Idaho Spring Bear Elevations

[acramer215]

I've been out spring bear hunting just a few times over the last few years and have only seen sows and cubs. I listen to a lot of podcasts and watch a ton of videos on spring bear hunting, specifically for Idaho as that's where I live, but I seem to have personal experiences in the elevation I find bears vs what everyone says the bears should be, specifically early season. As mentioned, I have been out looking for bears a few times and have only found bears and bear sign over 6,000ft+ in elevation, never any lower and have only gone out between April 28-May 3. However most everyone says to look between the 3,000-5,000ft elevation range. Am I the only one who has had this experience? Or am I just not looking at the right areas (hunted in SE and Central Idaho).

 

[MHWASH]

At that time of year we our bears between 2200 - 4000'. This is in units 12, 16A & 17.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I think it depends on where you are. There are many mountain ranges that don't even go down to 3,000 ft

 

[TommyGunn]

Any recommendations for units 8, 8A, 10A, and 12. I have never hunted bear but was hoping to try and get one this year.

 

[EricBender208]

Any recommendations for units 8, 8A, 10A, and 12. I have never hunted bear but was hoping to try and get one this year.

I’ve hunted 8A and have only seen one bear while trying to spot and stalk. There’s definitely bears around Moscow, Deary, and Troy. I had a bait last year and was feeding 8+ bears everyday 2 days.

 

[packgoatguy]

I've been out spring bear hunting just a few times over the last few years and have only seen sows and cubs. I listen to a lot of podcasts and watch a ton of videos on spring bear hunting, specifically for Idaho as that's where I live, but I seem to have personal experiences in the elevation I find bears vs what everyone says the bears should be, specifically early season. As mentioned, I have been out looking for bears a few times and have only found bears and bear sign over 6,000ft+ in elevation, never any lower and have only gone out between April 28-May 3. However most everyone says to look between the 3,000-5,000ft elevation range. Am I the only one who has had this experience? Or am I just not looking at the right areas (hunted in SE and Central Idaho).

My experience mirrors yours... most of the advice out there seems to suggest 2k-3500ft when based off of the low elevation drainages like the Selway, Salmon, Clearwater, Snake, or Lochsa. However, I've glassed 8 bears so far this spring in several of the above mentioned drainages... and all but two were over 4k feet, several in the 5k ft range. Zero sign on the nearly hundred miles of low elevation trails I've hiked since April 1st... and most of the bears have been on northerly facing slopes, with just a few on southerly facing slopes. These areas have been in full bloom with flowers and green grass and temps in the 70s since the end of March... but the bears are still acting quite lethargic and if they are out, they are munching heavily on grass. Bears I saw just 3 days ago included one very fat boar, but none seemed inclined to leave a couple hundred square yard area. I would also add... if it looks like a good area on ONX or Google Earth... and if there is an easily accessible trailhead... expect company. If you go to any of the main trailheads on any of the above mentioned river systems, expect 10-20 other hunters rigs to be parked there, and expect that the previous week there were another couple dozen that came and went that you didn't even see. 90% of them will not see a thing... likewise, if there is a glassing ridge within 10 miles of a trailhead, and a water source within a mile of good tent sites, then you better expect to see a tipi already there when you arrive. If you want to see bears, you probably want to go to spots that don't look as good while E-Scouting, or find ridges no one wants to camp on and haul up an extra 20lbs of water.

 

[gotlag1789]

^^ that is a literal description of our 24’ spring bear at one of the locations you listed haha. To a T.

Awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing. Wish you had been out with us!

 

[acramer215]

My experience mirrors yours... most of the advice out there seems to suggest 2k-3500ft when based off of the low elevation drainages like the Selway, Salmon, Clearwater, Snake, or Lochsa. However, I've glassed 8 bears so far this spring in several of the above mentioned drainages... and all but two were over 4k feet, several in the 5k ft range. Zero sign on the nearly hundred miles of low elevation trails I've hiked since April 1st... and most of the bears have been on northerly facing slopes, with just a few on southerly facing slopes. These areas have been in full bloom with flowers and green grass and temps in the 70s since the end of March... but the bears are still acting quite lethargic and if they are out, they are munching heavily on grass. Bears I saw just 3 days ago included one very fat boar, but none seemed inclined to leave a couple hundred square yard area. I would also add... if it looks like a good area on ONX or Google Earth... and if there is an easily accessible trailhead... expect company. If you go to any of the main trailheads on any of the above mentioned river systems, expect 10-20 other hunters rigs to be parked there, and expect that the previous week there were another couple dozen that came and went that you didn't even see. 90% of them will not see a thing... likewise, if there is a glassing ridge within 10 miles of a trailhead, and a water source within a mile of good tent sites, then you better expect to see a tipi already there when you arrive. If you want to see bears, you probably want to go to spots that don't look as good while E-Scouting, or find ridges no one wants to camp on and haul up an extra 20lbs of water.

Thank you for your response. I went on a quick day hunt a week ago with no luck of bears. Saw piles of deer and elk. Was hoping to be following the snow line but I was too low in elevation I guess. Didn't see any hunters out in the field, just driving and glassing from the roads. Could I pm you where I was and the type of country I was looking at and get some advice if I was just wasting my time from the beginning? I'm going back out this Thursday-saturday and need an idea of what type of country to look for because what I thought looked good turned out to be a bust.

 

[packgoatguy]

Thank you for your response. I went on a quick day hunt a week ago with no luck of bears. Saw piles of deer and elk. Was hoping to be following the snow line but I was too low in elevation I guess. Didn't see any hunters out in the field, just driving and glassing from the roads. Could I pm you where I was and the type of country I was looking at and get some advice if I was just wasting my time from the beginning? I'm going back out this Thursday-saturday and need an idea of what type of country to look for because what I thought looked good turned out to be a bust.

Not sure I can be of much help, but you are welcome to give me a holler

 

[packgoatguy]

I'm up to 20 bears (including sows and cubs) spotted this spring. Ive been all over the state (Lochsa, Selway, Island Park, sawtooths, boise river, lemhis, beaverheads, salmon, etc) Only consistent theme has been, almost all have been later in the day, during or just after significant weather patterns, well away from other hunters (if I see other hunters, I just don't see bears in that drainage). If I see or hear hounds, I look elsewhere. Most have been near/in steep/cliffy grassy areas. All but a couple were 4000ft or higher, as high as 7k feet. I posted elsewhere on RS that my son shot one of these 20 bears a couple weeks ago, 400 yards, 1 shot with the 6mmCM. A 5yr old choco boar.