Idaho Spring Bear

[JustEppic]

Hey everyone! I am thinking of doing a spot and stalk bear hunt OTC, in Idaho. I want to hunt somewhere I can get plenty of glassing in, and I am not planning on doing any baiting. If you had to pick 2 units/areas with that info- where would you head? I am leaning towards 2nd week of June? I can hunt rifle, but I am bringing my bow as primary. I am a disabled veteran but my disability will not limits me much, I do not own a side by side, or a horse, it will be on foot.
I was thinking Selway, but everyone tells me horror stories about that place, I am not afraid of the work, just burry me if I die lol.

 

[NIdaho87]

Hey everyone! I am thinking of doing a spot and stalk bear hunt OTC, in Idaho. I want to hunt somewhere I can get plenty of glassing in, and I am not planning on doing any baiting. If you had to pick 2 units/areas with that info- where would you head? I am leaning towards 2nd week of June? I can hunt rifle, but I am bringing my bow as primary. I am a disabled veteran but my disability will not limits me much, I do not own a side by side, or a horse, it will be on foot.
I was thinking Selway, but everyone tells me horror stories about that place, I am not afraid of the work, just burry me if I die lol.

Im not much of a bear hunter but im from north Idaho and spot and stalk is tough around here. From the little i know unit 1 would be your best bet up north. Lots of bears and lots of country.

 

[JustEppic]

@Lowe1254 Yeah unit one is pretty steep, so i had a hard time finding good glassing areas, but I am sure they are out there, i was all the way up at the top of the unit when i tried hunting elk, gorgeous country and I saw one grizzley but can't hunt those. I know just getting into units helps, but i dont even know what units to get my feet into for "just bear" lol. I will probably just go somewhere and see what happens, it is more for fun anyway.

 

[NIdaho87]

@Lowe1254 Yeah unit one is pretty steep, so i had a hard time finding good glassing areas, but I am sure they are out there, i was all the way up at the top of the unit when i tried hunting elk, gorgeous country and I saw one grizzley but can't hunt those. I know just getting into units helps, but i dont even know what units to get my feet into for "just bear" lol. I will probably just go somewhere and see what happens, it is more for fun anyway.

Ya there’s just not alot of spot an stalk opportunity up north. Most of it is extremely thick and steep. Look for timber company land and watching clearcuts or burns is probably the best option up north. There’s definitely plenty of bears around

 

[JustEppic]

Should I head South then? I can literally go anywhere, I am not limited to a location...

 

[brymoore]

Why June?

 

[JustEppic]

I never see bears earlier than early June, but I am always pretty high so there’s always snow... Now that I am hunting them I am trying to learn lol. I just photographed them and got mad I didn’t have a tag before.

 

[NIdaho87]

Should I head South then? I can literally go anywhere, I am not limited to a location...

I couldn’t tell you if hunting would be any better down south to be honest. I would just find somewhere using onx or something similar with the kind of terrain youd like to hunt. There’s bears pretty much everywhere in idaho

 

[JustEppic]

@brymoore sorry i forgot to tag you when i replied, but did you have a better month? I just never see anything earlier because of snow, and I figured early June was a great jump off point...

 

[JLS]

@brymoore sorry i forgot to tag you when i replied, but did you have a better month? I just never see anything earlier because of snow, and I figured early June was a great jump off point...

Plenty of lower elevation slopes in late April through May. The longer you wait, the more open habitat there is for bears to disperse in.

 

[JustEppic]

@JLS aw ok, maybe i just missed them last year, i went to Elk City LOL... mostly I was just hanging out and looking for Elk area, I am not hunting elk this year. I will head up earlier then... I am literally game to go anywhere, I just am not sure where to start, i am very intrigued by Selway mostly because everyone told me that I "couldn't" do it, and I am one of those kinds of dudes that would die trying LOL.

 

[JLS]

@JLS aw ok, maybe i just missed them last year, i went to Elk City LOL... mostly I was just hanging out and looking for Elk area, I am not hunting elk this year. I will head up earlier then... I am literally game to go anywhere, I just am not sure where to start, i am very intrigued by Selway mostly because everyone told me that I "couldn't" do it, and I am one of those kinds of dudes that would die trying LOL.

A lot of the better spring bear habitat in the Selway zone is going to be very inaccessible via Elk City in May. You'll need a jet boat or a tracked ATV.

 

[brymoore]

@brymoore sorry i forgot to tag you when i replied, but did you have a better month? I just never see anything earlier because of snow, and I figured early June was a great jump off point...

I have spots for April that expand into May. I seem to see more bears in the May time period as the grass greens/temp warms and less by the end of May. By June, the bears seemed spread out to me and you’re hoping for a boar to roam by looking for a sow. This is my experience in my area.

 

[JustEppic]

This is all good advice guys, and i made a mistake sorry. I said Elk City, and i meant Elk River... i haven't been to Elk City yet, but knowing that it will be inaccessible to where I wanted to go is GREAT info, I appreciate it, that will save me time. I have an ATV, i just dont understand the rules of Selway yet on where and when I can use it... I thought it was horse only down there. This is part of being a non-resident that makes it hard, i want to respect the rules, and area, and do everything right because even if i tease Idaho for having some dickheads in it, I freaking LOVE it and 98% of the people i have hunted with and hung out with have been amazing people. (the people at Elk River are freaking awesome..backwards as hell, but awesome).

