Oregon spring bear

[Read1t48]

I think I have enough points to draw Mt Emily but would prefer to wait until a later date and instead hunt the Western OR unit with my partner who doesn’t have any spring bear points.

Western Oregon is my backyard. I could get out more often, take the kids, too, and help reduce predation in my hunting area.

Could I put in for Mt Emily as a party with my partner, which would drop my chances of drawing (hopefully eliminate) and then do Western OR as 2nd choice?

 

[DRUSS]

i hunted Mt Emily last year and had a good time. lot of snow drifts to get through where i was though.
this year the wife should draw a coast tag so looking foward to a new unit to tryout that a few hrs closer to home. hoping to tag along with a couple friends that will have a SW tag and a snake tag.

sure is nice being out in the spring, everything is GREEN!!!!

 

[bpurtz]

Baffles me that’s a 6pt draw for spring bear. It’s not like there isn’t enough bears in OR, wish it was OTC


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I've been on a couple West Blues hunts - super fun geography to glass - I've heard that the unit has a high number of blond color-phase bears and that's why so many people apply for the tag.

 

[Blacktailaddiction]

I’ll be drawing the sw tag again this year, struck out hunting last after 8 days and no bear sightings will be hunting the coast up by coos bay now instead of by my house in grants pass. Should be fun!

 

[dwent]

I’ll be trying my hand at spring bear this year for the first time in SW Oregon. I have not bear hunted before but in the areas I hunt for black tail I usually end up coming across just as many decent bears as I do bucks. Looking forward to having another season to hunt. The family tried bear meat recently and there were thumbs up all around.

 

[TripleJ]

Bear hunting is a great way to get in the woods at a beautiful time of year when everything is green. The SW tag is a good one to have, I’ve had pretty decent success with that one. The years I didn’t fill it were the years I was picky. I’ve been putting in over east the last couple years and haven’t been able to draw the SW as a second choice. Looking forward to drawing over east soon and hunting up a color phase bear in some new country.

 

[7718Sallee]

I wish it was a sure thing to get sw or any other area as a second choice or otc. That way i could build points and still hunt. I look forward to spring bear as one of my favorites. Just Watch out for ticks

 

[Elkdreamer]

I wish it was a sure thing to get sw or any other area as a second choice or otc. That way i could build points and still hunt. I look forward to spring bear as one of my favorites. Just Watch out for ticks

Yep those dang ticks. Thanks for reminding me. Order more spray!

 

[dwent]

I wish it was a sure thing to get sw or any other area as a second choice or otc. That way i could build points and still hunt. I look forward to spring bear as one of my favorites. Just Watch out for ticks

I’ve never had an issue with ticks hunting in the fall. Are they that much worse in the spring?

 

[ndayton]

I’ve never had an issue with ticks hunting in the fall. Are they that much worse in the spring?

Depends on where you hunt but for me I see way more ticks crawling on me in the spring time, so much so my wife wont let me come in the house with hunting clothes on. Also permethrin spray is your friend

 

[dwent]

Depends on where you hunt but for me I see way more ticks crawling on me in the spring time, so much so my wife wont let me come in the house with hunting clothes on. Also permethrin spray is your friend

Thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I’ve known enough people who’ve got Lyme disease that I have a healthy disregard for ticks.

 

[Cameron.25]

What unit you decide on? I want to hunt Hell’s Canyon some time, awesome bear country and lots of bear... beautiful that time of year too.

buddy drew Weneha last year and it was fun, I went over with him a bunch him, and it was a cool place to hunt bear... lots of mountain turkeys around too

Hells canyon is awesome, i put in for it again this year. Found a ton of morrels and some elk sheds but couldn't connect on a bear last year, saw plenty from far away lol. Only one i got close enough to ended up having cubs. Thought i heard some turkeys but never did actually lay eyes on one

 

[roosiebull]

Hells canyon is awesome, i put in for it again this year. Found a ton of morrels and some elk sheds but couldn't connect on a bear last year, saw plenty from far away lol. Only one i got close enough to ended up having cubs. Thought i heard some turkeys but never did actually lay eyes on one

i don't know that there is cooler country to hunt bear in period, that Hell's Canyon area is amazing that time of year. a buddy and i did a road trip year before last and ended up there for a couple days (i think early May) and we glassed up quite a few bear, including one monster, and i found my first Morels there as well.... some of the prettiest country i have seen period.

that area made me almost wish i was a horse guy. having a couple good horses in that country could lead to some pretty cool adventure. that country is so big it just feels like you don't make much headway on foot. i think glassing cross canyon, finding a bear to go after, figuring the thermals and hunting said bear the next day would be my strategy..... easy to mess up a bear if you aren't very smart about wind, and that seemed like half of the battle in that country, accessing cross canyon bear in the afternoon making sure they won't smell you.... where there's a will, there's a way though.

 

[CamoPirate]

No 4x4 or points, I'm going with the guaranteed NW tag. It'll let me scout for deer and dial in pack adjustments for later in season at worst, it'll put meat in the freezer and a hide on my back at best.

 

[hibernation]

I've had the NW tag before, but this'll be the first year I put in a legit effort. Getting the SW tag and really looking forward to it. Probably doing a mix of glassing and calling, put a couple out trail cameras where I can. Anyone's general advice for either strategy is appreciated!

 

[MSHJR]

I will be putting in for white river/hood unit this year. I hunted it last year but no success. Anyone else have success in this unit before

 

[Salmonchaser]

It could be a very good year for access, we have a much lighter snow pack then the last couple of years at this point. Still have plenty of time for snow but long range forecasts don’t look like there will be significant amounts. Already seeing open south hillsides in the blues at 4500 feet or so.

 

[CamoPirate]

Bears were out pretty late also; I cut bear tracks in the Cascades in December. Right before the 2nd frost that probably put em to den.

 

[Elkdreamer]

Well, not to long until we know if we have chosen tag!

 

[Cameron.25]

I will be putting in for white river/hood unit this year. I hunted it last year but no success. Anyone else have success in this unit before

If you're just looking for a bear id consider hunting the coast, ive hunted the hood area a few times with no success too. Could just be me being newer to bear hunting too but I'm hopeful that im starting to figure it out.. I called one in on the coast August 1st on the fall bear opener in a clearcut within one hour of my first calling set, could've been dumb luck but it seems like there's more bears on the coast to me. Felt pretty good after seeing a bunch in hells canyon over the 20 days i spent in there accumulatively during spring season but not connecting on one