Bear hunting out of state sucks

[JASON LEE]

Fugg, I sit here in a hotel room in Spokane waiting for a flight tomorrow home.

The selway is atleast 2 to 3 weeks behind. There are very few bears out, most of them are 100lb' or less.

There are not leafs on the bushs or grass in the drainages that I like to hunt.

Last day, last hour Ronnie the runt caught a 145gr nossler just because i was pissed and didnt want to go home with nothing.

The up side, the back of the bear was brown with black legs, I have a 3' rattler that about bite me...skinned out and a matching set of whitetail sheds.

Ive logged over 75 miles of wilderness hiking in the last 5 days and my legs are tired.

 

[MNHunter]

Ok. I'm not a bear hunter but I have to ask. You went to WA to hunt bears all the way from IN? Again, I don't bear hunt but my cousin takes 2 bears a year here in MN all on public land. A NR can do the same here. Why WA?

 

[Washington Hunter]

MNHunter, sounds like he was hunting in Idaho. Spokane was probably the closest airport. Washington doesn't have a spring season. Idaho is just as good as any if you want or need to go out of state to hunt bears.

 

[MNHunter]

Washington Hunter,
Thanks for clearing that up. I was just curious.

 

[BW]

Ya need to go a bit farther 'out-of state'.

Good try though!

 

[JASON LEE]

Name the dates BW and I will be there.I would love to come up there and shoot a bear, dont want to pay outrageous outfitter prices though.

I was hunting in the wilderness of Idaho, spokane was the cheapest/closest airport from where we were flown into the wilderness from.

 

[JASON LEE]

Ok. I'm not a bear hunter but I have to ask. You went to WA to hunt bears all the way from IN? Again, I don't bear hunt but my cousin takes 2 bears a year here in MN all on public land. A NR can do the same here. Why WA?

I hunt the wildreness of idaho with a backpack. Part of the apeal is the lack of people that are there hunting. The elk, whitetail, and mule deer sheds.

That and the fact that its less than 800.00 to door.

 

[Moosie]

Shingle Monkey... You should have watched the Weather. I'm surprised you could use boots and Not Show shoes. Snow packs are like a 20 Year high !!

Bummer, But you've faired well here before, I'm guessing it's not your last ?

 

[carbonarcher]

Yep, snow levels are very high this year in the hills. Gonna be abother two weeks at least is my bet before things start heating up for bears in the mountains of Idaho.

 

[rufous]

Idaho spring bear

Jason, I am also surprised that you went so early, considering the snowpack. I am planning on going over this Saturday and plan to hunt along the Lochsa River. From what I have heard most of the roads are still closed with snow. So I will be humping up the hills from the river on foot. Good thing I have been doing a bunch of hiking lately. I have seen 18 bears so far this spring here in the Blue Mountain of SE WA state. Yesterday evening I spotted a sow with 2 yearling cubs and stalked to within about 30 yards of them. I was able to watch them for about 20 minutes before the thermals switched and they caught my scent. It was fun. Good preparation for next weeks hunt. I hope to take one with my 45 Colt so getting in close is imperitive. I will let you all know how my hunt goes, Rufous.

 

[RockyDog]

Jason,

I live in the bitterroot. Our snowpack has hung on a long time this spring, who would have guessed.

Question: can you share with me how youve done on the elk sheds on this and previous trips?

RD

 

[JASON LEE]

Rufous, its hard planning a trip with airline tickets less than 60 days in advance, plus two of the guys had to get a week off. So it limits me to how I can plan. 2 years previous it was sunny and in the 80's.

Rocky there is an outfitter in there that cat hunts, he picks up the majority of the sheds and flys them out.

This year I didnt find any elk, years before I had done fairly well.