Units take season dogs prohibited dog training notes 1 aug 30 oct 31 apr 15 june 15 jan 1 dec 31 none bait and dogs prohibited, caution. Montana bear hunting outfitters bob marshall wilderness. The best bear hunting usually happens later in the season, and thats likely to be even truer this year. We truly have the best bear hunting in the state of montana. Since montana winters are sometimes long, and the snowmelt is late, we have you come as late in the spring as possible, enabling us to access the areas. This year i am spending some time out glassing for the elusive black bear. And montana fish, wildlife and parks, our wildlife management agency, notes our area as being the best black bear hunting in the entire state. Headlamp bring extra batteries or two headlamps camera. During this time, the bears are just coming out of hibernation in search of lush, tender feed. Montana offers the block management program, a system designed to encourage private property owners and land management agencies to allow free public hunting. Montana bear hunting, montana bear hunts, rick wmple outfitting. Youll get plenty of opportunity to work on these skills, which are essential for any type of hunting out west.
We have taken fall black bears during our early season rifle hunts in september and october, although this can vary due to snow pack. Guided spring bear hunts montana stockton outfitters. Camping on public ground and trying to help manage the black bear populations. A 350lb 159kg black bear will dress out at about 210 lbs 95 kg, yielding about 120 lbs 54 kg of meat. Fall season starts september 15th and runs until elk deer rifle season ends. Jay joins friends in montana to try long range bear hunting. Springtime in montana is amazing with warm, but not too hot, temperatures, sunny days, and cooler nights. Tips and tactics for a diy western spring black bear hunt. Here you will enjoy spacious rooms, comfortable queen size beds and hot showers. For states lucky enough to have a spring bear season, being surrounded by the green grasses of april can seem like a different world compared to the orange and yellow foliage. This northwest corner of montana has some of the highest populations of black bears in the lower 48 states. Black bear harvest research and management in montana 2011 final paper. White river hunt 741, season april 1 may 31 bear densities are good, especially in forested areas of the unit. Please see the section on hound hunting rules on page 101.
Otherwise, the hunting season is open at this time. Larger bear in montana also come out later in the spring. Our spring bear hunts start april 15th and ends june 15th. We encourage hunters to buy a bear tag if they are booking a fall elk deer hunt. The higher elevation units close later with unit 6 open through june 30. Cabin fever is a great motivator, as are turkey season and bear season. Accommodations during your montana bear hunt will be either a comfortable backcountry wall tent camp or provided by the lodge at lolo hot springs. After the days hunt and a hearty meal you can enjoy a relaxing soak in the lodges private hot spring pools. They take a great deal of pride in their abilities. Hey folks, im a montana hunting newbie here but have the itch to plan a spring black bear hunt next year.
Spring black bear season to close in bear management unit 700. Snowmelt and green grass is a sign of spring, and with spring comes bear hunting here in montana. An average bear is 6 feet, and our largest we have taken is 72 we hunt one. We have a very large hunting area, which offers a lot of different types of terrain the hunting area includes app. Spring bear hunting season open april 15 montana hunting. Spring bear hunting started april 1 in western oregon, hoodwhite river units and the w blue mtns. The swan valley is one of the few areas in montana that remains open for black bear hunting until may 31st. Bobcat season may close earlier when the quota is reached. Apr 14, 2019 montanas spring black bear hunting season opens april 15 and its important for hunters to refresh themselves on tips for identifying the difference between black bears and grizzly bears. Our eleventh day bear hunting took us back into the backcountry of western montana for.
Nonresident hunting seasons for spring turkey and black bear have been suspended until at least april 24 out of concerns related to the covid19 pandemic. Montanas neighbor to the west also provides some of the best spring black bear hunting in the united states. Black bear hunting in montana absarokabeartooth outfitters. Idaho and montana are my goto states for spring bears. Spring turkey season, which begins april 11, and spring black bear season, which begins april 15, will still be open to resident hunters. The 2016 dates for common snipe will be determinedfinalized at the august. This was my first year hunting spring bear and i couldnt have asked for it to go any differently. Some components of road hunting black bear from the passenger or driver turret position are not. Montana spring black bear hunts with bullseye outfitting. Lower elevation areas of the unit are great for spot and stalk hunting. Montana spring black bear time of season hunt talk. From my research so far, region 1 in the nw corner seems to. Black bears can vary in color from jet black to white.
With the heaviest snowfall in decades, montanas spring bear season has been off to a slow start. Elk hunting, deer, bear, mt lion montana guided hunts. This lodge based hunt combines the mobility and the flexibility to hunt the entirety of. We take pride in harvesting older age class bears that are. In the spring these animals are very active, and hunters can focus on hunting bears exclusively without the distraction of hunting elk and deer. Spring black bear season to close in bear management unit. Hunting is done by glassing these slopes and logging roads. Idaho offers black bear hunting opportunities in both the spring and the fall. Montana spring black bear hunts wayne hill outfitting. Top 10 reasons to do a spring bear hunt in montana gohunt. Montana spring black bear hunts with bullseye outfitting in. Oregon offers a spring and fall bear hunting season.
Montana hunting seasons, 20192020 hunting season hq. Mar 20, 2019 montanas neighbor to the west also provides some of the best spring black bear hunting in the united states. As your montana spring black bear hunting outfitter, we conducted our hunts in the area 280 during the second week of june. Baiting and dogs are not allowed for hunting bear in montana. The season opened on april 15th but access was about impossible until the last few weeks. I have been out evenings and weekends but have not seen a single bear, and only a few piles of fresh scat. Hey everyone new to the forums but planning my second montana black bear hunt in a few weeks. Spring hunt june 1 june 30th, 2020 fall hunt august 31october 15, 2020 timber wolf may be taken on bear tag in fall references. With every variation of colorphase black bears brown, cinnamon, chocolate, brown, blonde and red it is a great opportunity to harvest a truly amazing black bear.
