From: shade mt
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Date: 24-Apr-17 |
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Got home from work grabbed a quick bite for supper, grabbed my walking stick and went for a hike to look for morels.
I took a detour down into a large bottom full of skunk cabbage and kicked out a bear, I started sneaking closer and noticed another one standing looking. Then bear started running out of the bottom. The one that was standing looking, turned and ran right toward me. He had no clue I was there.
I left him come so I could get a better look, nice bear with a brown muzzle. he must have winded me veered off and crashed up the ridge.
5 bear total came out of that bottom!!
I snuck in to investigate. Sure enough they are feeding heavily on the skunk cabbage.
My daughter bought me a trail cam for Christmas...Be a nice place to try it out.
For those of you that might not know, skunk cabbage is a very important food source for bear in early spring often making up a large part of their diet.
So if ya got bear and a big bottom of skunk cabbage its worth investigating.
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From: shade mt
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Date: 24-Apr-17 |
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forgot to mention last fall my son saw a sow with a bunch of cubs about a mile away ...I have a hunch it was the same bunch.
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From: Hatrick
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Date: 24-Apr-17 |
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Interesting, lot's of skunk cabbage around my way right now. It's all over my favorite hunting area at my buddies place. No bear around here but I sure wish the turkeys liked it!
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From: Jeff Durnell
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Date: 24-Apr-17 |
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While hunting for morels last week on the game lands, I saw where a bear was mowing off the you skunk cabbage shoots. Found tracks. He wasn't very big.
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From: AK Pathfinder
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Date: 24-Apr-17 |
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When we used to hunt Prince William Sound a lot for bears it was hard to find skunk cabbage that didn't have the tops eaten out.
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From: shade mt
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Date: 25-Apr-17 |
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yep skunk cabbage is the first place I look for bear in the spring....
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 25-Apr-17 |
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They also are very fond of cow parsnip and related plants, in fact the Colorado variety is called bear root. It's a big medicine plant as well, to some of us.
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From: TrapperKayak
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Date: 25-Apr-17 |
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There is an abundance of skunk cabbage around here, since there is an abundance of swamps. But a total absence of bears until you get about half hour north.
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From: Bull Elk
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Date: 25-Apr-17 |
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Skunk cabbage story. I was turkey hunting in Forest Co., Pa. On the top of the mountain, and saw a black object about 100 yds., in front of me. I had the wind quarter to me from right to left, so I sneaked forward, and ID"d a black bear. Since I had the wind favor, I continued until I was about 15 yds. from the bear. It was eating skunk cabbage in a low wet spot. I watched for maybe five minutes, the bear went to a tall hemlock tree, went up on it's back legs, and scraped down the tree and was grunting. Down the tree came three very small cubs. I then realized this could turn bad. Fortunately she led them off to my left, so I had the favorable wind. The sow came to a blow down, easily stepping over it. All three cubs had to stop and climb the obstacle. When they got to the top, two of them did a somersault off the log. The mother stopped every ten yds. or so, and would wait for them to catch up. Another very good day in the woods, with a turkey.
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From: BigOzzie
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Date: 25-Apr-17 |
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hmmm this could turn out to be a very useful thread. Nice.
oz
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From: TrapperKayak
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Date: 25-Apr-17 |
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If we had a spring bear season, I'd consider finding a nice fat patch of skunk cabbage up in the 'dacks to wait near.
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