anyone shooting bears yet?

JPickett · Apr 22, 2022

first year not baiting in a while due to some family stuff going on that just wont give me the time to keep it up. i'll be out spot and stalk hunting in May. usually don't bother any sooner then that but i know some guys just cant wait.

Knock one down yet? any sightings? starting to warm up here a bit

Weiserbucks · Apr 22, 2022

My wife picked up her bull euro mount last week from our local beetle guy and he said that he'd had a few bear skulls dropped off at that point.

JPickett · Apr 22, 2022

Weiserbucks said:
My wife picked up her bull euro mount last week from our local beetle guy and he said that he'd had a few bear skulls dropped off at that point.

probably 22 and 31 bears id bet. gotta check in with my buddy and see how that open seasons going so far

Weiserbucks · Apr 22, 2022

JPickett said:
probably 22 and 31 bears id bet. gotta check in with my buddy and see how that open seasons going so far

A friend of mine has been hound hunting up there on a big piece of private and has treed a few, mostly sows w/ cubs he said.

elkboy32 · Apr 25, 2022

I had a buddy get a nice boar in 32 a couple a couple weeks ago. I saw my first bear in central Idaho this week. Looked like a sow. Lots of snow still but they are starting to pop up.

Weiserbucks · Apr 27, 2022

I went out this morning, no bears spotted. Saw one fresh track so there's at least one roaming in the area.

JPickett · Apr 27, 2022

How’s the snow up there? Starting to be able to get around better?

Weiserbucks · Apr 28, 2022

It's pretty high, but there's still the big occasional drift that is blocking access to many areas.

Weiserbucks · Apr 30, 2022

Took a bear yesterday. Up much higher than I thought they would be. Lots of big snow drifts and most of the ground still covered in 6-18" of snow pack, not much fresh snow from these recent storms.

JPickett · Apr 30, 2022

Right on man! Good work. Still a couple weeks before I have time to get serious. Where I’m heading I want to give the snow a bit more melt time anyway

andrew12gauge · May 1, 2022

Weiserbucks said:
Took a bear yesterday. Up much higher than I thought they would be. Lots of big snow drifts and most of the ground still covered in 6-18" of snow pack, not much fresh snow from these recent storms.

Pics?

devobrodie · May 13, 2022

been out a couple of times, but no bears spotted yet, saw two guys with a small sow in the truck bed last week.

JPickett · May 13, 2022

snow kept me from going to where I want to this weekend. Went to another spot and shot one yesterday. Nothing special but with the weather this year and a few other things going on a bear down is good with me

Deepcolor · May 13, 2022

I scored last week in a draw unit. We saw 11 adult bears in 4 days of hunting.

schoolhousegrizz · May 13, 2022

Deepcolor said:
I scored last week in a draw unit. We saw 11 adult bears in 4 days of hunting.

View attachment 76307

Sweet!

devobrodie · May 14, 2022

Nice!

dgwoody · May 16, 2022

I went up a for a few days last weekend. Road access was still more limited than I expected it to be. I did cut one good set of tracks, but they were a little old and big enough to maybe be a grizz.

Blank · May 16, 2022

Spent the day on the mountain today, chasing turkeys. They won again (2 toms, 2 jakes), but had fun and saw a ton of game. 8 WT's, small herd of bull elk, some bear tracks in the snow drifts (yes, there is still a lot on the North sides and in the draws). Got to try out the new Jeep in 4WD and low range for some mud and rutted mudholes. Slowly greening up, and I think June 1st is gonna bust wide open!!

HAP · May 18, 2022

Was finally able to get my bait set up just last weekend due to snow. Heading out for 4 straight days this coming weekend. I’ll post pics if’n I get lucky.

LIK2HNT · May 18, 2022

Going to hijack this topic. ?
How are you guys butchering/processing your bears? Just like a deer/elk or making it all into sausage?

Weiserbucks · May 19, 2022

Spicy sausage, snack sticks and jerky.

LIK2HNT · May 19, 2022

Weiserbucks said:
Spicy sausage, snack sticks and jerky.

Never thought of jerk. Always put bear into the same category as pork. Figuring jerky was a no no because the meat was not heated high enough.
Thanks

JPickett · May 19, 2022

i grind everything but the back straps. i mix all mine with bacon ends and double grind it. i always end with so much meat in the freezer from year to year now with the kids getting out of the house that I butcher stuff the way its going to get eaten most. wife can use burger for anything. a fair amount of my deer and elk gets ground too. can only have steaks so many nights a week

dgwoody · May 19, 2022

JPickett said:
i grind everything but the back straps. i mix all mine with bacon ends and double grind it. i always end with so much meat in the freezer from year to year now with the kids getting out of the house that I butcher stuff the way its going to get eaten most. wife can use burger for anything. a fair amount of my deer and elk gets ground too. can only have steaks so many nights a week

Like 7 nights a week??? No such thing as too much steak, as long as you got some fiber to go with it.

idahomuleyhunter · May 19, 2022

137F will kill trichinosis. Keep that in mind if making jerky. Assume all bears have it, especially if you're baiting, the parasite is spread thru rodents and if you're feeding food waste the bears are eating rodents. Supposedly freezing for 20 days minimum will kill the parasites too but there are conflicting stories on that.

Render the fat, might not get a lot of a spring bear, and make lard then baking powder biscuits. If the ham is in the 10-15 pound range brine and smoke it whole.

Weiserbucks · May 19, 2022

LIK2HNT said:
Never thought of jerk. Always put bear into the same category as pork. Figuring jerky was a no no because the meat was not heated high enough.
Thanks

I'll throw the jerky in the oven and cook to 150 degrees very quickly, then pull it out and throw it in the dehydrator until its at the moisture content I desire.

Anybody scared of a little trichinosis probably already had a heart-a-stroke due to the mere thought of corona.

idahomuleyhunter · May 19, 2022

Weiserbucks said:
I'll throw the jerky in the oven and cook to 150 degrees very quickly, then pull it out and throw it in the dehydrator until its at the moisture content I desire.

Anybody scared of a little trichinosis probably already had a heart-a-stroke due to the mere thought of corona.

trichinosis is real

Weiserbucks · May 19, 2022

idahomuleyhunter said:
trichinosis is real

It sure is, don't tell the main stream media or they might lock down the country.

JPickett · May 19, 2022

Yeah, brain worms are not cool

Weiserbucks · May 19, 2022

JPickett said:
Yeah, brain worms are not cool

I'm not scared. You can chisel that on my headstone if I'm wrong.

JPickett · May 19, 2022

nah, you shouldn't be. take care of your meat and make sure your being diligent with prep and its all good. i kill and eat a lot of bears and to my knowledge i don't have any worms in my brain. or maybe i do and that explains some things but either way, i'm still eatin bears

Weiserbucks · May 19, 2022

JPickett said:
i kill and eat a lot of bears and to my knowledge i don't have any worms in my brain. or maybe i do and that explains some things but either way, i'm still eatin bears

I can relate, I love bear meat and I may or may not have brain damage.

HuckleberryHound · May 28, 2022

Put in maybe 7 days of hunting in unit 1 between the 15th - 25th. Wasnt seeing any sign except in 1 location i found 3 piles of crap. Saw my first idaho bear of the year on the 24th. Sow with cubs. On the 25th i found a nice boar and had ideal conditions for a stalk and i got him. Checked him in at the north 40 in sandpoint, or maybe its ponderay, and they said theyve had very few bears brought in this year.