Fall Transitions

[Kmarkwardt]

Trying to figure out the fall patterns of bear up here in N Idaho.

Saw tons of bear when the huckleberries were ripe up high. Didn’t capitalize then.

Then we had an early snow and overnight freeze cycle for about a week that seems to have buried, frozen and knocked all the berries off.

Since then I’ve seen 1 bear in 3 days when it used to be multiples in a day a couple weeks ago.

I’m assuming they’ve moved on to the next food source.

What would I start to look for?

Elevations just below the snow line? Berries up high we’re the last to ripen, so below the snow line is mostly berry-less.

Then as the season progresses, keep pushing down with the snow?

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

I always struggled with the post berry bears myself in northeastern washington. Our season opened sept 1st, and thats right about the time our berries go to shit. Then they start hitting so many different food sources it can be hard to locate them because theyre not heavily concentrated like when the berries are prime. Need to either spend a lot of time glassing or do a lot of cold calling. We got our opener changed to august 1st this year, so now we can hunt in prime berry time. Its an absolute game changer.

 

[Biminabe]

I always struggled with the post berry bears myself in northeastern washington. Our season opened sept 1st, and thats right about the time our berries go to shit. Then they start hitting so many different food sources it can be hard to locate them because theyre not heavily concentrated like when the berries are prime. Need to either spend a lot of time glassing or do a lot of cold calling. We got our opener changed to august 1st this year, so now we can hunt in prime berry time. Its an absolute game changer.

+1

 

[tater]

Last items on the menu before denning will be wild rose hips, kinnikinnick (bear) berries and whatever gutpiles we provide for them.

 

[Kmarkwardt]

Thanks guys.