as my legs would pedal my bike up the Hamilton mainline. Got a thrill dodging log trucks, saw some grouse. I thought the Nooksak elk herd was almost endangered....sign all over the place! Spent today out there-this time w/a DNR gate key my Jeep & I was pack'in. When I got up high some of the snow drifts were up to my windows at roadside. No tracks, skat, or peeled trees (new or old) yet. Biggest challenge is trying to read the DNR map-better than sitting at home though. I think the bears forgot to set their alarms. OK-now I'd like to hear from you guys.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: RubblesPH on April 17, 2008, 08:03:04 PM: Spent the better part of Monday, all of Tuesday and half of Wednesday up turkey hunting in the Blues. Covered a lot of ground between the 4-wheeler and glassing -saw one bear down real low behind a ranchers house. Seems pretty late this year, but we were still getting snow during the hunt and the weather forecast is calling for more snow for the next several days.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: jackelope on April 17, 2008, 08:11:11 PM: sounds like great turkey hunting weather. did you manage any birds?
i'm headed over tomorrow. i don't care about the weather, it'll be good just to get out of dodge for the weekend.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: RubblesPH on April 17, 2008, 08:23:25 PM: Ya, one of the guys took a jake and the other one took a nice gobbler. Unfortunately I lost my first bird this year. Had two shots in him -one on the ground and one flying. He set his wings and glided over the hill side. Searched for him forever and never did find him - pretty bummed - hate to lose a wounded animal....really nice yard bird.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Rhinoron247 on April 17, 2008, 11:36:25 PM: We spent the last 6 days in the Lick. We drove to the end of every road until the snow stopped us. We hiked another 2 - 6 miles each day with not so much as a fresh Bear sign. The snow is gone on most of the south slopes but the green up is still a few weeks off. (Sooner if the weather would hold). It was 85 Sunday and it snowed Tuesday night. I'm sure there are some bears out and about, but no sign of them in areas we have always seen them. Was very strange.

Were gonna hold out for another week or two then hit it hard with the horses.

There were Turkeys every where, even had then in camp one evening.

Would love to hear what others have seem or not seen?
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: BLUEBULLS on April 18, 2008, 05:45:05 AM: with gas at 3... or 4.. ahh, whatever it is today, I'd probably wait until the last week of may or so. actually, i'd probably be up there everyday if i had the tag but being realistic the last week will be the best by far. I walked 18 miles of the Tucannon unit last saturday and no bear sign. RhinoRon247, I'm heading back up tonight so i'll give you a snow report when i get back.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 18, 2008, 05:50:32 AM: Did anyone draw that Monroe bear permit. I put in but no luck on drawing. Keith
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Timberstalker on April 18, 2008, 08:14:35 AM: Rhino if your wanting good bears up in the Lick, follow the elk stay up high and get on the onions. took a 6'5" jet blonde out of there in 2005 on the spring hunt. You got a chance to filter through a lot of bears take your time size em up. Good luck!
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Rhinoron247 on April 18, 2008, 09:19:32 AM: 10-4 on that. I did find a group of 200 + Elk up in the Blue Grass / Wheat flats but did not think to hang. They were bedded out in the open and just outside the boundary. Shot some video and left them alone.

I took a great cinnamon in 03 and the gal took a big black in the 04. Until this weekend we haven't been back.

Thank you so much for the tips any help is greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Rhinoron247 on April 18, 2008, 09:23:22 AM: Quote from: BLUEBULLS on April 18, 2008, 05:45:05 AM
with gas at 3... or 4.. ahh, whatever it is today, I'd probably wait until the last week of may or so. actually, i'd probably be up there everyday if i had the tag but being realistic the last week will be the best by far. I walked 18 miles of the Tucannon unit last saturday and no bear sign. RhinoRon247, I'm heading back up tonight so i'll give you a snow report when i get back.

Thanks for info, got your vm when I got home. I know it will be better later but it is hard to stay away. We are going try and save some dough on fuel and wait till the first week in May to go back. We talked to a few locals and got permission to hunt some posted areas. They saw bears last fall while wood cutting so I hope they will be in the area.

Let me know what you see when your up there.

Thanks
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Bearhunter on April 18, 2008, 09:39:21 AM: Been up scouting in the skagit once and a buddy once. Its pretty scarce up there right now. Not much for sign or peeled trees. The grass is a couple weeks out like stated and its snowing up there right now. Im looking to capitalize Mid May hopefully. The map does suck, and whats even worse is where theres supposed to be DNR locks theres not, so you cant even access some of the damage areas. One of my go to spots for later in the season the road is washed out up the 200, and I sure they wont be fixing it any time soon. Give it a couple weeks and theyll be around! :twocents:
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: billythekidrock on April 18, 2008, 04:33:46 PM: You won't start seeing many peeled trees for at least a few more weeks, if not a month. When you notice the fir trees have bright green tips (fresh growth) is about the time you should notice peels.

