Idaho Frank Church Wilderness Spring Bear

[Tecumseh]

What’s the bear hunting like in the Frank Church Wilderness? I’m coming out for a spring bear hunt and have always wanted to hunt the Frank. If I don’t fill the tag I can give it another shot in the fall in another unit.

 

[JLS]

Steep.

 

[ccc23454]

Go late

 

[brokfut]

Use good topo maps and find a series of east/west ridges and set up to glass the south slopes. Concentrate on the receding snow line and you will find the bears eating new green stuff just below the snow. Find one you like and set up the stalk. Hard hunt in there as everything is vertical.

 

[Irrelevant]

Go late

That is almost always my problem, I go too early. In the winter i tell myself I've not going until June. Then the next thing I know it's late april and I'm looking at snowy hills and no bears.

 

[ida homer]

That is almost always my problem, I go too early. In the winter i tell myself I've not going until June. Then the next thing I know it's late april and I'm looking at snowy hills and no bears.

Same here, I start getting antsy come March/April. Even though the smart thing to do is be patient, as May 1st seems
to act as a light switch around these parts.

 

[JLS]

Late is relative. I hunted a unit last year during the first week of June. It makes it a little harder to find the bears when there is 4-5k feet of vertical that has greened up and the bears have dispersed.

 

[brymoore]

I’ve seen a few bears in the Frank. However, if you haven’t hiked the West, don’t start there.

 

[jdf]

2nd for steep and steep.

 

[Tecumseh]

Thanks for the reply’s! I’m in pretty good shape and starting to ramp up my conditioning for the spring and fall season. I’ve done a couple solo trips in the Bob Marshall wilderness and would like to do some fishing while I’m out there.

 

[JLS]

Fishing might be tough during spring bear. All of the rivers drain a lot of country and might be pretty blown out.