10 March What Spring Bear Season Means to a Seasoned Wrangler March 10, 2023By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Spring bear season Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts, Wrangler 0 March 20, 2023 is the first day of spring and this means Idaho spring bear season is right around the corner! Let me introduce myself, I'm Kelly Swingruber, my daughter (Tia) and I pack for Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters. I also manage the livestock. Simple right? Hmm, not so much! We run our livestock start to finish, so to speak, which means, we don't just buy broke stock and put them to work. We raise our stock. We find and buy the right brood stock and raise our replacement stock: mares, geldings, stallions, mules! Prior to the start of Idaho spring bear season, the young Darling Creek Livestock has to be started. They have to be started clear back when they are Lil kids on their Mommas, but when they get some years on ‘em, it gets serious. When Idaho spring bear season rolls around, the young stock needs to be trained enough to at least throw a blanket and pack saddle on, throw some pack bags on and be able to lead. Hopefully they are a little further along then that, but not always. Anyways….., before the official start of spring bear, we start setting baits and Idaho spring bear season means packing on Darling Creek colts in mud and remnants of snow and green bursting forth and an end to a long long looooong winter! When we brought the old pros (livestock) out of the back country the end of November 2022 in snow and cold, some of which were just started before spring bear 22, we came home to rest a little and to dream of the start of spring bear season. Well folks here it is almost spring, the dreaming is over and the long awaited “work” begins! The colts need saddled, the mules need shaved, the horses need shod, and thousands of pounds of bait needs set! Horses that were cute colts on their Mommas “just yesterday” now are stepping up to hopefully become “old pros”. Myself, I haven’t just been dreaming of spring and the back country and green grass for a winter, I’ve been dreaming of throwing my leg over these colts for 3 and 4 years. Dreaming of how great they could turn out to be! Spring also means a new crop of Darling Creek Livestock babies are just around the corner, more fodder to dream on! Yes, the first day of spring means Idaho spring bear season is almost here but to me, so much more! Not only new growth, new stock, new memories but also new hunters as well as return hunters of which some become friends and family. 2023 is going to be a great year! Contributed by Kelly Swingruber (Wrangler Extraordinaire) Related Posts 2020 Idaho Spring Bear Season Means Bear Baiting Season as Well! With the official opener of Idaho’s 2020 backcountry spring bear seasons just about 1 month away, now is the time to get prepared by getting your bear bait at an affordable price while supplies last. There are a lot of places to get bear bait, but only one place that can sell it as affordably priced as this. All our baits are priced at 20 cents per pound and are packaged in manageable sized packing from 35-pound buckets of peanut butter to 30 pound boxes of jellied candies. Spring Bear Season is Almost Here and There are a Few Spots Left Bookings for this years 2014 spring bear season have been brisk and we are grateful that so many hunters are putting their faith and hunting dollars in us and Idaho. That being said, we have just a few more spots left for this spring 2014 Idaho spring bear season. 2015 Idaho Spring Bear Season Begins with a Trophy Class Bear Our first official week of spring bear hunting in our backcountry unit 27 in Central Idaho began with a father son combo from Nebraska and when we went to sit a couple of baits within ear shot of each other, Cam (the son and youth hunter) and I were greeted by the sound of a rifle report just towards the end of legal light. With curiosity getting the best of us, we sprinted over to where his Dad Jeff had been sitting and he and his first year guide, Jacob Roy, were no where to be found. Idaho Spring Bear Season “Officially” Opens in Backcountry Units It is almost time for my second favorite time of year…spring bear season! It “officially” opens in many back country units like where we guide in the Middlefork zone on April 1st. I say officially as that is when it does open, but with this years late and heavy snowfalls, I am confident the bears will not be waking from their winter slumber for at least a few more weeks, at least at our elevations. Have You Got Your Bear Bait Ready for the Idaho 2023 Bear Hunting Seasons? Pretty pink, pretty blue, purple, orange, yellow, tan, chocolate, etc. does it really matter what the name is for bears to like it? The answer is obviously a resounding NO! If it is full of sugar and by default calories, bears are gonna love it and you will have success with this or almost anything edible as bear bait. The main questions in my mind are A) can I get enough of it in a consistent supply, B) can I even afford to feed it to bears and C) how do I keep from producing world record sized squirrels on my Granola, Trail mix, Honey Roasted Nut formula I am currently using? Idaho’s Spring Bear Season Officially Opens Today! Although it has been a mild winter, it still seems like it has been a long one waiting for spring bear season to finally arrive here in Idaho! April 1 is the “official” opener for many of the backcountry units, but in normal years the bears are still comfortably snuggled in their winter beds under feet of snow. Comment (0)