Montana Spring Bear Timing Question

[CiK]

My wife told me she has a need to be in Colorado from May 26th through June 1st. She is trying to lure me into combining my desire for a Montana spring bear hunt to the same timeframe instead of earlier.

I have never been on a bear hunt, but a few questions came to mind as I consider her offer.

1) Do bears have a "peak" time to hunt like elk in September or deer in November?
2) Is late May to early June too far into a bear season or does it not matter that much?

 

[Hannibal]

My wife told me she has a need to be in Colorado from May 26th through June 1st. She is trying to lure me into combining my desire for a Montana spring bear hunt to the same timeframe instead of earlier.

I have never been on a bear hunt, but a few questions came to mind as I consider her offer.

1) Do bears have a "peak" time to hunt like elk in September or deer in November?
2) Is late May to early June too far into a bear season or does it not matter that much?

The questions you've asked are very good questions which require complicated, subjective answers, especially since no state wildlife agencies publish information relating to optimal time periods to hunt during spring bear seasons. In the early part of the spring season snow and lack of food at higher elevations 'concentrate' black bears at lower elevations making them 'somewhat easier' to locate. The answer to your second question will depend upon whether or not you're seeking a quality pelt, free of rubs and shedding and also free of worn or damaged claws. If so, the early period of the season would offer the best opportunity. If you're hunting record book black bears in a similar manner as famed Montana bear hunter George Bettas, the latter part of the season would be best. Familiarity with the terrain, focusing your search efforts within bear habitat where bears are frequently found, such as water sources, and hunting during late afternoon and early evening hours during the initial three to four weeks of the spring season will dramatically increase your odds for success.

 

[LCH]

I think it will depend a lot on snowpack and timing of the spring green-up.

I went one year on my own, middle of May, and there was still heavy snow in my area once you started gaining much elevation. I did see one very nice bear (no shot), but I think I could have done better towards the end of the month when the higher elevation clear-cuts and avalanche chutes had more good grass.

I went back the next year, middle of May with a couple other Hunttalkers, one a very successful resident MT bear hunter, and I think we were a week or 2 late. There hadn't been as much snow and there was feed everywhere, which seemed to scatter the bears through the timber. Our resident partner had been seeing multiple bears in the weeks leading up to our hunt, but we never saw a black bear that week, even hunting his tried and true honey holes. His theory was that they had plenty of feed in the timber, therefore no reason to congregate out in the open.

When I go again, hopefully within a year or 2, I think I'll remain flexible with my dates until late April or so before deciding on the week to go, taking into account snowpack and green-up conditions where I intend to hunt.

 

[el unit]

Late May to mid June is when I have seen the most bear activity around here. And we pick them up on trail cams all July and August too. We are at about 6200' and we have yet to see any sign before May 15. At least it's been that way the last four years. All the country I hunt is North facing, dark timber with small grass parks intermixed. 2016 + 2017 bears were quality hides, claws in great shape, and good to eat. One shot on May 28th and the other on June 14th.
Limiting myself to bow only this year as we really don't NEED another bear, but there is a giant Blackie that has been eluding me the last 4 seasons that sure would look nice next to the Blondie and Brownie...

 

[CiK]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. Appreciate your time.

Is there a website that tracks snow pack and green-up conditions or is that something where you just have to know how much snow there was on average and adjust accordingly to the snowpack for that year?

When I go again, hopefully within a year or 2, I think I'll remain flexible with my dates until late April or so before deciding on the week to go, taking into account snowpack and green-up conditions where I intend to hunt.

 

[el unit]

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mt/snow/

Try this site. It may not be the best, but it's the only one I'm aware of for tracking snow levels and percentages.

 

[skull]

Best time for bear hunting is during breeding season which occur middle of June
Bore will travel long distance in search for sow
Good luck

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I have correlated a variety of areas to SNOTEL readings over the years. At this point I have a pretty good idea what to expect based on annual readings1. Anyone can do this with a little experience and effort.

 

[Dan O]

The snotel sites will give you snow depth and temp. They can be a great source of information in remote areas. Many of them are in high remote locations so keep that in mind. The one in my area is the North Fork of the Jocko. Today it had 110 inches of snow with more on the way. The elevation is 6330 if I remember right. Seeley Lake elevation is 4000 and we have about 2 feet of snow around town. Also in Mt. Bear season closes May 31 or June 15 depending on the area.

Dan

 

[CiK]

Thanks for all the replies, everybody. All very helpful. No matter what time I decide to go, it sounds like snowpack and green-up is important and I can try to find one area better than others during that timeframe by using the USDA website.

Just a quick question about what I am looking at on the current conditions map. It looks like snow water equivalent for Montana is higher this year than average in most of the state. Basically saying Montana has had more snow this year than historically normal. Right?

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Snowpack is one factor. Don't forget about valley shape. Two south slopes at the same elevation will green up at different times based on how "tight" the opposing terrain is to it. Big open valleys or opposing drainages let more sun onto s. slopes than narrow canyons that shade them.

 

[gotur6]

I will give my two cents on the topic. Take it for what its worth. Last year I went on a Montana bear hunting trip near Thompson Falls, MT. I went the first week of the season which was around May 1. I did have a guide (I had never been out west before or bear hunting before) and spent a ton of time picking his brain. Basically he told me that the second or third week are GENERALLY more productive as the grass is usually pretty green by then and that is what they eat after coming out of their dens. We had a hard time finding green grass, but when we did find a small valley (gulch is what he called it) with it, we saw 4 bears in that valley and on the surrounding mountains. I ended up killing my bear 3 days into the hunt, and that was the 4th bear I had seen, and ran into a 5th on the way out of that valley. All in all, I learned a ton and might go back on a DIY some day. If I had to do it over again, I might plan on the second or third week of the season. Hope this helps.

 

[CiK]

I went the first week of the season which was around May 1.

We had a hard time finding green grass, but when we did find a small valley (gulch is what he called it) with it, we saw 4 bears in that valley and on the surrounding mountains.

I would think bears concentrated into small areas would be a good thing. How does more green grass help if that will just spread the bears out? Maybe I am not thinking about it right, but when I used to fish tournaments for bass, finding a hump or channel in a flat barren stretch concentrated the fish instead of them being out roaming around. Seems the same holds true. Wouldn't early season, snow and limited amount of green grass do the same to bears?

 

[Hannibal]

I would think bears concentrated into small areas would be a good thing. How does more green grass help if that will just spread the bears out? Maybe I am not thinking about it right, but when I used to fish tournaments for bass, finding a hump or channel in a flat barren stretch concentrated the fish instead of them being out roaming around. Seems the same holds true. Wouldn't early season, snow and limited amount of green grass do the same to bears?

You're absolutely right. As the season progresses you'll be forced to search an expanding habitat making bears harder to locate. In a state where the success rate hovers around 5% you certainly want every advantage you can gain and hunting black bears in greater concentrations in smaller restricted ranges will help to improve your chances for success.