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Post by ridgecommander on Nov 20, 2018 19:05:43 GMT -5
Whats the bear season report? I might have missed it if you did report on it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2018 20:23:51 GMT -5
Whats the bear season report? I might have missed it if you did report on it. You didn't miss much, Gene. We had bears in the area, but several things figured in to why we did not do all that well. First of all, Dave is having a couple of personal/family problems to deal with, so he couldn't show up until Sunday. We only had four in camp on Saturday, so doing big pushes was out. Crawford had a hunter take a shot at a bear a couple hundred yards above him, but no blood was drawn. That was the closest we got on Saturday. Very few hunters in the woods, and nobody was driving. Of the camps in our immediate area, ours was the only one with hunters in it. Weather may have played a role in keeping hunter participation down. I guess nobody likes to hunt with snow on the ground anymore? This Saturday opening is a really stupid idea. Whoever came up with that spot of brilliance needs to be fired and get a job flipping burgers. It makes no sense to open a season like bear season on Saturday unless you are going to be able to hunt on the next day, which in our system of calendar days would be Sunday. Oh well. On Monday there was precious little shooting. I did cut a relatively fresh bear track on the way to my stand Monday morning. Our game camera got a photo of a nice one on Sunday that was probably the bear in question.  Dave had a problem and almost had to go home early on Monday, but he got it resolved temporarily. Crawford and his brother in law Stan had to leave Monday as both had to work on Tuesday. Larry had enough of hunting in the cold and wet by the end of the day Monday, so he decided to go home Tuesday morning. Dave also figured he had been away from things needing his attention long enough, so that would have left me in camp alone on Tuesday, do I also quit and went home. Regardless of the lack of bear action, I still enjoyed my time in camp. Just not as much as if we had hung the above bear. If this seems like a depressing bear camp report, Gene, that is because it really was depressing, at least to me. I haven't lost the fire in the belly just yet, but I guess the time is coming. Anyway, things are looking up a bit for rifle deer season. Hope springs eternal of something like that? We have several nice quality bucks still available for the guys to score on, such as the one I posted in another thread and a couple of ten points. Maybe a good rifle deer season will make up for this bear season. Sorry to be a wet blanket, as Mom used to say. |
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Post by dennyf on Nov 20, 2018 23:27:16 GMT -5
Apparently the "thinking" behind a Saturday bear opener, was that more could get out on a weekend day, especially youngsters. Not really sure how that's worked out, but most of the guys I know that've been die hard bear hunters for decades, didn't like the idea. They were used to heading for bear camp Friday night or Saturday, spending the weekend getting camp ready, scouting and generally having a good time ahead of the Monday opener. All that went out the window, when they had to bust it getting to camp Friday night to hunt the next morning, or burn a days vacation to be there Friday. They were already taking Monday and Tuesday off, that added an extra day's vacation to use if they took off Friday. And now some want to muck up deer season by starting it on a Saturday.  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2018 3:44:46 GMT -5
Yep its too hard most times to get the vacation you want and then to split the 4 day season between 2 weeks is just dumb. Most guys in our camp rather start it on Monday.
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Post by turkeykiller on Nov 21, 2018 4:54:57 GMT -5
Denny, you are talkin like one of those guys who have their head in the sand.
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Post by GlennD on Nov 21, 2018 5:34:22 GMT -5
I said this several years back when they went to a Saturday opener. Not good for most hunters.
Have to burn an extra vacation day to get to camp and get ready.
Pay for An extra day in a motel to get two days of hunting. Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, and probably Monday night too..
Stopped me from coming to pa to bear hunt.
It would be OK if Pa had Sunday hunting.
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Post by Dutch on Nov 21, 2018 5:51:29 GMT -5
I think they should start it on Sunday. 😂
License sales went up a good amount when they went to a Saturday opener tho.
