am i the only one who finds it ironic that bears and cougars are showing up in places like olympia.

if you could still hunt with dogs you would not be having this problem. maybe if the anti's have to start living with them they will wake up to the fact that hunting is a good thing.

Good luck with that.

For now, I will buy my bear and cougar tag's every year so that if the oppurtunity shows itself to keep the population in check, I am there to help.

On the 4th of July, mid-afternoon, I was chipping a few golf balls in my backyard which meets with a wooded ravine complete with a small creek. A few neighbors are setting off firecrackers and I hear the crackle of small branches in the ravine. I'm thinking.......a couple of deer on the move. So, I walk over and look down...........Mr. Brownie instead, maybe 250#. He's rambling and eating and before you know it, gone.

Next day, a neighbor calls and says she woke up to the bear licking her barbecue. My other neighbor the next day sees it in her backyard. I'm nervous, my raspberries are full tilt and despite an 8' wire/wood wall around the garden, I know it's no match for a bear. And my 4 dwarf goats are nervous too.

I don't hunt. Anybody got a bear tag? This dude is hanging in the neighborhood for lunch. I checked with the DWL and they said no to tranquilizing and relocating...........the drugs ruin the meat. So, anybody got a better idea?

Snake

Bear season does not start until August 1st. If you live in town you might have to get someone with Archery gear to take your bear. Shooting with a rifle could be illegal.

Yup if he's still around August one give me a shout.

The funny thing is that the Olympia High School mascot is a bear, and the Capital High School mascot is a cougar. The cougar sighting was essentially across Cooper Point Rd from Capital High School.

I'll travel for a bear. Got the tags as well.

Where was the bear in Olympia?

P.S. There were a lot of cougar sightings just down the road from there at The Keg retsaurant before they closed.

Snake,

the best thing you could do is get a hot wire. you can get the solar ones or just one you plug in to the house. bears hate hot wires!!! look at what keaps them bears in at the park in Squim. you can turn it off if you have company over. when you first put it up be sure to rub a little bacon grease or something on the wire to make sure he finds it with the most sensative parts of his boddy. he will get the goats. it's just a matter of time.


Kris

Fly over Olympia and look down. Lots more of the area is developed than just a decade ago, and the critters are having to dodge people all over the county now.

I don't blame the critters or the people, it just is what it is. Not too surprising, either.

Last year, I left a 4x4 buck standing in my back yard to drive to go hunt out near Matlock........and saw nothing.

Here is my new friend. Shows up every evening.


I've named him "Camp meat". That's what he'll be if he steps over the property line that is also the city limits.

A misplaced apple or two might lure "Camp Meat" over the line.

I'll post a few trail cam pics from last year. Apples do work great.

Isn't there such a law that you can't shoot within 400 yards from a house?

Somebody's got to help that little guy.

Not if you own the house.

Enjoy the 20lbs of meat.

It'd make a good first deer for a 9 year old I know. They always have to drag out their first on their own.

It's gotta be nice having 3 deer tags in the house!
Brent and I agreed that we are going to take hunter's ed this winter....
We are headed to a local river here in about an hour and then to the rifle range. Life is good.

Perfect. Your boys are lucky to have a Dad like you. Mine was not as hard-core as you, but he took me hunting and fishing at a young age for anything that swims, runs, or flies and I've been doing it ever since. Like Seastrike just said, "Life is good."

Hey fitter, thanks for the info on the hot wire. I've got a big place, so I don't know if I can do it completely. My neighbors and I haven't seen him the past week, so hopefully he headed up the mountain for some berries.

I did hear of a cougar seen in Fall City on the north side of the river in a field by the Fall City grill.

Some kid or pet is going to be in trouble sooner or later.