Butch and Joan from our office have done a number of inspection hunts of this outfitter’s multiple operations and have taken mule deer and bears with this outfit. Lots of whitetails here too! Some decent mulies, too. And some elk, as well (Joan had a big bull tearing up the country right in the headlights of her ATV!)
A typical bear hunting day with this outfitter goes as follows: Up early, have breakfast, load up the hounds and head for the timber. Once the hounds strike a scent, they are released and, using collars with radio beacons, you can track the dogs, then intercept them at the nearest tote road into the forest. Then you hustle to the commotion, hoping the bear stays bayed up or treed. These hunts are high success and a lot of fun. And you can use any weapon you choose.
You also hunt the afternoons by sitting on the hillsides watching for bears entering the plum tree thickets on the valley floor. During the month of September, the wild plum trees fill every canyon on the ranch with some of the tastiest wild fruit around. Bears come from the surroundings mountains down to the ranch in order to fatten up for the winter. Those shots can be longish (up to 350 yards), so you are strongly urged to have shooting sticks or a bi-pod, and a gun of .30-06 or bigger caliber, with a 7MM Mag or .300 Mag about ideal. Most years the hounds produce better than the hillsides, but overall they have been averaging close to 100%.
Butch and Joan both passed up honest 6.5 foot bears as they wanted to shoot nothing but a big color phase. Several color-phase were sighted, but no shots were taken as nothing quite measured up to the 7’ standard they imposed on themselves. They observed bears wrestling (Butch watched two 6 ½ footers of about 300 pounds playfully mauling one another for over 20 minutes!). This country is near the famed Snake and Salmon Rivers, and this particular ranch is unique for its high bear numbers. Great spot and stalk hunting.
The outfitter hunts along the Lochsa River out of either a base camp with a series of basic cabins and a comfortable but not fancy base lodge; or you can do a second option of a tented wilderness hunt for 2 bears from tent outposts. He has a third hunt out of one of his two private land ranches, from lodges (again, nothing fancy), which has a one-bear limit with up to two turkeys. Spring hunts take place between mid-May and late June.
Like most baited black bear hunts, you only hunt in the afternoon, since this is when about 90% of the bear activity happens on the baits. They have tree stands and ground blinds set up weeks in advance so the bears have time to get used to the bait area, making them more likely to come in during the daylight hours. They run 2-3 bait sites per hunter, and normally establish each bait for well over a week before anyone hunts over it, in order to ensure the best chance possible at a nice mature bear. Baits are monitored with game cameras. To access the baits, they use vehicles and horseback. This is an any-weapon hunt, so one bear can be taken with a rifle and next with a bow, or even a pistol. On occasion they will do a mid-day hillside hunt to watch some open canyons that bears may be using to do some grazing earlier in the day. They also shoot 1 or 2 wolves most years, usually over a bear bait.
But they also have some great hounds. So if you want to hear hound music, and also be pretty dog gone sure of taking a bear, then this is a great hunt for you. With these two different tactics employed, on two separate areas, your odds of success really soar. We usually see around 95% opportunity on this hunt with about 90% success. The color phase on this hunt is about 60%, running from dark chocolate brown to cinnamon, blonde, and red. Average bears are from 5’10” to 6’6”, with some going 7 foot and larger. The bears also tend to be fatter this time of year, pushing them up into the 300-350 pound range, with some getting up to 400+ pounds.
Here’s a report from a previous client:
“Brian, the hunt could not have gone better. Below is a link to photos of my son’s bear, plus a short YouTube video. The outfitter organized things very well, and the guide/houndsmen were phenomenal. Helping a 13 year old boy with autism harvest a bear is no easy task. These guides did it seamlessly from start to finish. I would recommend them to anyone.”
This is an easy drive from Lewiston, Idaho, or about 2 to 3 hours from either Boise or Missoula. Butch felt it was the finest un-baited black bear hunt he personally had ever been on. No one can guarantee that you will see the same number or quality of animals, but we are confident there should be 100% opportunity on 6’ or better bears.
This is an excellent hunt and it usually sells out early, so please reserve early. Add 6% sales tax and 3% forest use fee to the price. Be prepared to shoot some long distances, or very close with the hounds, so a low power variable scope of say 2-7x or 3-9x works well. And a bipod or shooting sticks is in order. We think you should be able to shoot out to 250 yards, or a bit more. Some shots can be much less of course, and with hounds they may be under 30 yards! PRACTICE! If you want to see a bunch of bears, see some elk, some mulies, etc. too, and pop a big blackie, then this hunt is for you.
