# First bear tag!



## ZachTerry (Feb 13, 2014)

I am unbelievably excited. I am going to draw a spring bear tag this year, which will be my first. I don't have much interest in using dogs so I want to bow hunt over bait. I have been doing a load of research on proper technique and tactics, but the hardest part is location. So the help I need is on units.
I have narrowed it down to 4 of them...

Central Mountains - Manti North

Chalk Creek / Kamas / North Slope, Summit

Cache / East Canyon / Morgan Rich / Ogen

Wasatch West

What would your suggestion be and why?

Do you have experience or knowledge with what I could expect from these units, granted that I am within an hour and a half from Salt Lake?


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## huntfishlive (Oct 22, 2013)

Choose a unit close to where you live. Hunting over bait takes a lot of repeated visits to your bait stations. It will get discouraging if you have to drive hours every time you want to go hunt your bait stations.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

+1 on a unit close to you if you want to use bait. You have to be able to visit it every 48-72 hrs to keep it stocked and the bears interested.
Also make sure to read the regulations in the guide book about bait stations there is a lot of rules to follow. Each station must be approved by the DWR and a COR for each up to two at a time. Also the land you are putting them on you must have permission from the owners ie forest service, BLM, state or private. 
There is quite a bit of mess you have to do and I don't understand a lot of why its that way but it is the law.
Of the units you mentioned I have hunted the Manti north in 2011. It was tough and it snowed into may and kept the bears denned up. I even switched to rifle and got the use of dogs and never seen a bear. 
Spring hunts seem to be weather dependent. 
Im not trying to dicourge you at all. Just trying to help you be ready. 
I want to take a bear over bait as bad as anyone and hope when I draw again that I'll be able to do it.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

when you draw your tag hit me up. I have some bear baiting techniques that will draw them in for miles.


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## ZachTerry (Feb 13, 2014)

Thanks to all of you for your input. I appreciate it. I have read in depth into the regulations for the bait stations. Muleskinner, I will definitely hit you up when I go. I have read some of your other thread posts on baits and it sounds like you have some potent stuff. Mikevanwilder, thanks for the input from your experience. It's good to know.
The reason that I have chosen these units is for their close proximity to where I live. I am willing to drive an hour or so to where my bait is plus the hike in multiple times per week. The issue is that there are 4 units that I can get to in that amount of time. Any knowledge of bear populations or history of harvest or more experience hunting these units for any animal and coming across bear activity? Don't divulge your secret spots, just looking for general unit info to make the best decision of the 4.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I had the spring Manti tag last year, hunted 22 days and went empty,
Kinda by my choice, never found a good sized male.
Found out aftere the fact, the one I thought I would chase was killed
on the fall hunt 2012.
How many poimt do you have Zack???


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## ZachTerry (Feb 13, 2014)

goofy elk said:


> I had the spring Manti tag last year, hunted 22 days and went empty,
> Kinda by my choice, never found a good sized male.
> Found out aftere the fact, the one I thought I would chase was killed
> on the fall hunt 2012.
> How many poimt do you have Zack???


Dang, that's too bad. I am hoping that I tag out. Not going for the biggest on the mountain (though I would take it if I can) but don't want a baby either.

I have 7 points.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

7 points is unlikely to pull the North Manti spring tag this year...

looks like most all the bonus tags will go to guys with 8 points ths year ..

You could still be 2-3 years out of drawing a tag on N/Manti.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Just ran a quick check on the units you posted.
Only tag you will 95% draw this year is #7002...Cache / East Canyon / Morgan Rich / Ogden


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Here is what I found


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

^^^ thats correct for 2013, now add in the point creep for 2014^^^^

Then, You'll end up with my numbers..;-)-----The true ones.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Yep. I wasn't disputing you. More of a confirmation from me Goofy. Just wanted to show him that your numbers were good.

We do the majority of our bear hunting in Idaho. It's cheap, they are plentiful and a ton fun.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I hear ya Skinner ...

That chart does mislead many hunters that use it for odds though ..
I like to figure my odds off the old DWR sheets .. and look at previous years trends ..

Thats why I use this site the most:http://www.biggamedrawodds.com/


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Goofy I have 8 pts for wasatch spring archery. first year ive ever put in to draw. Ive always just bought bonus points. Do I need to be concerned about drawing this year? Id hate to draw it and draw my le archery deer tag in the same year.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I drew the Manti North with 3 points.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

^^^^^ Mike----You were VERY lucky!!!^^^^^^^^^^^


SW, If nothing changes with hunters switching units,
The Wasatch west spring will have 7 guys, with 9 points, and 15 bonus permits..
SO-- 7 permits go to the 9 point group---- 
8 bonus tags to will go to the 8 point group, with aproximatly 25 aplicates ...

