Typical Day Spring Bear Hunting

[wnc-ag]

I’m looking to do a spring bear hunt somewhere in NW Montana, May 16-24. My question is, what does a typical day look like?

Do you hike into a drainage and glass there all day?
Do you glass one drainage in the morning/lunch time then go somewhere else for the afternoon?
Do you just drive around and glass as many drainages as possible near roads?

I’m looking to kill any legal bear, I’ve elk hunted in the west before but never for bears. And I plan on truck camping but will be able to backpack hunt as well. Right now I’m trying to e scout south facing burn areas but not sure if that’s the best plan.

 

[WoodlandCritter]

How far NW? If you're coming all the way up to the Kootenai/Yaak region, it'll be a lot of driving and/or hiking. Very thick rainforest up here, very little opportunity for the classic Western style spot and stalk. I moved here in '24 so last year was my first Spring hunting, but my average day was largely spent walking old logging roads and still hunting through likely patches of timber I would find.

If you're thinking further down near the Flathead or Missoula, there's a lot more open country, but I haven't hunted there so couldn't say what its like.

 

[wnc-ag]

How far NW? If you're coming all the way up to the Kootenai/Yaak region, it'll be a lot of driving and/or hiking. Very thick rainforest up here, very little opportunity for the classic Western style spot and stalk. I moved here in '24 so last year was my first Spring hunting, but my average day was largely spent walking old logging roads and still hunting through likely patches of timber I would find.

If you're thinking further down near the Flathead or Missoula, there's a lot more open country, but I haven't hunted there so couldn't say what its like.

I haven’t nailed down a specific area yet. Based on your comment I’ll probably start out Somewhere around the flathead area.

I do enjoy walking logging roads, I grouse hunt in the southeast so that’s the normal way of hunting here.

 

[MorelMan]

I think any of the methods you mentioned could work, but it just depends on the area you are hunting and what you are seeing.

 

[BlackBearCrazy02]

I spring bear hunt the Idaho side of the bitterroot’s adjacent from Missoula so I guess take this advice with grain of salt since it’s not the specific place your going to. But we go in late April/mid May and see 75% of our bears between 1-3 in the afternoon, even on 90 degree days. We don’t hunt in the morning we typically get to spotting spot around noon and sit till dark. What’s works best for us is to sit where you can see the most feeding area and spot and stalk from there.