Spring is showing signs of life in the rockies as snow melts, cabin fever loosens its grip and bears wake from their dens. Montanas spring black bear hunting season opens april 15 and its important for hunters to refresh themselves on tips for identifying the difference between black bears and grizzly bears. Since 2000, the best trophy county in the state has been idaho county. Rawhide guide service llc po box 64 white sulphur springs, mt 59645. Feb 07, 2018 jay joins friends in montana to try long range bear hunting. C lick here to see more montana bear hunting photos. This information coupled with the amount of public land can allow you to pick a unit where you find bears and have a. All hunting is done over established baits with rifle or bow in the mountains. Apr 29, 2017 spring offers a few motivating reasons to get out into the woods here in montana. These dates are provided only as a general reference. Spring black bear hunting on private land is fair chase, spot and stalk. But state parks, fishing access sites, and wmas remain open. Spring hunting seasons for black bear opened on april 15 throughout the idaho panhandle region.
This information coupled with the amount of public land can allow you to pick a unit where you find bears and have a chance at killing one usually within less than. Spring black bear hunting at trapper micks is five weeks, from may 9 to june 15, 2020. Pelts are prime at this time of year and make for the best rugs or lifesize mounts. Montana bear hunts hells aroarin outfitters gardiner mt. Click on the calendar icon in the table s to see the date setting process for each specieshunting season. Our black bear hunting area approaches 500 square miles. Montana black bear hunting regulations require that all black bear hunters be tested to ensure they can spot the subtle differences between black bears and grizzly bears. I see far more bears there than anywhere else, even though i live in wyoming, which also offers good spring bear hunting. Hunt black bear at white mountain outfitters in montana. Thats right, the same for residents and nonresidents. The best time for bear hunting is in may, june, september or october. Spring bear season starts april 15th in and runs until may 31st. Montana spring bear hunting season open april 15 outdoor. The season begins in and around may and runs thru the middle of june we notify you when the bears are very active which can be later may till the end of june bear hunting season.
Fall black bear hunting is offered as part of our wilderness archery and rifle hunting combination packages. Our eleventh day bear hunting took us back into the backcountry of western montana for 3 days of spot and. Season 2 of montana wild kicks off with a spotandstalk montana spring black bear hunt. Spring bear hunts wyoming outfitter, greys river, wy.
Nonresident spring turkey and black bear hunting suspended. The best spring hunting locations in the us gander outdoors. One of the benefits of bear hunting is the vast amount of time i spend glassing the hills. Though elk is the priority species in a combination hunt, having a black bear tag would allow you the opportunity, if presented, to harvest a black bear. Montana spring bear season starts april 15th and runs until may 15th. Mar 31, 2020 otherwise, the hunting season is open at this time.
Black bear hunting information, alaska department of fish. Odfw spring bear hunting forecast odfw conservation. It is not uncommon to see a black bear while hunting for elk and deer. Spring black bear season is open from midapril to midmay.
An average bear is 6 feet, and our largest we have taken is 72 we hunt one on one, on horseback and hiking. Montana has a fair chase law, which prohibits the use of dogs or bait. Despite healthy bear numbers, success rates have been fairly low in the spring season. Planning to go into the bitterroot and glassing up south and east facing slopes. This isnt to say there isnt excellent bear hunting in other places, but these are locations i return to time after time for a spring hunt. A hunter must present a passing certificate from the black bear identification test to purchase a black bear tag. They are fully qualified in both archery elk hunting and rifle hunting. Spring hunts take place from may 1 june 5 or until the quota fills.
Montana bear hunting, montana bear hunts, rick wmple. Spring offers a few motivating reasons to get out into the woods here in montana. Fwp suspends nonresident spring turkey, black bear seasons. We drive our to the hunting areas in 4x4 trucks each morning. Montana bear hunting trips linehan outfitting company. Spring black bear hunts are in the bridgerteton national forest of wyoming. Jan 26, 20 season 2 of montana wild kicks off with a spotandstalk montana spring black bear hunt. Many montana bears color phase and there have been beautiful chocolate and cinnamon colored. Black is the color encountered most frequently across the state, but brown or cinnamoncolored black bears are sometimes seen in southcentral alaska and on the southeastern mainland. Click on the calendar icon in the table s to see the date setting process for each species hunting season. You can comment on proposals at public meetings or through the surveys below. We are a montana outfitter and guide service providing firstrate big game hunts for elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, and black bear, in northwestern montana. The black bear population in this portion of the rockies comes in various shades of black, brown, cinnamon and honey colors.
Bear hunting trips, fall, spring bear hunts, big trophy bear. All bear hunts in montana are spot and stalk type of hunts. A limited number of sw oregon spring bear tags are sold on a firstcome, firstserve basis and usually sell out in early february while the fall hunt is entirely otc. Glassing and stalking is a big part of bear hunting. Bear id test montana black bear hunting regulations require that all black bear hunters be tested to ensure they can spot the subtle differences between black bears and grizzly bears. Wyoming spring bear hunting, wy spring bear hunt, wyoming. According to montana fish, wildlife and parks mtfwp it has a good population of bears in the southern part of the county. Stockton outfitters provides fully guided spring black bear hunts in south western montana from our base camp. I have been out evenings and weekends but have not seen a. But state parks, fishing access sites, and wmas remain open for day use only, with camping prohibited. Rifle scope cover neoprene recommended ammunition two box minimum binoculars guide will have a rangefinder knife. The spring bear hunts are conducted out of our lodge. Mar 31, 2019 with the heaviest snowfall in decades, montana s spring bear season has been off to a slow start.