Idaho Grizzly range?

[Huckleberry Hound]

If I believed every outfitter, cowboy, or hunter I talked to the entire map of the state should be purple. I am no longer surprised, but I continue to be disappointed by the number of lifelong outdoorsman that can't tell a grizzly apart from a black bear.

I have no doubt that grizzly bears are present in many areas outside of their documented range, however I take undocumented sightings with a great deal of skepticism.

I don't think any of the purple areas have had documented females denning with young which is a major criteria for establishing the existence of a resident population. On second thought there was a female with young that denned in Idaho unit 4 years ago but she moved into Montana the following year.

There was a gps-collared young male in 2019 that travelled from NW Montana south to unit 17 in Idaho, and then all the way back to NW Montana in the span of 3 months. Another grizzly was captured on trail cameras in unit 14 that same year, genetic testing showed that bear had also originated from the Selkirks/Cabinet region near the canadian border. Fresh tracks were seen again the following spring. I haven't heard anything more about that bear since.

F&G officer spots grizzly bear tracks about 7 miles south of Grangeville in April

Fresh grizzly bear tracks were confirmed by a Fish and Game conservation officer in the Fish Creek Meadows winter recreation area about 7 miles south of Grangeville on April 18, 2020. It is uncertain if the grizzly is still be in the area or has moved on.

idfg.idaho.gov

Selway-Bitterroot Grizzly Returns To Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem

A young male grizzly that made his way into the national Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness near the Montana-Idaho border this year has made the trek back to…

www.mtpr.org

A member of this forum posted a photo of a grizzly bear that he said was on one of his black bear bait sites in the lochsa region in 2016.

I believe that for every one of these documented sightings there are several more that are going unnoticed. I wonder if the bears that are out there have established home ranges or if they are transients looking for other bears where there are none or few to be found.

Im not saying that grizz arent more widespread than officially claimed, but yes i agree with you that a lot of "experienced outdoorsmen" cant tell the differece between a color phase blackie and a grizz, or a wolf and a yote. Seen it over and over again.

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

In 2020 Fish and Game confirmed tracks of one just outside of Grangeville. I would say the map is accurate. Maybe even under estimated.

Highly underestimated

 

[IDVortex]

This is the kind of threads I don't tell my wife about when I'm planning a solo backpacking hunting trip.

 

[IDMuleyKid]

This is the kind of threads I don't tell my wife about when I'm planning a solo backpacking hunting trip.

The kind of thread I try to ignore lol, I’ll be prepared but try to limit my fear.

 

[mtwarden]

The upside is I tend to see game better and sooner when I'm in grizzly country for some reason

 

[smartin8788]

So if a FNG was going to be hunting this fall in one of those purple zones what precautions should he take? We don't have bears where I'm from. I have tons of questions.

 

[IDVortex]

So if a FNG was going to be hunting this fall in one of those purple zones what precautions should he take? We don't have bears where I'm from. I have tons of questions.

A revolver that you're accurate with, and be bear smart. Don't camp with your food no matter if you have grids or just black bears. Don't run up and try to take a picture with them either.

 

[Jason Snyder]

So if a FNG was going to be hunting this fall in one of those purple zones what precautions should he take? We don't have bears where I'm from. I have tons of questions.

Don’t keep snickers under your pillow and hang game meat away from camp.

In all honesty a little common sense goes a long ways. We hunted in the Scapegoat Wilderness for several years. We’d see bear tracks daily, but rarely ever had issue with grizzly bears.

 

[IDVortex]

To be honest, the likelihood of dealing with them is low, unless you're totally careless, realistically you have more of a chance dealing with black bears. And even then, ive only chased one black bear from camp and that was backpacking in the Cabinet Mountains in MT.

 

[smartin8788]

A revolver that you're accurate with, and be bear smart. Don't camp with your food no matter if you have grids or just black bears. Don't run up and try to take a picture with them

Don’t keep snickers under your pillow and hang game meat away from camp.

In all honesty a little common sense goes a long ways. We hunted in the Scapegoat Wilderness for several years. We’d see bear tracks daily, but rarely ever had issue with grizzly bears.

What about the bear fence I see people set up around tents is it worth the weight? I'll be backpacking in probably 10 miles or farther based on my limited research.

 

[Jason Snyder]

What about the bear fence I see people set up around tents is it worth the weight? I'll be backpacking in probably 10 miles or farther based on my limited research.

Never did bear fence. I’ve talked to some outfitters that used it and liked it. We hung everything. Food, toiletries, whiskey all got hung every day and every night. All dishes washed up and camp was spotless.

If you kill something hang it a couple hundred feet away from camp.

 

[IDVortex]

IMO, you're over thinking it and what not. Enjoy your trip, pay attention in thicker brush, and just be bear smart. Most of the electric fences I've seen be used is way up north, AK, Yukon, etc. I'm planning on doing a solo trip about 10-15 miles back in and I'm bringing my 9mm with hardened rounds. Other than that, If I'm killed, I'd rather be killed out their than by some idiot who can't drive in winter conditions.

 

[Customweld]

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in a lot of those purple units. Preparing for a run in with a grizz never crossed my mind.

 

[JMundy84]

I've lived in and hunted unit 1 basically my entire life and I've only ever seen 2 grizz and they were running down the road in front of us. I just stay cautious and keep a pistol on me if I don't have a rifle.

 

[Jason Snyder]

About seven or eight years ago I was hunting a mountain range in MT with a burgeoning population of long toes. We were archery hunting. We were tracking g a herd of elk in a light snow when I smelled something dead. Very dead. The wind was in our face.

I immediately grabbed my bear spray and we began backing out of the timber pocket. I heard something popping branches. A few days later I ended up above the timber pocket and saw a boatload of Griz tracks heading in and out of there. I’m sure we bumped a bear on the carcass in there.

Be smart. Don’t lose sleep over it.

 

[mtwarden]

My preference is to not hunt grizzly country solo- the hunting is not a great concern, the getting is.

It’s really nice to have someone with you who is paying attention when you’re processing meat.

Meat is hung a quarter mile or further from camp.

Killing something late in the evening and processing a game animal yourself by headlamp is a scenario I try avoid in grizzly country

 

[IDVortex]

My preference is to not hunt grizzly country solo- the hunting is not a great concern, the getting is.

It’s really nice to have someone with you who is paying attention when you’re processing meat.

Meat is hung a quarter mile or further from camp.

Killing something late in the evening and processing a game animal yourself by headlamp is a scenario I try avoid in grizzly country

Well, some of us still haven't learned not to make wise decisions.

 

[JMundy84]

Tracks like this make me think twice about being out solo too

 

[IDVortex]

Just make sure your significant other has around a 1mil life insurance policy on you, and make sure it covered bear attacks.

 

[mtwarden]

Well, some of us still haven't learned not to make wise decisions.

I said it’s my preference; spent a half dozen night’s hunting our early rifle season solo last Fall (smack dab in the middle of grizzly country). So while I know what the wise decision is, sometimes I still don’t make them