Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: willesee on July 12, 2011, 09:29:05 PM
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Hey everyone, as the topic says Im new to bear hunting, but am planning on starting with the season this August on Ft. Lewis (JBLM) since Im stationed there. Any tips or other military members who plan on hunting the area and need some company give me a shout! It looks like my biggest issue will be finding hunting buddies to go with, because I dont like to go out by myself due to safety. Also any tips on blinds vs. stands would be appreciated because I have a good blind but am thinking of getting a stand if it makes that much of a difference. Thanks!
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Howdee and thanks for your service. I would recommend getting a call or two from Bearmanric and Rainshadow and try predator calling one in. Do a search on here, several good threads on how to do it. You won't need a stand or a blind for that. Most bear hunting is done from the ground and quite a bit of area needs to be covered usually, so stands and blinds just get in the way. Good luck!
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Welcome. Probably my first suggestion would be to keep in mind some regs that may be different from wherever you are used to. Number one is no bait. That would include scents, food stuffs, or any artificial product. Pretty much anything you can think of. Find some berries and other natural food source they are feeding on and just sit on it. Eventually, the bear will show. You can of course keep your eyes out for scat and tree peels.
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The last bear I saw on Ft. Lewis was back around '91 or so. Out the range road towards 507, I think it is....
There are bear on Ft. Lewis....find the berries, find the bear. Oh...also try out the tank trail by Cat Lake (at least that is what they used to call it)....
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I am new to the area as well. I have had alot of success hunting whitetail in Ga but never hunted bear. I have my tags and I will go out with you on Aug 1 to see if we can kill anything. Hit me back.
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I will be doing some bear hunting on ft. lewis as well. It will be my first time hunting the base. I'd be happy to hook up and go hunting with you. I'm used to hunting in PA, but a black bear is a black bear. I'm available to hunt weekends and some evenings after work. I work on mcchord, so I'm real close by. Let me know.
Tim
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YOU MIGHT CHECK WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE FOLKS ON POST. MY FATHER WAS A DOD WORKER FOR 30+ YEARS AND WORKED WITH THEM DOING FOREST FIRE FIGHTING AND STREAM REPAIR NEARLY EVERY SUMMER. THEY ALWAYS HAD A GOOD READ ON GAME REPORTS AS THEY HAD A LOT OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE FIELD AND DOING STUDIES. THERE ARE DEFINIATLEY BEARS THERE NEAR THE NISQUALLY RIVER AND MUCK CREEK. SAW MY FIRST BEAR TREE MARKING ON A OLD CEDAR SCRATCH MARKS ABOUT 7 FEET UP ONE TIME. I LIVE IN LACEY AND WAS DRIVING OUT TO YELM IN JUNE AND SAW A SMALLER BEAR RUN ACROSS THE HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE SOUTHWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEAR THE NISQUALLY INDIAN RESERVATION. MY NEIGHBOR IS A DRIVER FOR THE RED WIND CASINO AND SAW ONE ? THE SAME BEAR TWO WEEKS LATER ABOUT A MILE FROM WHERE I SAW MINE. HE HOWEVER STATES HIS WAS A LARGE ADULT BEAR. A LITTLE HARDER SINCE YOU CAN ONLY USE SHOTGUNS AND ARCHERY HUNTING ON POST BUT IF YOU HUNT THE NISQUALLY RIVER AREA AND ALL THE BERRIES RIPE I THINK YOU MIGHT INCREASE YOU LUCK. GOOD LUCK
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Is there any other way to hunt for bear, or other Big Game, than with a bow? :dunno: You don't have to walk so far to get to your kill, and that means less distance to drag it.
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You can meet up with me and my buddie next time we go out bear hunting. we saw 2 bears this year on JBLM (close to roy). We will be bow hunting fyi. Ill send you a message when that time comes around. Good luck, hope to see you out there.
Nate
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PM me when you plan to go out. The good news is the base is FULL of bear. Guy got mauled in the woods next to the prison last year walking his dog. The issue is going to be weapon selection. Unfortunately scouting is another issue. It's hard to get centerfire rifle areas predictably sometimes and they generally don't have much in the way of options once most of the deer hunters are done. I've got a few calls and will be growing my lanyard out this year. PM me if you need some company. I don't like the idea of hunting alone when the "prey" can kill me either. :chuckle:
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I live in Federal Way and will, also, being out for bear with my bow. If y'all don't mind, I'd, also like to hook up with you. I agree there is safety in numbers and more especially if what you are hunting has the capabillity of making hamburger out of you in less time than it takes to say it.
Please, keep me in mind and PM me if you would like some company in scouting/preparing. I am new to Ft Lewis and access, as a retiree, is no problem.