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Post by ridgecommander on Nov 21, 2018 7:24:59 GMT -5
Apparently the "thinking" behind a Saturday bear opener, was that more could get out on a weekend day, especially youngsters. Not really sure how that's worked out, but most of the guys I know that've been die hard bear hunters for decades, didn't like the idea. Hunting is becoming a casual past time for the majority of hunters these days. That trend began long ago and will continue. Yep. I believe it will benefit more than it will impact as our hunter demographics keep changing. The PGC needs to adapt or the losses will be expedited. |
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Post by ridgecommander on Nov 21, 2018 7:27:59 GMT -5
Anyway, things are looking up a bit for rifle deer season. Hope springs eternal of something like that? We have several nice quality bucks still available for the guys to score on, such as the one I posted in another thread and a couple of ten points. Maybe a good rifle deer season will make up for this bear season. . Best of luck to your crew and thanks for the report. I ain't expecting much on the opener. We do have another hunter joining our camp but I don't expect him to venture much further than the back yard. There is very little hunting pressure any more where I will be. Opening day has become just another day. Natural deer movement and few deer seen. Looks like good bit of rain too! |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2018 9:09:41 GMT -5
Most guys work weekends. Its rare to hear of people working a 9-5 Mon-Fri anymore. I had to work the weekend 12 hours Fri-sun but then had Monday and tuesday off. Somebody tell me how the Saturday opener helps me?
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Post by CoureurDeBois on Nov 21, 2018 9:13:16 GMT -5
Apparently the "thinking" behind a Saturday bear opener, was that more could get out on a weekend day, especially youngsters. Not really sure how that's worked out, but most of the guys I know that've been die hard bear hunters for decades, didn't like the idea. They were used to heading for bear camp Friday night or Saturday, spending the weekend getting camp ready, scouting and generally having a good time ahead of the Monday opener. All that went out the window, when they had to bust it getting to camp Friday night to hunt the next morning, or burn a days vacation to be there Friday. They were already taking Monday and Tuesday off, that added an extra day's vacation to use if they took off Friday. And now some want to muck up deer season by starting it on a Saturday. Good post denny, sums it up nicely. Back before the Saturday opener, the drainage my camp is located on turned into a camping area. It started Saturday and by Sunday night there was not a area left along the two different DCNR foresty roads where you could park a camper or put up a tent, my guess would be there were 10 to 15 sites. One local group. which consisted of a lot of relatives from Delaware, always hunted hard and did well in the area. This all changed with the Saturday opener. The Delaware boys stoped coming, and this year I know of only 2 different camping groups, one of which was a young couple, and the wife was not hunting. We still get a couple of groups of amish from the Butler area, but they were there for the Monday opener also. To bring this back something needs to change. Either return to a Monday opener or allow Sunday hunting, even then I'm not sure it would return to what it once was. As for the number of days hunters hunted, I will refer to my camp. With a Monday opener we hunted hard both Monday and Tuesday. We hunted some on Wednesday morning then would clean up camp and hang it up. With the Saturday opener, the only way we can have a good crew is to combine 3 or more camps on Monday, which we do. The 2016 and 2017 season it was late Monday afternoon or early evening when we quit. This was only due to having to get a bear out of the woods from the bottom of a wild area each year, thank God for a bunch of 20 and 30 year olds. On Monday of this year we had a full crew, or close to it, I didn't do a count. By noon almost every one was soaking wet and tired, some when home or back to their camps. We made one more short drive then broke up about 1pm, every one going their separate ways. My son and I went back to camp, cleaned up and went home. So as you can see, from hunting 2 1/2 days with a Monday opener to 1 1/2 day with a Saturday opener. Yeah, I not a fan of the Saturday opener. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2018 9:25:00 GMT -5
Well stated, CDB. And you are absolutely spot on. It will never go back to what it once was. I agree with you. Either go back to the way it used to be, bear opening on Monday, or go to a two day season opening on Saturday and continuing on Sunday. I suggest the two days so the PGC has a year to determine how the change effects their precious bear population. My opinion is that even if they made bear season Saturday through Wednesday it would make little difference.
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Post by ridgecommander on Nov 21, 2018 9:51:35 GMT -5
Actually that is not true. Labor statistics show the great majority do not work weekends. That chart was posted on HPA in a Saturday deer thread. Apparently it won't help you? It will help many others, though.  |
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Muttley...
Nov 21, 2018 12:14:55 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2018 12:14:55 GMT -5
Actually that is not true. Labor statistics show the great majority do not work weekends. That chart was posted on HPA in a Saturday deer thread. Apparently it won't help you? It will help many others, though. View AttachmentA lot of guys I hunt with do and work a lot of mandatory ot. The Saturday opener maybe selling more licenses but we hear about a record kill every year and it hasnt happened. Why? |
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Post by 3212 on Nov 21, 2018 12:25:05 GMT -5
Most of the people I know who hunted bear were satisfied with one bear and quit hunting them.
