"Spur the moment" Black Bear for a new guy?

[Gettincloser]

Plans have changed and I will not get a chance to hunt this fall with everything going on. Told the wife I should jump in the truck and try my hand at hunting black bear for 1 week (including travel time) since I wouldn't be hunting this fall.... I got the green light!

Thoughts? Is it doable for a guy in TX who has never chased bear to accidentally stumble across a bear? Or should I take this year to do a lot of reading and e scouting and try my hand next year.

Is this a sit and glass over a "special area" thing or a "cover miles and miles and trip over one thing.

Not looking for GPS coordinates but just a compass bearing on where to start. I just ordered a book on bear hunting a few days ago but I have not yet cracked the spine.

Thank you for your thoughts in advance.
(P.S. I have gear, just not the knowledge/experience.)

 

[mustelid_master]

Depends on when the week is; I'd say go for it this year. No replacement for boots on the ground at the very least, and you stand a good chance of killing something. I'd alot somee-scouting time, pick a spot, a date, and go for it.

Western MT is good, region 2 has the least amount of grizzlies but the most amount of people (aprocryphally). Region 1 is where most of the bears in the state come out of, are west of Kalispell gets hit hard. Never have hunted ID, but I have no doubt that would be adequete as well.

 

[MTguy0341]

Go hunt, you never know if you’ll be able to hunt next year. Glass, and glass some more. Permethrin is your friend.

 

[Gettincloser]

I did not think about ticks! Good call!

 

[UTJL]

Idaho has reduced price bear tags in units where they are above objective. This helps you pick a unit that has a good amount of bears if you’re short on time.

 

[Gettincloser]

Idaho has reduced price bear tags in units where they are above objective. This helps you pick a unit that has a good amount of bears if you’re short on time.

I did not know ow that. I did not see it in the past few days but I am new at this. Planning to call a field office tomorrow and ask a few questions. I am leaning towards Idaho over Wyoming as it "seems" to have e more opportunities. I was pleased that when I took the wyoming ID test (black bear vs grizzly) I scoured a 15 out of 16 (or 14 out of 15). Either way, I only missed one. However, had I shot on that 1... it would have not been a fun conversation.

I will ask about units with a bear "surpluss"! That is a beautiful golden nugget. Thank you

 

[Trapline]

Just look for the gnarliest drainage and drop in. Look for destroyed trees. Spring hunt you can call them with fawn calls. Fall look for berries. You can also go to a state that allows baiting or hounds to increase your odds.