Idaho For the Win

[twsnow18]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-13 AT 01:32PM (MST)[p]I'm an Idaho resident, just glancing over your states' board. I read through that bear draw thread and noticed that some of you can't even get a tag with 11 points.

11 points?! For a bear tag?! In Idaho you can shoot 2 a year with a general OTC tag that you can grab at Wal Mart on your way to the hills. You could fill both tags without putting a ton of effort in. For you unlucky applicants, a NR bear tag in Idaho is $31.75.

This is why we hate point systems. That's my rant for the day, I'm thankful to be an Idaho resident.

 

[rmanwill]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-13 AT 02:31PM (MST)[p]YOU HIT THAT ONE ON THE HEAD!!! That is why we came to Idaho every year and hunt bear. Buy the tag at Cabela's in Utah prior to even leaving our state. Drive up, enjoy you great state for eleven days after a long winter and hunt and bag bears!!!

57 more days of work and then it is Idaho bound for the bear!!!

Like you stated, easy enough that after I'm to old to hike the hills for deer and elk, I'll still be able to hunt bear in Idaho and be successful.

 

[twsnow18]

Thanks for helping us with the predator population rmanwill! Seriously, we appreciate it.

On the Idaho boards lately it's all about point system vs. our random draw. The NR's just don't understand (with exceptions to you and others that do their homework) that you can come to Idaho and have quality hunts for all of our favorite species every year, with OTC tags. I can assure you some folks on the Idaho board would not be happy with me letting the secret out with this post.

 

[twsnow18]

>57 more days of work and
>then it is Idaho bound
>for the bear!!!
>

Also, may consider adjusting your schedule if possible. It's been super warm and I think that they will be out very early this year if this keeps up.

 

[rmanwill]

Hey thanks for the shout!!! I've been watching a view camera in our hunting area daily trying to watch that closely myself.

I also have a fish and game warden in our area I call yearly for the past 12 years to check with on that same timimg thing.

Also a park manager in the area where we make use of the showers, a checking station in our immediate area to see when bears start getting checked in and two other hunter's we have met over the years that reside in or near our hunting area.

Our schedules are really flexable and we have changed our trip a week or two in past years. A couple times however, even the last two weeks of the hunt have been too early with bad winters, lots of snow and cool springs.

We try to time it right, but would rather be a week later then a week to soon and have nothing out!!! I know if we are to late they get acculamated and start hanging in the heavy timber and becoming less active in the open during the day.

Last year was timed perfect. 5 for 5 bears and a total of 19 bears spotted durning the hunt and after we filled all the tags. Great camping and camera time after the tgs are filled.

Idaho bear is one of our hunts each year!!!

 

[twsnow18]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-13 AT 08:19PM (MST)[p]Awesome, sounds like you guys have it dialed then! It definitely cracks me up to see a lot of these NR's write off their seasons since they didn't draw a tag anywhere. Meanwhile they could come shoot a 160" buck, a 270-300" bull and 2 bears every single year in Idaho. Many of which during the rut.

It would definitely suck to make that trip too early and do an 11 day armed hiking trip. I think I may have read a story of yours somewhere or maybe seen a video about your bear trips? What general part of the state do you guys hunt?

 

[rmanwill]

Sent you a PM

 

[grizzly]

Agreed. Idaho has a great lack-of-point system. But I've already said that on the Idaho forum.

I have 11 Resident Utah points and still can't draw the bear tag I want, but I did just draw my first LE Bear tag in Idaho. Hunting spring Unit 32. It took me 10 years to draw, but I still like the purely random chance every year.

I am planning on going up there the 1st week of May. I heard that is the best time to be up there. Hopefully I hit it right since it is 400 miles from my house and that is a long way to pull a trailer if the bears aren't out.

Grizzly

PS. Tristate, please be an adult and respect my wishes that you do not respond to any of my posts. I, in turn, will do you the courtesy of not responding to any of yours. I simply do not wish to converse with you.

 

[twsnow18]

11 years is a lot of time to be putting in for a bear tag, to no avail. At least for me, that's a different story for a premium elk or deer tag, but a little ridiculous for bears.

Unit 32 is a tough tag to draw! I live about 20 miles south of there, you will find a good one. It's been warm so I think they should easily be out by then. I'll post a report back when I head out opening weekend.

 

[Zeke]

Boys, boys, boys

Did you ever think that Ut limits the bear tags because the population is ... well... a "F" load lower than the bear population in Idaho?

Points my azz.... twist it however you want but PLEASE don't ignore the facts.

PS: I've bear, deer, elk, mtn goat and sheep hunted (not all my tags) in Idaho and love it!!!!!!

Zeke

 

[twsnow18]

I agree with you, we have a lot more. So that is all the more reason for you guys to come up here and shoot 2 a piece. Rather than be bummed since you couldn't draw a tag with 150 points and not hunt.

 

[Zeke]

I like your style!
Zeke

 

[grizzly]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-21-13 AT 01:29PM (MST)[p]I've never hunted bears. I'm stoked to give it a whirl. Hopefully we'll find a big boar to rug out for my wife. She REALLY wants a bear rug ;-)

I could've drawn some other Utah bear tags with my points, but I want to hunt San Juan in the fall when the elk are bugling. I'll never get to hunt elk there during the rut, so I might as well use a bear tag as an excuse to enjoy the area.

twsnow18, thanks for watching out for the snow levels for me. If it melts off earlier, I'll definitely move my hunt up a week or two. Good luck getting a bear.

