When southerners decide to head to Idaho for a spring bear hunt....

[AshCain]

A couple of us whitetail public land hunters from Louisiana have decided to look into a spring bear hunt in Idaho. I have read the 28 page thread on spring bear hunting, which has provided me with a good bit of solid information. Thanks to all yall for that!

PLEASE do not drag this Louisiana girl for this first question............here goes nothing....

What is the "easiest" area as far as terrain/mountain climb to visit for a spring bear hunt?

Coming from Louisiana to take on the mountains of Idaho is a little intimidating. We hunt and hike a good bit on a piece of public land in Louisiana called Tunia Hills but it is NOTHING compared to any mountain.

 

[EdP]

If you can go horseback with an outfitter there is not really any mountain climbing/hiking to be done.

 

[AshCain]

If you can go horseback with an outfitter there is not really any mountain climbing/hiking to be done.

Do you have any personal suggestions on a unit(s)?

 

[PathFinder]

Rokslide is not a genie in a bottle. Nobody is going to tell you where it's easy to walk and go kill a bear.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[AshCain]

Rokslide is not a genie in a bottle. Nobody is going to tell you where it's easy to walk and go kill a bear.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

Not asking to summons a genie nor asking for anyone’s hot spot. Simply asking for a little guidance for a first timer new to mountain terrain and new to the area!

 

[wnelson14]

Not asking to summons a genie nor asking for anyone’s hot spot. Simply asking for a little guidance for a first timer new to mountain terrain and new to the area!

You can filter by elevation height on multiple mapping sources.

 

[hwy1strat]

The problem you are going to run into is most of the bears are going to be up high in secluded areas. They are vulnerable coming out of hibernation. I wouldn’t let the mountains intimidate you. If you are in shape, you will be just fine. The altitude will have its affects and will make it sucks more but it won’t kill you. It’s just something you’ll have to deal with

 

[Thebigbaby]

I wouldn’t let terrain bother you. E-scout and even better, actually go out there and scout ahead of time. Way better info that way.

 

[Big_wals]

It depends somewhat on how you want to hunt also. There's no such thing as an easy area to spot and stalk bear IMO. Baiting isn't as physically demanding, but brings its own challenges and likely a lot of competition in good areas. How do you feel about hunting in Grizzly country?

 

[highside74]

Is it the physical or mental part of the mountains that make you uneasy as a flat lander? If it's not thinking you can get in good enough shape for the terrain then find a stair climber and get on it. When you can do 45min at high intensity without stopping you'll be ready to let'r rip. Good luck hope you actually do it.

 

[AshCain]

Is it the physical or mental part of the mountains that make you uneasy as a flat lander? If it's not thinking you can get in good enough shape for the terrain then find a stair climber and get on it. When you can do 45min at high intensity without stopping you'll be ready to let'r rip. Good luck hope you actually do it.

Probably a little bit of both. Mental is probably a bit higher on the chart simply because this will be a totally new experience. I self taught myself to “climb” trees to saddle hunt whitetail with a bow and have been going hike the hills as much as possible. I’m in “good” shape, always can be better though.

 

[MHWASH]

Spring bear hunts don't have to be back country high altitude hunts. Find an area with lots of logging activity in the past 5-15 years and hunt those areas early before the roads are open for vehicles. Most roads use a steady incline to get to the top of the mountain.

 

[BigNate]

I'll answer you, southern Idaho isn't as steep as up north. The farther north you go the steeper and more crowded.

Tons of people fleeing their commy states have poured into the Cour d'Alene area and they all want to become outdoorsmen.. our population has tripled in the last few years.

 

[AH64guy]

Boots - good quality upper tier boots. Expect to walk up and down hills - a lot. Ankle support and a bit of rigidity in the body of the boot will save your muscles and lower your risk of injury. Spend time in them before you go - 50 plus miles before getting on a plane is a start, more is better.

Pack - wear a pack breaking in the boots, and get used to carrying the pack weight while you condition. I’m from Idaho, living now in VA - it’s hard to replicate the steep in Idaho, so I make up for it in durability of equipment, and walking short steep terrain as much as I can. If you’re going with an outfitter- probably a day pack with at least 100 ozs of water. You’re used to sweating when doing heavy exercises - you’ll sweat the same in Idaho - but it will disappear so fast you won’t notice the loss. Very easy to get dehydrated coming from the humid states to the dry West.

You can’t really prep for the altitude change - but it will get easier each day your there. If you can add a day or two on the front end - it’s not a bad idea.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Remi Warren addressed this on his Live Wild podcast recently. I think it was his 23 ways to win at the tag application game episode. He basically said that the unit matters less than just picking a unit and breaking that unit down for the best spots to find a bear. His point was that bears are typically very spread out and most units will have bears, you just have to find them. I'd give that podcast a listen if I were in your shoes. Disclaimer, I have not bear hunted in Idaho, just trying to help.

 

[gonhunting247]

Don't let the mountain intimidate you. Just be smart/safe and bite little pieces off at a time. Use roads, closed roads, skid trails, ridges and game trails to get you glassing spots. Glass not only for bears, but bear sign (rolled rocks/logs, torn up stumps, root digging on grassy benches) Bears are where the food is, the majority of the time. Be patient when you find sign or once you identify good locations. Predator calls can work great in the spring for bears that you see quickly and have trouble relocating. Just keep in mind you sound like food, so position yourselves accordingly.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Are you trying to spot and stalk? Bait? Got a rare non-resident hound permit?

 

[Howdy Partner]

Avoid roads that the hound guys can bait and hunt.

 

[ORJoe]

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

A couple of us whitetail public land hunters from Louisiana have decided to look into a spring bear hunt in Idaho. I have read the 28 page thread on spring bear hunting, which has provided me with a good bit of solid information. Thanks to all yall for that!

PLEASE do not drag this Louisiana girl for this first question............here goes nothing....

What is the "easiest" area as far as terrain/mountain climb to visit for a spring bear hunt?

Coming from Louisiana to take on the mountains of Idaho is a little intimidating. We hunt and hike a good bit on a piece of public land in Louisiana called Tunia Hills but it is NOTHING compared to any mountain.

Hey there, are you dead set on backpacking in on a bear hunt? These days that's what I do bear hunting but for a long time I didn't do it that way. If you're ready to do that then do it. If not, nothing wrong with cruising roads and glassing and doing some day hikes. I live out west but sometimes I think people make too much of the mountains and the elevation it's not that hard to hike around. If you are feeling mentally intimidated don't backpack in this year. Get comfortable with the area cruising roads and glassing, learn a little bit and then maybe in a couple years backpack into an area where you figure the bears might be.