Bozeman Bear Question

[FLAK]

Planning a trip for the first 2 weeks of June with my 15 y/o son and wife.
Hope to use one of those weeks for a Bear hunt south of Bozeman.
Not asking for spots, just anything on terrain, access, weather or general
advice. Looks like there's plenty of Forestry Service land south of
Bozeman that may be worth checking out.
Any cabin rentals or hotels nearby would be nice as "Momma don't camp".
Thanks.

 

[danmayland]

Well the good news is that you’ll be here during the prime part of the season. The bad news is that we have record snow levels and we’re losing the first half of the season as a result. That’s going to put a lot of hunting pressure in that area; an area that already sees a lot of bear hunting pressure because of the local population. Snow levels are really going to dictate how this season plays out. We came off record snow levels last year and this year is worse. If you want to be successful you best be prepared to hike and get away from the pressure. That means being in exceptional physical condition. The mountains south of Bozeman aren’t exactly tame and there is very limited road access that’s open that time of year. The snow levels could prove beneficial and make the bears be more concentrated in appropriate feeding areas.

There are plenty of places to stay around Big Sky or West Yellowstone and I would start looking now to see what will work in your budget. Anything from cabin rentals to hotels. Might try an air bnb. I have a cabin rental but it’s located in Three Forks closer to the Tobacco Root Mtns. Bear hunting in the roots this year will be most likely out of the question because of the snow levels. Rule out the Crazy Mtns also. The seasons will be closed in those areas before the snow melts enough to get to the bears...unless you have access to lower private ranches.


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[rustneversleeps]

In addition to what dan said - everything south of Bozeman is griz central, so plan accordingly

 

[FLAK]

Thanks guys, exactly what I was asking for.

 

[Bzn_Hunter]

Planning a trip for the first 2 weeks of June with my 15 y/o son and wife.
Hope to use one of those weeks for a Bear hunt south of Bozeman.
Not asking for spots, just anything on terrain, access, weather or general
advice. Looks like there's plenty of Forestry Service land south of
Bozeman that may be worth checking out.
Any cabin rentals or hotels nearby would be nice as "Momma don't camp".
Thanks.

Just like danmayland said, snow is probably going to be an issue. I'd check snow conditions closer to your hunt, but a pair of snow shoes might be a good investment.

 

[FLAK]

Thanks,,,,,,snow on the ground in June is kinda hard for me to wrap my head around.

 

[danmayland]

As expected the snow levels are dictating the hunting this year bear hunting. The grass is finally coming in and snow is receding thanks to the amount of rain we’ve received in the last two weeks. Bears are out thought in full force. Saw 6 last weekend in two nights of hunting. Came across this good boar but not what I was looking for.

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[RMac5]

Wow! What a great looking bear, I would of had to shoot him. Did you take a bear?