Region 8 - where’s the bears?

[andrew5]

Hi All,

with roughly 40-50 hours scouting mostly on foot and still hunting since late august, I have seen very limited bear sign, and none on my three trail cams since mid august.

I believe the general rule is that they are up high on north slopes eating berries, but I haven’t glassed any either.

I am wondering if the bad berry year due to heat, and the wildfires have pushed them somewhere else. More down in ag fields / vineyards / orchards?

really hoping to try my hand at rendering bear fat this fall.

many advice or insight from fellow region 8 HBCers is appreciated.

[JG75]

On my trail Cam in R-8 I have 4 different bears 2 of those were sows with 2 cubs each. There's one big boar around but I have never seen them while out hunting. I have mine set up on a small pond/ meadow in relatively low elevation, there is a ton of Rosehips around as well, idk if that helps you or not. I don't think there's a decline in population throughout the area. Bears are just very evasive. They're scent is probably 10x as strong as a deers and they move extremely quiet and mostly nocturnal. I imagine as the temperatures cool down they're gonna get more active in trying to bulk up for the winter. Only times I've gotten a fall bear have been in Oct/ November

[andrew5]

Thanks for the help. I’ve been told it’s harder to target fall bear vs spring bear, as they seem to be more elusive in the Fall. I imagine rose hips would be a good food source to focus on as the weather gets cooler and their hyperphagia phase intensifies. Not interested in a salmon bear so streams in region 2 isn’t an option.

[longwalk]

Behind my house in 8-15.

[Bugle M In]

Some years, you run into a bear around every second corner and other times you dont see a single one in a week long hunt.
Rosehips are definitely a prime food source right now for them.
Drive around til you find fresh bear scat on the road, especially where rosehips grow along side of it.
Bear wont be too far from there usually.
They meander a lot, but along a road, they tend to just walk along grabbing rosehips for several km's.

[ghunter4x4]

North Narmata road across from every orchard there.

[Linksman313]

in my car port 8-15

[adriaticum]

They are in town this year.

[HighCountryBC]

They are out and about fattening up before winter. You won't find them cruising roads nearly as often as in the spring. As feed dies off in the high country with recent frost and snow, you can expect to find them at lower elevations where food is still fairly plentiful.

Have some cameras right between 2 of the major fires in R8 this year and it hasn't affected game movement whatsoever.

[HarryToolips]

Hi All,

with roughly 40-50 hours scouting mostly on foot and still hunting since late august, I have seen very limited bear sign, and none on my three trail cams since mid august.

I believe the general rule is that they are up high on north slopes eating berries, but I haven’t glassed any either.

I am wondering if the bad berry year due to heat, and the wildfires have pushed them somewhere else. More down in ag fields / vineyards / orchards?

really hoping to try my hand at rendering bear fat this fall.

many advice or insight from fellow region 8 HBCers is appreciated.
As you mentioned, they are mostly down lower to my knowledge trying to fatten in ag fields, orchards, etc....very poor berry year I imagine is forcing them down to other food sources...they are giving CO's a lot of grief this year...

[mike31154]

I came upon some relatively fresh scat up high in the alpine 8-13, at 1400 meters +. After a smoky summer, the fall has been spectacular & September mild for the most part. In past years I saw a pair running up a cutblock in the same area.