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i would definitely go with you if only the USAF would give me orders out there:(, been stuck @ McGuire for 10 years and trying to get to McChord ever since i got here. Good luck to you
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I live in Federal Way and will, also, being out for bear with my bow. If y'all don't mind, I'd, also like to hook up with you. I agree there is safety in numbers and more especially if what you are hunting has the capabillity of making hamburger out of you in less time than it takes to say it.
Please, keep me in mind and PM me if you would like some company in scouting/preparing. I am new to Ft Lewis and access, as a retiree, is no problem.
You guys are a bunch of babies!! Trying to kill a bear with a bow with more than one person is 4X harder than by yourself. You have much greater chance of getting struck by lightning than being mauled by a black bear.
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Just flippin' you guys crap by the way, close quarters with jaws and teeth will get anyone puckered up!
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Not only is there safety in numbers AKBowman, but it makes packing out much easier. You do the math; one hunter carring out a 300 lb bore or 4 nunters carring out that same bore. It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist. :dunno:
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Yeah theres safety in numbers no doubt. It just seems it makes it harder to besuccessful sometimes when there is more than one guy in a group. I doubt there would be much of a pack coming out of Ft Lewis though, lots of roads and trails :dunno:
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Point well taken.
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remember the saying, the eagle saw it fall, the deer heard it fall, and the bear smelled it fall... it is a good idea having huntn partners but when it comes to bear you will have better success if you split up and it keeps the scent down as well, but smelling like a big fat fresh doughnut might just icrease your chances as well. good luck to who ever gets out there to ft. lewis :tup:
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Referring to an earlier thread about hunting bear on Ft. Lewis, I am counting down to 1 Aug when I can get out on Ft. Lewis and try my luck. I have a self climbing treestand that I carry on my back, in case I see the oppertunity to use it.
My finger is itching somethin' real awful and I need a bruin to help it.
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I hunt bear and deer on base and have for the last 3 years there are plenty of bears. Finding them is a pain but they are there
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Area 4 is good and Area 8 tends to have a few. Area 4 doesn't open often though. Good luck
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I remember reading, in other threads that bear had been seen in areas 8, 9, 10, 11, and 18, but that was a while ago. I have tried talking with the Outdoor Rec people, to no avail. I will try 'Strange' Control; perhaps they can shed some light. :dunno:
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They restricted our training flights greatly over the range so much that I've only flown over it once since those aircraft had a midair out there. With that said I haven't heard anyone see anything out there in the past 6 months. Aerial scouting of other areas has located some nice deer and elk though :chuckle: :tup:
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Don't forget to do the annual course at the rod and gun club. Or was it at the range control. :dunno: one of them. I have pulled some nice ones off Ft. Lewis years ago. I will again in the future but probably not this year.
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The class is at the northwest adventure center on north fort lewis. I believe the outdoor rec on mcchord will do it but I'm not certain.
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I'll give it a shot with someone. Just need to figure out what needs to be done first at the adventure center.
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You have to take the class and it explains all the entry rules to the area's and the call in/sign in method. Then they will give you a schedule of their open areas. If you are hunting rifle, you have to register it with the provost marshal (size, serial number and type). Then go hunt in the area you signed into.
Years ago back in the 80s the state shut down hunting because of the fire danger, I took my dad out there and got us set up with the class and we hunted out in the training area. Being federal land they didn't close like the rest of the state.
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ta 4 is great for bears Ive got pics of around 30 bears out there around sawmill lake. i was getting allot of good pics till i was told that trail cams aren't aloud on base and i forgot to ask at the adventure center when i was there.does anyone know if i was told right or someone just pulling my chain? if they are ok to have i would love to get some more pics. i did post most of the bear pics i got last year
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Seen plenty of bear out there. Too bad they seem to like it were there are plenty of people...One at Madigan gate last year, another at Old Madigan... Another crossed the road at the light where you go past 1st Special Forces compound.. This is just the last two years!
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Don't forget the guy walking his dog last summer that got slapped by one 3 times up by engineer bluffs. Dog ran off. Dog ran back with bear in toe. Dude got nasty slashes chest back face. Luckily after the third slap the bear left.
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They were correct, Don't get caught puting a cam up on base. It is considered to be videoing troop movement and jail time could follow. :bdid: I would love to put up a trail cam also but like my freedom to much.
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no cams thats news to me i got one out there now and range control and the northwest adventure center know i have it out there hell i have even left mesages on the range control voice mail check in saying im going to change the batteries in my trail camera
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I went to base last week to talk to range controle. They told me that trail cams where Ok. I put 1 up over the weekend and 2 more today
