Ripe acorns - Colorado

[MountainMan83]

I am considering switching up my bear hunting spot to an area known for gambel oak. Just curious what dates in September are prime for ripe acorns? I understand there is variation year to year, but wanting to see what everyone thinks.

 

[Hondo0925]

I don’t personally think they have to be ripe they just have to be existent. Like last year in my area there were none except in a very few areas. Bears seem to start hammering them late August through September, come October all the acorns are gone.
This is just one simple man’s perspective. Good luck amigo!!

 

[Poser]

Going to vary quite a bit depending on what part of the state (further North will presumably ripen earlier than further south), summer rain, temps and elevation.

On bumper years, bears will be more selective with the ripeness. When acorns are scare, they’ll hit an area a bit earlier. It varies quite a bit year to year. Most seasons in the Southwest, bears aren’t really hitting acorns much when the season opens -that Fall pattern will hit more around 10 days into Sept. however, bears were going nuts on acorns the last week of august last year.

 

[CoMtnMike]

the spot I tried this past season basically didnt produce acorns it seemed - or they were gone by September 2... so were the bears... chokecherries were empty too - I failed to research how the spring blossom season played out... seems important if targeting those mask crops.

I am actually contemplating a more alpine transition zone to look for them this year - unless I know acorns or chokecherries are in...

 

[MountainMan83]

the spot I tried this past season basically didnt produce acorns it seemed - or they were gone by September 2... so were the bears... chokecherries were empty too - I failed to research how the spring blossom season played out... seems important if targeting those mask crops.

I am actually contemplating a more alpine transition zone to look for them this year - unless I know acorns or chokecherries are in...

I was reading a late frost can ruin an acorn crop. By going into alpine zone, are you thinking they will switch to grasses?

 

[limpet]

Not Colorado specific but we’ve taken multiple bears out of oak trees that were actively feeding on acorns that hadn’t dropped yet. Pretty similar to when they get in a fruit tree. Keep an eye up if you’re seeing acorn poop but no bears and if you hear rustling in the tree check it out. Acorn poop also turns dark really quick (a couple hours in the sun) so it may seem old but it might not be. Late frosts or hard rain when pollen is out will put a damper on acorn crops but if you can find a small patch that is producing you’ll be in the money.

 

[Poser]

the spot I tried this past season basically didnt produce acorns it seemed - or they were gone by September 2... so were the bears... chokecherries were empty too - I failed to research how the spring blossom season played out... seems important if targeting those mask crops.

I am actually contemplating a more alpine transition zone to look for them this year - unless I know acorns or chokecherries are in...

My experience has lead me to the philosophy of "look lower, not higher" for bears. Some (or even many) bears will return to higher elevations after the Fall food sources are wiped out to den up and I do occasionally encounter bears dens at ~11,000 feet when out spring skiing. And, of course, there are some bears that are busy mopping up elk carcasses at higher elevations in Sept and Oct, BUT, the majority of bears are working their way down through Sept to the tune of 30,40,even 50 miles of travel. Its a wave of bear feeding and it often moves very fast. You might have a day bear hunting where you see 3, 4, 5+ bears out at, say 9600 feet (talked to a guy who claimed to see 40 bears in one day) and the next day? nothing. Those same bears are ~8 miles away and ~2,000 feet lower.

In Sept, I'd wager there is far more success at 6,000 feet than there is at 10,000.

 

[Hondo0925]

Because of not many acorns last year the bears were hammering this at 9k ft + in the creek bottoms. I believe it comes from some sort of Ash tree.

 

[CoMtnMike]

yeah a late frost or snow can screw up the acorns or berries and I failed to look into that last year.

First off I am no expert at all! I have only gotten 2 bears and both were more luck than smarts on where to look. I dont doubt most bears are heading lower as the season moves on - trick is many times my zones dont have much lower that isnt into private. But for the last few years I and others have been seeing them at or above treeline eating a combo of moths or other grubs under rocks they are flipping, berries and maybe grasses... plus I think it would be cool to hunt them up there with a rifle... but they arent likely concentrated to seing many in a day like you would in a producing patch of oaks or berries lower - I just havent been lucky finding those patches that are producing and concentrating them...

 

[CoMtnMike]

not to say I wont hit the oaks again if they are in of course!

 

[Poser]

yeah a late frost or snow can screw up the acorns or berries and I failed to look into that last year.

