2021 California Bear

[sierrastalker]

I always wait to see what the fire season will bring before i commit….. My guess is that this year the fire season will be as bad as ever, our state gov hasn’t initiated cutting and good logging practices, the special interest environmentalists rule in CA.


One would think that the the Liberal politicians would have learned from last years fires that their agenda is crap… but alas no….

Fire season looks like it's gonna be a real problem this year.....so I'm now looking at several areas. I learned my lesson on this 2 years ago.

I had an area way up high in D Zone that I had scouted extensively for deer and was showing real promise. well, it burned early enough that I had already decided to go to my backup. I was working a halfday the day I left for a several days backpacking trip up there. I checked the wildfire website one last time around noon before hitting the road. I got within 30 minutes of where I was going to park and boom - thick smoke. A fire had started that day right in the drainage that was the entrance to my area. Had to resort to an area I had never been into, and of course that turned into a nice backpacking trip with the added weight of an unused rifle. Hoping for better luck this year!

 

[FishTacos]

A fire had started that day right in the drainage that was the entrance to my area. Had to resort to an area I had never been into, and of course that turned into a nice backpacking trip with the added weight of an unused rifle. Hoping for better luck this year!

I have had a similar experience in other years. Also a bit un easy one year when I was pretty far back there and the smoke started getting thick. The website is great to check before you get out there and before you lose reception. Once you're out there cross your fingers nothing sparks up while you're there. Im not sure of other things to do besides crossing your fingers, especially if you're in a region like you said in D zone with lots of campers and other increased traffic.

If you have a better way to keep tabs on fires when you don't have reception let me know! It would be handy if there was a phone number to call to if you hit a patch of reception or hoofed it to one. And of course some people have sat phones.

 

[sierrastalker]

If you have a better way to keep tabs on fires when you don't have reception let me know!

I now have an inReach, so 2 way texting from anywhere. This year I’m gonna bookmark my area on the map and send it to a buddy who I can text for an update, as I’m planning one hunt that’s over a week. But generally speaking it’s kinda one way in/out so mostly just using common sense and sniffing for smoke!

 

[David Gough]

The fire kicked back up and our cameras are only about 600 yards from the fire. If the fire doesn't reach them I wonder if the bears will stick around.

 

[David Gough]

Current fire maps on OnX and Inciweb show the fire burned through our trail cameras and main hunting area. Going to have to extend my scouting. What are you guys looking for on the west slope? Bears close to chokecherry/blueberry patches?

 

[Wags]

I'd love to get a bear, I just never seem to come across one whenever I have a tag. I may try to dedicate more time to it this year. Especially since I wont have water for Ducks until December, if at all.

 

[amassi]

Current fire maps on OnX and Inciweb show the fire burned through our trail cameras and main hunting area. Going to have to extend my scouting. What are you guys looking for on the west slope? Bears close to chokecherry/blueberry patches?

Berries, grass and water.

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[David Gough]

Berries, grass and water.

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Thanks, have some scouting to do

 

[Warmsy]

I'd love to get a bear, I just never seem to come across one whenever I have a tag. I may try to dedicate more time to it this year. Especially since I wont have water for Ducks until December, if at all.

Oh no I hadn't even thought of the drought affecting duck season! Has there ever been a dry year in the valley?

 

[amassi]

Oh no I hadn't even thought of the drought affecting duck season! Has there ever been a dry year in the valley?

No, but this is unprecedented
Oroville will hit lowest water level ever in August and that's a majority of rice water.
The clubs that do flood should shoot really well. One of our clubs isn't going to flood at all, they have old rights but sold this years back to the state

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[Wags]

Oh no I hadn't even thought of the drought affecting duck season! Has there ever been a dry year in the valley?

We've had dry years in the past but this one is significant. My club is natural & my pond is completely dry at this point. If we get rain I may be in there by January, we'll see. But, the guys who kill em every year will kill em this year too. It'll be a year of adapting and new places to make it happen but one way or another I'll get it done.

 

[David Gough]

Scouted an area I've seen bears in the past. Setup cameras on some pools of water we found, but the most interesting find was some of the manzanita bushes already had full size berries on them, although not ripe. Anyone else seeing berries coming in? Seems early.

 

[Warmsy]

Manzanita starting to come in mendo county.

 

[David Gough]

Manzanita starting to come in mendo county.

I was in Sierra county

 

[Wags]

I was in Sierra county

Unfortunately I've been working non stop OT and I haven't gotten a chance to go and scout. Hopefully if the fires stay down then I'll get out in August.

 

[FishTacos]

the most interesting find was some of the manzanita bushes already had full size berries on them, although not ripe. Anyone else seeing berries coming in? Seems early.

So far I have been surprised by the lack of manzanita berries coming in. In the areas I have looked at, the manzanita crop has been reduced. The yield of manzanita berry per tree looks a lot lower than previous years.

You’re seeing them come in, but are you also seeing less of them per tree?

 

[David Gough]

So far I have been surprised by the lack of manzanita berries coming in. In the areas I have looked at, the manzanita crop has been reduced. The yield of manzanita berry per tree looks a lot lower than previous years.

You’re seeing them come in, but are you also seeing less of them per tree?

The manzanita crop is more than I saw last year in areas on the east slope. Last year was very little of a crop, though.

Seems like some of the smaller bushes have quite a few berries on them, the larger bushes are hit and miss. Will be interesting to see when they ripen.

 

[StinkyPete]

I was in Sierra county

Manzanita berries coming up in Lake County as well. Tossing cameras out this weekend. Any pointers on how you're picking camera spots? Right now the thought is small water and areas covered in scat.

Also, does anyone have pointers on finding berries out there? I've been going crazy trying to find patches with no luck. Finding lots of mountain whitethorn but I'm not sure the bears eat anything from that plant I'm too acclimated to NC bears at this point so I guess I'm relearning everything.

 

[Warmsy]

I highly suggest staying out of lake county or spending money there. There are better counties surrounding it.

 

[David Gough]

Manzanita berries coming up in Lake County as well. Tossing cameras out this weekend. Any pointers on how you're picking camera spots? Right now the thought is small water and areas covered in scat.

Also, does anyone have pointers on finding berries out there? I've been going crazy trying to find patches with no luck. Finding lots of mountain whitethorn but I'm not sure the bears eat anything from that plant I'm too acclimated to NC bears at this point so I guess I'm relearning everything.

If it's a well used feeding area a camera can be beneficial, but I usually try to set cameras around water. In the summer they will wallow, cool off, and drink. Gives you plenty of time to size them up.

Not familiar with Lake County, but the Snow Mountain wilderness looks like the right habitat for manzanita to grow in. Acorns will also be your friend in October.