Spring bear 2026

[TeacherMan]

With the lack of snow this year when do you think black bears will be out? Baiting opens 4/15 here in Idaho. I’m pretty sure I could drive to my bait site right now, which is crazy, it should have 6’ of snow at it.

[trophyhunt]

I don't think the winter is over just yet, but it's crazy how warm it's been, ticks and mosquitos are gonna be bad.  Hopefully we get a good freeze while they are halfway awake already.  As far as bears go, I'd think they would pop out when it starts to get green?  Sure would be great to spring bear hunt again, need to move!

[Loup Loup]

The earliest I’ve seen a bear out was middle of February. I’ve seen 3 or 4 third week of March, end of March. The early bears I’ve seen out have all been big boars. I don’t think they travel far from the den for awhile, and will go back in for a nap if they want.
I’m afraid some will be out early this year. Bears are my nemesis. They are a problem looking for a place to happen.

[Loup Loup]

Got me remembering…
I saw a very big chocolate boar feeding on a 9” plus Billy. That bear did not want to leave that goat. Got a pict of him somewhere.
Date was Apiril 8.

[TeacherMan]

The earliest I’ve seen a bear out was middle of February. I’ve seen 3 or 4 third week of March, end of March. The early bears I’ve seen out have all been big boars. I don’t think they travel far from the den for awhile, and will go back in for a nap if they want.
I’m afraid some will be out early this year. Bears are my nemesis. They are a problem looking for a place to happen.

I saw pics of one yesterday on Facebook from the Spokane Valley area. It was on a hiking page, just seems super early. I'm planning on setting a bait 3rd weekend (couple days after opener but when I can get up there) of April, hoping stuff hits it quickly. I have several beaver in the freezer that will be good hanging bait plus a barrel full of sweets waiting for them. The hardest part this year will be no cell cams. My bait is 3 hours out of town and I already live in a spot people think is the boon docks 

[luvmystang67]

The earliest I’ve seen a bear out was middle of February. I’ve seen 3 or 4 third week of March, end of March. The early bears I’ve seen out have all been big boars. I don’t think they travel far from the den for awhile, and will go back in for a nap if they want.
I’m afraid some will be out early this year. Bears are my nemesis. They are a problem looking for a place to happen.

I saw pics of one yesterday on Facebook from the Spokane Valley area. It was on a hiking page, just seems super early. I'm planning on setting a bait 3rd weekend (couple days after opener but when I can get up there) of April, hoping stuff hits it quickly. I have several beaver in the freezer that will be good hanging bait plus a barrel full of sweets waiting for them. The hardest part this year will be no cell cams. My bait is 3 hours out of town and I already live in a spot people think is the boon docks 

I'm actually not even sure the no-cell cams has been approved by the state legislature yet, but regardless, the last plan I saw for it was only from August to Dec, leaving them open for Spring Bear.  I'm saying this lazily, but I think they are still allowed during the other 3 quarters of the year.

[TeacherMan]

The earliest I’ve seen a bear out was middle of February. I’ve seen 3 or 4 third week of March, end of March. The early bears I’ve seen out have all been big boars. I don’t think they travel far from the den for awhile, and will go back in for a nap if they want.
I’m afraid some will be out early this year. Bears are my nemesis. They are a problem looking for a place to happen.

I saw pics of one yesterday on Facebook from the Spokane Valley area. It was on a hiking page, just seems super early. I'm planning on setting a bait 3rd weekend (couple days after opener but when I can get up there) of April, hoping stuff hits it quickly. I have several beaver in the freezer that will be good hanging bait plus a barrel full of sweets waiting for them. The hardest part this year will be no cell cams. My bait is 3 hours out of town and I already live in a spot people think is the boon docks 

I'm actually not even sure the no-cell cams has been approved by the state legislature yet, but regardless, the last plan I saw for it was only from August to Dec, leaving them open for Spring Bear.  I'm saying this lazily, but I think they are still allowed during the other 3 quarters of the year.

That would be super nice if they are still allowed, save a ton of gas! I try to run three cameras on a bait, two cell cams and a regular one.

[kodiak06]

The earliest I’ve seen a bear out was middle of February. I’ve seen 3 or 4 third week of March, end of March. The early bears I’ve seen out have all been big boars. I don’t think they travel far from the den for awhile, and will go back in for a nap if they want.
I’m afraid some will be out early this year. Bears are my nemesis. They are a problem looking for a place to happen.