2024 PRICES (all prices subject to change without notice until deposit received)
BASE CAMP LODGE OR WILDERNESS TENT CAMP (UNIT 12)
The Lochsa River area they hunt is a wilderness area that has become overrun with bears and Idaho Game and Fish is allowing two bears to be harvested in the spring. They are almost giving the bear tags away at about $31.75 per tag. The hunt is over bait and is easily accessible via a long day’s drive from much of the US and the west coast. Hunting takes place in the Selway-Bitterroot country of central Idaho. There’s fishing nearby, too. All hunts are fully guided. Stay at the remote base camp cabins, or ride horseback a reasonable distance into the wilderness tent camps. You can use bow or rifle or pistol.
OUTFITTER SAYS:
“We do very well on this hunt at close to 90% success. Bears on this hunt average from 5’10” to 6’6” in length, we will take some each year getting up to 7 feet long, with our largest being 8 feet. The bears this time of year tend to weigh in around 200-300 pounds. We also average about 50% on color phase bears. This hunt is 5 days and includes all lodging and meals.”
Base Camp Wilderness Hunts: We have sent many clients on these Lochsa River area hunts. On these base camp hunts, you hunt afternoons over bait. Because you don’t get back to camp before 9 or 10 at night, morning is used to rest or maybe go fishing. The outfitter uses horses AND 4WD vehicles to reach the bear hunting areas. Normally you stay in the cabins and eat at the lodge if you are hunting from the river location. This base camp is modern with a house with bedrooms for twin beds, full kitchen and living room TV and showers. You drive a paved road to camp.
2025 SPRING BASE CAMP TWO-BEAR HUNT – $3,900 (all prices subject to change without notice). Observers $750.
WILDERNESS CAMP HUNTS – JUNE This differs from the base camp hunt. The outfitter utilizes classic, comfortable wall tents. Hunting is over well-maintained baits in the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness area. It’s a short two-hour horseback ride to camp. Outfitter states that this area is so vast and has such a high bear population that you have an opportunity to be able to take two bears in this unit. Some hunters have even taken two bears in the same evening.
A typical day involves a hunt in the afternoon with pick up sometime after dark depending on whether other hunters have bears down. You return to camp, have dinner, sack out and sleep late. Wake up, have a late breakfast and a late lunch before heading back to the stand. Stands are both ground blinds and elevated stands, depending on the bait location and choice of weapon (bow or gun). Taking two good bears is not a common event, but it happens every year to fortunate hunters. Most clients will get a chance at least at one bear, however. Consider the second bear a bonus and, besides, who wants to sit in camp?!
These are Monday-Friday hunts, but you can go forward or back a day or so if needed.
2025 SPRING WILDERNESS TWO-BEAR HUNT – $3,900. Observers $750.
• Two bears per hunter
• Hunt is over bait stands in evening (returning to camp after 9 or 10 pm)
• Low-country cabin accommodations or wall tents (wilderness hunts)
• Fully guided with two hunters per guide
• Meals and lodging furnished (bring a sleeping bag and a pad for cot)
• Color phase bears available
• Hunter safety required if born after Jan. 1, 1975
• Trout fishing in the river, if not flooding
THIRD TYPE OF HUNT – PRIVATE LAND: (UNITS 13 & 14) (Two camps: Joseph or Whitebird)
2025 SPRING PRIVATE LAND BEAR/TURKEY COMBO HUNT – $3,900. Observers $750
This is a great hunt as well. Over the years during elk season, they noticed the large number of bears on their two ranches, so about 10 years ago they started putting out some bear baits in the spring and it was a huge success. This led to a spring ranch bear hunt; this is a one-bear area and is a combo with up to 2 turkey tags. This hunt takes place in north-central Idaho on both their ranches in units 13 and 14; one camp can accommodate 4 hunters at a time and the other can accommodate 6.
Hunt Nation President Ed Manasse did this hunt in May of 2022. The scenery as you climb the dirt road switchbacks will take your breath away. We consider this private land area to be one of the most game rich areas we have ever seen, and we have seen plenty! We saw dozens of elk daily, same for whitetails and many Merriam’s turkey too. Everyone in camp had a chance at a bear, but weather was cold and damp and slowed bear movement. One gal took a 7’4” monster! Joan got a blonde with chocolate legs and head and a giant white patch. The Snake and Salmon rivers are also nearby.
Access to the baits is fairly easy, usually drive right up to them by 4-wheeler. This is an any-weapon hunt, so do archery, rifle or even pistol. As for success on the bear hunts, they do very well, around 95% success on this hunt, with opportunity reaching 100% most years. Average bears are from 5’10” to 6’6”, with some going 7 foot and larger. They also average about 50% on color phase bears. They range from dark chocolate brown to cinnamon, blonde, and red.