You have a 1 in 3.1 chance of drawing your spring bear tag SW ....

NOW, NOT TO WORRY..... Do what I do. Draw EVERY TAG YOU CAN !!!

Just surender the ones you dont want to hunt this year and get your points back.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

+1 on a location you can check FREQUENTLY. Like every night after work


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

I have been trying to decide if I should actually put in this year myself. I have 9 points


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## ZachTerry (Feb 13, 2014)

This is great info. 

Goofy, where are you getting the info for the number of bonus tags, how many will go to people with a certain amount of bonus points, etc? I haven't had a chance to check out the website you cited earlier.

Do you guys know how different the quality of hunting would differ from the Cache unit to the Wasatch West unit? 

Skinner, do you do any type of guiding up there in Idaho?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

nope. Never have guided just love hunting like everybody else and hunting bear is right there with my favorite hunting of all.

Never hunted the Cache unit before or spent much time in it but there are some excellent bears on the Wasatch. Actually there are some excellent bears just about anywhere you go. I would assume that the Cache unit is the same.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Nobody filled a tag on the Cache unit this past season. The former biologist for the Cache unit estimated the total bear population for the unit at between 5-15 animals. While I know we have added few more animals since he did his estimate, there is still a lot of empty country and filling a tag is going to be an up hill struggle. Only 4 sportsman's tags have ever been filled since they started issuing tags for the Cache 20 years ago. I have also chased bear on the Wasatch West unit, and bear are by far easier to come by on that unit as they are on the Cache.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Good to know Kevin. Typically I have found that there are more bears in areas that people don't expect them but that is not always the case. I know where a few bruisers are on the Wasatch. Just need to draw the tag someday. Lots of other great areas though.


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## ZachTerry (Feb 13, 2014)

That was a speculation I had Kevin. With only 3 tags issued last year I figured that populations were low. I have ruled that unit out at this point. In the Wasatch unit, were you finding them in any type of habitat or elevation that was unique to the Wasatch?

I think that I am going to cross my fingers for Wasatch West this year. I guess the worst that can happen if I don't draw is I get another bonus point. Between location and odds of drawing it makes the most sense.


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## horn hunter (Oct 30, 2013)

You don't even know what area to apply for and you already know you are drawing a tag?? I wouldn't get excited about anything until you have a tag in hand...


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I could get a bear in East Canyon every year.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

ZachTerry said:


> That was a speculation I had Kevin. With only 3 tags issued last year I figured that populations were low. I have ruled that unit out at this point. In the Wasatch unit, were you finding them in any type of habitat or elevation that was unique to the Wasatch?
> 
> I think that I am going to cross my fingers for Wasatch West this year. I guess the worst that can happen if I don't draw is I get another bonus point. Between location and odds of drawing it makes the most sense.


They actually gave 4 tags on the Cache/Ogden/East Canyon bear unit, 3 in the spring and 1 in the fall. The unit basically covers everything from I-80 north to the Idaho border, but it seems most hunters who draw the tag focus on the Cache area, that is where all 4 bear were taken. However, I've often thought the farther south you go on the bear unit the more bear you're likely to run into because of the additional food source of oakbrush acorns, so I don't doubt your claim Mr. Muleskinner.

Going back to the Wasatch West unit, I was there as a guest of some of my hound dog buddies from the area so I'm not going to say the locations we were hunting, but I did come to loathe the oakbrush. The DWR biologist for the area is an old hound dog buddy of mine and we still talk frequently. He was even up in Logan a couple weeks ago and we had lunch. He pretty much spends his summer months dealing with bear on his unit, either removing nuisance bear or collaring sows for their ongoing studies. If you can catch him, he can point you to where you can find bear on the unit. He has told me his bear population has exploded the last few years.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

If you end up drawing on the Wasatch hit me up. I'll tell you a few spots I regularly see bears on my cams.


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## ZachTerry (Feb 13, 2014)

Thank you everyone for your help on this. I am very impressed with this forum. 27 comments and only 1 negative post. 

Kevin, thanks for sharing your experience. I appreciate it.

Bowhunt3r, if I do draw that tag I will let you know for sure. Thanks!


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

So ZachTerry, what did you end up drawing? Hows it going?


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