Idaho Spot and Stalk Spring Bear

[theurbancowboy]

Hey guys! Planning my first spring bear hunt in or around Idaho unit 11 (mostly because it's close to me, so I'm more familiar with the area). Been reading up on threads here, watching plenty of videos, but wanted to start a discussion to hear what you see guys forget/not think about, or drop advice for the area. I'm a pretty experienced backpacker, and have done a couple other big game hunts, but never bear.

Because it's been such a light snow year and the area I'm looking at is about 4000-4500 feet, I'm looking to be out there opening week in mid-April. Current plan is to backpack in from a road about 2 miles and go from there.

Thanks for the help!

 

[MHWASH]

Bring a comfortable chair/pad. Spring bear involves an awful lot of sitting. I usually pack a book as well.

 

[jensenj71]

Yep, glassing...more glassing...then more glassing. Take something to put up for shade. Take something to break the wind.

 

[LG1]

Neat area. The snow is already gone even up high, in that area. This might be the one year where going as early as possible makes sense. As crazy as it sounds, packing out a day before the opener might give you a head start on other bear hunters?

It's a popular area with hunters, turkey/bear, hikers, shed hunters, atv'ers, mushroom pickers, and horseback riders, because its close to a population center. I haven't bear hunted there for 20 years and it used to be reasonably quiet in the spring other than lots of turkey hunters, but with all the publicity around spring bear hunting and shed hunters now, things might well have changed?

I was up there a week ago hiking and saw several vehicles parked where I assume they were diving in for sheds. I wouldn't get stuck on any certain elevation. Bears seem to be about anywhere and with all the activity up high due to the road system, I'd think any bear wanting to save his skin will be avoiding that? If dropping below 3000K feet, the rattlesnakes are out on the south slopes. Saw more that I cared for.

 

[jensenj71]

Again, shade, wind protection and a pad or chair, you got to be comfortable glassing for 3-4hrs at sunrise and sunset. Ideally you want to be able to see 3-4 miles of a drainage. The shade protection also doubles as storm protection. You never know when mother nature might toss 3" of snow into you "spring" bear hunt. I take the fly for my KUIU 2 man tent or a small fly that I can prop up with my trekking poles.