This hunt is 5 days and includes all lodging and meals. The two camps differ a bit with one a bit more rustic but with modern cabins (no water though- so use main cookhouse). Dish TV and great guides. The other camp has cabins with showers. You usually bear hunt only in the evenings and then turkey hunt in the mornings when the birds are coming off of roost, generally on your own because the guides are checking baits that time of day. In the evenings, they listen and can easily locate the birds so they can get you setup in the right place for the morning. There are lots of turkeys on the ranch (Merriam’s) and they rarely have trouble getting our clients at least one turkey during this hunt. You normally will need a SLEEPING BAG! Bear movement can be restricted by weather. You must be prepared to wait hours on stand. Or a bear can show up in 30 minutes or 7 hours later! Wear plenty of clothing, as it can get cold.
2025 SPRING 5-DAY LODGE BEAR/TURKEY COMBO HUNT. 2×1, but you can book solo.
Any weapon, 1 bear, baited hunt & up to 2 turkeys (tags not incl.) $3,900. Observers $750.
FOURTH TYPE OF HUNT – 2025 PRIVATE LAND FALL HOUND HUNT/SPOT & STALK HUNT $4,500 (UNIT 14). Observers $750.
You will go out in the morning and try to catch a bear with the hounds. Hounds make for some very exciting hunts and tend to be very successful with the heavy bear population on the properties. This hunt can be done by using any weapon you choose, could be rifle, bow, or even pistol. Then in the evenings, you will sit out on the hillsides and glass for bears walking into the plum thickets. The hillside hunts usually produce shots in the 200-400 yard range, so it’s strictly a rifle hunt. You hunt hillsides over canyons filled with the large wild plum orchards, which the bears come down to in the evenings. You will watch the bears cross the hillsides in search of the ripest fruit available, and then try to get within shooting range.
Outfitter says you usually see around 95% opportunity on this hunt, with about a 90% success. The color phase on this hunt is about 60%, running from dark chocolate brown to cinnamon, blonde, and red. Average bears are from 5’10” to 6’6”, with some going 7 foot and larger. The bears also tend to be fatter this time of year, pushing them up into the 300-350 pound range, with some getting up to 400+ pounds. This hunt is 5 days and all lodging and meals are included.
CLIENT REPORTS:
“I did see a couple of bears, one really, really big one! But I did not attempt the archery shot. Overall though, the country was AMAZINGLY beautiful, the lodge and the food were great, and the guides and the cooks were second to none! I truly had one of the best weeks of my life. I’m not disappointed in the least that I didn’t shoot a bear. The experience was wonderful! Thank you for setting me up on another awesome hunt. I’m really looking forward to the archery antelope hunt coming up in September.” – Bob
“Butch, Thank you for sending me on this bear hunt. It exceeded every single expectation I had. If I could change anything, I would not!! My 73-yr old Dad took a great bear with a nice white V on its chest. I saw blonde bears, cinnamon bears, chocolate bears, but not a single black one!! Unbelievable. My guide was superb, everyone was friendly, helpful and worked long and hard. The best hunt-Thanks!” – Mike M.
“My own first bear hunt was with this long time outfitter, although Hunt Nation has worked with them for years. I found the guides and camp folks to be uniformly personable and very willing to go the extra mile. There were 4 of us in camp. Two of us killed, and one guy wounded one that was not recovered. The fourth guy left early. I saw two bears and took a very nice blackie, and saw another. I had a ball!” – Adam. M.
FALL BLACK BEAR HUNTS:
The hunting takes places in northern Idaho, at the base of the Panhandle. This is an easy drive from Lewiston, Idaho, or about 2 to 3 hours from either Boise or Missoula. No one can guarantee that you will see high numbers or quality of animals, but we are confident there should be close to 100% opportunity.
This hunt usually sells out early, so please reserve early. Add 6% sales tax and 3% forest use fee to the price. Be prepared to shoot some long distances, or with the dog hunts you will be very close with the hounds, so a low power variable scope of say 2-7x or 3-9x works well. And a bipod or shooting sticks is in order for long range. We think you should be able to shoot out to 250 yards, or a bit more. Some shots can be much less of course, and with hounds they may be under 30 yards! PRACTISE! If you want to see a bunch of bears, see some elk, some mulies, etc. too, and pop a big blackie, then this hunt is for you.
His operation is on the lower end of the price range, especially if you consider that offer you a full day of hunting, not just an afternoon hunt over bait. Hounds are expensive to care for. Many bear hunts are more expensive and you may only get afternoons to hunt. This doubles your odds with hounds. He keeps the price reasonable, but do not expect all the bells and whistles. And bear numbers vary as does weather, so be reasonable with your expectations. The food and lodging here is simply adequate, and success is good and the price is very fair! If you want luxury or more amenities, please let us know as we have many choices to assist you with.
2024 PRICES (all prices subject to change without notice until deposit received)
$4,500 per person, 2×1 guiding for 5-day hunt, including guiding, meals and lodging. Observers/non-hunters are $750. Please add 6% Idaho State Sales Tax to all fees. Price does not include License (approx. $170) or Bear Tag (approx. $190). The tags are over-the-counter and are guaranteed, so NO DRAWS to enter!
