Idaho black bear locations

[Customweld]

You're in the middle of units with good to better than average bear numbers. Lower elevation units sit just north of you. Pack a lunch and go see some new country.

 

[SlayerDave]

Hello fellas,absolute newborn here , I lurk sometimes.Never posted to anything ,anywhere before.
Long time hunter,occasional success,last year was my first chasing bear. I learned a ton by just following tracks and wandering around.
As a 30 year resident of Idaho,and being shocked and dismayed by the absolute flood of folk moving here,I understand the reticence of this community to the op’s clumsy questions.You are to be commended for your restraint.
OP,Idahofilms I think it was,please understand,nobody wants to give you anything you haven’t earned. The calls to comb these threads and research for yourself are not only to keep hard earned knowledge close to the vest,(because it is),but to goose you to learn.If we/they hand you a fish,you won’t learn to fish.
So having climbed now down the soapbox, please go to the North American Bear Center (Northwoods something something),best resource I’ve found on biology and behavior.Then go to YouTube,as I’m sure you have.Amd please consider the ramifications of filming your exploits,we do need new hunters,but we absolutely do not need any more Instagram content generated in the Idaho backcountry.
Thanks and good luck

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Hello fellas,absolute newborn here , I lurk sometimes.Never posted to anything ,anywhere before.
Long time hunter,occasional success,last year was my first chasing bear. I learned a ton by just following tracks and wandering around.
As a 30 year resident of Idaho,and being shocked and dismayed by the absolute flood of folk moving here,I understand the reticence of this community to the op’s clumsy questions.You are to be commended for your restraint.
OP,Idahofilms I think it was,please understand,nobody wants to give you anything you haven’t earned. The calls to comb these threads and research for yourself are not only to keep hard earned knowledge close to the vest,(because it is),but to goose you to learn.If we/they hand you a fish,you won’t learn to fish.
So having climbed now down the soapbox, please go to the North American Bear Center (Northwoods something something),best resource I’ve found on biology and behavior.Then go to YouTube,as I’m sure you have.Amd please consider the ramifications of filming your exploits,we do need new hunters,but we absolutely do not need any more Instagram content generated in the Idaho backcountry.
Thanks and good luck

That sir... is a great first post.

 

[Timberline001]

Hello fellas,absolute newborn here , I lurk sometimes.Never posted to anything ,anywhere before.
Long time hunter,occasional success,last year was my first chasing bear. I learned a ton by just following tracks and wandering around.
As a 30 year resident of Idaho,and being shocked and dismayed by the absolute flood of folk moving here,I understand the reticence of this community to the op’s clumsy questions.You are to be commended for your restraint.
OP,Idahofilms I think it was,please understand,nobody wants to give you anything you haven’t earned. The calls to comb these threads and research for yourself are not only to keep hard earned knowledge close to the vest,(because it is),but to goose you to learn.If we/they hand you a fish,you won’t learn to fish.
So having climbed now down the soapbox, please go to the North American Bear Center (Northwoods something something),best resource I’ve found on biology and behavior.Then go to YouTube,as I’m sure you have.Amd please consider the ramifications of filming your exploits,we do need new hunters,but we absolutely do not need any more Instagram content generated in the Idaho backcountry.
Thanks and good luck

Well thought out and helpful response. Thank you!

 

[IdahoSoloFilms]

Hello fellas,absolute newborn here , I lurk sometimes.Never posted to anything ,anywhere before.
Long time hunter,occasional success,last year was my first chasing bear. I learned a ton by just following tracks and wandering around.
As a 30 year resident of Idaho,and being shocked and dismayed by the absolute flood of folk moving here,I understand the reticence of this community to the op’s clumsy questions.You are to be commended for your restraint.
OP,Idahofilms I think it was,please understand,nobody wants to give you anything you haven’t earned. The calls to comb these threads and research for yourself are not only to keep hard earned knowledge close to the vest,(because it is),but to goose you to learn.If we/they hand you a fish,you won’t learn to fish.
So having climbed now down the soapbox, please go to the North American Bear Center (Northwoods something something),best resource I’ve found on biology and behavior.Then go to YouTube,as I’m sure you have.Amd please consider the ramifications of filming your exploits,we do need new hunters,but we absolutely do not need any more Instagram content generated in the Idaho backcountry.
Thanks and good luck

Thanks man!

I appreciate what you're saying. Getting in a new area to hunt that's so massive and with so many good areas I feel like Im freezing up with the amount of potential opportunity, when in reality I know I just need to pick a spot and go. I thought there may be some common Knowledge about the areas (and I did receive a lot of it) but I didn't mean for the question to be so unfocused to say "tell me where to sit and hunt with GPS points"

This online community is a little different then most and defiantly far more knowledgeable and realistic.

I genuinely appreciate the feedback.

