2024 California Bear

[JohnnyB]

Quota numbers looking awfully low this year… it’s reflected my season so far. Scrambling to locate them in the snow now…

Never seen the numbers this low so late in the season.

 

[Barnesc6]

I know… I don’t think we are going to brake 1k… and coming off new stats showing 50-80k in the state… I’m really hoping this is the push we need for a spring season

 

[Freezing Moon]

Anybody seeing action? I'm thinking of heading up this weekend (either B zone or Sierras) and trying to target oaks at lower elevations but not sure if acorns are still dropping

 

[Barnesc6]

I was down near emigrant gap a few weeks back… acorns everywhere… 0 sign. Let me know how it goes… I’m headed out second week of December… not expecting much other than a good hike

 

[Barnesc6]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this number… won’t even come close to 1k harvested… all in the same year it’s confirmed that CA is the most populous black bear state in the lower 48… I believe this is the lowest harvest in a few decades?

 

[JohnnyB]

It’s a head scratcher for sure. The only thing I can come up with is the extra hot early season kept a lot of hunters out of the field during deer season which is when the bulk of the bears are killed.

 

[OkayestHNTR]

Would be nice to see number of licenses and tags sold this year. CA has lost a lot of people to free states over the last couple years, maybe they finally pulled out of our hunt system.

 

[Barnesc6]

Hard to say- funny you mention the heat wave. That prolonged heat ripened all my berries food sources way early, by the time season came around I could find a single berry. Everything had been run through.

Def a lot of people that have left CA… would be interesting for sure to see how many tags were sold for bear… D3-5 deer tags sold out, so not sure that the amount of bear tags sold would’ve went down that much

 

[Barnesc6]

I really hope this gives a push to open a spring season… one tag that can be used for fall or spring… would be a good way to at the very least meet the quota…. That already does nothing to efficiently manage bears

 

[riversidejeep]

I always get a lot on my cameras but when season rolls around they have moved on to different feed. I would think this time of year it would be areas with a lot of dropped acorns and I don't know what else.

 

[Nine Banger]

Is it worth it as a non resident to travel to CA to rent a car and drive around and hunt bears?

I've only been to San Francisco for a wedding but my SIL sends pics of bears around Truckie.

Is there public land?