Idaho Spring Bear

JBHUNTS555 · Mar 19, 2023

This post is very much appreciated, thanks to everyone that's put time in to respond to people on here. This is my first-year hunting and going for turkey and bear are first on the list. I was hoping to hunt turkey later April and possible scout for bear that same week. I was originally thinking 32A but looking at the harvest rate for turkey it doesn't seem reasonable. Now leaning more towards 33 what are some thoughts on this unit? if any... feedback for spring bear and turkey would be appreciated.

Spoonbill · Mar 20, 2023

JBHUNTS555 said:
This post is very much appreciated, thanks to everyone that's put time in to respond to people on here. This is my first-year hunting and going for turkey and bear are first on the list. I was hoping to hunt turkey later April and possible scout for bear that same week. I was originally thinking 32A but looking at the harvest rate for turkey it doesn't seem reasonable. Now leaning more towards 33 what are some thoughts on this unit? if any... feedback for spring bear and turkey would be appreciated.

If the snow melts off, either unit should be good for bear hunting. Its hard to say with the amount of precipitation and cooler than average temps we have had in southwest Idaho. If it is your first year hunting, I would focus less on the unit rather getting out and going hunting.

mtnbiker208 · Mar 20, 2023

Selkirk mountains Saturday March 18, 2023. Tops are just over 6000 ft.
Normal amount of snow, with another month of gaining snow.

bdg848 · Mar 20, 2023

JBHUNTS555 said:
This post is very much appreciated, thanks to everyone that's put time in to respond to people on here. This is my first-year hunting and going for turkey and bear are first on the list. I was hoping to hunt turkey later April and possible scout for bear that same week. I was originally thinking 32A but looking at the harvest rate for turkey it doesn't seem reasonable. Now leaning more towards 33 what are some thoughts on this unit? if any... feedback for spring bear and turkey would be appreciated.

I went to 33 the spring before last around the 2nd-3rd week of April. We hunted around the the Garden Valley area and all the the clear cuts I had Escouted were all grown over with several feet of brush when we got there. Couldn't see anything in them. The snow was mostly all gone but there were one or two large snow drifts across a few points that I wasn't about to attempt to pass with the steep drop offs on the other side. We saw some scat and tracks and there were several people using hounds but that particular area didn't lend itself to spot and stalk at all fwiw. We ended up just spending the last day going fishing, hitting a hotspring, and white water rafting and then headed home.

Customweld · Mar 20, 2023

This is at 4900' in 32A. 19 days past peak snow accumulation. Most sites in higher elevation are 14-20 days away from peak.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/WCIS/AWS_PLOTS/siteCharts/POR/WTEQ/ID/Van Wyck.html

JBHUNTS555 · Mar 20, 2023

Spoonbill said:
If the snow melts off, either unit should be good for bear hunting. Its hard to say with the amount of precipitation and cooler than average temps we have had in southwest Idaho. If it is your first year hunting, I would focus less on the unit rather getting out and going hunting.

For sure ultimately, I feel I just need boots on the ground and start putting myself in the environment and it'll come as time passes. My goal isn't even to have success this year would be great to but, over everything just start leaning the lay of the land. When i go up for spring turkey i plan on using that as a time to scout as well so i have an idea of where the snow level is.

JBHUNTS555 · Mar 20, 2023

bdg848 said:
I went to 33 the spring before last around the 2nd-3rd week of April. We hunted around the the Garden Valley area and all the the clear cuts I had Escouted were all grown over with several feet of brush when we got there. Couldn't see anything in them. The snow was mostly all gone but there were one or two large snow drifts across a few points that I wasn't about to attempt to pass with the steep drop offs on the other side. We saw some scat and tracks and there were several people using hounds but that particular area didn't lend itself to spot and stalk at all fwiw. We ended up just spending the last day going fishing, hitting a hotspring, and white water rafting and then headed home.

