Who's hunting Idaho bear this year!!!

[rmanwill]

Getting excited and counting the days down to get up to Idaho on the yearly bear hunt. Who else is waiting and planning on hunting Idaho bear this year.

A few questions for the resident hunters. I'd love to hear from you and I'm not asking for hunting spots just current conditions and your opinion for this years hunt.

We hunt the upper/northern part of the state. I do have several contacts (hunters and conversation officers) that we have met over the past twelve years of hunting idaho that we keep in touch with in our general area.

How is the snow pack and have you seen much activity of bears yet. I know a couple people have tagged bear already, but asome it is probably farther south then we hunt.

We hunt Idaho every year and are count the days down to head back up this year. Some years the bears are just getting out and about as the season ends (end of May) and others they get out really early, depending on snow pack, melt and tempetures. We have been watching the snow pack, snow melt, tempeture and if needed will leave a week or so earlier then planned if need be!!!

Will be doing an eleven day hunt starting on the 18th of May in the upper part of the state, but may need to be ready to head out earlier with this years weather and snow pack.

Any info on conditions would be appreciated. Best of luck to all the other bear hunts and post up your results.

 

[lang]

We have plenty of snow still, pretty limited travel in the hills. We got a few inches first week of April in town. There will always be bears out by May first, but we always get more action towards the end of May regardless of weather. We think it has more to do with the rut than weather.

 

[rmanwill]

Thanks Lang. Keeping in touch with several locals. Can't wait, but we always plan on the first weekend after the 15th and we spend eleven days hunting your great state for bear. The 13 hour ride and the number of ticks are the only two complaints and we can live with them for the overall great hunt we have every year.

Keep me informed (PM) if you start seeing any action or sign.

 

[IDshooter695]

Last year we seen three bear first week of the season and there was more snow. Getting ready to head out in about another 2 hrs. I'll give an update what we see when I return.

 

[rmanwill]

Sweet. Now you are really making me count the days down. Best of luck and bag a giant. Keep me posted on sign or you success.

 

[IDshooter695]

More snow up high than I thought there would be. Still a little early yet. Some bears are out though did see some sign and seen one successful hunter. What state are you from?

 

[rmanwill]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-17-12 AT 01:10PM (MST)[p]Utah. Are you in the middle of the state or the far north?

 

[iceman91m]

Just moved to twin from WA. can anyone point me in the right direction of where to go?

 

[High_Country]

North

 

[rmanwill]

Headed out in three weeks from today. Cannot come soon enough.

Any new information, sightings, sign or success?

 

[Foreman4x4]

I just read online that there's too much snow and an outbreak of Lyme disease, so Northern Idaho is closed until further notice!.....

 

[IDshooter695]

Unit 39 has plenty of bears. What part of wa. Are you from? I can definitely help you where to go in wa., that's the best bear state in the lower 48 in my opinion.

 

[greatbasin]

I've had a site out a couple of days, so in a few more days I'll do my first check...seems pretty quiet in my neck of the woods so far. Good luck, all. GB

 

[Thunderclapper]

No hits in SE yet.

 

[rmanwill]

Yesterday I called and talked to one of my local contacts that is also the local area check in and banding agents/stations. They have not checked in any bear at this time, but stated the bears are awake and moving around. Things shoulds start getting fun in the next couple of weeks. Best of luck to all!!!

 

[orion23]

our baits are getting hit, headed up tomorrow. we'll see.

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[rmanwill]

Best of luck. Keep us posted!!!

 

[basspimp64]

When we set a couple of baits we saw a nice cinnamon phase bear. I was going to let my 14 yr old son shoot it but we realized it had four cubs with ot, at least i will have some good pictures of them ...lol

 

[orion23]

they were hitting 1 bait, but never came in last night. next friday night will be THE night! hopefully.

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[rmanwill]

Orion23, keep us posted. Hopefully you can use a "Havolon" soon and show us the results!!! Hopefully I will be using a few blades that I purchased from you in a couple weeks myself.

 

[orion23]

I sure hope so. Ill post it up when and if it happens. good luck to you, burn those blades up!

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[High_Country]

My bait it being hit... Gotta love this bear hunting! Saw 5 last night on stand and my friendly moose at 10 feet.

Good luck to all of you!


Nick

 

[Pre64]

neat pics.

 

[rmanwill]

Any luck this weekend? Hope things start getting exciting!!! Six more days and we will be in idaho hunting the Blackies for eleven days.

 

[orion23]

dinks in the day, big uns at night.

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[rmanwill]

Leaving in the morning at 5:00 AM for an eleven day trip chasing the blackies!!!

 

[AIROHUNTER]

Leaving tomorrow with my daughter, she's super excited about getting a bear, wish us luck!


My favorite hunts are because they were with friends and family not just because "I got one".

 

[rmanwill]

Best of luck to your daughter Airohunter!!!

 

[idahoz7xhunter]

I got my first bear this spring(4-22). we backpacked in 5-6 miles and on the back in we did not see anything we got up the next morning got to the top of the mountaini look across the canyon and i seen my bear. we got in to 464 and it looked like the bear had seen us. so i took the shoot and my 300RUM did the job

 

[BPKHunter]

>My bait it being hit... Gotta
>love this bear hunting!
>Saw 5 last night on
>stand and my friendly moose
>at 10 feet.
>
>

>
>

>
>
>
>Good luck to all of you!
>
>
>
>Nick

How's that live bait working? I guess you are going for really big bears using moose....

 

[AIROHUNTER]

Keatin got her bear on monday!!! One shot at 150 yards with her 7/08 and it was over for this guy. Not the biggest but certainly a very pretty bear and she's tickled. Good luck to all of you still looking..

My favorite hunts are because they were with friends and family not just because "I got one".

 

[drake2h]

Congrats! Great experience to share with your daughter!

 

[orion23]

finally got it done.

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[Austin]

Nice Bears guys!

I'm not having the best of luck on my baits...

 

[orion23]

Griz?? Look at the bright side... its coming in during daylight hours!.. lol...

Seriously tho, Good luck and shoot a good one.

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[greatbasin]

Here's mine from the other night.

 

[BPKHunter]

Bear's are not hurting in Idaho, not based on my observations. Went up this weekend with a fellow MM'er and saw 5 while glasing for a few hours, with only one being a cub. Including last Monday and again on Friday with quick sessions from the road I saw 12. The bears were very far off and maybe this weekend we will get close enough to put a stalk on before they go to bed, but they are sure there. Evan saw one mid sized boar chasing some elk around, but the elk didn't seem too concerned.

Curious, how much is the skull and hide on a mid sized, say 250lb bear, as our haul out would be a few miles and ~1800' of elevation, uphill.

 

[NickM]

It wouldn't be very much, just make sure your pack is pretty empty other than water, when you start and you'll be ok. I mean, it will be somewhat heavy, but I am sure you can handle it! The few I have packed out were not very big, and we didn't have more than about 3/4's of a mile to to, but they were not bad. We took the meat too.

 

[greatbasin]

>Curious, how much is the skull
>and hide on a mid
>sized, say 250lb bear,


This year was 69 lbs. My heaviest a few years back 91 lbs.

 

[rcrosby]

Still working on mine. My bait is getting slammed and hauling in bait is getting tiresome. The bastards just aren't coming during light.

I just made a 30 pound "bear sucker" in a steel bucket and chained it up. My hope is to keep them around a little longer.

We will see the clock is ticking now.

 

[idahoz7xhunter]

here is a pic of my first bear (4-22-12)

it took me some time to get the pic off my phone

 

[NickM]

Very Nice first bear!