The weather was perfect, a March day that rivaled any warm
weather day up to this point in the new year. For us, the opportunity to get
out and begin looking around was too good to pass up and while we are still
learning the strategy behind bear hunting, we’ve concluded that come April, getting
out early and scouting will give us the best chance possible. So, with the dog
loaded up, we threw our gear into the back of the truck and headed off.
Looking back, this journey began over a month ago with the two of us flipping through the pages of our state reg book, checking to see if drawing a tag was even feasible. As with most states, controlled hunt points quickly become a factor and with James only having one and myself with none, our options were limited. But not all was lost. We looked over the numbers, compared units, and in the end, put in for the Starkey Unit. It’s a unit with low success rates on paper, even less hunter interest, and while it has never been openly touted for its bear population, the chance to get out into the woods and put our boots on the ground was motivation enough. So, we made our selection and looked ahead, on February 20th we would get the results. The wait was not going to be easy.
After two weeks of pacing we were ultimately successful. Our math had worked and as we sit here in early March we now know that we will have the opportunity to get after bears next month. Since learning of our good fortune we have been down to talk with our local biologists and were told that although bears would be hard to find, numbers have been good and with some hard work and long days, the odds could be turned in our favor. Hearing that was practically like being issued a challenge and we were more than ready to accept. However, despite James and my willingness to push farther and harder than most, our energy, we concluded, would be ill spent unless we had a clear idea of where to go. Neither of us have ever ventured far into the Starkey Unit and with an endless number of unknowns, we decided that getting out early was key.
Among blogs and websites the general mantra for these hunts is that south facing slopes holding early season green-up will be the primary attractant for emerging bears. The logic makes sense, the sun is in the southern sky at this time of year and with northern slopes still covered in snow, the bears will want to make things easy on themselves. So, with a starting point, the search was on.
Looking back, this journey began over a month ago with the two of us flipping through the pages of our state reg book, checking to see if drawing a tag was even feasible. As with most states, controlled hunt points quickly become a factor and with James only having one and myself with none, our options were limited. But not all was lost. We looked over the numbers, compared units, and in the end, put in for the Starkey Unit. It’s a unit with low success rates on paper, even less hunter interest, and while it has never been openly touted for its bear population, the chance to get out into the woods and put our boots on the ground was motivation enough. So, we made our selection and looked ahead, on February 20th we would get the results. The wait was not going to be easy.
After two weeks of pacing we were ultimately successful. Our math had worked and as we sit here in early March we now know that we will have the opportunity to get after bears next month. Since learning of our good fortune we have been down to talk with our local biologists and were told that although bears would be hard to find, numbers have been good and with some hard work and long days, the odds could be turned in our favor. Hearing that was practically like being issued a challenge and we were more than ready to accept. However, despite James and my willingness to push farther and harder than most, our energy, we concluded, would be ill spent unless we had a clear idea of where to go. Neither of us have ever ventured far into the Starkey Unit and with an endless number of unknowns, we decided that getting out early was key.
Among blogs and websites the general mantra for these hunts is that south facing slopes holding early season green-up will be the primary attractant for emerging bears. The logic makes sense, the sun is in the southern sky at this time of year and with northern slopes still covered in snow, the bears will want to make things easy on themselves. So, with a starting point, the search was on.
We began our day out near the Wolf Creek Reservoir but
quickly found ourselves slowed up by snow lingering along the roadways. After
James put a dent in his new truck and chipped the paint we were subsequently
forced to turn around and look for another way into the unit. The day had not started
the way we had planned. Pushing forward, we headed north to La Grande to try
and make our way in via several forest roads and highways. After spending some
time out near Beaver Creek, just west of Ladd Canyon, we eventually found
ourselves in better country when we got out onto Highway 244. We weaved in and out
along the dirt roads, patched with ice, but drivable by most standards. Soon,
we found what we were looking for, south facing slopes, rolling hills, and
somewhere we both agreed bears would want to be. Our outlook for the day and
season was now on the rise, our first circle on the map.
As we moved through the woods elk sign was readily present and mule deer seemed to be jumping out around us left and right. Farley could barely contain himself; his body rigged and ears in their full alert position. A fun day to be out in the woods and the reality that we would soon be into a bear season and back up in the woods was beginning to sink in.
As the weekend comes to an end we’re not sure where we’ll go from here. More days of scouting are ahead and as the spring brings sun and rain we will begin to find a forest, closed up and dark throughout the winter, open her doors and allow us access. We still need to isolate the spring green-up, sight in rifles and get our practice in, but the effort will be worth it. We now wait in anticipation for our next day out, keep an eye on the mountains, and continue with our home preparations for the months ahead. A good first weekend by most standards.
As we moved through the woods elk sign was readily present and mule deer seemed to be jumping out around us left and right. Farley could barely contain himself; his body rigged and ears in their full alert position. A fun day to be out in the woods and the reality that we would soon be into a bear season and back up in the woods was beginning to sink in.
As the weekend comes to an end we’re not sure where we’ll go from here. More days of scouting are ahead and as the spring brings sun and rain we will begin to find a forest, closed up and dark throughout the winter, open her doors and allow us access. We still need to isolate the spring green-up, sight in rifles and get our practice in, but the effort will be worth it. We now wait in anticipation for our next day out, keep an eye on the mountains, and continue with our home preparations for the months ahead. A good first weekend by most standards.
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