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Post by ridgecommander on Nov 21, 2018 12:26:35 GMT -5
A lot of guys I hunt with do and work a lot of mandatory ot. For sure. I don't deny it. Was just saying that labor statistics show most do not work weekends by a big margin. Why haven't we had a record kill? Well, for one thing there are less deer than we used to have. Then, participation is way down in rifle season. |
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Post by CoureurDeBois on Nov 21, 2018 12:45:09 GMT -5
Most of the people I know who hunted bear were satisfied with one bear and quit hunting them. I haven't quit hunting them, and will kill another if given the chance, but I could care less if it happens. Killing a another bear isn't on my bucket list. |
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Post by good ole boy on Nov 21, 2018 18:12:22 GMT -5
Seems like a lot of what I read most people favored a Sat start when it came to Deer rifle.I would figger Bear would be the same.Heck every season except Rifle Deer starts on Sat anyway and I never heard anyone whinin about those starts.Except Muzzy late which always starts the day after XMAS.
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Post by CoureurDeBois on Nov 21, 2018 19:33:37 GMT -5
Seems like a lot of what I read most people favored a Sat start when it came to Deer rifle.I would figger Bear would be the same.Heck every season except Rifle Deer starts on Sat anyway and I never heard anyone whinin about those starts.Except Muzzy late which always starts the day after XMAS. I think a lot of hunters though it was a good idea, didn't turn out that way. Brings up memories what my grandmother use to say. " Be careful what you wish for, it might come true". |
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Post by cspot on Nov 21, 2018 19:41:23 GMT -5
Well stated, CDB. And you are absolutely spot on. It will never go back to what it once was. I agree with you. Either go back to the way it used to be, bear opening on Monday, or go to a two day season opening on Saturday and continuing on Sunday. I suggest the two days so the PGC has a year to determine how the change effects their precious bear population. My opinion is that even if they made bear season Saturday through Wednesday it would make little difference. How much do you think the expanded seasons has hurt the regular bear opener? Seems to me many might decide to wait and just hunt when they can shoot deer and bear. I don't know as I don't hunt your areas. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2018 6:23:54 GMT -5
I really don't know how it has effected what hunters do. I know it has offered me more opportunity. Since I don't have a buck tag, I can still go out the latter part of the week.
The bear harvest during rifle season was way down compared to what they were predicting. It could have been the weather, but the weather didn't effect what we do.
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Post by CoureurDeBois on Nov 22, 2018 7:30:59 GMT -5
I don't think the extended season has affected the overall season that much cspot, at least pertaining to the overall kill, but I don't have the numbers. As far as my area goes, I'm guessing again, don't have the numbers, I would say a good 20% or more decline,maybe more, in hunter numbers with the Saturday opener. I'm sure the snow affected the hunter turn out some this year, at lease around camp. There were a fair number of camps that didn't even open this year for bear. We see this in deer season but not bear.
The area we hunt is not part of the extended season bear area.
The area around where camp is located is very good bear country, very good. It's in Clinton County, Noyes Township, one of the top areas in the state. I was told when I bought the camp it was better territory for bear than deer, and our overall harvest of both species has shown this, we have killed about same same number of bears as deer. But what for deer that are there, are big, and our harvests have also reflected this, was told this when I got the camp also.
Part of the reason for the good bear population is, it's also a drop off area for captured bears from other areas. I usually see the one PGC bear biologist every year, no he won't tell me where they are, he's not even allowed to hunt bears he told me. I see him now and then along side one of the roads holding his antenna high in the air, It's also a bear study/ research area. He had two bears with collars on this year, we kill one about 3 years ago with a collar. The 510 pound my son killed a number of years ago was a research bear. They couldn't get a good tooth out of it at the check station, the person trying to extract it finally gave up. He said we don't need it anyways, I have more information on this bear than I need already.
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Post by dennyf on Nov 22, 2018 9:02:25 GMT -5
As long as bears continue to expand into well-populated areas as they've been doing for about the past 20 years, then I'd say we have more bears than the habitat can support. And I'm not only talking about what most consider "normal" bear habitat, since that now apparently also includes much of suburbia and the fringes of many metropolitan areas.
The only means of keeping their numbers from continuing to expand, is our bear seasons. I'm not sure bear seasons are keeping up.
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