Idaho Spring Bear

[idahohikker]

Lots of good info man

Glad I could help. There’s been lots of helpful comments from others on here. You’ve been real helpful to me, Wyatt. When you want to plan spring bear, feel free to PM me.

 

[KineKilla]

How did you buy a tag last spring when they don't go on sale til Dec 1st for NR every year?

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Let me clarify. I purchased the hunt last spring at our local RMEF banquet. The outfitter then sent me an invoice for the tags that became available this winter and purchased them on my behalf. Better?

Sneaks, calm down. I’m just laughing about how the client doesn’t know which unit or group of units he’ll be in, just the closest town. I get why outfitters keep that close to the vest but sometimes it’s silly to me. Imagine an sos call. “Yeah so the outfitter said the nearest town to our location is Kamiah. We’re in a sea of timber and I really have no idea where I am.”

Please allow me to clarify...I do in fact have the exact location of where our base camp will be. I had not read the email in a while but because you feel the need to chastise the new guy, I went back and read it. We will be hunting (hopefully, virus allowing) in Unit 10.

Sure is a tough crowd here...

I will still be watching this thread as you Idahoans whom live there and value their access to the outdoors will likley be one of the best sources for updated closure information.

 

[idahohikker]

Let me clarify. I purchased the hunt last spring at our local RMEF banquet. The outfitter then sent me an invoice for the tags that became available this winter and purchased them on my behalf. Better?



Please allow me to clarify...I do in fact have the exact location of where our base camp will be. I had not read the email in a while but because you feel the need to chastise the new guy, I went back and read it. We will be hunting (hopefully, virus allowing) in Unit 10.

Sure is a tough crowd here...

I will still be watching this thread as you Idahoans whom live there and value their access to the outdoors will likley be one of the best sources for updated closure information.

No chastisement from me. I just thought it was funny you didn’t know the unit. That’s normally the guide just being ultra secretive about where his spots are. As I said before, I understand why but sometimes it’s kind of overdone. Don’t get worked up or worry about. No one is thinking you did anything wrong, just razing you a bit and Sneaks is fact checking. Keep joining the thread.

 

[Milestone522]

Hearthstone Restaurant and Bakery in Kamiah has great coffee and really good food BTW.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Hearthstone Restaurant and Bakery in Kamiah has great coffee and really good food BTW.

Is that still around? I believe it burned down in the big fire they had several years ago. Maybe they rebuilt it?

 

[Milestone522]

Is that still around? I believe it burned down in the big fire they had several years ago. Maybe they rebuilt it?

Affirm

Best place I can think of between Lochsa Lodge and Orofino

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Affirm

Best place I can think of between Lochsa Lodge and Orofino

Nice! It is a great spot. Best place I can think of outside of going to Lewiston.

 

[KineKilla]

Hearthstone Restaurant and Bakery in Kamiah has great coffee and really good food BTW.

Great! If I'm allowed to go hunt I will hit them up before I head to base camp.

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[Pulv]

From my experiences last year this initial post is amazing. I went into a new area, just a spot on the map.
I Ran into snow. I was a little surprised with how much sticks around on the north facing slopes considering at same level on the south, was completely gone. Parked and hiked up a ridge from much lower elevation and was into bears within a 1500’ climb. Hunting the receding snow line seems to be a great tactic.
Just be prepared to bring it all back down that elevation you’ve climbed up.

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.

Awesome info! Thanks!

 

[BigLost]

Well I got word that I’m on a 90 day work leave for the time being so I’m not super sure I’m flying in to the Frank as of now. I’ve never chased bears up north, but I have family in unit 2/3/4 area. Any suggestions for a last minute change of plans?

 

[MHWASH]

No more non-resident tag and license sales for spring bear. If one already purchased, it is still valid. No more new sales tho

Damn! My son has tags, my partner has tags, now I’m sitting here with my hands in my pockets. I live 30 miles from the border.

 

[DIY Lifer]

I'd be happy to help as well with locations. But sounds like you got it covered!

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I could use any information you could give me on where would be a decent place to go for black bear for a first time bear hunter in ID. My friend and I are avid packpack hunters for deer and elk. Just trying to get a an arrow on a unit. I don't know anything about ID. We are looking to go the second or 3rd full week of May. PM is fine also.

 

[DIY Lifer]

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.

I could use any information on a unit that might be good to try out for a first time spring bear hunter in ID. My friend and I are going and are both avid backpack hunters. Never hunted black bear and never hunted in ID. We are going for the full 2nd or 3rd week of may. We do not mind long distances or rugged terrain.

 

[KineKilla]

I read in the Idaho Regs that all Bears must be checked in at an authorized inspection site for wildlife officials to take samples, etc. I could not find a link to these locations, anyone know where I can find one so I can plan accordingly?

 

[GregB]

I read in the Idaho Regs that all Bears must be checked in at an authorized inspection site for wildlife officials to take samples, etc. I could not find a link to these locations, anyone know where I can find one so I can plan accordingly?

Check them in at the IDFG regional offices. Or if you hit a mandatory checkpoint on the road. You'll probably have to call IDFG and make an appointment to have the hide and skull inspected because of COVID.

 

[skierhs]

I read in the Idaho Regs that all Bears must be checked in at an authorized inspection site for wildlife officials to take samples, etc. I could not find a link to these locations, anyone know where I can find one so I can plan accordingly?

There are also places that are local that can do it. I leave this vague as it depends where you are and who has chosen to be able to do it.

 

[sneaky]

Sow and cubs that bolted not long after this. Never got a look at what spooked them but a lone elk above where they were stared something down for 30 minutes without moving a muscle. I'll have a better vantage point next time out... and my phoneskope adapter .

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[.204smokechaser]

Great! If I'm allowed to go hunt I will hit them up before I head to base camp.

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The gold rush saloon is pretty good too for burgers if you end up going through Pierce to get to unit 10.

 

[David Gough]

Has anyone been in the 19, 19a, 20, 20a area recently? A friend and I are heading up there for bear on Saturday. Wondering what access and the snow is going to look like. Riggins is showing quite a bit of weather next week.

 

[Ntuttle15]

Has anyone been in the 19, 19a, 20, 20a area recently? A friend and I are heading up there for bear on Saturday. Wondering what access and the snow is going to look like. Riggins is showing quite a bit of weather next week.

Pm