Montana Spring Black Bear Hunt

[Digger1979]

So a buddy and I are looking into doing a spring bear hunt. We are coming from MN. Not looking for anybody's secret spots but would anyone let us know an area to head to? Doing research on the web also. We usually are riding sleds out there (lol) but want to give this a try. Any help would be appreciated. We will be using rifles and was thinking camping as we go. Thanks

 

[SteveE]

Might sound silly but the basins you sled are probably great bear hunting in the spring.

You know the area so it would be a good place to start. Coming from the east you prob ride cooke city?

I dont hunt that area but know people kill bears down there. Stillwater and Boulder drainages can produce. Watch the regulations as some of those areas close earlier then others.

Covering alot of country is key. Find one and you usually have multiple bears in the area if you time the rut. Boot leather is your ticket to success.

 

[sak102174]

I’m interested in joining this conversation as well digger. I’ll be out bear hunting in Montana spring 2017 if all goes well. Looking at the population densities published on Montana game and fish any of the game units in the low 100’s and boarding Idaho should produce a fair shot at a bear.

first column is bear management Unit, second column is 2016 bear population estimates, third set of numbers are +/- 10% for errors in estimates


BMU/AREA2 POINT3 90% CI3
100 750 650-850
102 450 329-564
103 534 442-635
104 763 615-904
105 373 225-541
106 769 615-923
107 691 550-825
108 1064 894-1240
216 797 582-998
240 574 483-669
280 600 481-700
290 414 331-497
300 178 98-272
301 368 180-538
316 86 60-112
317 337 204-489
319 145 122-169
341 617 373-894
411 253 129-356
420 526 318-762
440 337 204-489
450 564 486-648
510 24 11-40
520 470 360-560
580 237 143-344
Region 7 25 2-48
Statewide Estimate of Hunted Populations 12,072 NA
Bear's Paw Mountains4 34 15-55
Crow Reservation4 19 2-35
Flathead Reservation4 180 101-259
Glacier Park & Blackfeet Reservation4 1037 790-1284
Statewide Estimate of All Populations 13,307 9,868-16,758

 

[SteveE]

Now that is a first post sak! Welcome to the forum.

No long walks on the beach with that intro....

BAM solid numbers with his own game plan already formulated.

I like you already!

I live in MT and did not know that list existed. Good info right there!

Elk/deer harvest and populations I take with a grain of salt but the bear numbers should be spot on with the mandatory harvest requirement.

I live in MT and have never seen or heard of that list - obviously I need to get out more.

 

[sbhooper]

Interesting list, for sure. I just wish that everyone would be required to post where they are from in their signature etc.

Welcome, both of you, to the forum.

 

[sak102174]

Steve, I found it on the black bear hunting guide page under helpful links.

here is the link

I know what you're talking about Elk/Deer harvest numbers. I was surprised to find out reporting an Elk/Deer harvest wasn't mandatory in Montana last year while bow hunting elk in the breaks (BGD410), which I still cant wrap my head around. Good to know reporting a bear kill is mandatory as it makes an overlay of the population estimates and harvest reports actually mean something.

Here is a link to Black Bear harvest reports.


Digger, take a look at and study both of those PDF documents and you should be able to calculate which unit gives you the best odds. More importantly, it will tell you the odds of the units you are already familiar with from your sledding trips.

The other set of numbers which I think will help us make a decision is hunter density per BMU, which I have not been able to locate...YET!

 

[sak102174]

OK, I found the missing piece to the puzzle. It was buried in the Black Bear Harvest Research and Management 2011 report. You can find the PDF on the same Black Bear hunting guide page I linked above.

Although slightly dated it's the best we have to go on. The entire report is an interesting read if your into that kind of thing and it contains some historical reporting data on black bear population trends. I would post some of those graphs but they are from 1987-2006 and not sure they will tell us much.


Black Bear Harvest by Region



Hunter Pressure by BMU

 

[sak102174]

So looking at the numbers I have to ask...Whats the story with BMU 108?

The 2016 estimates have it listed the highest at 1064 and the 2011 hunter density report shows it to have the highest hunting pressure, but then looking at the 2015 harvest report it's among the lowest with 29 killed (8 sows - 21 boars).

Was the 2015 spring weather the culprit or is that unit exceptionally rugged?

 

[Randy11]

So looking at the numbers I have to ask...Whats the story with BMU 108?

The 2016 estimates have it listed the highest at 1064 and the 2011 hunter density report shows it to have the highest hunting pressure, but then looking at the 2015 harvest report it's among the lowest with 29 killed (8 sows - 21 boars).

Was the 2015 spring weather the culprit or is that unit exceptionally rugged?

The unit boundary changed substantially.

 

[sak102174]

The unit boundary changed substantially.

Thanks for the reply Randy!

So do you know if all the BMUs went through a re-org in 2016?


Looks like I have some studying to do.

 

[Randy11]

Thanks for the reply Randy!

So do you know if all the BMUs went through a re-org in 2016?


