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Idaho spring bear

dgc1963

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Feb 17, 2019
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wondering about Idaho spring bear hunting I have been elk hunting in Idaho and know an area well but its in the lower part, very dry lots of sage open arid country never saw a bear the stats show most are killed in pan handle
is that due to populations ? with the different type of forest
I would like a color phase bear and always like being where Ive been due to knowing the area better every time and never been back in spring it would be nice seeing what the elk do in spring. Of course Id call the Biologist I talk with about elk before thinking about making any plans but thought Id ask some of you guy that live out their a general observation about population densities
 
The whole state has bears for the most part.

39 is a good place to start. 43, 34, 33, 35, 36, 24, 48, all have decent densities in my experience.
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I-90 corridor is has a lot of bears but it’s thick country.

Please take a small effort to punctuate and format your text next time around.
 
Hunt the dark timber. The Panhandle is thick and has a lot of bears as does the mid to northern areas of ID. I use bait and would rather hunt a high density area and drive more than set baits where there aren't a lot of bears, especially if you're not familiar with the area. Tried hunting in lower density areas with baits sitting for weeks without being hit, and in a good area, just takes a couple of days. Go where the bears are!
 
Thanks elker I was thinking about trying to do a few bait sites, back home we cant use bait or scents its a lot of scouting and tree stand hunting and Ive been lucky to get 3 with my bow
So baiting would be different for me and since I have never seen a bear in the unit I go to for elk I didnt think it was a great idea to go to the same for bear, but did like the Idea of seeing it in spring vs fall but also didnt want to a lower probability hunt
 
If youre not married to the idea of a spring hunt in idaho, and you really want a color phase bear, northeast washington has tons of bears, lots of color phase, and the fall season opens august 1st. No baiting allowed, but berries are prime early august, and bears are easy to find. I believe as a non resident it would cost you $222
 
I’ve hunted Unit 1 (spring 2019) if you’d consider a no bait/no hounds unit. It’s tough hunting and rugged country, but we saw 6 bears in 4 days. Just couldn’t get on them to kill them. Happy to share some lessons learned if you’re interested.
 
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