Went out Saturday for Black Bear

[heatherdaddy]

Well went out again for Black bear on Saturday and saw lots of fresh bear crap but still no bears. The only thing we saw was a car upside down in the Silver Skagit River, a doe and 3 Grouse and 3 Bunnies. The freshest bear crap we saw was right in the middle of the main logging road it looked to be about 1-2hrs old as it was still warm for early in the morning. We sat in the bushes and waited beside some fairly fresh bear crap on an old logging road and saw nothing, decided to go up another logging road to a clear cut and startled a doe who didn't even see us till she about 20ft from us, then she walked away without a care. But it looks like my bear season is over til the fall when I try again as well as for deer and moose. I hope I do better in the fall then I did now.

[Fella]

With all the traffic up that way I suspect bears wouldn't be active until close to last light when everyone has given up and gone home...

[heatherdaddy]

Surprisingly enough there wasnt much traffic at all, we encountered 2 other hunters and 3 people going to Ross lake that was it, but we far off the main roads anyways.

[Fella]

Wow, that's lucky. Everyone I've talked to who has tried to hunt up there in the past has come back shaking their heads at the amount of people they encounter.

[olympia]

Wow, that's lucky. Everyone I've talked to who has tried to hunt up there in the past has come back shaking their heads at the amount of people they encounter.

yeah no kidding, I have gone up there in the middle of the week in rainy weather and still bump into people.

[caddisguy]

Last fall was my first season hunting it, but the Skagit Valley has been my favorite stomping ground for the last 20 years. I know pretty much every nook and cranny in that valley--between Manning and Chilliwack--but for the last decade it's been a zoo and worse every season. There's a different vehicle flipped off the road every couple weeks and there's been a few nasty head-on collisions in recent years. Fatal hit and run a couple years ago too and just left the lady in the ditch to die. A couple years back, I pulled over to let a Cherokee pass and watch her fly down the road, staying in the middle while making corners with no visibility. I guess she panicked when encountering another vehicle and flew off the road. Lucky after rolling most of the way down a steep hill that a couple of trees stopped her from entering a rapid Silver River.

Camps along the road are full of garbage that even bears won't touch, human excrement, toiletries, box spring matresses, etc. despite regular clean-up efforts. Even found some make-shift yuppy-watch-too-much-bear-grylls-and-tried-to-impress-girlfriend snare traps and pointy sticks more likely to kill a mountain biker or jogger than an animal. Last Sunday afternoon, counted 60-70 cars heading in while we were heading out. According to ecological studies conducted in the 1980's as I recall, deer hunting is successful 1 out of every 40 "hunting days", meaning if 40 hunters spend a day hunting or 1 hunter spends 40 days hunting, it should result in a deer. There are lots of bear, deer and cats out there but it is only occasionally that a stupid one will wander out on the road, or neglect to get off the road the second a car engine is heard. That's you're 1/40.

There can be some good hunting in there if you're willing to go hardcore to increase your odds. Most game is within the Skagit watershed covered by the provincial park, but you have to know where to go and make sure you are 400M from any road (not just the main road). I'd say unless you want to play the 1/40 hunting day odds--probably less now than the 1980's-- plan to hike in and pack out the meat at least 2km. 5km away from where an ATV can go is more realistic though. There is even some "fair" hunting before the park boundary.

Spring bear season might be better spent scouting for fall. Sure, scout with a rifle if you're out next weekend while it's still bear season, but go hike into some places, do some scouting, maybe throw up a trail cam or two. Road hunting and semi-road hunting (within 1km of your car) you might get lucky, but the odds are against you. Check out some clubtread threads for the region and you can get some good ideas where you want to be.

It's s horrible and selfish thing to say and I know it would block some hunters, but I honestly wish they'd just maintain the road once every 3-4 years or so and let it be cratorville. It would stop most--but not all--of the stupidity, like the dumped canopies, trailers, etc. There was even a nice hidden cabin tucked away, way up a mountain that required lots of effort to get to. Even that got trashed and torched by idiots.

But yes, loads of bear crap all over the roads/trails--I have a gallery of pictures and other sign if anyone is interested in turds and munched-on plants--but we only got close to one bear during legal shooting light, and it knew to stay in creek surrounding by thick cover that nobody in their right mind would attempt. Those bears that crap on the road are just messing with you.

[caddisguy]

Fresh for sure, but gone before you're within sight and not coming back out until you're gone.

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/P1010028_zps508d05af.jpg

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/5df547b8-82e9-417d-b738-27830a06f7e9_zps56a03407.jpg?t=1402259140


http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/P1010009_zpsbcef347d.jpg

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/morepoop_zps77577fdd.jpg
Now if only we were hunting for turds... life would be easy... but you gotta go find the bear that left the "screw you turd" and gave you the slip at a good notch when you were still 800M away. Creeping quietly through the bush--hard when it's so thick--into the wind, paying attention to thermals and wind deflection is the way to go, but there's a decent chance it's a sow with cubs anyway. Tough hunting, but I love a good challenge.

[caddisguy]

Hope you're all not eating lunch, but here's some bonus crap I found. I thought it was a little big for a deer though? ~caddisguy, the dung huntin crap slinger


http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/P1010020_zps5a7facba.jpg

[olympia]

the very bottom pic looks like moose, elk crap looks similar but has a little point on one end usually. Anyone else out there know for sure?