SC bear hunters?

[Swamp Fox]

[...] Please write your SC legislators to make it illegal to run dogs for any reason on WMA land other than during the dog bear season otherwise a few jerks are making it hard fo us to see and kill any bear.

Dogs need a "running season" (no kills) but your points about the timing and camouflage of coon hunting are valid.


Maybe something can be done with state WMAs but the feds will be a different kettle of fish (barrel of donuts, pile of corn, etc. ; ) ) ....

 

[Old-Cat]

A bear hunter I met yesterday told me he overheard "we treed nine bear last night" from an adjacent table at breakfast on opening day. People are running dogs at night and chasing bear out of areas we still-hunters can reach. They use the excuse that they're coon hunting and the game warden can't stop them from running bear unless he sees the bear being treed and that's impossible to see. Please write your SC legislators to make it illegal to run dogs for any reason on WMA land other than during the dog bear season otherwise a few jerks are making it hard fo us to see and kill any bear.

crap!!!!!

I saw this very thing last year. I was coming out at about 9 o’clock at night from way up the mountain, and I caught a party running their dogs; I called DNR and they said that very thing , “its hard to prove because they can claim their coon hunting.”

Edit. @Bernie. Somehow I quoted swamp Fox instead of you

 

[Swamp Fox]

crap!!!!!

I saw this very thing last year. I was coming out at about 9 o’clock at night from way up the mountain, and I caught a party running their dogs; I called DNR and they said that very thing , “its hard to prove because they can claim their coon hunting.”

crap!!!!!

I saw this very thing last year. I was coming out at about 9 o’clock at night from way up the mountain, and I caught a party running their dogs; I called DNR and they said that very thing , “its hard to prove because they can claim their coon hunting.”

That's Bernie, not me.

I just want folks to stop talking about SC bears on the freakin' internet, because you know that's the next hipster thing...

I'm sorry, but it is ....


I've met folks from Charlotte and Atlanta, and am not impressed.

 

[fwafwow]

That's Bernie, not me.

I just want folks to stop talking about SC bears on the freakin' internet, because you know that's the next hipster thing...

I'm sorry, but it is ....


I've met folks from Charlotte and Atlanta, and am not impressed.

I appreciate the thread and heads-up! I’m from the ATL area.

Don’t worry. I won’t be hunting your spots.

 

[Swamp Fox]

LOL ... That's good to know.

 

[WMag338]

crap!!!!!

I saw this very thing last year. I was coming out at about 9 o’clock at night from way up the mountain, and I caught a party running their dogs; I called DNR and they said that very thing , “its hard to prove because they can claim their coon hunting.”

I’ve experienced this before also in GZ1. Had dog hunters on my camera during still hunting season. Mentioned it to DNR. They said “ prob just coon hunters”.

 

[Old-Cat]

That's Bernie, not me.

I just want folks to stop talking about SC bears on the freakin' internet, because you know that's the next hipster thing...

I'm sorry, but it is ....


I've met folks from Charlotte and Atlanta, and am not impressed.

I’m pretty sure every state that bear hunting is legal is a better choice than South Carolina. It’s got to be the lowest percentage bear hunt in the country, still hunting season that is.

I haven’t run into many still hunters , I’ve run into a bunch of freaking hikers and dog hunters.

 

[Old-Cat]

I found some 3 to 5 day old scat this afternoon in a new spot, gonna try it tomorrow. There may be fresher there, but I didn’t wanna mess up tomorrows hunt; I really have no idea.

Truth be told, it won’t be a lick of skill involved if I get one tomorrow, it’ll be straight up blessing from my Daddy. I’m pretty much at a loss where to go.

This is the first season I can remember. That I put in this many miles and days consistently, and found nothing fresh. I’ve been doing this I guess 30 years, maybe that’s right. 28 or something like that?

 

[Swamp Fox]

Good luck to you!

 

[Old-Cat]

Well the season is a wrap. I absolutely got my butt kicked all over the mountains this year.

I would suppose I’m somewhere around 75 miles in this season. I hope @Swamp Fox this running account of my season allays any concerns this thread was gonna somehow entice out-of-staters to come here muck up our hunting. I’ll say this again, every other state in the union is a better prospect for public land still hunting than South Carolina. This, as far as I know, is absolutely the lowest percentage still hunting spot in the country.

