Idaho Spring Bear Advice

[Njh5587]

Hello everyone,

I'm from Pennsylvania and I'm trying to plan out a spring bear hunt in Idaho. I'm looking for advice on what to bring/expect.

I'm planning on going some time between June 15th and 30th. I'm a teacher and can't take vacation during the school year so I'm stuck with those dates.

I was looking to go somewhere near the Selway Falls, although it seems, no matter where I go I will find bears and beautiful country.

I have equipment to do a back country backpacking hunt but I was thinking of mostly camping at my truck and hiking in. I was going to bring my backpacking stuff in case I hike in too deep or spot a bear right before dark.

I don't want to sit over bait my whole trip, I want to see the country and spot and stalk. I was considering doing a hybrid bait/spot and stalk. By that I mean put out a bait somewhere that would be on my way back to camp, spot and stalk all day and if I don't have anything else to go on, stop and glass the bait on the way back to camp. I haven't read about anyone else doing this so it's probably got some downsides I haven't realized yet. I've also never baited anything before so I'm sure I'm missing something there.

I would also like to do some fishing while I'm there. And this trip might turn into as much of a fishing trip as it is a hunting trip.

I saw a video on YouTube of bear hunters riding dirtbikes down a rugged access road. I have access to a small dirt bike, should I bring it?

As you guys can probably tell, I don't have very specific criteria for this hunt. I'm just looking to enjoy some solitude and nature. Bagging a bear is not my top priority.

Can you guys share your opinions on my initial ideas here? Is the dirt bike dumb? Should I leave my rod at home? Should I look at a different area? What would you do?

Thanks in advanced,
Nick

 

[High_Desert_Obsession]

Hello everyone,

I'm from Pennsylvania and I'm trying to plan out a spring bear hunt in Idaho. I'm looking for advice on what to bring/expect.

I'm planning on going some time between June 15th and 30th. I'm a teacher and can't take vacation during the school year so I'm stuck with those dates.

I was looking to go somewhere near the Selway Falls, although it seems, no matter where I go I will find bears and beautiful country.

I have equipment to do a back country backpacking hunt but I was thinking of mostly camping at my truck and hiking in. I was going to bring my backpacking stuff in case I hike in too deep or spot a bear right before dark.

I don't want to sit over bait my whole trip, I want to see the country and spot and stalk. I was considering doing a hybrid bait/spot and stalk. By that I mean put out a bait somewhere that would be on my way back to camp, spot and stalk all day and if I don't have anything else to go on, stop and glass the bait on the way back to camp. I haven't read about anyone else doing this so it's probably got some downsides I haven't realized yet. I've also never baited anything before so I'm sure I'm missing something there.

I would also like to do some fishing while I'm there. And this trip might turn into as much of a fishing trip as it is a hunting trip.

I saw a video on YouTube of bear hunters riding dirtbikes down a rugged access road. I have access to a small dirt bike, should I bring it?

As you guys can probably tell, I don't have very specific criteria for this hunt. I'm just looking to enjoy some solitude and nature. Bagging a bear is not my top priority.

Can you guys share your opinions on my initial ideas here? Is the dirt bike dumb? Should I leave my rod at home? Should I look at a different area? What would you do?

Thanks in advanced,
Nick

If this were me, I'd bring the dirtbike because I'd rather be over prepared than under.

With baiting, I don't think it would hurt, but high success I believe comes with weeks in advance of putting out bait.

Also I haven't been up to the selway falls. But I would look into the pahsimeroi valley area. (37, 37a, 51, 50) due to open areas where you can glass back into deep canyons. One of the biggest bears I've ever seen was in 51. Unfortunately we bumped him during deer season and he never stopped.

Also tons of mountain lakes back in there you can access with your dirtbike. I'd give you a few areas if you're interested.

Hope success finds you! Good luck this spring!

We will be trying to draw a bear tag so we shall see how that goes!

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

That time of year your going to want to be up higher. Usually chasing the snow line for spring bear is how I like to do it, covering lots of area glassing.
Bear population is ok in this area.

