Looking for great areas to spot and stalk bear in Wyoming

[Reddevil7292]

It is definitely cheaper to go DIY. It's kind of what you want out of it though I think. I personally do not get a lot of time off of work, so when I go I want to have a lot of it figured out for me. If I get to go once a year or every couple years I'd like to maximize my experience. That's the reason I'm trying guided.
I'm going in the middle of May, I'll keep you posted on how it goes. There are supposedly some real monsters up there. I'm very excited.

thanks. I usally take one to two weeks off for it. So I know I just must not be looking in the right spots.

 

[Reddevil7292]

Jake from State Farm told me that there's millions of bears in CO, and WY borders Co, so................................

Was he wearing khakis ?

 

[Reddevil7292]

I agree. It can be tough even for someone that has a fair amount bear experience that isnt spot and stalk. I have wanted to do a guided Canadian hunt some time, but I definitely couldnt touch it for the price I go out west for.

Well I've been trying medicinebow and muddy mountain , I hunted around hog resivoir for them but these are all areas that I'm used to hunting other animals. I get elk every year. I just think Ive just been foolish to expect bear to roam there like the elk and dear do haha . I just fill like it's my area honestly . Been hunting here in Wyoming the last 10 years religiously but bear kick my butt haha.

 

[Reddevil7292]

It is definitely cheaper to go DIY. It's kind of what you want out of it though I think. I personally do not get a lot of time off of work, so when I go I want to have a lot of it figured out for me. If I get to go once a year or every couple years I'd like to maximize my experience. That's the reason I'm trying guided.
I'm going in the middle of May, I'll keep you posted on how it goes. There are supposedly some real monsters up there. I'm very excited.

Is there a reason your waiting till the middle of May? I usally go out a few days before season opens and stay for a while . Could I maybe be going to soon ? Would it be possible for blackbear to still be dened up ?

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[IAhawks84]

Is there a reason your waiting till the middle of May? I usally go out a few days before season opens and stay for a while . Could I maybe be going to soon ? Would it be possible for blackbear to still be dened up ?

My hunt is booked for the middle of May. I am going guided this time, so I just show up day of.
Last year when I went to Idaho, I forget the exact dates we went, but within 5 minutes of arriving, we asked a ranger for directions and he told us we were about 3 weeks early for bear hunting. We kept hearing this from everyone we spoke to. It was a little bit irritating because we had called and checked with the Idaho Falls fish and game office about a month before we went. We told them our dates, they said they thought we had a great plan. I understand fish and game are not guides, but when it seems like universal knowledge in the area that people do not really start hunting bears out there until memorial day, it was frustrating.
There was still too much snow. We hiked up a mountain and were standing on about 5' of snow still. It was just hard to get anywhere. Also, the grass hadn't really taken off yet obviously so it was hard to find a food source.
My advice is to wait, but that is just from my experience. It could be totally different this time. It could also be totally different in a different location. Again, that's the tough part of DIY. It's probably going to take a couple of trips, to the same location, to get the gist of how everything works.

 

[Twolftg]

Is there a reason your waiting till the middle of May? I usally go out a few days before season opens and stay for a while . Could I maybe be going to soon ? Would it be possible for blackbear to still be dened up ?

From my experience, western bear hunting is all about being mobile and spontaneous. I am not sure how close you live to the places you want to hunt but you really need to keep an eye on the snow pack. If your too early you cant get into the areas the bears are or their could just be too much snow.

 

[WyoDoug]

You might find bears just about anywhere on the western slope in any of the main mountain ranges. They exist down lower, but you are more likely to find them in the high meadows where food, water and sanctuary are in close proximity to each other. Bears take a lot of scouting, preparation and stalking before you find one. They have a very keen sense of smell so you have to be aware of the wind at all times. Once they smell you, they are long gone. I once had a hard time finding bears myself until a young whippersnapper taught me better ways to hunt elk (my family was a long line of deer and antelope hunters). I applied the same techniques to bear and they worked.

I also have been known to set up on a carcass and where I find tracks and waiting. You can't set a carcass out yourself specifically for attracting bear but nothing is illegal for you to watch a carcass you did not set out specifically to attract bear or lion. Bears and lion both love the gut piles and eat off them. This does not result in the best tasting bear but you might see one easier. Bears will also sometimes circle an area before they enter it checking for danger and looking for food. They know you are there a long time before you detect their presence.