BEAR HUNTING QUESTIONS
How do I book a bear hunt with Cascade Mountain Outfitters?
Give us a call or shoot us an email! Let's talk. We will let you know what hunt dates we have available, answer any questions you have and if you are interested in booking, we require a signed hunting agreement and a deposit of $350 or $500 (depending on hunt price) to book your hunt and hold your dates.
How hard is the hunt? Will I be hiking a lot of miles?
Typically our bear hunts are not very physically demanding. We do ALOT of sitting & glassing. Walking older logging roads or cutting through some timber. We use a 4WD vehicle to get us into our hunt areas and walk from there to our hunt spot each morning / evening. We are typically never more than 1 mile from the truck.
If I am successful in harvesting a bear early in the hunt, can I keep hunting for a second bear?
Even though Washington allows for a hunter to purchase 2 fall bear tags per year, we only allow for 1 bear harvest per hunter. We believe, by managing our bear population and allowing only 1 bear to be taken per hunt, this will sustain a healthy bear population for continued years of hunting. If the hunt is successful before the final day of hunting, we will continue hunting for coyotes the remainder of your hunt.
Do you provide refrigeration or other options to store the meat until the end of the trip? If not, how do people typically handle this?
We can freeze the meat for you in a chest freezer until the end of your hunt. We also recommend hunters to bring a large cooler for storing & cooling meat for their trip home or to a butcher of the hunters choice.
Can bears see blaze orange? If not, can I wear blaze orange on my hunt?
There is research done to prove that black bears do see in color. We believe more than any camo or color of clothing, it's movement that gives us away. Washington does not require hunters to wear blaze orange during bear only seasons. If you would prefer to for safety reasons, I would recommend a broken-up orange pattern vest or hat and minimal amounts.
I have hunted and harvested deer before, but never a bear. Can I use my deer rifle for my bear hunt?
We want you to shoot a rifle you're comfortable with and have experience shooting. We do prefer heavy calibers of .270 or larger (.25-06 / 7mm-08 okay with 120+ Gr bullets). We recommend the heaviest good quality bullet you can accurately shoot through your rifle. Black bears are tough animals with heavy bone structure. Small calibers like .243 & 6.5 CM tend to result in a bear running into thick brush/timber before expiring. We are a fan of Nosler bullets for black bears.
I shoot a .300 Win Mag, should I shoot 165 or 180 gr bullets on my bear hunt?
Both are a great weight bullet for black bears! Bring the bullets your rifle shoots the best and you have had success on big game animals in the past with.
Can I camp where the hunt takes place?
We hunt on Forest Service land which allows camping. There are a few areas we can recommend for you to camp that will work with our hunting areas. There are a few campgrounds up highway 410 for you to camp. We recommend booking your campsites 4-6 months in advance of your hunt. There is also a motel in Enumclaw we can help you book a room with.
How do you take payment?
We can accept a check, PayPal payments or Cash. We can run a credit card with a processing fee. Contact us for more detail.
What do we typically eat day to day on the hunt?
Each day your guide will provide you with a light breakfast, water or flavored sports drink. For lunch we cook up a variety of hot lunch meals with a bag salad or snack.
Do you offer a guarenteed harvest?
We do not offer a guarantee of kill. We have found that even the best hunters get nervous on our hunts and make either a bad shot or a complete miss. It is for that reason we can not offer a guaranteed kill. We keep our operation to a low amount of hunters each year to keep our success rates as high as possible. However, we do guarantee that we will make every effort to make your hunt a success and try to teach you how to hunt bears on public lands!
What is your success rate?
A good friend of mine who has been outfitter for many years told me "I can tell you our opportunity rates, but our success rates are a different story. I can't pull the trigger for you". Success in our opinion is giving you a fair opportunity to have a shot at a bear. We can't kill them for you. We pride ourselves on running a 70%+ opportunity rate, with some years having 100%.
I am looking for a 350lb+ bear, will I shoot one of this size?
We genuinely hope so and wish every hunter could! The real answer is probably not. The central range of the Cascade Mountains in Washington can produce some big bears. But not very often. The bears we pursue are just not built like the bears near the Coasts or up North in Canada. We typically are shooting 175-250lb bears. The bears we hunt are shorter in length and vary in shape. Our goal at Cascade Mountain Outfitters is to provide an opportunity at a bear worth shooting, teaching our hunters how we do it year after year and to have a great hunt!
Do I get my money back if I'm unsuccessful?
Short answer, no. This is public land hunting, no baiting or hounds involved. There are a few things that are just out of our control that dictates your hunt. We always try our best to work around unforeseen circumstances to provide you with an opportunity. If we do not provide you with an opportunity at a bear, we will offer you a 50% hunt credit to come back and hunt with us the following year. If you shoot at a bear and miss or wound that bear and we are not able to retrieve it, that is considered your opportunity and we can not offer the hunt credit.
If I wound a bear and we can't find it, do I get to keep hunting?
A wounded bear is considered a dead bear. Every effort will be made to find a wounded bear. If we can't find your wounded bear your hunt is considered over. You have the option to pay a wounded bear fee of $750 and continue hunting through your scheduled hunt dates. The wounding policy is in place to ensure that you show up with your weapon sighted in and you are proficient with it & to assist in management of bears in our area. Losing an animal is the last thing that anyone wants.
Should I tip the guide? If so, how much?
Any tips are greatly appreciated! But not required. If your hunt is successful, a 10% of the hunt cost tip is standard in the industry. If you're not successful on your hunt, we will leave that decision up to you.
How far will my shot be on a bear?
We try to keep our shots under 450 yards. Typical is 50-300 yards. If you are profianct and comfortable making a 450+ yard shot, this will increase your success! We do not let our hunters shoot over 650 yards. We will try our best to get you within a reasonable distance for an effective clean kill.