Berry picking and bear time

[Okanagan]

Our little native Trailing Blackberries are ripe at low elevations and ripening up the mountainsides rapidly in our dry hot weather.  I've picked about 2 1/2 gallons of them, eating fresh and freezing in pre-measured pie packages.  Berries are nearly a month late as is everything in these parts.

Bear season opened Aug. 1.  One grandson, Zay, has been out bear hunting the first two evenings and has seen a bear both times.  The first one he tried to get a friend on but they never got within comfortable rifle range.  The second one, last evening, was a small bear he photographed but passed himself while trying to get his girlfriend a shot.  She ran nearly half a mile up a mountain to try to intercept the bear before it crossed a ridge above a clearcut... and was just seconds too late to get a shot as it crossed the top and into heavy timber.

Snow peas, raspberries, blueberries, squash, etc. all ripe in the garden.  No tomatoes yet and none close.  Very late.  Few cherries left after frost killed almost every one, the ripe ones also a month late.  No plums.

 

[Hawks Feather]

Sounds like there is a good bear hunter in the family. The only way I would find one would be to be in the berry patch where I would be chewed, rather than the berries, by the bear.

[nastygunz]

I used to really get after the old bears back in my younger days. Hike up and camp in the high country after the big old mossyback bears. i've taken them with bow, handgun,rifle and muzzleloader. I always wanted to take one with my buck knife but never got a chance 🐻. we used to do pretty good calling them in using a fawn bleat call. I always figured we might call in a mountain lion up on the high lonesome but never saw hide  nor hair of one.

[Okanagan]

Update:  Grandson Zay called a small bear to within 25 yards, and passed on it.

I had found bear sign while picking berries this morning and told him where.  He went out this evening and called it in.

[Okanagan]

I used to really get after the old bears back in my younger days. Hike up and camp in the high country after the big old mossyback bears. i've taken them with bow, handgun,rifle and muzzleloader. I always wanted to take one with my buck knife but never got a chance 🐻. we used to do pretty good calling them in using a fawn bleat call. I always figured we might call in a mountain lion up on the high lonesome but never saw hide  nor hair of one.

Man I miss high country hunting.  A bunch of my family plan to backpack hunt some alpine later this month, looking for bears in the huckleberries at timberline.  Several are just going for the family hike, not even taking a rifle nor tag.  Gorgeous country at the prettiest time of year.  I'll send some pre-measured pie filling mix, plus some reflector oven parts.

I'll bet a mountain lion saw you!

[FinsnFur]

I probably would be carrying more berries down hill in my gut then in the basket or pail.