Oregon Spring Bear 2023

[roosiebull]

Well, we’re on the board with a dink tonight

 

[Diced]

Well, we’re on the board with a dink tonight

I saw my first one of the year Wednesday evening. Didn't have a spotter but I got a blurry picture through my riflescope.

 

[EZduzIT]

Love to see the pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BryanL]

Went out in Alsea unit today. Got a few moments of sun surrounding the windy cold overcast. Not a lot of good green up where it matters from what I saw. Going to try to hit some more secluded areas next weekend. Hopefully we start seeing something! I did get to see several herds of elk and a handful of deer, so it wasn’t a total waste.

 

[ORhunter74]

Got out in Alsea yesterday and saw one bear for about 4 seconds before it ran off. My 13 year old daughter heard it walking in the brush about 20 yards below the logging road we were walking. I looked over the edge and saw it and when I tried to get her over to look, it heard us and took off. Her very first bear encounter. This was like 15 minutes after we’d parked and hiked in. Slow day after that but the sun was nice at times.

 

[BryanL]

Got out in Alsea yesterday and saw one bear for about 4 seconds before it ran off. My 13 year old daughter heard it walking in the brush about 20 yards below the logging road we were walking. I looked over the edge and saw it and when I tried to get her over to look, it heard us and took off. Her very first bear encounter. This was like 15 minutes after we’d parked and hiked in. Slow day after that but the sun was nice at times.

At least you know where one is at! We saw a few clear cuts that were greening up and had torn up stumps all over, but no bear or scat.

 

[Spinman75]

I've been checking My ODFW every morning and today the results are finally in. Success for 722A! I think it's practically guaranteed but still felt like a win. Anyone else hunting SW Oregon this spring?

congrats!

 

[roosiebull]

Had my first tick dig into me yesterday… they love me. Had a few crawling on me but hadn’t got bit before yesterday… it was cold so I guess between that and walking, I didn’t feel it crawling on me and had that unmistakable burning feeling on my forearm…

I seriously despise ticks, them and yellow jackets are the only 2 things I have true disdain for in the woods. Sprayed sawyers on my boots and gaiters but that doesn’t help sitting down glassing… I know better but just haven’t made the time to treat everything, but will certainly make time now

 

[EZduzIT]

Had my first tick dig into me yesterday… they love me. Had a few crawling on me but hadn’t got bit before yesterday… it was cold so I guess between that and walking, I didn’t feel it crawling on me and had that unmistakable burning feeling on my forearm…

I seriously despise ticks, them and yellow jackets are the only 2 things I have true disdain for in the woods. Sprayed sawyers on my boots and gaiters but that doesn’t help sitting down glassing… I know better but just haven’t made the time to treat everything, but will certainly make time now

I’m with you. I absolutely hate ticks. Not looking forward to tick checks every hour lol.

 

[roosiebull]

1700’ elevation this afternoon southern coast range

 

[Diced]

1700’ elevation this afternoon southern coast range

Do you think it's possible some bears on the coast spent some time in dens? The only one I've seen was rubbed pretty good on both of his sides. Exactly like bears I've seen in NE OR and Idaho that just came out of dens. It's hard to imagine them hibernating in the coast range but this has been a crazy year.

 

[roosiebull]

Do you think it's possible some bears on the coast spent some time in dens? The only one I've seen was rubbed pretty good on both of his sides. Exactly like bears I've seen in NE OR and Idaho that just came out of dens. It's hard to imagine them hibernating in the coast range but this has been a crazy year.

Yeah, wouldn’t surprise me this year. It’s snowed more days at sea level than I have ever seen in my 39 years. Crazy year indeed!

We got 10.5” in Brookings one day, I have no idea the last time that happened, but prior to the 80’s… I think it will be a light switch pretty soon, straight into hot. Last year we had a day in Feb that was 84 degrees with an overnight low of 73… I have only seen 60 degrees once so far… soon, things are getting green and these cold snaps are short lived at least, but I will see more snow this week driving over the hills to work

Weneha bound Friday through Monday for a solo Turkey trip and then I think we’ll find my wife a bear the next week… found the spot, just need a good afternoon… didn’t see a bear in there but I think a good one is in there, it has everything, and I’m confident we will see a boar there the next time we go, but it’s got to be an afternoon with not much wind and at least 55 degrees it’s a little over 4 miles in there and I don’t want to wear my wife out walking in there unless conditions are good.

It’s going to get good soon… I’m ready for some nice weather, and I’m going to be on the ocean most days after the first, so there’s some urgency

 

[Diced]

Good luck on the turkeys, hopefully they want to play ball more than the bears do haha. But yeah, it's just gotta get nicer.

My brother has a limited entry bear tag over in Idaho. The season only goes through May 22 but luckily it's a hells canyon unit. We'll likely have to hike up from the Snake River to stay below the snow line.

 

[EZduzIT]

Yeah, wouldn’t surprise me this year. It’s snowed more days at sea level than I have ever seen in my 39 years. Crazy year indeed!

We got 10.5” in Brookings one day, I have no idea the last time that happened, but prior to the 80’s… I think it will be a light switch pretty soon, straight into hot. Last year we had a day in Feb that was 84 degrees with an overnight low of 73… I have only seen 60 degrees once so far… soon, things are getting green and these cold snaps are short lived at least, but I will see more snow this week driving over the hills to work

Weneha bound Friday through Monday for a solo Turkey trip and then I think we’ll find my wife a bear the next week… found the spot, just need a good afternoon… didn’t see a bear in there but I think a good one is in there, it has everything, and I’m confident we will see a boar there the next time we go, but it’s got to be an afternoon with not much wind and at least 55 degrees it’s a little over 4 miles in there and I don’t want to wear my wife out walking in there unless conditions are good.

It’s going to get good soon… I’m ready for some nice weather, and I’m going to be on the ocean most days after the first, so there’s some urgency

Roosiebull, thanks for all the updates. Your posts have continued to get me excited for chasing these bears. I can’t believe the amount of snow you guys have got this year. Hopefully it means for an amazing green up when weather warms up.

 

[EZduzIT]

Weather is looking great this week in Grants Pass. Let’s hope it sticks and maybe some more bears and more green up!

 

[Steve300xcw]

I seriously despise ticks, them and yellow jackets are the only 2 things I have true disdain for in the woods.

I will take ticks over yellow jackets. Those guys are just assholes

 

[roosiebull]

I will take ticks over yellow jackets. Those guys are just assholes

They certainly are, it’s a toss up for me, and enjoy genociding either when I get a chance… don’t see many yellow jacket nests in trees around here (mostly underground) but when I do, it’s pretty satisfying to use the ol’ 12 gauge wasp spray, it works really well, and is one of those instant gratification activities

 

[roosiebull]

It was a great night in the woods, saw a sow and yearling, then a separate dink (probably 2yr old) and then a decent but not big boar… my wife wanted to shoot him but there is a spot I want to spend an evening in before pulling the trigger on a bear that isn’t huge… I have a feeling about a spot so I disappointed her saying we should leave him be tonight… we closed the distance so she could shoot but that other spot was nagging at me. Great night of bear hunting regardless and my wife found a shed that I stepped over I’m a terrible shed hunter… 3 bear in the one pic

 

[Diced]

Saw a couple nice ones tonight, they seem to be moving now. One came out pretty close.

 

[Pdzoller]

Hoping I can get something for the thread weekend after next. I’m dying to get out there.