Idaho Spring Bear

[Big_wals]

Filled my second tag in the Frank. A little smaller of a boar, but it was the last day of my hunt and I wanted more bear meat in the freezer. Ended up with 30 lbs of boned out meat.

 

[Big_wals]

Venison Barbacoa Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Barbacoa

A Mexican venison barbacoa recipe using shoulder, or lamb or goat. Barbacoa is braised with spices, pulled and tossed with a oil to keep it moist.

honest-food.net

If anyone is looking for bear recipes, this is one of our favorites. I like to dice up some onion and jalapeño, saute it until soft, then remove from the heat and stir in diced avocado. Serve the barbacoa on on a warm corn tortilla with the avocado salsa and a generous amount of mexican cotija cheese…..mmmm!

 

[Jason Snyder]

Venison Barbacoa Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Barbacoa

A Mexican venison barbacoa recipe using shoulder, or lamb or goat. Barbacoa is braised with spices, pulled and tossed with a oil to keep it moist.

honest-food.net

If anyone is looking for bear recipes, this is one of our favorites. I like to dice up some onion and jalapeño, saute it until soft, then remove from the heat and stir in diced avocado. Serve the barbacoa on on a warm corn tortilla with the avocado salsa and a generous amount of mexican cotija cheese…..mmmm!

Love this recipe. It’s a favorite in our house.

 

[Mtbhikernv]

Thanks for this! I’m hesitant about bear in the sense that they look a bit like dogs, and I love dogs more than most people…but I hit 40 and my goal is to learn these life skills since I grew up in a liberal city with no exposure to this. My first successful year last year turned up a buck and a cow in my freezer and I fell in love with hunting, to the point my wife rolls her eyes when I constantly talk about it to her…
I’m up for truck or backpacking with the limited time I have, my one ton has a truck camper so I’m pretty flexible. I’ve backpacked a ton across the west coast and other countries so I’m very comfortable with gear, tent camping, etc.
been researching a ton about where to look, but I’ll have no scouting ahead of time so I’m not sure what roads will look like. I’d imagine access is easier in 33 and harder in 27, and the drive is shorter to 33 which gives me more time on the ground.

Following up, I worked 33 for a couple days last weekend around Scott Mtn. There was feet of snow about a mile below the turn to deadwood so I broke out the snowshoes and put some good miles on. Glasses up a bunch of ridges north and south of the mountain and didn’t see much sign of any kind of life, although the lower elevations looked really good. I’ll try again first weekend of June, hopefully there’s more activity.

 

[Titanmoose]

Just did 2 days in 48, no dice. Found elk way up high and deer. Moving to 43 to give it a shot for a few days.

for not realizing 48 was basically rec capital of Idaho o well.

 

[David Gough]

Just did 2 days in 48, no dice. Found elk way up high and deer. Moving to 43 to give it a shot for a few days.

for not realizing 48 was basically rec capital of Idaho o well.

Hey, get out of my spot!

Just kidding, we didn't find shit either for bear in two different sides of the unit.

There's been multiple times I'm packing a critter out and people are walking their dog near the trailhead. Sometimes it takes all I have to not show how bad I want to get to the truck and not talk to them

 

[ahotrod2]

Just did 2 days in 48, no dice. Found elk way up high and deer. Moving to 43 to give it a shot for a few days.

for not realizing 48 was basically rec capital of Idaho o well.

Ha, I did a few days there too. nothin, but did see quite a few bear hunters!

 

[samuela]

Is this a black bear? I'm seeing a somewhat rounded pad and shorter claws, but they were big enough to put me on alert. Size 10.5 boot for reference.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Is this a black bear? I'm seeing a somewhat rounded pad and shorter claws, but they were big enough to put me on alert. Size 10.5 boot for reference.View attachment 1067999

Looks to be a grizzly track to me. The alignment of the toes and squarish pad say grizzly.

 

[idelkslayer]

Is this a black bear? I'm seeing a somewhat rounded pad and shorter claws, but they were big enough to put me on alert. Size 10.5 boot for reference.

Grizzly. Straight pad.

 

[Big_wals]

Is this a black bear? I'm seeing a somewhat rounded pad and shorter claws, but they were big enough to put me on alert. Size 10.5 boot for reference.

This is a great illustration for how straight the toes are on a grizzly. Use your phone for a straight edge if you need to.

 

[samuela]

Thanks guys. The straight line under the toes thing was confusing me since there's still a bit of a curve, but I see it compared to a black bear track.

How much do grizzlies displace black bears in an area? Wondering if I should hunt there again or find somewhere else.

 

[OneGunTex]

Any one have any suggestions or success for around elk city? Units 14,15,16 is where we will be. Seems to have some good Older burns and some dense timber around gospel hump in 14.

We hunted that area a few years ago around Memorial Day weekend and could not get anywhere close to the Gospel Hump due to snowpack on the roads. We also got multiple inches of fresh snow at the higher elevations.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Thanks guys. The straight line under the toes thing was confusing me since there's still a bit of a curve, but I see it compared to a black bear track.

How much do grizzlies displace black bears in an area? Wondering if I should hunt there again or find somewhere else.

I hunt where black bears and grizzlies both live. The grizzlies will most likely be in more open terrain while the Black bears seem to be in thicker timber with openings. On one side of a road where it is more open I have only seen grizzlies, on the other side where the timber is thick, I have seen both but way more black bears than grizzlies.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Thanks guys. The straight line under the toes thing was confusing me since there's still a bit of a curve, but I see it compared to a black bear track.

How much do grizzlies displace black bears in an area? Wondering if I should hunt there again or find somewhere else.

Yeah there is still slight curve to grizzly tracks. It's just really that inside toe on a black bear, like the thumb that drops quite a bit lower.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Is this a black bear? I'm seeing a somewhat rounded pad and shorter claws, but they were big enough to put me on alert. Size 10.5 boot for reference.

Dang, that's so big even I could probably judge it if i saw the bear
Be safe out there brother, on ya toes.

 

[Aleebee156]

Anyone have any intel on recent snow in the clearwater region? From what I can tell, only via online snow level sattelite images, they got a decent amount of new snow about 2-3 days ago. Curious if anyone can confirm, putting a wrench in my plan A, B, & C...

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Just saw a F&G report of a self defense griz shooting on Saturday, good reminder to stay alert

 

[Undrgrndprdcts]

Just saw a F&G report of a self defense griz shooting on Saturday, good reminder to stay alert

Is their population expanding?

 

[Geewhiz]

Is their population expanding?

Yes.