Grizzly

PS. Tristate, please be an adult and respect my wishes that you do not respond to any of my posts. I, in turn, will do you the courtesy of not responding to any of yours. I simply do not wish to converse with you.

 

[twsnow18]

Well thanks berrysblaster, I appreciate the kind words. The pissing matches on here do get old.

I wish people would post more stories and pictures but they are scared to because they blasted a 3 point. Read the Idaho boards during the Fall, now that is some entertainment.

 

[twsnow18]

I've never drawn the 32 tag, but from what I've heard is that you should have self control and don't shoot the first one you see.

Put in for a bull tag in one of the premier units in Idaho (40,44,45,54), it's probably not quite the San Juan tag but still an incredibly good hunt. You'll already have your license for your bear hunt, so what's another 6 bucks for an app fee for a 100% random draw LE tag.

Odds are in the 5% range if I remember correctly.

 

[rmanwill]

Like I said I have hunted bear in Idaho for years and done very well. I'm from Utah and still put in here for points knowing it will be years. But not a problem becuase I can hunt Idaho every year while waiting to hunt one in my home state.

Like said way less bears in Utah, but the limited draw bear hunt in Utah will give you a great chance for a trophey type bear.

Don't get me wrong, there is some pigs in Idaho, but hunting they every year gives a guy the chance to bag a few bears with out having to hold out and have the pressure of waiting a dozen years to draw.

One of this years I will be hunting bears in both Utah and Idaho. But until them I will be hunting them in Idaho every spring!!!

Good luck to you all and bag a bear.

 

[Zeke]

Hey, good luck to you all on the bear hunts this year. I'll be out chasing a bird (not quite as cool as a bear) so I'll stay closer to home.

berrysblaster, I talked with your dad and brother at the WHC expo. Where were you, sleeping in? I saw a cool video clip with uncle Tony killing his bull. Nice stuff!

Zeke

 

[twsnow18]

Good to hear. I just love to give you NR's guy's a little crap and brag that we get to hunt every year, although I would like to explore a few states nearby.

 

[orion23]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-25-13 AT 02:21PM (MST)[p]not that im going to disagree on the point thing.... but that isnt a good analogy. if we had bear points in Idaho, everyone would draw with 0 points. we have a lot of bears and tough country.

*************edit*********

....ok, i c someone already brought that up.

I agree come shoot some and buy a wolf tag while your at it. they are cheap too.

Travis
www.RidgelineOutdoors.com

 

[littlebighorn]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-26-13 AT 07:58AM (MST)[p]berry,
Many of us are too old to get in a pissin match because all we do is just dribble!!

By the way, I have 12 UT bear pts, but I just buy them for the fun. Some day I will hunt a Utah bruin where I want and when I want.

 

[UGAhunter]

I believe the mere existence of a point program increases demand.

I don't see what is so great about Idaho 32 and 22 controlled bear hunts, as you can hunt nearly the whole state with a general tag. When you look at Idaho records, only two record bears have been taken in Adams County, one in 1979 and one in 2010. Only one record bear in Washington county, that was in 2000! The harvest success rate is not even that high (in 2011 spring hunt 47% and 28% success in 22 a32, respectively). We average about 100% harvest rate in a general bear area every year. But, because 32 and 22 are controlled hunt HUNDREDS of people apply for those hunts when they could simply buy a tag and go hunt Boise county, where 17 record book bears have been harvested, or Idaho County where 13 book bears have been recorded.

If they made 23 (or any other unit for that matter) a draw unit, the same thing would happen and hundreds more people would start applying for that hunt, whereas they don't hunt it now. Heck, I bet if they made Unit 73 a controlled bear hunt, a hundred people would apply for 2 tags, and there are not even any bears there!!!!

There used to be very little interest in bear hunting in Utah, it was general hunting when I was a teenager. Then they moved to a bonus point system, and countless people that have never hunted a bear in their life apply for points, finally get a tag, and then don't have a clue how to hunt the bear.

Sorry, just a random rant post!

 

[grizzly]

I think people apply for the CH in Idaho is because they don't have to fight dogs and bait sites. I know that is why I do it.

Dogs and bait certainly improve your chance of finding a big boar, too.

Grizzly

PS. Tristate, please be an adult and respect my wishes that you do not respond to any of my posts. I, in turn, will do you the courtesy of not responding to any of yours. I simply do not wish to converse with you.

 

[UGAhunter]

Well, that would be a good reason. OTC units 1, 61, 62A, and 62 don't allow bait or dogs either, if your man enough to mingle with the Grizzly bears.

 

[Zeke]

I must agree with most of what UGAhunter is saying. I like points but I think it does draw everyone out of the wookwork. It probably doesn't make a lot of sense for bear in Idaho.

On this point I'll disagree; you said there wasn't much interest for Utah bear "when you were a teenager" and since we have no idea whether that was a month ago or a half century ago I'll simply answer with this thought. THE REASON THERE WAS LITTLE INTEREST _______ YEARS AGO IS BECAUSE WE HAD VERY FEW BEARS! You had me in your pocket until you made that point.

You can't compare the interest and population of today with yesteryear and I can speak with a bit of knowledge having been involved with bear hunting for well over 3 decades.

I did like your rant though,

Zeke

 

[UGAhunter]

Good point Zeke! I never hunted bears back then (25 years ago) either, but my buddy with hounds did a little bit. I think the fact that it is so hard in UT to get any permit, that people seek out things to apply for, like bears and turkeys, that they normally wouldn't even hunt. I used to always apply for a UT turkey tag. When I moved to ID, I get a turkey tag every year, but rarely go hunt them except when I take the kids out.