Came home from the camp today. Hunted Sat, Mon and Tues morning. No Sunday hunting here in PA and Tues late morning and today was rain. Sometimes pretty heavy. I did not see any bear, or deer for that matter. Just a couple of squirrels. I would surmise the reason is that there was not an acorn to be found. Also no grapes or any other food that I could see. A couple trees dropping hickory nuts but that was about it. And no food = no game.
But at least I got to sit an shoot the bull with the guys I don't see all year and catch up. All in all it was a very relaxing vacation away from civilization (no elec, running water, no cell phone service - just complete isolation for 5 days).

sounds like my hunt camp and club! We had a good white oak acorn drop this year, but I watched - during our on month bow season - the deer vacuum them all up in a short period of time. After that the same deer that kept coming back to the area of the acorns, were now gone forever more.

Only you Semi, only you my friend!!!

bronko i was up at the bear check station in marienville, not to many big ones brought in on saturday. i wasnt hunting, but scouting for this weeks opener. i think the biggest one taken was around 700 lb. and for the first time in about 50-60 years there was a bear taken in allegheny county. if you dont know where that is its basically all suburbs around pittsburgh where i live. pretty crazy.

Well I had to go in to town one evening so I stopped at the check station in Northbend. That was Tuesday. There were a total of 111 checked in. Looking at the weights I was agasted. The biggest was 311, next 236. A most were in the 80 - 150 lb range. But what ticked me off was there were several really small bear. One 36, two at 46 and several in the 50 lb range. Even though they are legal, I personally would be ashamed to shoot something like that.

Not personally interested in hunting bears, but in Virginia the bears must weigh in to over 100 lbs wet weight. A friend once shot one that was about 106 lbs. before we dressed him out and I thought it was no bigger then a cub. Very small. Will only shoot a bear if is coming at me or trying to come up into my stand. Tried the meat once and can't stand it!!!

Not cooked right I'd guess. Properly cleaned and cared for bear meat is quite tasty. In fact we had bear sausage Sweet Italian Style, on Friday and tomorrow we're having bear roast for supper.

HA

Neve had any problems with any other game i have cooked. When you have to take special care and preparations for any meat, I will feed it to the critters. Sorry. I guess my taste buds and scent glands are too refined.

I thought You Season does'nt start untill this comming Monday (Tomorrow)? They finally Legalized Bear Hunting in our County a couple of Years ago, and for the First Time we can use a Rifle this Season.
There's a good number of Bears Here and I have even seen one here on My Property. For the first time this Season we could shoot a Bear on our Oprning Day of Gun Season, preveously we had to wait a full week into the Season befor we could shoot one, and by that time they were well hidden by then.
I asked all My Buddy's this Opening Day if anyone would shoot a Bear if they saw onw and had the chance, eveyone opted to let them Walk as we'd like to see even more of them.
Even if it was My first Bear and I wanted to take one and had the chance I'd Never shoot one that small, it would have to be in the 200lbs+ range. We have some Big Ol Bears as they've had some time to get Big around here with out being Hunted for so long, a few that have been hot by Cars have weighed over 400lbs.
I know what you mean about being ashamed of Yourself, each year as I go into the Processors I see Fawn Deer that barely go over 50lbs, your lucky to get 20lbs of meat off one of them.