Spring bear season provides a commonly overlooked opportunity to hunt big game after the wintertime lull. As the mountains thaw and green up, bears emerge from hibernation and resume their quest for a full belly. Entire autumn hunting seasons can pass without a single bear sighting, but spring bears are usually more visible and easier to locate. With a few simple guidelines and some effort this spring, you will see bears and maybe even secure some delicious wild game meat.  

Spring Locations

The most common spring bear seasons are offered in AK, AZ, ID, MT, OR, UT and WY. Non-residents (or residents for that matter) would do well to focus on Alaska, Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming for strong bear populations and available tags. Alaska, Idaho, and Wyoming allow baiting. With a bit of research, you’ll find a state that fits your needs and hunting style.

Scouting & Hunting Techniques

‍Baiting, calling, and spot and stalk are the primary hunting techniques for bear. A favorite for many is a hybrid of spot and stalk with calling mixed in. This is a straightforward way to bear hunt and is a technique that many big game hunters are familiar with. A successful game plan consists of finding areas frequented by bears that offer high visibility. Find vantage points, or “lookouts.” Digital scouting platforms and topo maps are extremely useful for this. Rocky outcroppings and knobs that overlook avalanche chutes, open hillsides, meadows and intermittently burned landscapes should be areas of focus. Pick locations where you can see as much country as possible.

Early in the season, scout each likely area until you see fresh sign of bears. Look for scat, tracks, churned ground and disturbed logs and rocks. Once you are convinced bears are in the area, goto your nearest “lookout” and get comfortable. Glass this country for a few days before changing locations. During this early season, bears frequent the same locations as they readjust and ease out of hibernation.

Later in the season, around late May, and early June, bears transition to elk calving and deer fawning areas to capitalize on this source of protein. During this phase, find deer and elk and you’ll find bears. While at your lookouts mix in fawn and calf in distress calls in hopes of enticing a bear to investigate your location. As June progresses, and with some seasons still open, you can hunt the “Bear Rut.” During this mating season boars travel widely to locate receptive sows.

Spend most of your time behind binoculars actively looking for bears in areas where the terrain allows you to move quickly. Many times, spotting a bear is the easy part, but closing the distance to make a shot becomes a real challenge due to natural obstacles ranging from canyons and rivers to head-high brush and dense forests.

Gear

Any appropriate deer or elk rifle and bullet combination that you can accurately shoot will do the trick. One good choice for bear and all other big game is a 7mm Remington Magnum with 140-grain monolithic bullets. More important than caliber is shot placement. Don’t forget that a bear’s vitals are slightly farther back toward the center of the body than when compared to ungulates. And remember that under all that fur is a small target to hit for a quick kill.

Quality binoculars in the 10x range with a tripod are a must. For extremely long-distance glassing, a spotting scope is helpful, though not essential.

Be ready for wet weather. Quality raingear, boots and tents are a must, as spring weather can change rapidly.Finally, don’t forget a good book for those slower times of the day.

Spring bear hunting is a treat for the passionate big game hunter. The sights and sounds of the spring woods are rejuvenating. Life is returning; birds are migrating back, trees are budding, and the days are long. If you put in the time, effort and adhere to the above guidelines, you will likely see bears and maybe even fill a big game tag early in the year—before your friends even dust off their rifles.

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