Our Spring Bear Hunt Story, Tactics, & Gear

The spring bear hunting season is such a great time to get into the mountains. Each year, we look forward to backpacking in the Idaho mountains in search of bears.

Having just returned from a successful hunt, Mark, Steve & Justin share the hunt story, some bear hunting tactics and strategies, and notable gear notes from their experience.

You can hear all of that in Episode 579 of the Hunt Backcountry Podcast, along with more photos, links, and resources below...

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HUNTING TACTICS & STRATEGIES

For some general advice on hunting spring bears, check out the recent Q&A with Justin, as he answers questions about Finding, Judging, and Hunting Spring Black Bears.

Specifically from this recent hunt, here are some of the bear hunting strategies, tactics, and takeaways that stood out…

Glassing Discipline — The guys found Mark’s bear during the heat of the afternoon, in a spot that didn’t look like ideal bear habitat from a distance. Consistent glassing is vital, even during "off" hours. And don’t just look in the spots that you expect bears to be. Look over as much country as you possibly can.

Reading Bear Behavior — Justin noted that younger bears tend to move quickly and "bounce around," whereas mature boars take their time when moving. In the podcast (above), you can hear the guys describe how their observations watching the movement of two different bears gave them clues about the age (and size) of those bears.

A “Just Go” Mindset — To close the distance and create a shot opportunity on the bear they killed, the guys had to drop 1,500’ off a mountain, cross a waterway, and climb up an incredibly steep spine ridge to get in position above the bear they originally spotted from well over a mile away. Instead of saying it was too far or would take too long, they had a “just go” mindset and committed to turning a distant bear sighting into a notched tag.

Patient Persistence — After getting into shooting range of where they last saw the bear (over 90 minutes prior), the guys stayed patient and persistent, trusting that the bear was still in the brush where they last spotted him, and that a shot opportunity would happen if they didn’t force it. The aggressiveness of their “just go” mindset quickly turned into calculated patience, which ultimately led to a perfect shot opportunity.

GEAR & TECHNICAL TAKEAWAYS

Tripod & Chassis Setup — Mark took his shot while seated on a steep, loose sidehill, with an awkward crossed angle to the bear. Getting stable in this position would have been incredibly difficult if he hadn’t had a full-length ARCA rail on this rifle, along with a tripod setup that supported the rifle well. The guys shot a shooting setup video while out on this hunt, so look for that on the Exo YouTube Channel soon.

Mark and Steve both shot with the brand new Expedition Chassis from MTNGear, which is proving to be a great option for hunters who want an ultralight folding chassis. In the future, they will share more information and a comparison to the XLR and MDT chassis that they have been using for years.

22 Creedmoor + 80-grain ELD-M — This was Mark’s first hunt using the 22 Creedmoor, and the results were nothing short of impressive. Justin, who has been on 20+ successful bear hunts, said that this was probably the fastest he had seen any bear die. If you want to learn more about terminal performance from small calibers, check out this podcast series: Part 1, Part 2.

Image-Stabilized Spotting Scope — They got a chance to borrow the Swarovski AT Balance image-stabilizing spotting scope for this hunt. After previously discussing that they weren’t sure how beneficial an image-stabilized spotter would be, this hunt was a great way to prove that there certainly are advantages to a stabilized spotter. Not only were they able to hand-hold the spotter for quicker glassing, but the stabilized spotter also proved to be beneficial to “smooth out” adjustments made while the spotter was tripod-mounted.

T-Satellite Connectivity — No signal? No problem. The speed and reliability of sending messages (including photos!) over T-Satellite was impressive. Steve and Mark both experienced fast and reliable connectivity, which is a double-edged sword. The guys used to think that an InReach would become obsolete in 5 years, but with the rate at which integrated satellite technology is improving, it could be much sooner than that.

Pack Performance — The day after killing the bear, the guys completed the 8-mile pack out with pack weights ranging from 75-85lbs. That is quite a bit of weight over the mileage, but with a pack that is well-designed, properly loaded, and adjusted to fit your body, a heavy packout doesn’t have to be painful.