Idaho fall bear units

[Mitchellmountain]

Any recommendations for bear this fall in Idaho? My son and I are going out mule deer hunting and if we happen to tag out early( we’re not being picky as it is his first trip out west) we may pick up a bear tag and switch areas. Now I’m going to use the standard statement given in this type of thread, not wanting to get a “ go to this drainage or follow this creek” response, just a general area or unit. Not a lot of info on fall bear out there.

 

[BAKPAKR]

When is your deer hunt? Most of my fall bear hunting in Idaho has been in September when the huckleberries were still on.

 

[Mitchellmountain]

regular firearm, mid October

 

[BAKPAKR]

I haven’t run into many bears while hunting that late in Idaho. Sorry. Good luck on the mule deer. If you will be hunting anywhere you might bump into a wolf, I would sure pick up a tag or two.

 

[Red Fox]

Oct will be getting late as they are hitting the berries right now. Ran into one scouting today, if I see him after the 30th he will be in trouble

 

[Nambaster]

Fall bear hunt is a totally different game compared to hunting bears in the spring. In the spring you are trying to figure out the snow melt off and waiting for access to the good spots. The fall is just the opposite. You want to hit the ground running before the berries disappear and you want to get on the bears before the snow starts to fall. Believe it or not the highest concentration of bears per square mile is in unit 36. The unit doesn’t thaw allowing access in the spring which enables the bears to flourish without any concern of hunters pursuing them as they wake up from a winter slumber. Close to Stanley you can venture out in almost any direction.

I would focus on finding spots that would be covered in snow in the spring with road access. In the fall you can drive right passed those passes and drop down into an Ewok village. Hardly anyone really even hunts bears in the fall so I would imagine encounters in most places should be frequent. If you spot one from a long distance just make sure the wind is in your face and head towards it. You’ll have plenty of time to close the distance as long as your wind is good. I wouldn’t risk taking a long range shot as most bears are preoccupied with stuffing their face.

I feel anywhere North of I-84 in Idaho you are going to see bears with almost the same frequency of seeing deer. Most of Idaho’s bears are harvested out of unit 39. My guess is that its proximity to Urbanization is the reason why so many bears are collected by hunters. I see bears almost every trip scouting. You’ll encounter hunters in 39 for sure. Unit 36 you should pretty much have to yourself. The reduced price bear units are chock full of bears. Most of them are dense but if you just walk the closed logging roads coming face to face with a bear is likely.

Best of luck.

 

[Mitchellmountain]

Fall bear hunt is a totally different game compared to hunting bears in the spring. In the spring you are trying to figure out the snow melt off and waiting for access to the good spots. The fall is just the opposite. You want to hit the ground running before the berries disappear and you want to get on the bears before the snow starts to fall. Believe it or not the highest concentration of bears per square mile is in unit 36. The unit doesn’t thaw allowing access in the spring which enables the bears to flourish without any concern of hunters pursuing them as they wake up from a winter slumber. Close to Stanley you can venture out in almost any direction.

I would focus on finding spots that would be covered in snow in the spring with road access. In the fall you can drive right passed those passes and drop down into an Ewok village. Hardly anyone really even hunts bears in the fall so I would imagine encounters in most places should be frequent. If you spot one from a long distance just make sure the wind is in your face and head towards it. You’ll have plenty of time to close the distance as long as your wind is good. I wouldn’t risk taking a long range shot as most bears are preoccupied with stuffing their face.

I feel anywhere North of I-84 in Idaho you are going to see bears with almost the same frequency of seeing deer. Most of Idaho’s bears are harvested out of unit 39. My guess is that its proximity to Urbanization is the reason why so many bears are collected by hunters. I see bears almost every trip scouting. You’ll encounter hunters in 39 for sure. Unit 36 you should pretty much have to yourself. The reduced price bear units are chock full of bears. Most of them are dense but if you just walk the closed logging roads coming face to face with a bear is likely.

Best of luck.

That’s some great info, where we’re hunting deer is only a short distance away so it would be a quick shift over. The odds of us tagging out are slim but you never know and it’s good to have a plan just in case. Honestly I would be more likely to chase a bear that we spotted than a buck,,,,,,depending on the buck . Thanks again

 

[tamu hunter]

Thank you this is the exact information I was looking for. I am in the exact same boat as the original post, I actually may be more excited for the opportunity for a bear than the mule deer. I think we are going to be hanging out in 36A so maybe a little different.