First off I am no expert at all! I have only gotten 2 bears and both were more luck than smarts on where to look. I dont doubt most bears are heading lower as the season moves on - trick is many times my zones dont have much lower that isnt into private. But for the last few years I and others have been seeing them at or above treeline eating a combo of moths or other grubs under rocks they are flipping, berries and maybe grasses... plus I think it would be cool to hunt them up there with a rifle... but they arent likely concentrated to seing many in a day like you would in a producing patch of oaks or berries lower - I just havent been lucky finding those patches that are producing and concentrating them...

There is certainly a factor in this that is highly localized. In my area, we are a literal ocean of scrub oak. Other parts of the state may/will have less scrub oak so its less as emphasized. I would love nothing better than to be out hunting bears in the alpine during Sept. I've even beat my head against the wall attempting to make it work, but learned that, around here at least, the uglier/less aesthetic the setting, the better the Sept bear habitat. If you're seeing them out at that elevation consistently, then there is definitely something to that. If you're hunting pretty far North, the seasonality may very well be 2-3 weeks ahead of the schedule in the Southwest as well.

 

[CoMtnMike]

I want to make something work other than luck. I really want bear meat in the freezer again! I have beat my head against oak looking for the areas producing volumes, or service berry, chokecherry etc. I'll probably get frustrated in the alpine as well - but at least I wont be so dang hot! I just have had my luck closer to treeline in "elky" habitat... I want it to work in areas they should concentrate - but I have just been unsuccessful AND hot and miserable when trying there. I need to learn to handle the heat better I guess. If I get intel on where they are active in the classic concentration areas I will be there instead of higher for sure

 

[Poser]

I want to make something work other than luck. I really want bear meat in the freezer again! I have beat my head against oak looking for the areas producing volumes, or service berry, chokecherry etc. I'll probably get frustrated in the alpine as well - but at least I wont be so dang hot! I just have had my luck closer to treeline in "elky" habitat... I want it to work in areas they should concentrate - but I have just been unsuccessful AND hot and miserable when trying there. I need to learn to handle the heat better I guess. If I get intel on where they are active in the classic concentration areas I will be there instead of higher for sure

Do you have the ability to scout regularly? I start doing some bear scouting in August by checking the mast in areas where I've historically seen bears concentrate. I'll also check around for poop in various areas and see if they are consistently hitting the same food sources around the general areas. Some years, it is more random, some years it is more consistent. If their diet is more consistent, I'll expect their feeding to converge into acorns simultaneously. If I'm seeing concentrations of piles of poop, I'll expect that trend to continue and things to be predictable. If I'm seeing isolated piles of poop, I'll expect it to be a more random year.

Even just walking around my neighborhood in town, its easy to observe that bears hit apricots for a few days (all the poop has a red tint), then applies for a week (poop full of apple skins) etc. Some years, its more random, other years its 100% consistent. The consistent years are much more predictable in terms of hunting strategy. Other years, I've just had to suck it up and hike for miles hoping go strike up some luck (and had years where I hunted 12 days during sept and didn't see a single bear).

 

[30338]

Last year seemed like a poor acorn year in general in our area. We had limited time to hunt but through some helpful tips from locals, we found a patch of oaks that had a lot of mast. Saw 3 bears in 1.5 days including 2 shooters but as often happens in the oak brush, seeing and getting are two different things. This year I intend to make a solid effort on them and have a week set aside. May also road trip over and walk various areas looking for acorns in mid to late August.

Each year for the many years I have hunted the oaks and berry areas down low around 8,000', the guys horseback hunting elk at treeline always reported seeing large bears up high as well. I guess bears are just where you find them. Good luck and if you shoot one, shoot two.

 

[CoMtnMike]

I wish I could scout at all - but I am a solid 4+ hrs from the zones and family weekends are mostly booked; so I am lucky if I can dedicate one weekend to scout - except when I hunt this side of or just other side of continental divide and day trips are reasonable....

your system makes the most sense being local and able to regularly observe. My best chance is calling up the local wildlife officer to ask in early summer if the acorns or which berries are looking good vs were hit by a late frost/snow/wind... Last year I didnt get ahold of someone and wasn't persistent enough in trying so didnt find out till I got there Sept 1... My second trip out there I finally saw one out of range and found fresh poop... but my time was up by then.