Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Eastern Oregon Bear Effort (pic heavy)

Note that "shooting" was not in the title. I spent 8 or 9 days up in NE Oregon chasing black bear. I saw about 1 bear a day, mostly chocolates and blacks, but could not make one materialize within range.

A photo of the country. About a mile out and 2,500 feet down to reach bottom, and the bear always seemed to be on an opposing ridge.


Due to some prior committments, I think I was about 2 weeks late, and the bears were not spending extended periods foraging out on the grassy exposures. This is a lomatium that produces a high carbo carrot like root and makes up the bulk of their early spring diet.


The only kills involved a few packrats that were exploring the wall tent during night hours. Seems they have an affinity for leather work gloves and my Leatherman sheath. Mess with the bull, and you buy the farm.

For scale, the trap plank is 7 inches long. The largest rat was about 20% larger than this one. One must tether his trap, as they are often capable of dragging it off or pulling out. Despite romantic lore, they can be quite damaging around camp, and I make every effort to eliminate them once discovered. I needed more traps, as I took 4 in 4 nights with the single unit on hand.

I also found a few morels that made a tasty addition to the evening meals.


Lots of spring flowers about, so I snapped a few shots of those. A fairy or ladyslipper orchid. Sorry that these images are not up to Cookie's standards, but she will not loan out her camera for extended periods.


Larkspur an early emerging and poisonous plant.


Shooting star.
[img]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/2minutes/Critters/ShotStar_zps288d6c92.jpg[/img]

Some violets
[img]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/2minutes/Critters/Violet_zps28d496a8.jpg[/img]

and Trillium
[img]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/2minutes/Critters/Trillium_zps68a413a7.jpg[/img]

Other critters amounted to elk, mule deer, snow shoe hares in summer plummage, chipmunks, blue and ruffed grouse, pine, Columbian, and golden mantled ground squirrels, marmots, a few turkey, hawks, owls, eagles, and a pileated woodpecker that posed for 5 minutes at about 6 ft while I had no camera at hand.

Again, a great time, but no bear this year. Good luck to those still out there,

Very cool. Looks like a great time getting out and about.

West Blue Mountains? Looks like the upper Umatilla. I've had that tag four or five times. Lots of bears some years, I saw eleven one day. Other years it's as you describe. I chased a big blonde bear two years in a row without getting a shot. I took my wife up one day after the season ended to show her the country and saw him digging for wild onions 180 yards from where we were standing. It is usually best the last two weeks of May.

Great pics - spring in that country is always special. Nice gun by the way, nice to see a 600 out in the field, what caliber??

That 6X42 on your 600 probably scared all the bears away.

What caliber?
Ted

Better luck next time.

I'll soon be calling for a S. OR bear.

I'm jealous. Thanks for sharing.

Great photo essay

Thanks for the great photo essay.

Also a big thanks for identifying the Lomatium. I've spent many hours watching black bears eat the stuff, but was never sure what the scientific name actually was?

With the early blast of warm weather the spring greenup came quickly and bears were in the trees sooner than normal is also what I found. No reason to forage in the open when the same foods can be found in the timber.

Oregonmuley:
A 6mm Rem. My first new in box rifle as a kid (for $99.95 from Clark Bro Gun Shop near Warrenton, Virginia), so that probably nails my age down pretty close. It's accounted for many woodchucks, a few marmots, eastern whitetail, mule deer, black tail deer, pronghorn, 1 elk, bear, coyote, and a few jack rabbits. Had it rebarreled by Remington in the early 80's when accuracy went to hell. It's back to being a nail driver now, and the wife has pretty much taken it away from me as her deer and pronghorn unit. If I beg enough though, she will loan it out when I'm wanting a light weight unit.

As I was sitting on an overlook this past week, I was reflecting on it's purchase date and realized its been mine within a few days of exactly 50 years. Seems like yesterday. When the time finally comes, I think I'll take it with me.

Have a good one,

Those morels look great, yum!

nice . NE Oregon has some gorgeous country!

I spent some time by Halfway, OR last week. Saw a lot of bear poop while shrooming

What 6x42?

Cool rifle! And it looks like a fine hunt, bear or no bear.

Regards, Guy

Yeah, it looks more like a 3-9 or 2.8-8, now that I take a better look at it. Missed the power change ring.

Guess I've been too conditioned by The 'Fire crew.
Ted

Yep. A 3-9X.

Cool photos! Thanks for sharing!