Frank Church Spring bear?

[CApighunter]

Hey guys, I’m determined to do my first out of state hunt this spring in Idaho chasing black bear. Spot and stalk, backcounty style. Looking at the late May/early June time frame in units 27/28. Is the Frank worth while for bear and will accessibility be an issue with the snow at that point in the year?

 

[skierhs]

Time will tell with the frank for snow levels. We’ve had a decent amount of snow but only time will tell if he get dumped on. It’s amazing country either way, access at times could be a challenge depending on when I may you go.

 

[CApighunter]

Time will tell with the frank for snow levels. We’ve had a decent amount of snow but only time will tell if he get dumped on. It’s amazing country either way, access at times could be a challenge depending on when I may you go.

It would be the last week of May or first week of june, I’ll keep an eye on the snow levels. Is the bear population decent enough up there? I’ve heard that the wolves have put a hurting on the deer and elk populations but rarely hear anyone talk about the Frank in regards to bear.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Snow pack probably doubled in the last week. You might look at the Selway zone? similar area with way more access. I've heard a lot of people having luck with bear in the Selway and Frank. I would say if you can get to the Salmon river breaks that would be your best bet. (whitewater ranch area) steep steep steep country.

 

[idahohikker]

Are you comfortable driving over 7,000 foot passes in late May. That's why the Frank is normally a no go. Maybe the first week in July with an ATV but it's a big maybe.

I don't think anyone really knows what the bear populations are back there. The management plans I think state something like an average population. My experience and talking to lots of other people who've hunted back there would probably agree with that. The bios can barely monitor the elk in the wilderness due to remoteness challenges and lack of collar data, let alone bears.

I would highly recommend planning a trip to more accessible country or fly into the Frank in the spring. That would be really neat. The breaks country has a pretty good bear population but the country is outrageously steep as stated.

 

[BluMtn]

If you are dead set on that area, that time of year your best bet would be to fly into Whitewater or Mackey bar and hike out of there. I have driven to both of those places in your time frame on ATVs and SxSs but a fullsize vehicle might be sketchy depending on snowpack.

 

[Mike 338]

Your probably going to have travel issues due to snow/ice. The River of No Return is no place to slide off, down the mountain. Fortunately, you can throw a dart at the map of Idaho and it will probably hit bear country.

 

[idahohikker]

Flashbacks of sliding in the Frank Church towards the steep side. +1 on lots of options and areas in Idaho with bears.

 

[BluMtn]

I know that in the last week of May in 18 there was a pickup load of bear hunters that some how left the roadway on the east side of the Magruder in Idaho that wound up in the Salmon killing all of them. Idaho county Sheriffs office spent a week looking for them.

 

[Mike 338]

Flashbacks of sliding in the Frank Church towards the steep side. +1 on lots of options and areas in Idaho with bears.

People think they wouldn't put a road where you can easily get killed. They're wrong. I had a couple bad experiences up there with the roads during snow one time and just ice in the shade, on another. Almost went over the edge, both me and the horse. God was with me that day. Don't get me wrong, the vast majority are just fine but your just asking for trouble if you run into weather or there is simply still ice in the shade.

 

[idahohikker]

Scary story. The roads there are the worst I've seen. They receive little maintenance and the area is very rocky.

I think with an ATV it's much easier. I don't have one unfortunately.

 

[CApighunter]

If you are dead set on that area, that time of year your best bet would be to fly into Whitewater or Mackey bar and hike out of there. I have driven to both of those places in your time frame on ATVs and SxSs but a fullsize vehicle might be sketchy depending on snowpack.

Not dead set on the Frank, was considering it cause of the wilderness/remoteness factor and with 27 being a reduced tag zone. I’ll be going up the last week of May and I’ll have 6 days to hunt, looking to pack in and get away from the roads, but my truck is 4x4 with 35s and a rear locker so I can get into places that a stock pickup might have trouble.

 

[CApighunter]

Would the Gospel Hump wilderness in 19a be more accessible that time of year?

 

[CApighunter]

Snow pack probably doubled in the last week. You might look at the Selway zone? similar area with way more access. I've heard a lot of people having luck with bear in the Selway and Frank. I would say if you can get to the Salmon river breaks that would be your best bet. (whitewater ranch area) steep steep steep country.

Good info, thanks! I’ll do some more research into the selway region. I figured it’ll be steep pretty much anywhere I go so I’ve been training hard, getting in the best shape possible to prepare.

 

[BluMtn]

Would depend on how you are going to access the area. I have tried to get to the hump three different times with mid June being the latest and have not made it yet. If you stayed at the lower elevations and parked on the Rd. to Florence and packed in you would probably find some good areas to hunt, but I have been on that road around the first of June and found it impassible with anything but an ATV/SxS.

 

[mitchellbk]

For Selway and on the Magruder road I'd say you can drive far enough to hunt bear country approached from either end (Darby or Elk City) - bring a chain saw just in case. You will most likely run into sloped snow over the road and have to turn around. It's not uncommon for the Magruder road to fully cleared until July. I wouldn't waste much time clearing trees if you run into them, because there's probably another 20 downed trees after that.

Call ahead to Elk City or Darby ranger offices and they should be able to tell you if the road is cleared or not. Rafters who have a permit for the Selway drive in from Darby and put in at the Paradise campground/guard station - this will be your most reliable access - they bring in rafts on trailers, so you know it will be safe if people are rafting.

 

[Selway]

It's a fun hunt if you're willing to put in the effort. Like everything else, bears get hunted hard along the Magruder. If you're going to hunt from a road there's much better hunting elsewhere in the state. Get to the Salmon river, be prepared to hike straight up as far as you need to, and glass until your eyes bleed.

 

[black dawg]

I know that in the last week of May in 18 there was a pickup load of bear hunters that some how left the roadway on the east side of the Magruder in Idaho that wound up in the Salmon killing all of them. Idaho county Sheriffs office spent a week looking for them.[/QUOTE

Pretty sad deal, seems like it was 2 guides and 4 hunters in a suburban that ended up in the selway river. Somehow 2 of the hunters got to shore and lived. River was at like 9-10 feet.

 

[CApighunter]

It's a fun hunt if you're willing to put in the effort. Like everything else, bears get hunted hard along the Magruder. If you're going to hunt from a road there's much better hunting elsewhere in the state. Get to the Salmon river, be prepared to hike straight up as far as you need to, and glass until your eyes bleed.

That’s the plan, go in further than most and glass the creek bottoms and the greenup. Think a spotter is necessary or will I be ok with 9x Mavens on a tripod?

 

[Mike 338]

Scary story. The roads there are the worst I've seen. They receive little maintenance and the area is very rocky.

I think with an ATV it's much easier. I don't have one unfortunately.

True. An ATV can make a big place much smaller. There's some places I just dread going because you can only go 4 or 5 mph for miles and miles due to rocks. The poor horse must think it's the ball in a can of spray paint. On some of the very exposed slopes you need to drive over, the road is pitched away from the mountain because they just can't get a blade to bite into the rock. Those are the spots where the heavy praying starts with snow or ice. Can't believe how many guys go in without chains. You can get snow anytime of year and I've had to hunker down in mid Sept till the snow melted off.