Selway falls is pretty sweet, we've elk hunted around there. You won't be able to get very high, and the last 3 or 4 years the forest service roads once the river road ends, have been closed because of washouts. Where you can go, would be about 1/2 way up the river road before Selway falls, bridge crosses the river. This area isn't wilderness so there are clear cuts etc. The roads will be... "soupy". The worst/sketchiest driving you will ever find is when its 60 degrees during the day and melting/muddy, and then freezes overnight... You get a really nice ice on top of snot type road.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

No experience with Idaho but spring bear is one of my favorite hunts. Hunting with a bow or rifle? If using a bow definitely grab a hand call, I've had much better luck with wood ones like this one due to condensation issues with the plastic ones, much more effective on bears you already have an eye on but blind calling can work too. That time of year is the peak of the rut up here, I've brought big bears out of the timber to sub 20 yards in June by huffing at them, this can be taken as a challenge to fight though so be ready. You don't have to be up in the alpine or anything, younger bears will still be in the valleys but as mentioned bigger males will be higher up. Depending on the terrain a mountain bike could be an asset, if you're dealing with lots of elevation gain and loss it may just slow you down though. Take your time watching bears before making the decision to shoot, with spot and stalk it's easy to get excited at the sight of your first bear and want to seize the opportunity before it escapes you but sows may have fresh cubs in tow, if a bear is pausing and looking back every once in a while chances are it's a sow either with either cubs or a boar in tow. Bears can be tough to judge, lots of people swear they shot a monster then walk up on a 5' bear. Mature males get a very distinct forehead crease, the overdeveloped jaw muscles in their heads make their ears look tiny and their chests hang low making their legs look short. If a bear has big ears, long legs and a triangular shaped head it's a young bear. Don't put too much value in the "look at the size of that track, must be a huge bear" mentality, I've seen bears with huge paws that squared maybe 5'7" and also seen bears with average sized paws that had B&C skulls.

 

[264win]

I haven’t hunted the area OP is headed to, but as a fellow flat lander who likes to hunt mountains, be in the best shape you can. Hiking in the mountains at elevation is not the same as hills near sea level.
Also be prepared for any weather. I have had everything from snow to a85* during early June in past hunts at high elevation.
One great thing is the long days, lots of time during mid day to fish, varmint hunt, etc.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

One great thing is the long days, lots of time during mid day to fish, varmint hunt, etc.

The long days can definitely go both ways, my spring bear this year was a 19+ hour day...April and May are prime time for a surf and turf combo but in June I hunt all day, in my experience they don't hunker down like they do the rest of the year when there's tail to chase. Those longer days definitely do help for tracking though, do yourself a favor and shoot one in the morning so you can track it down and get it processed in the daylight.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Hello everyone,

I'm from Pennsylvania and I'm trying to plan out a spring bear hunt in Idaho. I'm looking for advice on what to bring/expect.

I'm planning on going some time between June 15th and 30th. I'm a teacher and can't take vacation during the school year so I'm stuck with those dates.

I was looking to go somewhere near the Selway Falls, although it seems, no matter where I go I will find bears and beautiful country.

I have equipment to do a back country backpacking hunt but I was thinking of mostly camping at my truck and hiking in. I was going to bring my backpacking stuff in case I hike in too deep or spot a bear right before dark.

I don't want to sit over bait my whole trip, I want to see the country and spot and stalk. I was considering doing a hybrid bait/spot and stalk. By that I mean put out a bait somewhere that would be on my way back to camp, spot and stalk all day and if I don't have anything else to go on, stop and glass the bait on the way back to camp. I haven't read about anyone else doing this so it's probably got some downsides I haven't realized yet. I've also never baited anything before so I'm sure I'm missing something there.

I would also like to do some fishing while I'm there. And this trip might turn into as much of a fishing trip as it is a hunting trip.

I saw a video on YouTube of bear hunters riding dirtbikes down a rugged access road. I have access to a small dirt bike, should I bring it?

As you guys can probably tell, I don't have very specific criteria for this hunt. I'm just looking to enjoy some solitude and nature. Bagging a bear is not my top priority.