I have not been out, haven't even picked up my access permit. May try to hook up and call for someone hunting the CF unit.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: bearmanric on April 18, 2008, 07:24:46 PM: seen a dandy brown bear wed. :o of course i was turkey hunting in colville. he kept standing up and shaking 10 foot pine tree's. not sure why. i might head to copalis around wed. Rick
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Ghost Hunter on April 18, 2008, 09:54:49 PM: Thinking about a day trip to CF Sunday, scout and calling. Next weekend, we're gonna plan on a 3 day weekend. Hoping for some better weather :dunno: BTKR, let me know what your plans are, might could use a veteran caller :chuckle:
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Shannon on April 18, 2008, 10:09:06 PM: I am trying to figure out the politics behind Sierra wanting a depradation hunt on there property but not allowing access to there property. Go figure! Success will be pretty low if you can't access most of there property. I wasted $100 bucks in gas and my access was less than 40% on gates I was suppose to be able to get in. I don't understand it. If you do have the DNR key be careful on being locked in behind Sierra Gates that were open when you went through but got locked after the loggers left and the key that was suppose to open that gate does not. I have found even the DNR gates have a 1-1 lock that I did not get a key to on a fair amount of them. I will quit complaining because I am happy to be hunting but I can't figure why I don't have the Sierra key and they won't give it out. It will definitely concentrate our efforts. Good luck to everyone with the tag. Side swipe- I think I met you when we were picking up our keys. I talked to you for a bit and you mentioned you had been riding your bike in. It's a small world.
Shannon
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: billythekidrock on April 19, 2008, 05:53:03 AM: Quote from: Ghost Hunter on April 18, 2008, 09:54:49 PM
Thinking about a day trip to CF Sunday, scout and calling. Next weekend, we're gonna plan on a 3 day weekend. Hoping for some better weather :dunno: BTKR, let me know what your plans are, might could use a veteran caller :chuckle:

I am hoping that the weather will get better (too cold to sleep in my truck) and if it does I will probably hunt the coast. I may take a drive out today and if I see anything interesting I will let ya know.
Next weekend
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: billythekidrock on April 19, 2008, 06:03:55 AM: Quote
I am trying to figure out the politics behind Sierra wanting a depradation hunt on there property but not allowing access to there property. Go figure! Success will be pretty low if you can't access most of there property.

So I have two thoughts on this and depending on the amount of damage I am sure one of them is right.

1. Are they concentrating the hunters in the areas with the most timber damage?
Is there alot of peeled / dead or dying trees? How much bear sign are you seeing? Since this is also on DNR land I would try to contact someone within the agency to see where the most damage is.

2. Most likely this is the F&G giving an "opportunity" to hunt which allows them to sell more applications. The unit I was drawn for is all private timber land and this year they are charging a small access fee. There is no major bear damage in this unit and they still run the dogs in there. Last year most of the gates were locked and I did get locked behind a gate during the spring bear season.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: SuperDave on April 19, 2008, 07:03:00 AM: Quote from: Shannon on April 18, 2008, 10:09:06 PM
I am trying to figure out the politics behind Sierra wanting a depradation hunt on there property but not allowing access to there property. Go figure! I have thought this all along and that this hunt is strictly a revenue for the WDFW. Let people buy the tags and permit applications and give out a few a tags. Bears aren't out in the open, they are in the timber this time of year. Success rates will be pretty low. I think the later the better. When does the season close?
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: billythekidrock on April 19, 2008, 07:18:10 AM: Quote
Bears aren't out in the open, they are in the timber this time of year. Success rates will be pretty low

These (Westside) are supposed to be damage hunts and in the timber is where the damages occurs. The success rates aren't supposed to be high, but it would be nice to know there are a few critters around.
My beef is "why a damage hunt when there is no damage?".
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: BrushChimp on April 19, 2008, 08:39:02 AM: Seems to me, damage hunts are preventative and responsive. Responsive because they can be used to help stop further damage. Preventative because if there isn't any damage there yet, it doesn't mean there won't be.
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Bearhunter on April 19, 2008, 04:44:34 PM: There is suppose to be a lot of peeled trees in the unit, but so far I havent found any freshly peeled and very few that have been peeled in the past. It just doesnt make alot of since to give out 20 damage tags and not give access into the areas that have been damaged. From what I have heard is Sierra has went away from having the hound guys kill the bears for them, and gone to this spring boot hunt. You want the problem bears taken care of, allow us the access!
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: billythekidrock on April 19, 2008, 04:50:32 PM: You won't find any fresh peels for awhile yet, but you should be able to find some red flags or dead trees if they have been peeling there in the past.

I am not familiar with Serria, their practices or the general area for that matter so I must plead ignorance. My question is are they keeping you out or just not opening the gates? Have they given you a map of the area?
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: hogsniper on April 19, 2008, 05:03:16 PM: Sierra is a bunch of B/S...they allow the Indians to run wild on their land and keep the boot hunters out...I dont understand anything they are doing up there and it is getting really irritating just dealing with the idiots...And what you said bearhunter they are supposed to only allow boot hunters but for some reason hound hunters are running around all over in the surrounding units.....
Title: Re: Spring Bear Hunters-Any Results??
Post by: Rhinoron247 on April 19, 2008, 10:11:18 PM: Quote from: Timberstalker on April 18, 2008, 08:14:35 AM
Rhino if your wanting good bears up in the Lick, follow the elk stay up high and get on the onions. took a 6'5" jet blonde out of there in 2005 on the spring hunt. You got a chance to filter through a lot of bears take your time size em up. Good luck!

Timber, got any pics of your blonde? Would love to see them.