Advise on DIY Bear Hunt 2013

I really want to do a good spring bear hunt in 2013. I want to start my preperations now. I was wondering if any of you BEAR freaks can point me in the right direction. I live in Utah and would love to do a nice DIY spot n stalk. Where do I go Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, California? I would like a place I can buy a tag over the counter as well. I'm on a solo quest in 2013 and a bear hunt would start my quest off right!
Thank's in advance for any help etc.


*Never give up the "BIG" one is right around the next Hill*

If your willing to drive to Cali and want a great DIY hunt with almost 100% sucess on black bear send me a P.M. for specifics.

The bears have over run the country in Alpine County, Zone D-5 at Alpine Lake off Hwy4. There are so many bears up there that I had to quit taking my little 8yr old Grandson archery deer hunting with me because we encountered 5 different bears on a 7day hunt. Had one bear at 10ft. Can't carry any firearms archery hunting even for safety in this freck'n state. And with my Grandson along at 10 ft I would rather have a Magnum in my hand and not a can of the politically correct bear spray. The bears here were moved as problem bears out of Yosemite years ago another great move by our game management specilists.

Hunt anywhere 5 miles in any direction up and around the Tahoe-Yosemite trail, Bear Valley Ski Resort up to and into the Wilderness Area. If you can't kill a bear in this country there is something wrong. They break into cabins and resort condo's every night.

Anyone please: Help reduce the over population of bears in this area.

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Note that the bear season in Cali is at the same time as deer season so check out the Regs yourself to see if the season dates can fit into your plans.

Good hunt'n

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Its not spot and stalk but rather bait hunting and archery every year for me in Idaho. Over the years I have seen a few though in cuts or old logging roads were spot and stalk would be possible. Just a warning, you start bear hunting and its like a drug and will be looking forward to it every year.

I have never tried Colorado but I have seen some big boys there and from my research spot and stalk is the only thing you can do there.

Trophyhunter Email sent Thanks


*Never give up the "BIG" one is right around the next Hill*

I have hunted Montana Spring Spot and Stalk bears, was a blast. There were 3 of us with tags and we took one nice old bear, would of been his last spring. Had another small cinnamon phased bear at 40 yards, too small to pull the trigger, likely his first year away from Momma. Just use google earth to find some back country that has some open hillsides and open country and get after it. It is addicting. Colorado does not have a spring bear hunt, was brought up this year in the house but didn't get enough support to get it on for voting, so if you are in Colorado, start making some calls and making some noise. A spring spot n' stalk bear hunt here would be amazing. They talk about $5M a year that goes into bear "mitigation" and handling nuisance bears here in Colorado. They get 2 strikes and the 3rd time they are put down by DOW. Not sure why they can't figure out that if there was a Spring hunt, than they wouldn't spend money trying to pay for the nuisance bear problem in the mountain cities, where they could not spend $5M, but probably make $$$$ a year if they would offer tags. I know why they outlawed in the past, where it was bait legal and could use dogs, but not sure why we can't do what Montana does and just start back with no bait or dogs.

I didn't know that about Colorado. That's good to know. A few friends of mine have hunted mule deer in Colorado over the years and have all ran into bears while hunting. I think on one of Founders pod cast he ran into 2 bears last year when he killed that nice buck in the snow storm. So I know there is a good number of bears in Colorado.
Its just hard to plan a fall black bear hunt with all the other big games hunts going on. Spring bear hunts seems to be the ticket at least for my schedule. If states want revenue from bear hunters they most likely will have to accomodate a spring bear season. Just my opinion. Thanks for the response!


*Never give up the "BIG" one is right around the next Hill*

Colorado needs a spring bear hunt badly. I drew a buck tag 2 years ago in a unit that was close to home so I could take the kids with me on a couple trips. I wasn't really hunting it that hard and didn't have my hopes up of even seeing a buck so I didn't get a bear tag (first time in 9 years I have not gotten a bear tag during my rifle hunt).......I was sitting on a hill, just outside of a small town up in the foothills and here comes a black bear down the hillside at 250 yards from me. He had at least 1 tag, looked like possibly the other one was as well, so he was at least a 1 time offender nuisance bear and with his proximity to town. That would of been the bear to take out and I just sat there and watching him walk on by. I kick myself everyday for not taking the time to go get a bear tag that year. I anxiously await the time that Colorado finally brings back the Spring Hunt, it will be amazing the first few years, as this state is being over run with bears. Even though I have built 10 PP for bears, I do not plan on hunting them in the fall until all of my other high PP's are used, so it will be a few years. Just too good of hunting to be done without worrying about chasing black bears exclusively in the fall. Colorado needs a spring season, so start getting out there and contacting your local representatives.

Idaho has multiple units that you can get two tags, some as cheap as $30 for a nonresident. Lots of bears in unit 10. I use to guide there in the mid 90's, but haven't been back since.

I did a DIY hunt in N. Montana in the spring of 12'. It was a very fun hunt, reasonably praised for a nonres. We hunted a week off mt. bikes, I harvested a good boar on the 3rd day. I saw 2 other bears one was a cool color phase but no shot. I will definitely be going back. I would recommend this hunt to anyone. There is a ton of public ground up there and most of the good stuff is blocked to vehicles, it makes for some good hunting.

Thanks for the responses. Now just need to make up my mind on where to go. I've called most western states and they are all saying that the bear numbers are climbing and that they are doing really well. Tough hunting no doubt so I'm excited for the challenge!


*Never give up the "BIG" one is right around the next Hill*