Reasons for being Unsuccessful?

[Asutcliffe]

I am going to Idaho this spring for a bear/wolf backpack hunt. We have been planning this trip and "training" for it for a little over a year. Those that have been and been unsuccessful what are some reasons you think you were unsuccessful? Limited access, too much pressure, unprepared physically, not practiced enough at shooting long range? I know nothing will prepare us better than boots on the ground ans time in the back country but learning from others that have been unsuccessful will hopefully make me more prepared to overcome those same obstacles.

 

[WeiserBucks]

There's a million things that can go wrong at any given time. Sometimes its your turn and sometimes its not, do your best and have a good time.

 

[S-3 ranch]

All of the above
I was successful, but for a flatlander I struggled with altitude
i shot 2-3 days a week to 500 yards , lots of different types of physical activity
but the altitude was a bit taxing , a guy in my party didnt even hardly get out of camp

 

[PNWGATOR]

You‘re not likely to have too much pressure on a backpack spring bear hunt.

Finding habitat with a high concentration of bears and then finding their food source would be a good start.

 

[kylem]

Lots of good looking bear country just doesn’t hold bears. I can go into my best bear areas that I’m successful in more often than not and not see bears for days. They’re just in lower densities than deer and elk are.

 

[Asutcliffe]

Thank you for the info guys! It sounds like finding bears in general and physical condition are two common hurdles that will need to be crossed.

 

[tkhuntsman]

I am going to Idaho this spring for a bear/wolf backpack hunt. We have been planning this trip and "training" for it for a little over a year. Those that have been and been unsuccessful what are some reasons you think you were unsuccessful? Limited access, too much pressure, unprepared physically, not practiced enough at shooting long range? I know nothing will prepare us better than boots on the ground ans time in the back country but learning from others that have been unsuccessful will hopefully make me more prepared to overcome those same obstacles.

It's hunting and sometimes no matter how hard we work luck just doesn't come our way and you don't get a shot opportunity. One of the most common inexperience and human error.

 

[Honyock]

Scent has probably blown more hunts than anything.

 

[Wrench]

Funny thing about bears is you go from "this sucks" to "Yeeeeessss!" In a short second.

Stay away from areas where hounds hunt. There's one outfitter up where I like to work and just stay a few miles from him.

Be prepared to drive around a corner and find 8 feet of snow till after memorial day. That weekend always blows the passes open that have a chance.

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

I've had success and I've come home empty handed. Most of the unsuccessful hunts were more than likely a "Grass is greener" issue. I moved around/relocated too much and didn't give the good spots enough time to make it work. Once I slowed down and trusted the signs, things started coming together, and I started seeing success.

 

[Sourdough]

Those that have been and been unsuccessful what are some reasons you think you were unsuccessful?

"THIS" is what is wrong with hunting. And the sad thing is it can not be explained to those who never had the gift of knowing what hunting was before it was corrupted.

 

[*zap*]

^yup.

 

[JD Jones]

My first year out to Idaho was unsuccessful (if only measured on killing). Finding em mixed with unfamiliar territory and poor decision making were the factors I think lead to that trip being unsuccessful. We decided to move due to lack of confidence. Hindsight we would have been better off staying in the area and pushing off to other nearby drainages. Also one guy was basically broken day 2. That then caused us to make more conservative decisions. All that said it was still a success as we learned a ton

 

[Asutcliffe]

Thank you everyone that had constructive replies. I do not expect to kill on my first year going out but I want to be prepared as possible. I'm trying to gain as much knowledge as I can from others before I go. It's not about the kill for me as it is the experience. This is a hunt I want to repeat for the next several years and continue to learn about the area and animals we hunt. I will be reporting back with what I have learned and what I'll do differently next year in regards to preparation, gear taken, area/terrain hunted and ways I think I can be more successful next year.

 

[Rich M]

Look at the success rates. If the success rate is 30%, means 3 out of 10 guys kill something. Also means 7 out of 10 go home empty handed.

Are you a hard worker, dawn to dark kind of guy? If so, your odds are better than most.

Go with the belief that you will get your bear. Not that you will learn, but that you will learn and adapt while you are there and will get an opportunity and succeed.

Have a great trip.

 

[StuckoYota99]

Having spent more time thinking about the mistakes I've made versus the successes. The best advice I can give is when you see a bear CALM DOWN. Don't rush the shot, don't bail off the Ridgeline and chase it. Bears like to move around a lot which personally cause me to get anxious.

Also have multiple backup plans that have been prescouted. Rolling up to "your spot" and having multiple rigs there and not having an idea of where to go next sucks.

 

[Asutcliffe]

We had a very fun trip unfortunately we did not get a bear though. Some of thr things I learned from this first trip were terrain is way steeper than any 3d map can show. I was also planning for more open terrain and a lot of the area we hunted was grown up and unglassable. And probably the 3rd and possibly most influential on the bears was the shear number of baits in the area. I can't imagine why a bear would want to eat green grass on a hillside when every draw had one or two barrels with a smorgasbord of sweets, meats and grains. I think this kept the bears in the denser brush and out of sight. I'm already planning next year's trip and ways to improve based on what I learned this year.