Oregon fall bear

[biednick]

A good friend of mine recently moved to Oregon which has prompted me to look into hunting there. Since I'll need a couple years to draw a good deer tag and have to buy a license every year I've been looking into OTC tags. I'd appreciate any general advice or other information on fall bear.


From what I've gathered so far it seems like the western part of the state, around the Cascades to the coast, is probably the best area to try. The success rate seems low, but being a sub- $20 tag I'm sure there's a lot of people with tags who aren't really targeting them.

 

[jebel]

The southwest region has the highest bear harvest, both fall and spring. You can draw spring tags with very few points - sometimes zero. Fall are OTC, as you said.

Once you're looking at controlled hunts, you'll want to reference this. http://oregontags.com/

 

[Koda_]

Fall bear is a long season that overlaps most of the deer and elk hunts, depending on the unit you hunt bear and the timing with other seasons know that its illegal to hunt with a centerfire rifle in many units during deer, elk season without the specific deer and elk or other species tag. See pg 19 of the regs.

 

[biednick]

The southwest region has the highest bear harvest, both fall and spring. You can draw spring tags with very few points - sometimes zero. Fall are OTC, as you said.

Once you're looking at controlled hunts, you'll want to reference this. http://oregontags.com/

Thank you for the information, and I'll definitely add that link to my bookmarks and refer to it later.

 

[biednick]

Fall bear is a long season that overlaps most of the deer and elk hunts, depending on the unit you hunt bear and the timing with other seasons know that its illegal to hunt with a centerfire rifle in many units during deer, elk season without the specific deer and elk or other species tag. See pg 19 of the regs.

I did see the centerfire rifle restriction. On the surface it doesn't look too difficult to plan around since I'm looking at the west side of the state. There's a few hunts thst overlap the area I plan to hunt, but not many. If it is an issue I'm not certain I have to worry about it. I hunt more or less exclusively with handguns and the regulation book only mentions rifles. I'll look for the actual law and see if it restricts handguns if I'm going to overlap one of the other hunts.

 

[Straightshot069]

Don't overlook spring bear on the west side.
High numbers of bears, high number of clear cuts, less hunting pressure.
If nothing else consider doing that while your waiting on points for deer.
It would give you a chance to cover alot of ground and maybe help decide where you'd like to hunt deer.
Just a thought.
I only hunt spring bear, and on the east side. The meat far exceeded what I thought it would be. Low fat reserves from hibernation, and a diet of wild onions and grass. That and the hides are in better shape in the spring.
Good luck.

 

[orchemo]

Fall bears in Oregon are following the berries.

Headed east after the opening of fall bear this year to look for a color phase bear.

Berries and water

 

[Straightshot069]

Fall bears in Oregon are following the berries.

Headed east after the opening of fall bear this year to look for a color phase bear.

Berries and water

I love east side for exactly that reason.
It's rare to find a black one over there.
Well, I did see one this year but not near as common.
Good luck. I'm still waiting for a blonde.

 

[bscman]

I imagine western Oregon fall near hunting is similar to western Washington hunting.

Success rates are low here as well, but it's mainly due to low tag cost. People buy the tag "just in case" while they deer hunt. I run across few hunters targeting bear, and next to none after the first three weeks of the season. We usually see 15-20 during the season and harvest one, or two.

Definitely find the berries. Keep track of their ripeness and follow them up the mountain as they progress. Find the food source AND sign and sit on it.
It's thick and steep country and they're stealthy. They just appear out of thin air. I've glasses patches that are maybe 100yds x 200yds across for HOURS, then all the sudden a big boar shows up smack dab in the middle leaving you scratching your head.

The biggest frustration for fall bear in the western cascades is getting a shot. You'll play peek-a-boo sometimes for and hour or two as they feed while you wait for a clear shot at a good angle!

 

[biednick]

I imagine western Oregon fall near hunting is similar to western Washington hunting.

Success rates are low here as well, but it's mainly due to low tag cost. People buy the tag "just in case" while they deer hunt. I run across few hunters targeting bear, and next to none after the first three weeks of the season. We usually see 15-20 during the season and harvest one, or two.

Definitely find the berries. Keep track of their ripeness and follow them up the mountain as they progress. Find the food source AND sign and sit on it.
It's thick and steep country and they're stealthy. They just appear out of thin air. I've glasses patches that are maybe 100yds x 200yds across for HOURS, then all the sudden a big boar shows up smack dab in the middle leaving you scratching your head.

The biggest frustration for fall bear in the western cascades is getting a shot. You'll play peek-a-boo sometimes for and hour or two as they feed while you wait for a clear shot at a good angle!

I appreciate the info. I'm sure the two states are pretty similar. I figured the low tag cost played into the low success rate for the reason you stated, so it's good to hear some confirmation of that.

You mentioned you don't see people targeting bear after the first few weeks of the season. Do you think that's because other seasons have opened up or is the bear hunting best in the early season?

 

[bscman]

I appreciate the info. I'm sure the two states are pretty similar. I figured the low tag cost played into the low success rate for the reason you stated, so it's good to hear some confirmation of that.

You mentioned you don't see people targeting bear after the first few weeks of the season. Do you think that's because other seasons have opened up or is the bear hunting best in the early season?

Yes.
I think like any hunting season, opening weekend is the popular thing to do. After that, it loses its luster.
Which is really too bad. I think fall spot and stalk bear hunting is one of the absolute best hunts.

WA bear season opens August 1, which is still travel and camping season while the kids are out of school...it's also HOT, and within a couple weeks the rivers start opening for salmon fishing and September marks the beginning of deer and elk seasons.

If I had to pick a week to hunt it would be right after the Labor Day crowds subside. Our last several bear have been all harvested the first week or so of September.

Pro tip for hot weather hunting...
We being two coolers and fill them with frozen milk jugs and juice bottles. They stay mostly frozen for a week solid, work extremely well at coolinndown meat quickly, and won't get the hide and meat soaked when they melt.

 

[Mt.Vernon]

Black bears in Oregon don't hibernate but rather "den" in the colder months which is more of a state of low activity but will still come out on nice days to feed. So yes bears are very much out and about during the fall and into early winter you can cut there tracks in heavy snow even. Follow there food source In the fall. Late summer early fall will be blackberries and then into huckleberry season up in the higher country, this time of year they are hitting the acorns and the manzanita berries hard. They will also be busting up logs and grubbing pretty heavy in the fall trying to pack on the calories for the winter.

 

[Straightshot069]

Black bears in Oregon don't hibernate but rather "den" in the colder months which is more of a state of low activity but will still come out on nice days to feed. So yes bears are very much out and about during the fall and into early winter you can cut there tracks in heavy snow even. Follow there food source In the fall. Late summer early fall will be blackberries and then into huckleberry season up in the higher country, this time of year they are hitting the acorns and the manzanita berries hard. They will also be busting up logs and grubbing pretty heavy in the fall trying to pack on the calories for the winter.

Black bears in Western Oregon don't hibernate.
East side they definitely do.
I just got mine 2 days ago and not an oz of fat.
He has one beautiful coat.

 

[Straightshot069]

Black bears in Western Oregon don't hibernate.
East side they definitely do.
I just got mine 2 days ago and not an oz of fat.
He has one beautiful coat.

I can't figure out how to post a pic ?