Folks,

Got back from an Idaho bear hunt yesterday. Tagged out on Friday. The hunt took place along the North and Middle forks of the Boise River. Hunted with Chris Korell of Korell Outfitters. I had hunted with in the Fall of 2003, but didn't take one for various reasons, but had a couple of opportunities.

This year the weather was abominable. It rained and rained and rained. The road washed out up stream from us on Monday night, isolating the mining camp of Atlanta. The ended up helicoptering out a few medical patients on Thursday and got an emergency caravan over the James Creek road (snowed in) to the town that day as well.

The rivers were awesome! Being a rafter I wished I had my boat and another float buddy. I had loved to bear hunt the mornings and evenings and float that water mid-day.

Anyway, because of all the rain the dogs we unable to strike. I sat on bait a couple of nights. Saw a small bear the first night, but none the second. There was a wolf biologist wandering around below me the night I didn't see anything and I'm sure that's why nothing came in that night.

Anyway on Friday the weather finally broke and we struck a bear about 9:30. It ran about a mile and treed in the bottom of a hollow in a big spruce tree.

It's a nice medium sized bear. An old dry sow.






-Steve

Here's a photo from the Idaho Statesman that shows the washout:

Congratulations, Steve. Glad you scored. I know that James Creek area fairly well and that is good bear and elk country. Rough but good.

Saw on teeeveee that the road had wshed out. Atlanta can be a hard place to get to at times, and it appears that was one of them.

L.W.

Congratulations Steve: Good work! That is a fine looking beast. I would love to hunt black bears with dogs.

When I lived in California years ago I would occassionaly run into folks that had bear hunting hounds..I must have been too broke to hire them at that time, because God knows I wanted to go chase them.

What type of gun and bullets were you using? I have only hunted hogs with hounds, and that was extremely exciting...I bet it is a lot of fun chasing bears with hounds! Tell us how hard it was...Congratulations again..

Nice bear! I may elect to hound hunt next year when I go for bear here in Michigan. We have very thick cedar swamps which are ideal for this method of hunting.

rwj and Ann,

Thanks!

I endeed up using my 300 HH. Not that I needed that much gun, but it's lighter than my Ruger 30-06.

Last time I hunted wht these guys, it was the most physically demanding hunt I've ever done. Everything is up hill (both ways ) and high (for this flat lander) altitude (5000 to 8000 feet). That time we literally ran after the dogs for four days in 80+ degree temps.

This time it was much different. Because of the rain there was a bunch of riding and a few long walks with dogs, but very little fresh sign and fewer strikes.

Not that the bears weren't there, just that everyhing washed away every couple of hours. Lot's of scat piles.

So not too physically demanding. The hardest part was hauling her out of the hole she was in and I had the vastly lighter load.

-Steve

Steve-Congratulations..I love that area and used to hunt it all the time for Elk.Queens River/Black Warriour Creek and Crooked River used to be some of the best Elk Hunting in Idaho.The Middle Fork of the Boise was and maybe still is one of the best trout fishing waters in Idaho, atleast it was.Many fond memories of Atlanta and especially the trail over to Grandgean and some awesome country right in the middle of the Sawtooths.

Glad you enjoyed Idaho...

Jayco

Congratulations, Steve,

I hope I have as much luck in Idaho in June.

Steve

Jay,

Black Warrior was where the wash-out was. Lukily we were camped at Alexander Flats. It is beautiful and we saw lots of elk. Hope that the wolves don't devistate the heards. A pack was dened up in the Roaring River head waters drainage and Chris has seen them along the N. and Mid. Forks the last few winters.

SKL,

Hope the best of luck for you! Let us all know how you do, when you get back.

-Steve

Will do,

Steve