okay I'll have to consider that I was worried about having to deal with hounds and baiting cause I will be doing solo spot and stalk. I was looking up spots a little higher kind of up by bull creek area. With you seeing signs of life maybe I'll e scout around the area you were in as well. thanks for the info

JBHUNTS555 · Mar 20, 2023

Customweld said:
This is at 4900' in 32A. 19 days past peak snow accumulation. Most sites in higher elevation are 14-20 days away from peak.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/WCIS/AWS_PLOTS/siteCharts/POR/WTEQ/ID/Van Wyck.html

This is awesome thank you where I'm going is right around 5-5600ft, so this gives me a good idea.

bdg848 · Mar 21, 2023

JBHUNTS555 said:
okay I'll have to consider that I was worried about having to deal with hounds and baiting cause I will be doing solo spot and stalk. I was looking up spots a little higher kind of up by bull creek area. With you seeing signs of life maybe I'll e scout around the area you were in as well. thanks for the info

I wouldn't say our difficulties came from competing with bait and hounds but rather the lack of any truly clear spots to glass into. Like I said, the clear cuts I had counted on were all overgrown with several years worth of brush, the other open hillsides just weren't productive, or a snow drift blocked the road to a cut I wanted to check out. We ended up just still hunting old logging roads through the thickest woods and that's where we saw all the sign.

Customweld · Mar 21, 2023

bdg848 said:
I wouldn't say our difficulties came from competing with bait and hounds but rather the lack of any truly clear spots to glass into. Like I said, the clear cuts I had counted on were all overgrown with several years worth of brush, the other open hillsides just weren't productive, or a snow drift blocked the road to a cut I wanted to check out. We ended up just still hunting old logging roads through the thickest woods and that's where we saw all the sign.

The soil in the Central Idaho units are completely different from the soil in the Weiser River zones. The Idaho batholith is decomposed granite, so it sheds water and is quite erosive. That is why you didn't see much growing on the south facing slopes in unit 33. The Weiser River zones and north of there (up to a certain point) are a clay material. These support the early wild onions on the south and west facing slopes that bears love to forage in.

CPawlowski · Mar 22, 2023

Thank you so much for this thread full of information. Has anyone hunted unit 6? Around the St. Joe River Basin area? I hope that’s not too specific.

swe048 · Mar 23, 2023

A lot of people have said it on this thread, but I'm going to repeat it...3 years later.
This is a wealth of knowledge, one of the best, and longest running, threads I have ever seen.
idahohikker, thank you for starting this thread.

7mm-08 · Mar 25, 2023

I'm from Idaho, spring bear hunt every year (23) and this thread is crazy informative. (Hidden agenda, kill those damned bears that feed prolifically on elk calvers - per Idaho Fish & Game research.)

7mm-08 · Mar 25, 2023

Sorry, here's a link to George Bettas' "oldie but goody" article I should have included in my last post.

40 Years of Stalking Black Bears in the Backcountry, By George A. Bettas | Pro Insight

I began hunting black bear in 1972 in Idaho’s Clearwater Region, primarily in the Lochsa and Kelly Creek drainages. My previous experiences with hunting black bear were more related to an occasional sighting of a black bear in the fall while hunting deer or elk than specifically focusing upon...

beyondthekill.net

will2258 · Mar 27, 2023

idahohikker said:
A hunt residents should be happy to help with. Come have a great time and kill a bear. Montana and Wyoming also have good spring bear hunting. Spot and stalk is lots of fun and totally doable for hunting. On multiple trips I've spotted bears on day one.

Nonresidents wondering where to go have lots of options. The units with the most bears killed, say top three, are well known. They're good and have a lot of bears killed to some extent because of their popularity. Not crazy busy in those units from my experience but also kind of nice to get off the beaten track a bit more.