Looks like I have some studying to do.

The change happened in the winter of 2009/2010, and it split the old 108 into what's now 108 and 200. It's the only recent bmu boundary change that I know of.

 

[Randy11]

So looking at the numbers I have to ask...Whats the story with BMU 108?

The 2016 estimates have it listed the highest at 1064 and the 2011 hunter density report shows it to have the highest hunting pressure, but then looking at the 2015 harvest report it's among the lowest with 29 killed (8 sows - 21 boars).

Was the 2015 spring weather the culprit or is that unit exceptionally rugged?

I went back and re-read your question. The boundary change doesn't explain what you're seeing.

 

[sak102174]

It really doesn’t does it, not If the boundary lines were changed in 2009/10 .

Here is a look at the harvest reports in 108 going back to 2009. The numbers a relatively consistent in the past 7 years, so either the population estimates are off for 108 or there are more bears there and people are just not finding them.


2014 Region 1 Spring 108 N 9 16 0 25
2014 Region 1 Spring 108 R 5 12 0 17
2014 Region 1 Spring 108 Sum 14 28 0 42



Reg_1 Spring 108 NR 4 14 - 18
Reg_1 Spring 108 R 6 7 - 13
Reg_1 Spring 108 Sum 10 21 - 31



2012 Reg_1 Spring 108 Sum 9 18 - 27
2012 Reg_1 Spring 108 NR 5 11 - 16
2012 Reg_1 Spring 108 R 4 7 - 11





2011 Reg_1 Spring 108 Sum 16 9 - 25
2011 Reg_1 Spring 108 NR 11 7 - 18
2011 Reg_1 Spring 108 R 5 2 - 7




2010 Reg_1 Spring 108 Sum 12 22 - 34
2010 Reg_1 Spring 108 NR 8 11 - 19
2010 Reg_1 Spring 108 R 4 11 - 15



2009 Reg_1 Spring 108 Sum 9 35 - 44
2009 Reg_1 Spring 108 NR 3 9 - 12
2009 Reg_1 Spring 108 R 6 26 - 32

 

[sak102174]

looking back at the 2016 population estimates Montana G&F doesn't list a BMU for 200, so since 108 and 200 were split those estimates must be a rolled up count of the two units. Looking at harvest reports for 200 would support this.

So I guess this answers the question.

 

[SteveE]

Yep that would explain it. 108 is good bear country. 520 where i recommended the OP go has good numbers too it appears

The hunter presssure data is bad I bet. Example: when I checked my bear they asked where and how many days I hunted total. Reported 14 days hunting. I bet all 14 days went to the unit I killed my bear when it was actually my first day hunting that unit. The other 13 days were spent in a different unit. They dont ask which unit you hunt - only where you harvest.

 

[Randy11]

Yep that would explain it. 108 is good bear country. 520 where i recommended the OP go has good numbers too it appears

The hunter presssure data is bad I bet. Example: when I checked my bear they asked where and how many days I hunted total. Reported 14 days hunting. I bet all 14 days went to the unit I killed my bear when it was actually my first day hunting that unit. The other 13 days were spent in a different unit. They dont ask which unit you hunt - only where you harvest.

I don't remember giving that data on years I don't kill either. I rarely kill bears, but I spend 20-30 days a year looking for them.

 

[SteveE]

I don't remember giving that data on years I don't kill either. I rarely kill bears, but I spend 20-30 days a year looking for them.

Yea - true.

Bear hunting pressure is nothing to worry about in MT. The reason it is one of my favorite hunts is because very few people do it. Unless I get close to Butte I rarely see other bear hunters.

 

[sak102174]

Quote Originally Posted by SteveE View Post

Yep that would explain it. 108 is good bear country. 520 where i recommended the OP go has good numbers too it appears

The hunter presssure data is bad I bet. Example: when I checked my bear they asked where and how many days I hunted total. Reported 14 days hunting. I bet all 14 days went to the unit I killed my bear when it was actually my first day hunting that unit. The other 13 days were spent in a different unit. They dont ask which unit you hunt - only where you harvest.

I don't remember giving that data on years I don't kill either. I rarely kill bears, but I spend 20-30 days a year looking for them.

Interesting....

I didn't realize the OTC bear tags were not BMU specific. So it sounds like I can by an OTC tag and hunt 108, if I'm not seeing any bears in 108 I can move on to another unit and hunt with that same tag. I'm liking the sound of this more and more...

 

[SteveE]

Quote Originally Posted by SteveE View Post





Interesting....

I didn't realize the OTC bear tags were not BMU specific. So it sounds like I can by an OTC tag and hunt 108, if I'm not seeing any bears in 108 I can move on to another unit and hunt with that same tag. I'm liking the sound of this more and more...

No draw for bear tags in MT. They are all OTC. If you don't fill your tag in the spring you can use it during the fall season which opens Sept 15 for rifle. One bear per year maximum.

Three units have quotas that close the unit once quota is reached. They are in the south and eastern portion of the state.