Gearing Up For Spring Bear Hunts & Odd Weather
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
How an unusual winter, wolves, and WGFD quotas can shape your experience for the better.
On a normal year, we are happy to get our bear baits out and operating the first week of May, due to snow depth and unstable ground. It can be hard on our horses to get through deep spring snow, and often downright impossible before then. But this year may be different. With all the warm weather and relative lack of snow, we could be looking at getting some of our bear baits out starting mid-April! That means that our baits may have an extra two weeks to attract new bears and reinforce their feeding habits making for a more effective bait site. There is a good chance we could be seeing more bears on camera this spring than in past years, and with the addition of several new baits, and an increased WGFD Spring Bear Quota in some of the areas we hunt, we could be looking at a record setting spring bear season.
Another pleasant side effect we may get to experience this year due to the odd winter we've had has to do with the elk. Since we have had such a mild winter, the elk really didn't even show up to the feedgrounds or their typical wintering grounds in full force. As the antler shedding season gets into full swing the bulls are scattered and are often higher up. This means that many of the sheds will be hidden in the higher country and the nooks and crannys that we are often hunting in. So if you are coming out to hunt with us this year, make sure you keep an eye out for shed antlers!
But wait, did you mention wolves? Yes. Keep in mind that when you are out hunting with us, there is always a chance you could see a wolf, and if you do, we encourage you to take it home with you. Wolves in our area are classified as a predator March 1st - October 14th. What that means is you can hunt them without a tag and no bag limit. Not only is this a great bonus to any hunt, it is free and a fun thing to look forward to. So when you're out here with us make sure you shoot straight and keep your eyes open for this great opportunity to manage one of the most interesting and effective predators in the west.
