Idaho Spring Bear

.204smokechaser said:
Just a friendly reminder for you folks coming from out of state.

There are snotel sites all around Idaho to check the snow depth on and pretty decent placed road cameras on Idaho 511.

Do your homework so you don’t call people at an office after the fact and complain because you couldn’t get over a 6000 foot back country pass in April because the road isn’t plowed. Most of them aren’t plowed anyhow unless you’re hunting private timber grounds where harvest is occurring.
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And bring chains with you, be wise to have a chainsaw too.
 
I've had good luck calling the nearest local USFS ranger station and just ask them what general elevation the snow line is at. They'll usually hand you off to a ORV ranger.
 
In regards to calling USFS offices... they have been way under staffed in recent years. For example, one district ranger I spoke to indicated that in the past several years he has rarely even left the office (his district covers a major trailhead for bear hunters). They have more seasonal workers out and about later in the spring and summer for trail work, but are often focused on prescribed burns in the early spring... so they may not have actually been to the pass or road you are hoping to access... so take the information they provide with a grain of salt. Anecdotally, and in regards to the low man power issue... I spoke with a couple usfs employees last spring who were doing the "annual" inspection of the major Outfitter in the area. They admitted that it was the first time in 6 years they had even been there to do said inspection. So, bottom line is, it may be a challenge to even find a usfs person who has been in the field recently who would have the information about travel conditions that you desire. Definitely not something to be left to the last minute.
 
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.
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Very helpful post!
 
.204smokechaser said:
Been too darned busy with work. Saw another one while working this afternoon. Hopefully this next week after work and weekend I can get out. A buddy has been making me jealous driving by his parked truck almost everyday!
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I hear ya with work. At least you’re seeing them! Got out for a couple quick hits over the weekend and didn’t turn any bears up. Saw every other big game animal though haha
 
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