This season was a complete beat down for me and I’ve been finding bears in zone one since I was in my early 20s and I’m in my 50s now. This season I got on one single bear and there was no way to hunt it, given the flora and topography. Now I don’t run cameras, I’m strictly on foot chasing when season starts. But dang, a single friggen bear.


———————-
I’m not gonna cry for too long, I’m already considering how to schedule second season North Carolina, I want some fall bear meat. *winks*

 

[Jim828]

Cat, we feel about the same way. What we had on camera were nocturnal. The dry weather may/may not help? Don’t know, but they weren’t moving. 7 killed on private land in Pickens County. That number didn’t change from last week. Guess the adage holds: better luck next time (year) !

 

[Jim828]

Had number 8 reported on private in Pickens.

 

[Bernie]

Dogs need a "running season" (no kills) but your points about the timing and camouflage of coon hunting are valid.


Maybe something can be done with state WMAs but the feds will be a different kettle of fish (barrel of donuts, pile of corn, etc. ; ) ) ....

I agree that dogs need a running season and I think it's legislated to happen well before the start of deer season. Please write your SC state legislators to get the coon hunting law changed so bear hunters running dogs illegally don't continue abusing it.

 

[Jim828]

Heard a 26 year old from the lowstate had a massive heart attack and died in the horsepasture bear hunting. Following dogs in that country is hard work.

 

[Old-Cat]

Heard a 26 year old from the lowstate had a massive heart attack and died in the horsepasture bear hunting. Following dogs in that country is hard work.

Oh that’s horrid. The poor young man, his parents and possibly wife. Gosh! Ohh, I hope he wasn’t married w kids.

I’m pretty sure a couple of folks had to be airlifted out this year didn’t they? I haven’t had time to confirm. My wife had a few calls from clients because they heard a hunter got in trouble on a mountain.

————
Yes sir, it can be pretty rough country. I was crawling around on my hands and knees straight up hills this weekend, some of the places are not for the faint of heart. If you’ve never been in thick rhododendron and mountain laurels on a steep slope, it can be disorienting and unnerving. Shoot, even if you’ve been in it bunch and ain’t no freaking fun looking up and seeing not a glimmer of hope in front of you, and knowing there’s no way you’re going back down the hill the way you came up. You had better have plenty of water and be the patient so panic doesn’t set in.

 

[Old-Cat]

I agree that dogs need a running season and I think it's legislated to happen well before the start of deer season. Please write your SC state legislators to get the coon hunting law changed so bear hunters running dogs illegally don't continue abusing it.

Dog owners were everywhere this year. I’ve never seen so many.

 

[Old-Cat]

I found a massive number of cellular cameras this year. It was pretty disheartening. I don’t mind a man busting his butt to find bears. But it was pretty annoying getting on top of super high ridges and seeing that a person put a camera up there and never had to go back up again to check for sign.

Well that ain’t happening this year! I just got confirmation from DNR that Trail cams are not permitted; they are considered abandoned property.

So what is this mean? I would never steal somebody’s camera, but I’m gonna cut them all down and give them to my local DNR officer. He is going to get a basket full of cameras that he can take to the Clemson office. If someone wants their camera, they can go down there and pick it up.

I’m gonna make a sign that says pick it up at Clemson office. This way I don’t have to moon any more cameras, although I did get a giggle out of doing it.

 

[KenLee]

I found a massive number of cellular cameras this year. It was pretty disheartening. I don’t mind a man busting his butt to find bears. But it was pretty annoying getting on top of super high ridges and seeing that a person put a camera up there and never had to go back up again to check for sign.

Well that ain’t happening this year! I just got confirmation from DNR that Trail cams are not permitted; they are considered abandoned property.

So what is this mean? I would never steal somebody’s camera, but I’m gonna cut them all down and give them to my local DNR officer. He is going to get a basket full of cameras that he can take to the Clemson office. If someone wants their camera, they can go down there and pick it up.

I’m gonna make a sign that says pick it up at Clemson office. This way I don’t have to moon any more cameras, although I did get a giggle out of doing it.

SC DNR says trail cameras aren't permitted where, and for what purpose?

 

[Old-Cat]

SC DNR says trail cameras aren't permitted where, and for what purpose?

Public land. They’re considered abandoned property, if left more than a day.

 

[KenLee]

Public land. They’re considered abandoned property, if left more than a day.

If so, they've sure kept it quiet to thus point, but the regs publication most folks see doesn't come out til August.