Your other notes on residency / Filming - I hope this helps ease your pain. Im not from CA...
I grew up just coming home brother.

I film for conservation not really for hunting, although I'm starting to film more hunts. I don't have a social account so you wont have to worry about seeing me there.

Ps: PM me your secret bear hunting spots.

 

[HAP]

Good luck on your hunt, bear hunting is addicting.

 

[IdahoSoloFilms]

Good luck on your hunt, bear hunting is addicting.

Thanks! Do you have any tips for spring bear?

 

[lhbackcountry]

Had two buddies in the selway get hammered w bad weather on their week long trip. They saw couple bears though which made it more frustrating. First two days sunny and 60 last 5 were all rain/ sleet then got snowed in up to 8 inches day before last

 

[sneaky]

Had two buddies in the selway get hammered w bad weather on their week long trip. They saw couple bears though which made it more frustrating. First two days sunny and 60 last 5 were all rain/ sleet then got snowed in up to 8 inches day before last

Springtime in Idaho summed up pretty well right there

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[mdkelley]

I hunted in your area two years ago. Talked to a couple IDFG officers, locals including a forester, a biologist at mcall field office and the rangers at mccall and cascade usfs service stations. They all said lots of bears. IDFG officers both said explore the area around south branch salmon river, after the shock wore off that i drove from michigan just to hunt spring bear. I hunted 2 days and shot a nice boar. To me scouting is time in the field but also includes talking to as many locals as possible... IDFG office is A great place to start (if those are open, otherwise just start with a phone call). I know I am not giving you anything you don't already know, just a reminder of some obvious places to start. If you live there you probably have a lot of contacts to start with. Just ask everyone you talk to, even the grocery clerk and auto parts store guys. I spent more time researching/Scouting than I did actually hunting.

Look up U tube digital scouting process videos also.

I am leaving friday to hunt selway wilderness area, should be fun!

 

[mdkelley]

update on Selway:

We stayed there one night and scouted for a day. A few of the roads in that area are not open until June 1st. LOTS of rafters/canoers in the area. We saw several bear camps in the area, as well as many local trucks parked along the roads and a couple guys with backpacks headed back in. We found it is very steep and heavily wooded (in the areas where the roads were open). Most of the hunters were baiters or houndsmen, and most had ATV/SXS which also opens up more territory. We didn't stand a chance on foot with spot/stalk. Every trail that was walkable (did I mention it is really steep out there?) had a bait barrel on it. If you want to pack in or wait until the roads open June 1st I think your odds would be better.

We moved down into the Nez Pierce and found some good areas on satellite maps that were more accessible (easy to hike for a couple middle aged fellas). Scouted one day, hunted one day, buddy shot a cinnamon phase. No pics, we were not able to retrieve it. it fell down a really steep ravine, we tried to go in from the bottom the next morning but it was impassible. Driving back up to the top of the mountain to go down in that way and my truck went into limp mode. We spent that entire day getting the truck towed into the nearest town to get it fixed. It was over 70 degrees that day and we figured the meat was likely spoiled when we finally got done after 6pm. We also decided to head home (the shop couldn't find anything definitive to repair, thought it could be an issue with the injector harness but couldn't reproduce the issue) a couple days early in case we ran into issues on the drive home. Buddy didn't feel comfortable driving the truck 25 miles back off the main road in case it died again and I agreed so we never got a chance to retrieve the bear.

Debating whether I should head back out before the end of June but have a lot going on, and the gas for the 4+ days of driving isn't cheap. So, 4 days driving, 1 day messing with the truck, 2 days scouting and 1 day hunting and 1 dead bear. Wish we could have stayed but it was another great experience and we both learned quite a bit. Also have a list of upgrades/maintenance the mechanic recommended to prevent this in the future.

 

[WasatchWade]

I hunted in your area two years ago. Talked to a couple IDFG officers, locals including a forester, a biologist at mcall field office and the rangers at mccall and cascade usfs service stations. They all said lots of bears. IDFG officers both said explore the area around south branch salmon river, after the shock wore off that i drove from michigan just to hunt spring bear. I hunted 2 days and shot a nice boar. To me scouting is time in the field but also includes talking to as many locals as possible... IDFG office is A great place to start (if those are open, otherwise just start with a phone call). I know I am not giving you anything you don't already know, just a reminder of some obvious places to start. If you live there you probably have a lot of contacts to start with. Just ask everyone you talk to, even the grocery clerk and auto parts store guys. I spent more time researching/Scouting than I did actually hunting.

Look up U tube digital scouting process videos also.

I am leaving friday to hunt selway wilderness area, should be fun!

Congrats on the succeful hunt! im planning on making a long drive up to that similar location in a couple of weeks. ive done a lot of research as well but have a coupe of questions for you about your hunt if thats alright. If you could PM me that would be very appreciated!