Salmon, McCall, Sawtooth, Beaverhead, Lemhi all have at least decent bear numbers. The Middle Fork and Selway Zones are not very accessible due to high country access points until Mid June or later when the bear hunting starts to drop off or get closed. You could target a mid June backcountry hunt in there and make it work but access will be a challenge and the bear hunting won’t be easy that late and in huge country. You could also do a fly-in hunt earlier in the season when the greenup is closer to the river and animals are closer to winter range. That would likely be a better hunt. You could have a wolf, lion, bear combo hunt and just an amazing time in deep backcountry. The other main access point to the Selway and Salmon Zones is along the river roads. Steep hiking but a good number of bears if you hike away from access points.

In general, for the average guy not messing with the lower priced tags which are more difficult to access and rugged to get around will make for a more successful hunt. Buy full price and go for it.

Throughout the state, you'll want to do your research to see if the road you're planning on taking will be open. Anything above 5,000 feet is a red flag. Call the forest service office and post on here if you want about the roads. Look at Snotel and information available online about snowpack. Many will be closed or impassable. You might be good for a while and then hit a snowbank. A common good approach is to find a lower elevation road and hike up from there. 4 wheelers are very helpful for getting around when access might be hit or miss.

Northern Idaho has more bears generally speaking than south and central Idaho. Panhandle, Clearwater, and Lolo areas can be productive. You will have to plan for how you hunt with all the dense timber but there are bears around and more wolves up there too.

Pioneer and more desert units south of I-84 don't have a lot of bears.

Normally the later part of April through early June the hunting can be good. May is a nice middle ground. You might want to hunt a little lower or higher depending on the timing.

Feel free to PM. Depending on volume and where you're looking, I might be able to help. I don't know that much about the areas north of the Salmon River Breaks. Anything south of that I've probably ventured through and hunted at least a little for some critter.

As a completely Green first time spring bear hunter, this is super helpful. I’ve chased Washington bears in the fall the past two years but have no experience with Spring Season. Hoping to learn more and hike my butt off! Would be great to PM with you sometime if you’re open to questions.

Ice_man · Mar 27, 2023

Anybody have any experience in unit 67? My family has been traveling to northern Idaho for years and hunting over bait but i've been wanting to do some spot and stalk and possibly something a little closer to home. I've also been looking at the surrounding units 66, 66a. I see that the harvest data shows that 67 is killing more bears than the other two though. Not looking for any honey holes just curious if anybody has some real life experience and how they have faired in the southeast portion for spring black bear. Thanks!

seww · Mar 28, 2023

-Mase19- said:
Anybody have any experience in unit 67? My family has been traveling to northern Idaho for years and hunting over bait but i've been wanting to do some spot and stalk and possibly something a little closer to home. I've also been looking at the surrounding units 66, 66a. I see that the harvest data shows that 67 is killing more bears than the other two though. Not looking for any honey holes just curious if anybody has some real life experience and how they have faired in the southeast portion for spring black bear. Thanks!

I've hunted inm the sorrounding areas, spent 2 falls in 66, 66a and 69 hunting deer and elk.
I did spot one bear 2 years ago, heard of people seeing tracks, but that's about it. In my defense, I'm not a bear hunter but like to get out during Spring

LIWolverine · Mar 28, 2023

Just posted my ‘22 Idaho bear hunt videos if anyone wants to get pumped up.

https://youtube.com/@LifeandRealEstate-LoganI-wn9zu

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

sneaky · Mar 28, 2023

David Gough said:
Heading back to central Idaho this year for spring bear. Without giving away the unit, the snotel map SWE for the area is 102-128% above the median and significantly above last year. We hiked in May 8th last year and felt it was a little early. With the additional snowpack I'm trying to time this year's hunt. Thinking about leaving during the 3rd to 4th week of May.

What are people seeing on the ground in central Idaho for snow levels and access?

I've got a pretty good guess lol. Snow in the forecast just about every day for the next week as well. Winter just isn't letting go easy this year.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

David Gough · Mar 28, 2023

LIWolverine said:
Just posted my ‘22 Idaho bear hunt videos if anyone wants to get pumped up.

https://youtube.com/@LifeandRealEstate-LoganI-wn9zu

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Idaho mountains are no joke. Good luck next year!

Idaho Spring Bear

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