Idaho Grizzly range?

[IDVortex]

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

Haha, I get it totally, it is wise, but I've learned that most people don't want to hunt like I do, or have the drive. So sadly am learning I am having to hunt on my own. Rather do it with someone, mainly to have someone along with for the memories.

 

[smartin8788]

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

My old man may be going with me, he thinks he wants to go. I guess I really hadn't put enough thought into any or all of it when I picked a zone. I just wanted to hunt out west and experience the mountains. I've driven through all 50 states but always in a hurry to get somewhere never stopping to actually take it in.
I def dont wanna go out being eaten rear end 1st though. When do the bears hibernate? I'll be out there in like October most likely.

 

[Jason Snyder]

When do the bears hibernate?

Mid to late Novemberish.

 

[smartin8788]

Mid to late Novemberish.

Well, I guess I'll just have to practice up with a pistol. Wait when do snakes go in the ground? I hate the idea of snakes more than bears. We don't have rattlesnakes where I'm from either.

 

[JMundy84]

Well, I guess I'll just have to practice up with a pistol. Wait when do snakes go in the ground? I hate the idea of snakes more than bears. We don't have rattlesnakes where I'm from either.

Depending on what area you're going to snakes won't be a problem. If it's any of the panhandle units you're fine

 

[Jason Snyder]

Well, I guess I'll just have to practice up with a pistol. Wait when do snakes go in the ground? I hate the idea of snakes more than bears. We don't have rattlesnakes where I'm from either.

I spend a lot of time in rattlesnake purgatory, and rarely ever see one past early October.

If you find one you’ll find a bunch because they are getting ready to den up and will be concentrated.

 

[sneaky]

I cant remember what the law is called but there is one where if you sue the Government and win, the Government pays for your costs. It was meant to stop the Government from litigating people to death. Unfortunately, it has flipped to being a money maker for many. Throw 20 lawsuits at them and hope one or two stick.

The biggest failure of the ESA is that success is viewed as getting animals on it, not off it.

Equal Access to Justice Act. It was intended for people to be able to defend themselves from eminent domain cases etc, but has been hijacked by the environmental nutjobs to sue the govt and make money off of it. It should be done away with

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[sneaky]

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.

I would be far more worried about packing whatever you kill out from 10 miles deep than I would be any bears.

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[Rocko99]

I came face-to-face with one in unit 3. He was a monster and it was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever experienced.

Can you elaborate on this encounter?

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Can you elaborate on this encounter?

So there I was; elk hunting with two buddies and we found a nice elk-y spot with some great scrapes and elk smell was still around on the ground. It was the first afternoon we hunted and my buddies got about 20 yards behind me and started cow calling. After about 20 minutes, it sounded like a freight train coming through the trees straight at me and we all got excited that a bull was coming in hot.

Once it got into eyesight, I could see a brown mass coming in hot. I still thought it was a big bull until it got about 50 yards out and stood up to listen. Then I realized it was a bear, and not your usual black bear because that thing was taller than me and I’m 6’1”. My buddies couldn’t see it because they were huddled in the brush still calling, so it came into about 20 yards upwind of me and I could see the hump on his back plain as day as he was looking around to find elk. I carefully set my bow down and drew my pistol thinking it was game on (and my buddies saw me do that and quit calling), but I could see the wheels turning in the bear’s head that something was off, so he decided to turn and bail off the side of the hill.

After that my buddies came over and I told them what was going on and we backed out back to the camp (which wasn’t that far either). That was possibly the scariest moment of my life, and I’ve been in gunfights as an LEO. I could see my own heartbeat in my field of vision lol.

A week later, F&G killed a grizz at an elk farm that was at the base of that mountain that was breaking into the farm. They have it stuffed at the F&G office in CDA. I’m convinced that was the same bear.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

59 definitely needs to be orange or at least purple.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I've had a few run-ins in 61. I've seen three grizzlies this year up there

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

59 definitely needs to be orange or at least purple.

Agreed

 

[Rocko99]

So there I was; elk hunting with two buddies and we found a nice elk-y spot with some great scrapes and elk smell was still around on the ground. It was the first afternoon we hunted and my buddies got about 20 yards behind me and started cow calling. After about 20 minutes, it sounded like a freight train coming through the trees straight at me and we all got excited that a bull was coming in hot.

Once it got into eyesight, I could see a brown mass coming in hot. I still thought it was a big bull until it got about 50 yards out and stood up to listen. Then I realized it was a bear, and not your usual black bear because that thing was taller than me and I’m 6’1”. My buddies couldn’t see it because they were huddled in the brush still calling, so it came into about 20 yards upwind of me and I could see the hump on his back plain as day as he was looking around to find elk. I carefully set my bow down and drew my pistol thinking it was game on (and my buddies saw me do that and quit calling), but I could see the wheels turning in the bear’s head that something was off, so he decided to turn and bail off the side of the hill.

After that my buddies came over and I told them what was going on and we backed out back to the camp (which wasn’t that far either). That was possibly the scariest moment of my life, and I’ve been in gunfights as an LEO. I could see my own heartbeat in my field of vision lol.

A week later, F&G killed a grizz at an elk farm that was at the base of that mountain that was breaking into the farm. They have it stuffed at the F&G office in CDA. I’m convinced that was the same bear.

Damn, that's crazy. Glad it worked out. That's a massive adrenaline dump. How far south of Lake Pend Oreille was this?

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Damn, that's crazy. Glad it worked out. That's a massive adrenaline dump. How far south of Lake Pend Oreille was this?

Quite a ways. It was much closer to Coeur d’Alene Lake.

 

[Rocko99]

Quite a ways. It was much closer to Coeur d’Alene Lake.

Damn. I have to re-evaluate where I assumed they were. Always thought it was sort of north of Sandpoint and the 200.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Damn. I have to re-evaluate where I assumed they were. Always thought it was sort of north of Sandpoint and the 200.

I think it’s still pretty safe to assume that. I still hunt the same spot routinely, in fact I was bear hunting there this spring. I think this was an unusual circumstance.

 

[Rocko99]

Do you ever do anything south of the 90? I have done quite a few miles just south of 90 from lake CDA to Mullan and have not seen any sign of black or grizzly.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Do you ever do anything south of the 90? I have done quite a few miles just south of 90 from lake CDA to Mullan and have not seen any sign of black or grizzly.

I do some hunting in 4 and 4A, not a ton. I do a lot of bear hunting in 10A though. I’ve never had grizz issues minus that one time.