I saw pics of one yesterday on Facebook from the Spokane Valley area. It was on a hiking page, just seems super early. I'm planning on setting a bait 3rd weekend (couple days after opener but when I can get up there) of April, hoping stuff hits it quickly. I have several beaver in the freezer that will be good hanging bait plus a barrel full of sweets waiting for them. The hardest part this year will be no cell cams. My bait is 3 hours out of town and I already live in a spot people think is the boon docks 

I'm actually not even sure the no-cell cams has been approved by the state legislature yet, but regardless, the last plan I saw for it was only from August to Dec, leaving them open for Spring Bear.  I'm saying this lazily, but I think they are still allowed during the other 3 quarters of the year.

That would be super nice if they are still allowed, save a ton of gas! I try to run three cameras on a bait, two cell cams and a regular one.

The proposed cell cam bans for AUG-DEC. The 25-26 regs don't mention use of cell cams so ya good

[Ridgerunner]

I’m hunting the first week of June hoping it will be good.


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[Machias]

Normally I don't put my baits out until the last weekend in April.  Rarely ever get a hit until the very end of April or the first of May.  This year I'll be setting them up on the 15th of April.  Good luck everyone.  The last couple of springs the bears in my area have been rubbed pretty bad, pretty early.  Hoping for some better hides this year, but I don't see it happening.

[Machias]

I've been so lucky the last couple of weeks.  I've won a bear bait raffle at the North Idaho Houndsmen Association Banquet.  A 55 gallon barrel of north Idaho mix (candy, cookies, nuts), Carmel pieces, and two pails of frosting.  Then at the bighorn show, my wife put my name into a drawing for a bear bait starter kit at the Big Boar Bait booth and my name got drawn for that.  40lb bag of pellets, couple of pails of donut icing, couple of small pails of peanut butter and a box of chocolate pretzels!  Yehaw! 

[jrebel]

I've been so lucky the last couple of weeks.  I've won a bear bait raffle at the North Idaho Houndsmen Association Banquet.  A 55 gallon barrel of north Idaho mix (candy, cookies, nuts), Carmel pieces, and two pails of frosting.  Then at the bighorn show, my wife put my name into a drawing for a bear bait starter kit at the Big Boar Bait booth and my name got drawn for that.  40lb bag of pellets, couple of pails of donut icing, couple of small pails of peanut butter and a box of chocolate pretzels!  Yehaw! 

You better go buy a lottery ticket!!  That’s awesome. 

[TeacherMan]

I've been so lucky the last couple of weeks.  I've won a bear bait raffle at the North Idaho Houndsmen Association Banquet.  A 55 gallon barrel of north Idaho mix (candy, cookies, nuts), Carmel pieces, and two pails of frosting.  Then at the bighorn show, my wife put my name into a drawing for a bear bait starter kit at the Big Boar Bait booth and my name got drawn for that.  40lb bag of pellets, couple of pails of donut icing, couple of small pails of peanut butter and a box of chocolate pretzels!  Yehaw! 

That is crazy! I'll be placing my barrel out on the opener in 7 or 9. 

[luvmystang67]

I have a baby coming May 1, which feels like its really going to cramp this season which I look forward to so much.

I have had some bait barrel epiphanies recently.  The first ones I built I was very careful to get nicely opening tops, food grade barrels, thought about putting chains or bars on it.  I'm sure that stuff works great.  Now days I just get old sealed barrels for a lot cheaper, cut about a 1'x2' "X" across the top 1/3, and pound it in with a hammer.  It creates nice rounded sides.  Then I light one heck of a fire in there with some old gasoline and burn out all the bad stuff and start using.  I just fill from the access hole.  My biggest issue is that baby bears crawl into it, so maybe I need to work a bit on my "x" size.  I think I even used a tape measure on my first one, now I just get the angle grinder out and start cutting.

For bait, I've had pretty good luck with sweet cob and costco syrup.  Both are cheap, readily available, and easy to move.  When I've purchased "bear bait" in the past, it hasn't been any more productive than my sweet cob and syrup, with the exception of used cooking oil, which is hard to find during bear season in north idaho!

Please post pics, us with 3rd children on the way are living vicariously through you.