Idaho Spring Bear. Some basic questions.

[PastorJoel]

Well, after about 10 minutes in the WA Spring Bear Loser Lounge, I asked my wife about Idaho (with the promise of letting her and the kids stay in Coeur d'Alene    ) and I got approval!  Wahoo!!

I am thinking,

(1) hunting in early June for 5-6 days

(2) in unit 4

(3) getting two bear tags

(4) spot and stalk (No Bait, Just Bears )

Any problems with this plan?  Any suggestions?  Cost is a major factor.

I have never hunted in Idaho before and so I would really appreciate any advice, either here or by PM.
Thanks!

[lord grizzly]

id probably start with one tag. you can always buy another one on your way back in if you harvest.

[AROTTY]

tag for more info

[idaho guy]

I agree start with one tag but love the optimism. If I was spot and stalk hunting I would  look to unit 1(no hound or bait allowed),6 or 7. 

[KFhunter]

TAG


I've been wanting to start out of state hunting, so fed up with this crap here at home    I've been a staunch "make WA great again" for hunting anyways, but I'm about to give it up.


HUNT LICENSE   $154.75   
BEAR TAG          $186.00
_____________________
Not bad!        =  $340.75



add some optional bling

OPT BAIT FEE     $31.75
HOUND FEE      $169.75

[lord grizzly]

Pretty hard to run a bait site from out of state I’d think ( for most anyway) unless you just land right on them wanting to come in during shooting hours it takes some time to get them patterned and even for them to work out a pecking order of when there hitting the bait. Not to mention keeping it baited up to keep them coming back. I’ll start a bait and check cams and rebait for a few weeks before it’s ready to hunt.

[KFhunter]

 

If /when I do it I'll start a bait station then spot n stalk while the bait station heats up then finish the hunt off the bait a week or two later.   I'm close enough I could top off a bait pile/s weekly without too much trouble, about 2h drive each way puts me in the panhandle by sandpoint/priest area.

[meatwhack]

You’d have to go south of Sandpoint and priest lake to bait because unit 1 is no bait.

[KFhunter]

Ah, thanks.


As you can tell I haven't done this before    but for $340 bux it's sure tempting.

[buglebuster]

Ah, thanks.


As you can tell I haven't done this before    but for $340 bux it's sure tempting.

If you’re looking toward the panhandle a lot of those units are reduced tag areas for non residents. The tag is like $40 plus your license so it’s even cheaper then you think! My hunting partner and I already had our licenses and elk tags purchased so we’re heading that way for sure!

[KFhunter]

Discounted Nonresident Tags
Nonresidents may purchase two (2) reduced-price black bear
tags for Units 4, 4A, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19, 20, 20A,
26, 27, that portion of Unit 16 north of the Selway River, and
those portions of Units 21 and 28 within designated wilderness
at the discounted price of $41.75; or may purchase one (1) full
priced bear tag ($186.00) to hunt black bear anywhere outside
the areas listed above and one (1) reduced priced bear tag
valid in areas listed above.

[PastorJoel]

Those discounted tags are what interested me in 4.  That's also why I was just going to get two.

After asking eight or nine people, I finally got someone to agree to go with me on this hunt. 

Sadly, I have had to cut the hunt down to 3-4 days, but I am still optimistic.  I had never seen a bear before 2017, but then I saw 5 and shot two of them.  My hunting partner and I are both in good shape and we will wear out our boots before we give up. 

I have been spending a lot of time on google earth and I think I am starting to figure out where exactly I will go.  Probably not in unit 4, although the price is still really tempting.

THANK YOU to everyone who has helped so far. 

[bearpaw]

Right now there is 4 to 5 feet of snow on high mountains, if you go early you need to stay low to medium elevation. 

[n_mathews13]

Find a local forest ranger station, they help a lot in road and snow condition info.  Also call them and ask for any maps they will send.

[BULLBLASTER]

Pretty hard to run a bait site from out of state I’d think ( for most anyway) unless you just land right on them wanting to come in during shooting hours it takes some time to get them patterned and even for them to work out a pecking order of when there hitting the bait. Not to mention keeping it baited up to keep them coming back. I’ll start a bait and check cams and rebait for a few weeks before it’s ready to hunt.

  last time I did it it was a 2-3 times per week endeavor. I was going in and out in the dark most times. I am still contemplating doing it again but dang near $400 said and done not including bait or other costs. Bait sites definitely need some thought as well so you don’t have hounds running off your baits. 
It is a blast doin tho! And plenty of the bear bait ended up in my belly. 

[idaho guy]

Pretty hard to run a bait site from out of state I’d think ( for most anyway) unless you just land right on them wanting to come in during shooting hours it takes some time to get them patterned and even for them to work out a pecking order of when there hitting the bait. Not to mention keeping it baited up to keep them coming back. I’ll start a bait and check cams and rebait for a few weeks before it’s ready to hunt.

  last time I did it it was a 2-3 times per week endeavor. I was going in and out in the dark most times. I am still contemplating doing it again but dang near $400 said and done not including bait or other costs. Bait sites definitely need some thought as well so you don’t have hounds running off your baits. 
It is a blast doin tho! And plenty of the bear bait ended up in my belly. 

Feeding bears can start to feel like a full time job especially if you have a good one with a fair number of bears on it. We do it every year almost out of habit but I don't think I would if I had to travel any distance at all to maintain it. Going in and out at late hours usually just pushes your bigger bears too come in even later which adds to the challenge of keeping one stocked but doing it at the right time.  If you have to bait into the night you will probably still get a daytime bear but usually one of the smaller ones. A lot of new baiters run baits far enough from the road to avoid hounds but don't realize where they are pulling the bears from and the bears have to cross a road to get to the bait. End result is the bears you are feeding still get ran by hounds.  I don't run of peoples baits if I know they are there unless I don't like you  But I have ran a more than a few off the road that were going to a bait I did not realize was there until later   

[Machias]

TAG


I've been wanting to start out of state hunting, so fed up with this crap here at home    I've been a staunch "make WA great again" for hunting anyways, but I'm about to give it up.


HUNT LICENSE   $154.75   
BEAR TAG          $186.00
_____________________
Not bad!        =  $340.75



add some optional bling

OPT BAIT FEE     $31.75
HOUND FEE      $169.75

You have to apply for a statewide hound permit in Dec for the following year.  They only issue 70 non-resident hound permits a year.  Units 10 and 12 and a few other wilderness units are over the counter hound permits.

[Machias]

Well, after about 10 minutes in the WA Spring Bear Loser Lounge, I asked my wife about Idaho (with the promise of letting her and the kids stay in Coeur d'Alene    ) and I got approval!  Wahoo!!

I am thinking,

(1) hunting in early June for 5-6 days  Should be good to go this time of the year

(2) in unit 4  Good area, very thick, hard to glass in most areas, but not impossible.  Considering any other units?

(3) getting two bear tags  I would for sure go with one in the beginning

(4) spot and stalk (No Bait, Just Bears )  Will be tough, but not out of the question

Any problems with this plan?  Any suggestions?  Cost is a major factor.

I have never hunted in Idaho before and so I would really appreciate any advice, either here or by PM.
Thanks!

[buglebrush]

Go later this year.  I wouldn't go before the middle of May at the earliest.  Reduced price units are awesome.  You can get two bear tags for less than $100 bucks, and they are also the better areas to scout for Elk.  Win win.  Now go kill some calf killers!