Bear newb

[splatek]

Been out in the woods here and there looking for sign and figured I better make a post. This will be my first full season hunting, started halfway thru the season last year for whitetail, with no luck. Saw a few, but too far for my bow. This will be my first full season of hunting; started halfway through the season last year.

I bought into a middle ga lease for deer hunting and have been working it, and have a few deer on cams, but the mountains are where I want to be. I know the mountain deer pop is very low, but every time I head out I see fresh deer sign, scrapes, tracks (more tracks than you can shake a stick at), scat, fresh browse, rubs, etc.

Anyhow, curious if the other stuff I've been seeing is bear sign. I have hurt my leg, which has made walking difficult, let alone up and down mountainsides, but I hope to try and get back out there either tomorrow afternoon or sometime next week and I just want to make sure that what I am seeing is getting me close(ish) to what I am after....

SCAT? When I poked it with my stick it looked fresh on the inside (should have photographed that) and when I smelled the end of my stick (don't ask me why I smelled it) it smelled sweet(ish) (for poop)....


Bear scratching? The tree was alive up top if that helps. I am thinking with all those little perfect holes in the tree it might be a woodpecker.



Not sure what this is, but when I poked the bottom, which looked warm and wet, it smelled of a strong urine odor: Maybe smaller game marking? The odor smelled like a cross between dog and cat urine, if that makes sense.




Some random old scat, I think at least a few of these are from bears, but maybe also pigs?









Thanks in advance.

SP

 

[Joe Brandon]

That's all bear scat. Those seeds are pressimon seeds. You on the right track!!!! If your leg is still hurt in 2 weeks PM me and I will hunt it for you!

 

[twincedargap]

Glad your legs better and your getting boots on the ground. Only way to learn is see yourself. Good on you.

 

[splatek]

That's all bear scat. Those seeds are pressimon seeds. You on the right track!!!! If your leg is still hurt in 2 weeks PM me and I will hunt it for you!

Haha... Nice

Glad your legs better and your getting boots on the ground. Only way to learn is see yourself. Good on you.

Man, leg is getting there, can't do much hill climbing, but going to try and sneak out tomorrow after class sunning my schedule works out and someone hasn't made up a reason to have a useless meeting. I guess a hurt leg qualifies for a sick day.... Prob not

 

[splatek]

I think I heard a bear MOAN at me today according to the playing on this site (http://bearsmartdurango.org/bear-sounds/)
I was scouting for new spots and on my way out, at the end of the day, I found some .. what looked like acorn eating bear scat and I stopped, looked, walked very quietly and about 30-40 yards away I hear the moan sound...

Newer, acorn eating scat, I think - It wasn't there in the morning when I checked this spot on the way in, but was on the way out; Gray on the inside consistency of peanut butter or thick yogurt.



Didn't see a bear, but I am pretty sure that's what I heard.

I also found a lot of old scat


Near these berries:


and all this old scat:







Some yote scat I think (the first one had bones in it:





And some rabbit scat (I think)

 

[ddd-shooter]

Really fresh scat will be super gray.
That's not rabbit, that's deer.

Good job scouting! If you work that hard during season you should do great.
Just remember that because you scouted them there this week, doesn't mean they'll be there in a week and a half. Don't make them be where they aren't. I know it sucks, but all that boot leather is for nothing if you get too focused on making those spots work when they're not there.
A lesson I'm learning more and more.
Also why my scouting gets less and less each year

 

[splatek]

Still at it. Took mini-me out camping with me this Sat-Sun and we hiked - ten miles over the two days, combined looking for bear sign, coupled with salamander hunting in the local creeks. That boy loves catching "sallys" and I love watching his eager in getting muddy and catching them ever so carefully.

On the way in we saw a momma and her two cubs - I think the kid is good luck...

We also find some fresh sign, a dug up wasp nest
It was super fresh looking like s/he might have heard us coming.

We also found some really fresh, warm, mushy scat




And some white oaks, but they weren't really producing anything ... I need to go back without the kid to get in there deeper and more off trail.



Lots of these



I am scatterbrained about where and what to do... but Hopefully I will figure something out in the next few days...