Can you guys share your opinions on my initial ideas here? Is the dirt bike dumb? Should I leave my rod at home? Should I look at a different area? What would you do?

Thanks in advanced,
Nick

Have several backup spots and be willing to move areas completely. You might pick a spot out and get there in June and it's covered in snow. It's just hard to predict where the green-up line will be. Too low could be an issue too if it's really hot and dry. Bears in the mountains can cover a ton of ground in a short period of time to get to the best feed. Also look for areas where there are open spaces near timber.

 

[BAKPAKR]

As BackcountryBloodlines suggested, I would definitely take a predator call. I almost always have one in the small pocket on my pack’s waistbelt.

I have called a few bears in, including a couple on the Selway. It can be exciting as the ones that came in to my calling came running in looking for a meal.

 

[Njh5587]

Thanks for the advice guys! I really appreciate it.

Have several backup spots and be willing to move areas completely. You might pick a spot out and get there in June and it's covered in snow. It's just hard to predict where the green-up line will be. Too low could be an issue too if it's really hot and dry. Bears in the mountains can cover a ton of ground in a short period of time to get to the best feed. Also look for areas where there are open spaces near timber.

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking that by mid June snow wouldn't be an issue but I guess I was wrong! I hadn't thought of picking multiple spots at different elevations with different access points in case snow is an issue and to follow the green up. Are there any websites that list snow pack data or any other information that would help me plan further?

Thanks again!

 

[idahohikker]

Mid June can be tough. Earlier you have that new greenup. As it gets later the greenup is more spread out and the bears rub their hides.

 

[GregB]

Thanks for the advice guys! I really appreciate it.

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking that by mid June snow wouldn't be an issue but I guess I was wrong! I hadn't thought of picking multiple spots at different elevations with different access points in case snow is an issue and to follow the green up. Are there any websites that list snow pack data or any other information that would help me plan further?

Thanks again!

SNOWTEL

 

[Customweld]

Here is another site that allows you to drill down on specific SNOTEL Sites .
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/porta...iations=true&lat=44.351&lon=-113.472&zoom=7.0

 

[Njh5587]

Thanks to everyone who posted advice. I just realized I could turn on notifications from rokslide...boy that's handy!

I have some homework ahead of me. I'm going to look into the pahsimeroi valley area and read into how to "huff" at a bear/call rutting boars. I bookmarked the snow map, that will certainly be very helpful. I put a distress call on my list of things to pack- I have some cottontail calls but I'm not sure about a jackrabbit. I wonder if a bear would mind the difference?

The dirtbike is still a maybe for me. I could see it being useful if the roads turn to slop or get too sketchy. In Pennsylvania, you can really only ride on private land or designated trail systems with a trail pass, is Idaho pretty liberal with their OHV laws?

Thanks again for the help, you guys have been very helpful.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Good luck. My wife is teacher in PA also.
Day after she is out of school in June we are flying out into Frank Church wilderness to look for Bears/Wolfs. Cant wait to hike

 

[WT57]

following

Is the snow off the ground late May-early June in the northern Idaho units like 1 through 12?

And what other tags would you add along with black bear if you were to hunt those units if any other are available?

 

[sneaky]

following

Is the snow off the ground late May-early June in the northern Idaho units like 1 through 12?

And what other tags would you add along with black bear if you were to hunt those units if any other are available?

Wolf

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Cmelink]

Following

 

[Jahvette20]

I also am from pa, and with the current events am tossing around the idea of heading west to chase bear with my bow this spring. I haven’t done any research yet but tag and population points to Idaho.

 

[Pulv]

I haven’t hunted the area OP is headed to, but as a fellow flat lander who likes to hunt mountains, be in the best shape you can. Hiking in the mountains at elevation is not the same as hills near sea level.
Also be prepared for any weather. I have had everything from snow to a85* during early June in past hunts at high elevation.
One great thing is the long days, lots of time during mid day to fish, varmint hunt, etc.

From a fellow former flat lander, the transition is brutal! The more cardio and weighted stuff I’m inclined, the better.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Idaho is no longer selling non res anything.

Edit* very limited circumstances....continue reading.