So, long story short, I dont care when i come, or where I go, I just want to shoot my first bear somewhere. I know they are everywhere, i just dont want to hunt on a bait pile, though it doesnt cost that much to run one... so if I understand everything said so far-
Late April through Early May-
Hunt a little lower on the South facing hills where the grass is turning up and flowering
Check regulations on ATV usage, Selway
Do NOT enter from Elk City area if I decide to try my hand at the Selway unit
Look for water, bushes, and grasses
Early morning/Late Evening


Thanks everyone. If anyone wants to meet up, I am game to hunt with someone too- I will be by myself unless i bring Dublin my 1 year old Lab.

 

[NIdaho87]

This is all good advice guys, and i made a mistake sorry. I said Elk City, and i meant Elk River... i haven't been to Elk City yet, but knowing that it will be inaccessible to where I wanted to go is GREAT info, I appreciate it, that will save me time. I have an ATV, i just dont understand the rules of Selway yet on where and when I can use it... I thought it was horse only down there. This is part of being a non-resident that makes it hard, i want to respect the rules, and area, and do everything right because even if i tease Idaho for having some dickheads in it, I freaking LOVE it and 98% of the people i have hunted with and hung out with have been amazing people. (the people at Elk River are freaking awesome..backwards as hell, but awesome).

So, long story short, I dont care when i come, or where I go, I just want to shoot my first bear somewhere. I know they are everywhere, i just dont want to hunt on a bait pile, though it doesnt cost that much to run one... so if I understand everything said so far-
Late April through Early May-
Hunt a little lower on the South facing hills where the grass is turning up and flowering
Check regulations on ATV usage, Selway
Do NOT enter from Elk City area if I decide to try my hand at the Selway unit
Look for water, bushes, and grasses
Early morning/Late Evening


Thanks everyone. If anyone wants to meet up, I am game to hunt with someone too- I will be by myself unless i bring Dublin my 1 year old Lab.

Good luck man!

 

[brymoore]

This is all good advice guys, and i made a mistake sorry. I said Elk City, and i meant Elk River... i haven't been to Elk City yet, but knowing that it will be inaccessible to where I wanted to go is GREAT info, I appreciate it, that will save me time. I have an ATV, i just dont understand the rules of Selway yet on where and when I can use it... I thought it was horse only down there. This is part of being a non-resident that makes it hard, i want to respect the rules, and area, and do everything right because even if i tease Idaho for having some dickheads in it, I freaking LOVE it and 98% of the people i have hunted with and hung out with have been amazing people. (the people at Elk River are freaking awesome..backwards as hell, but awesome).

So, long story short, I dont care when i come, or where I go, I just want to shoot my first bear somewhere. I know they are everywhere, i just dont want to hunt on a bait pile, though it doesnt cost that much to run one... so if I understand everything said so far-
Late April through Early May-
Hunt a little lower on the South facing hills where the grass is turning up and flowering
Check regulations on ATV usage, Selway
Do NOT enter from Elk City area if I decide to try my hand at the Selway unit
Look for water, bushes, and grasses
Early morning/Late Evening


Thanks everyone. If anyone wants to meet up, I am game to hunt with someone too- I will be by myself unless i bring Dublin my 1 year old Lab.

My timing would be May 15th to the end of the month.

I don’t hunt mornings much anymore. My evening hunts are much better.

I just look for green grass. I’ve seen deer, elk and bear grazing together.

 

[DogEatDog]

I think you can bait in idaho

 

[44hunter45]

I think you can bait in idaho

The only thing we bait is people that call us dickheads and backward.

Actually baiting is by GMU. Being as hard as it is for us to read the regs. we get someone from Ellensburg to read them for us. Was that Elk City or Elk River? I forget.

 

[JustEppic]

The only thing we bait is people that call us dickheads and backward.

Actually baiting is by GMU. Being as hard as it is for us to read the regs. we get someone from Ellensburg to read them for us. Was that Elk City or Elk River? I forget.

Bwahahahaha I was hunting Elk River, but I want to hunt Elk City at some point, there are more dickheads in Colfax than the whole of Idaho in my experience. Like I said, I will hunt anywhere, I wasn’t interested in baiting, not sure why they brought that up again @44hunter45

 

[Badger_06]

I’m a non-res also in the process of planning my first unguided Idaho spot and stalk hunt. Purchased an OTC general season deer tag but am unable to make the trip next fall so now looking to use the tag on a black bear this spring instead. The tag is for unit 51 (Lemhi Elk Zone - Upper Snake Region). This will be my first ever Bear Hunt and I would like to know if it’s worth my time to hunt this unit for black bear. I’ve got low expectations and enjoy camping just as much as hunting so I’m fine with low harvest odds.

Any advice/recommendations are greatly appreciated. Currently in the military on the east coast so making plans for a trip like this doesn’t come easy.