 

[twinters]

Fall bear hunt is a totally different game compared to hunting bears in the spring. In the spring you are trying to figure out the snow melt off and waiting for access to the good spots. The fall is just the opposite. You want to hit the ground running before the berries disappear and you want to get on the bears before the snow starts to fall. Believe it or not the highest concentration of bears per square mile is in unit 36. The unit doesn’t thaw allowing access in the spring which enables the bears to flourish without any concern of hunters pursuing them as they wake up from a winter slumber. Close to Stanley you can venture out in almost any direction.

I would focus on finding spots that would be covered in snow in the spring with road access. In the fall you can drive right passed those passes and drop down into an Ewok village. Hardly anyone really even hunts bears in the fall so I would imagine encounters in most places should be frequent. If you spot one from a long distance just make sure the wind is in your face and head towards it. You’ll have plenty of time to close the distance as long as your wind is good. I wouldn’t risk taking a long range shot as most bears are preoccupied with stuffing their face.

I feel anywhere North of I-84 in Idaho you are going to see bears with almost the same frequency of seeing deer. Most of Idaho’s bears are harvested out of unit 39. My guess is that its proximity to Urbanization is the reason why so many bears are collected by hunters. I see bears almost every trip scouting. You’ll encounter hunters in 39 for sure. Unit 36 you should pretty much have to yourself. The reduced price bear units are chock full of bears. Most of them are dense but if you just walk the closed logging roads coming face to face with a bear is likely.

Best of luck.

I've spent 13 of the last 20 days up and around Idaho City and Centerville looking for bear and have seen basically every other game animal except for bear. Good thing I'm stubborn and going to try again this week though.

 

[JTinkSki]

Fall bear hunt is a totally different game compared to hunting bears in the spring. In the spring you are trying to figure out the snow melt off and waiting for access to the good spots. The fall is just the opposite. You want to hit the ground running before the berries disappear and you want to get on the bears before the snow starts to fall. Believe it or not the highest concentration of bears per square mile is in unit 36. The unit doesn’t thaw allowing access in the spring which enables the bears to flourish without any concern of hunters pursuing them as they wake up from a winter slumber. Close to Stanley you can venture out in almost any direction.

I would focus on finding spots that would be covered in snow in the spring with road access. In the fall you can drive right passed those passes and drop down into an Ewok village. Hardly anyone really even hunts bears in the fall so I would imagine encounters in most places should be frequent. If you spot one from a long distance just make sure the wind is in your face and head towards it. You’ll have plenty of time to close the distance as long as your wind is good. I wouldn’t risk taking a long range shot as most bears are preoccupied with stuffing their face.

I feel anywhere North of I-84 in Idaho you are going to see bears with almost the same frequency of seeing deer. Most of Idaho’s bears are harvested out of unit 39. My guess is that its proximity to Urbanization is the reason why so many bears are collected by hunters. I see bears almost every trip scouting. You’ll encounter hunters in 39 for sure. Unit 36 you should pretty much have to yourself. The reduced price bear units are chock full of bears. Most of them are dense but if you just walk the closed logging roads coming face to face with a bear is likely.

Best of luck.

Nambaster...does this still hold true? I know and see this is from a few years back but I'm considering a last minute fall bear hunt to Idaho in the coming weeks. I have an old college buddy down in Nampa I could reach out to too for info (and will). I know he has a cabin somewhere in unit 39 also, as an option. Curious your current thoughts on short-list of best-chance areas for a flatlander to tag his first bear!? I DO see the list of reduced price and multi-tag zones. Unit 39 isn't on those lists but still ranks high on total bears taken. Units 15 & 19 also caught my eye in addition to units 33,34,35,36 & 39.

 

[ccc23454]

If your serious about fall bear hunting idaho espically late (i dont understand fall bear hunts orther by oppurtunity tag) just grab a extra elk or deer tag thats avaliable and hunt it and if you see a bear tag it with that tag if you dont see a mature bear you can still hunt deer/elk whatever your tag was purchased for. Read regs idaho lets you do that under many circumstances.