Early Spring Bear Stumps

[Mackdog]

Went out for the first time this spring today. Struck about a day old cat track but couldn't get it started. Down in the valley bottoms we saw what looked like bear stumps. The first one had boot tracks in the bare dirt around it like someone stomped out the track, dunno for sure. The stumps were mostly rotten, but weren't torn to shreds like usual. Like the bear pulled a chunk off, sniffed around, didn't find what it wanted then kept moving. I swear one stump had a claw mark on it. Guess it could have been the snow that just melted but it sure looked like something pulled a chunk of the stump away. The roads and clearcuts were bare and new grass was growing. Anyone seen anything like this in early spring right when the bear are coming out?

[brycejohnson]

Saw somethnig like this recently. In fact, I watched the bear do it. Was watching a bear one evening a week or two back, after awhile it went up to a dead tree trunk real big around, sat on its butt right up against the tree. Just sat there ripping bark off of it for a minute, got off and moved on. When I got up to the tree it didn't look like normal claw marks, and he didn't do it to much of the trunk, just like he was bored or something. Interesting behavior.

[Mackdog]

The bear, if any, are coming out as we speak. There's snow not too far above the valley floor. I'm not familar with bear habits as they emerge from a den for the first time, but it sure seemed like one was out. It rained like an SOB the day before so you couldn't see any tracks whatsoever in the road. Guess I could have just been hoping we could get something going, but those stumps sure looked suspicious. It hit mid 60's yesterday, and 70's today and tomorrow. They should be out by this coming weekend.

[bowtech36]

Thats awesome you guys have spring to run. Best of luck

[Mackdog]

The units that we hunt open April 15. The unit that I live in has a large city (with a university) for the state so it gets a lot of pressure. Regular bear (rifle and bait) opens April 15, hound season is May 1 to May 15 with no pursuit season. The next unit into the more rural area is regular (no bait) April 15, hound is May 1 to May 30 with a June 1 to July 31 pursuit season. I'm getting ready to head down to the region fish and game office to talk to them about opening a pursuit season in the unit I live in. I am willing to bet they will say there is no pursuit season because bait is allowed and there is a pursuit season in the next unit. If I play my cards right and don't come across as a sterotypical hound hunter, I should be able to get a pursuit season opened after the kill season, we'll see. Still need to crank the thermostat up or figure out how the make the days longer to get those rascals out of their dens!