Harrison vs. Squamish bear options

[ab3]

Been at it a couple times in the last week with not much to show for my bear hunting efforts. Last week was up West Harrison. During the week, but there was tons of traffic. Cut blocks seem to be fairly grown in as well. Tough to glass.
Wondering if a change of scenery is in order, so was thinking Squamish area.
Does anyone have any thoughts regarding whether I'd be better off plugging away at the Harrison or would ai be better off in the Squamish area.
Thanks

[oscargot]

LOL wow I made the same post! Hope we both get some responses!

[vincentcui]

According to my recent experience, Squamish is a better option. My father (rifle) and my friend (bow) each bagged a black bear there, and one of the bear was beautifully colour-phased. The travel restriction kinda f**ked us all; we normally hunt in region 3 or 5 for spring bears. Region 2 bears are smaller in size and do not offer a wide range of colour phasing.

[net sync]

While I have never hunted Bears, I have seen them in the back country North of Squamish when I wasn't looking for them.

Good Luck

[albravo2]

I don't spend as much time in the Squamish Valley as I used to and somebody from HBC told me it is getting pretty nutty up there.

I do know there are bears. Not lots of them but they aren't scarce either. Keep in mind they eat a lot of fish before hibernation.

[whitlers]

There are some large bears on the West side of Harrison if you know where to look. Get up high and glass the opposite valley looking at greened up cuts and old spur roads.

[Leveraction]

Holy smokes, talk about my thoughts in a post. Due to this travel ban that has handcuffed us to our so-called regions.
Ive spent the last 5 of 7 weekends flip flopping from Harrison or Squamish.
What observed was this.
Harrison, lots of campers, tenters, a fair bit of active logging, quite a few random gates across forestry access roads.
I like to hike, so if the cut block is older and the road either closed, or deactivated and they have Excavated a large section of the road out, I’ll hike the road keeping quiet, glass the the hill sides if there are some, taking time and paying attention to what’s on the path which in this case is little to no bear scat.
Squamish, campers hikers, tenters, backpackers, campers , hikers, tenters , backpackers , if you stay low down and near any body of water, that is all I was able to see. Getting up higher in elevation, you will lose the campers, tenters, but the hikers and backpackers are still present.
Ive never been one to spend 8-10 hours driving bush roads and call that hunting, but holy smokes, the amount of people driving around bush roads wearing camouflage clothing speaks of a massive sale I must have missed.
I try to find deactivated roads and hike them as nobody can drive in behind me while I’m walking.
except the dirt bike, bbrrr,bbrrr, bbrrr coming up from the valley below and sure a shit they take a left a right a right and 2nd left and end up right behind me, see me carrying my rifle , binoculars around my neck, and rip past me like they are going to a camouflage clothing sale.
anyway what I noticed north of Squamish was some large diameter bear scat ( more than Harrison ) but it was up high in the alpine, and not within 15 minutes of the truck.
for those scenarios I have an ice fishing tote sled bought it at the bass pro passing thru Calgary many years ago, Great for packing your fishing gear 200 yards out onto the ice but it’s also awesome full putting your animal in it ( deer or bear , moose quarters ).

taking this weekend off, but last weekend of season not decided, likely west side of Harrison only because it’s not so mountainous compared to Squamish.

good luck

[ab3]

excellent info lever. Thanks for the help