Idaho Spring Bear Hunt: Unit 1 vs 17

[alaskabound]

35 miles?? You got to slow down you probably ran by a dozen bears! Either that or your gps is in Km.


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Probably, I was trying to access higher country so I could do some glassing. The snow was just too deep and I ended up heading back to my vehicle.

It's so thick down low off of Highway 12 that you are either going to run right in to them or walk by them. I've got a drainage that I have been keeping my eye on. It should be accessible when I come this year and I know there are bears in the area.

 

[dham088]

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[Wrench]

Unit 1 still has a ton of snow....but it's also got a lot of open bear area. The killer is the road system is gonna be snowed in in several places.

Grizzly is a real deal up here so know your bears.

 

[Tragik]

Anyone have an idea of the snowline right now in the Selway-Bitterroot (unit 12 & 17)? I've decided, for this spring hunt, i'm hunting that area instead of unit 1.

 

[skierhs]

In running into snow line about 4800 depending on aspect of course.

 

[Tragik]

In running into snow line about 4800 depending on aspect of course.

Well that's not what I wanted to hear. I was hoping snow wouldn't be lower than 6,500 or 7,000 feet.

 

[skierhs]

Well that's not what I wanted to hear. I was hoping snow wouldn't be lower than 6,500 or 7,000 feet.

Still over 30 inches of snow at 6,100 elevation

 

[MHWASH]

I just got back from 17 on Wednesday. After several days of 80+ heat, and now continuous rain for 2 days! I doubt there’s much snow below 6500. I was up around 4800 on several ridges and the snow was way above me, even in the shade.

 

[morgan1h]

I'm planning on heading out to hunt around unit 17 starting June 2nd. Seemingly contradictory snow level information has me questioning my date selection a little though. First hand is the best, so thanks MHWASH, much appreciated.

In addition to this thread, I've also been watching data at https://bit.ly/30nt2xU and https://bit.ly/2Hry6K7

I'm curious to get additional more experienced opinions though. If I want to be able to navigate the backcountry well for spot and stalk hunting, should I be changing plans to push the hunt back? I'll have to be in Boise the 15th and 16th for work, so my options are to either hunt a two week block before then, let work be in the middle and have extra travel hours sandwiched in there, or do work first then hunt the last two weeks in June.

 

[Tragik]

I'm planning on heading out to hunt around unit 17 starting June 2nd. Seemingly contradictory snow level information has me questioning my date selection a little though. First hand is the best, so thanks MHWASH, much appreciated.

In addition to this thread, I've also been watching data at https://bit.ly/30nt2xU and https://bit.ly/2Hry6K7

I'm curious to get additional more experienced opinions though. If I want to be able to navigate the backcountry well for spot and stalk hunting, should I be changing plans to push the hunt back? I'll have to be in Boise the 15th and 16th for work, so my options are to either hunt a two week block before then, let work be in the middle and have extra travel hours sandwiched in there, or do work first then hunt the last two weeks in June.

You'll have to let us know how you did. I ended up hunting unit 12 but didn't have success. I knew glassing potential would be minimal but I didn't expect to find people on horseback stocking bait sites 5+ miles in.

 

[morgan1h]

I hunted for 12 days, and only saw one bear in the flesh (on day 5), though I did see more sign than that around. Who knows how many I'd walked by in the thick timber. Its tough country to hunt thats for sure. I now better understand why they reduced the tag price and allow for two tags. I'd expected the hunt to be difficult, but hadn't fully realized how almost impossible it is to cover country off the trail system. Its not just a matter of working harder or being in better shape. But having two tags was really nice for making the decision to shoot or not easier though. lol. He wasn't a big bear, so it would have been tempting to hold out if I only had one tag (not that with my relative newness to bears I'm capable of judge that well), but that was my only opportunity of the whole trip, so I'd have been coming home empty handed, and this was my first bear hunt, so any bear had me excited. I was able to get him with a 285 yard poke across a canyon. I've always been bow only - took a deer with a muzzleloader last December, but this was my first time hunting with a rifle. It took me 7 hours to find where he rested after tumbling down. lol. Nasty hillside. A few hours into the search it started raining. I'd almost given up hope of finding him, thinking he'd plunged right into a fast moving river in the bottom of the valley, but then I finally found him.

I also knew glassing would be minimal, but I was able to find some more open areas where I could, the bears just didn't seem to be using those spots. Sign I found was suggesting they had been using some of those areas earlier, but I think they had everything they needed in the thicker timber, so they sticking there (which was still about 90% of the country). If I had it to do over again (or for next year), I'd go earlier in the season when the snow was lower, corralling them down in a smaller area and hunting along the rivers and tributaries could be more effective. I think that timing the green-up to where the open areas are green while the dark timber isn't yet could make for a different experience. I'd also buy the bait permit, work to figure out bait logistics or just get dog food or whatever, and get a bait started day one, then try spot and stalk, and if not successful after a period of time, hopefully the baits would be getting frequented by the end of the hunt.

It was a great time, but not an easy one. Idaho is pretty great though, I could move out there. I'm glad there is someplace with that much wilderness and untamed country in the lower 48.

 

[Tragik]

Congrats! That's awesome!

 

[morgan1h]

Link to a video of the shot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D0Jpei_yp72cR8qRBuRGPkGTDEqM6j5F/view?usp=sharing

 

[Jakeemt]

Awesome man great bear!!

 

[BAKPAKR]

Congratulations! I also applaud your decision to keep searching for the bear as long as you did after the shot.

 

[NorthernHunter]

Nice work!