that is bordered to the west by Lake Roo-
sevelt. Though this unit is mostly private
land there is enough state lands, especially
at higher elevations, that produce bears. The
Huckleberry Unit is aptly named with a lot of
low country huckleberries and thimble berry
patches. Hunters with boats can access the
shores of Lake Roosevelt but make sure you
know if the land is public or private.
Huckleberry Unit Harvest Stats
TOTAL BEARS KILLED 68
NUMBER OF HUNTERS 688
SUCCESS RATE 10%
SEASON Sept. 1 - Nov. 15
Unit 101 Sherman
Located to the east of Okanogan East Unit
204, the Sherman Unit is also managed
under BMU 7. Most hunters concentrate
around Sherman Pass where hunts take
place at higher elevations. But don’t over-
look other areas in this unit which is most-
ly public land. It also borders Canada to
the north and has good access for hunters
looking for a fall black bear. There is also
a lot of moose in this unit and some elk
which the black bear will prey upon the
calves during springtime. For the hunter
looking for a color phase bear this is a good
unit to concentrate your efforts in.
Hunter success rate is low mostly due
to the thick vegetation and the fact that
wolves have moved into the area and bears
are spread out. The higher elevations have
good berry crops and the lowlands can be
dry in the summer but by September the
temperatures are cold. This makes for a
good coat on fall bears.
Sherman Unit Harvest Stats
TOTAL BEARS KILLED 63
NUMBER OF HUNTERS n/a
SUCCESS RATE 7%
SEASON Sept. 1 - Nov. 15
Unit 448 Stilliguamish
Managed under BMU 3, the Stillaguamish
Unit is located along the west side of the
North Cascades. This unit is very large
with the southern border along Highway
2 and Stevens Pass and the north encom-
passing the town of Darington. The east-
ern edge is along the Cascade Crest and
to the west it slopes down into foothills
and lowlands. Most of the unit is public
land in either national forest, wilderness,
or state DNR lands, all of which allow
hunting.
Because this unit is on the west side of
the Pacific Crest Trail hunters are allowed
two bears per year. Since hunting begins
in early August the best chance at a bear
is to head high into the Wild Sky wilder-
ness or along the Cascade Crest. Berries
will ripen in the foothills and south fac-
ing slopes early in the season. Late season
hunts, when the weather changes, hunt-
ers then look to the north facing slopes
for high mountain blueberries and Moun-
tain Ash.
Stilliguamish Unit Harvest Stats
TOTAL BEARS KILLED 49
NUMBER OF HUNTERS n/a
SUCCESS RATE n/a
SEASON Aug. 1 - Nov. 15
the bear hunting can be really good as
there is little pressure and DNR lands have
commercial timber harvesting including
clear cuts. Use the logging roads for access
and glass the edges of the clear cuts.
Salal berries are prevalent in the Clear-
water unit and is probably the most uti-
lized food source. The salal plant grows
along the edges of the timber harvest
areas and along the roads. Don’t be sur-
prised if you jump a bear while hiking the
many gated roads. A mountain bike is one
of the best ways to get around in this unit.
There is also a lot of wild blackberries and
huckleberries where bears will sit and
gorge. Be sure to glass the berry patches
and watch for moving brush as the bears
strip the berries off of the vines.
The Clearwater Unit is in BMU 1 Coast-
al region. Even in early August the bears
will have decent coats as the tempera-
tures here rarely go above 70 degrees and
nights are cool. By late August the rains
can start making for a very wet hunt. The
Clearwater Unit also has a very healthy
Roosevelt elk population.
Clearwater Unit Harvest Stats
TOTAL BEARS KILLED 26
NUMBER OF HUNTERS n/a
SUCCESS RATE 12%
SEASON Aug. 1 - Nov. 15
Unit 615 Clearwater
Located on the far northwest side of the
Olympic Peninsula, the Clearwater Unit is
ripe with rugged and thick country which
makes it hard to find bears. But the bears
here are big and mostly all black. When
it comes to Clearwater black bears think
more like hunting Vancouver Island, which
is not too far to the north of here. This unit
has a lot of state DNR land but is surround-
ed by the Olympic National Park so be sure
not to cross into the park. This is also why
2018 Washington Bear Seasons
SEASON Seasons run from various opening
dates of Aug. 1, Aug. 15 or Sept. 1 and all
end on Nov. 15.
LICENSE INFO In Washington when you buy
your big game tag the license is included
in the fee.
RESIDENT TAG FEE $24
NON-RESIDENT TAG FEE $222
Statewide Black Bear Harvest Statistics Hunting Season
BMU UNIT NAME
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 COASTAL
PUGET SOUND
NORTH CASCADES
SOUTH CASCADES
OKANOGAN
EAST CASCADES
NORTHEASTERN
BLUE MOUNTAINS
COLUMBIA BASIN
TOTAL HARVEST
NUMBER OF HUNTERS
HUNTER SUCCESS %
HUNTER DAYS
158
3,044
5.2%
28,992
105
1,892
5.5%
16,393
169
1,932
8.7%
14,653
119
3,378
3.5%
27,426
147
1,681
8.7%
10,396
210
4,670
4.5%
32,847
435
4,548
9.6%
31,513
84
1,281
6.6%
8,259
11
141
7.8%
654
GENERAL HUNTING SEASON TOTAL
1,377
21,111
6.6%
171,148
SPRING BEAR PERMIT HUNT
124
451
27.5%
RECREATIONAL HARVEST TOTAL
1,501
21,562
EDITOR’S NOTE: STATISTICS FROM THE 2016 SEASON, THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
DAYS/KILL
183.5
156.1
86.7
230.5
70.7
156.4
72.4
98.3
59.5
124
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