Washington hunters would love for you to come and help with the predator problem, especially after spring bear season was canceled indefinitely starting in 2022. We see bears all the time in eastern Washington and north Idaho. Last summer and fall was the most I’ve ever seen.
I'm a Washington Resident, not looking for honey holes, but going to give fall bear a try this year on the east side. . . I know some areas pretty well from turkey hunting, but not exactly sure where to start in terms of looking in the heat of August. Should I focus more on low lying cooler creek bottoms, find the huckleberries, will they even be out in daylight when its pushing 90+ in the evenings? Any help appreciated. I'll honestly likely start with a bow, but might quickly transition to gun.
I can't speak for WA but in SW Oregon I rarely see bears in the heat of the day. When I do it's on creek bottoms where I probably bumped them. The later in the season the more active they become. I tend to see them feeding closer to sundown vs in the morning when its hot. Not sure why.
Find the huckleberries and you’ll find the bears. We mostly see them in the mornings and early afternoon, but I’ve seen them in shady areas in the afternoon still eating berries. Good luck!
If you’re on a good food source mornings can still be productive. I’ve shot a lot of bears in the first week and a half of August. Most have been in the evenings but I also put more effort in during the evenings. I also saw more bears during the evenings but wouldn’t rule mornings out.
I’ve hunted Oklahoma a little with my bow. You can’t bait on public land and it’s too thick for a true spot and stalk. The way I’ve done it starts as a still hunt trying to find good patches of oaks producing good acorns then look for sign. If you find a spot with a good amount of fresh sign then it’s probably a good idea to sit it for a day or two. Hauling a saddle or light hang on around with you is a good idea. It’s a tough tough hunt
