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Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

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Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 03 07, 2022 •  [Post 1]

Pretty sure all you idaho residents on here are further south, but figured id double check. Looking for a secure place up north, like priest river, sandpoint, bonners ferry etc to drop off my atv trailer for a few days in may while i scout out road conditions in my truck, mark spots that ill be able to turn around etc. Dont want to end up having to back 3 miles down a logging road with a trailer. Dont really want to have to go all the way back to colville after a few days to get my quad either. Just thought id ask.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 04, 2022 •  [Post 2]

:?
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 04, 2022 •  [Post 3]

Dean, isn’t Machias on Hunt WA from N ID?
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 05, 2022 •  [Post 4]

Down south a good deal further i believe
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 05, 2022 •  [Post 5]

Sounds like ive found a place to stash my atv trailer near bonners ferry for a few days. Just picked up a new yamaha grizzly xtr today too. Got lucky, not a lot available, like so many other things right now. Took it for a little spin in the dnr land across the road. Pretty sweet machine.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby 7mmfan » 05 06, 2022 •  [Post 6]

Enjoy. Have a good time in ID and hope you whack a few meat eaters.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby Lefty » 05 08, 2022 •  [Post 7]

wawhitey wrote:Pretty sure all you idaho residents on here are further south, but figured id double check. Looking for a secure place up north, like priest river, sandpoint, bonners ferry etc to drop off my atv trailer for a few days in may while i scout out road conditions in my truck, mark spots that ill be able to turn around etc. Dont want to end up having to back 3 miles down a logging road with a trailer. Dont really want to have to go all the way back to colville after a few days to get my quad either. Just thought id ask.

There is always a place to turn around, old landings. and whn desperate, unload the atv,, back the trailer over the edge, secure the trailer.
Find a place to turn the truck around,,,, go back,,,,,,,,,
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
And sometimes three miles isnt bad :oops: :oops: :oops:
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 08, 2022 •  [Post 8]

Heading over tomorrow to take a peek around
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 09, 2022 •  [Post 9]

wawhitey wrote:Heading over tomorrow to take a peek around


Good luck, safe travels.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 10, 2022 •  [Post 10]

Man the weather yesterday was foul. Torrential downpours, and hail that i seriously thought would make my truck look like a golf ball. Today, wild erratic winds. So instead of hiking and calling i just sat guard on a small cut that looked promising. No bears, but holy hell did i see a lot of muleys. Lost count after about twenty. Hoping the wind is a bit less crazy tomorrow. I need to do some calling. Havent killed a bear in almost 9 months. Just ate a pint jar of bear in front of a nice campfire. Hopefully i see some action tomorrow, but it seems boundary county is always a month behind northeast washington. Like its still april here.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 15, 2022 •  [Post 11]

Heading back in the morning. Going to an area ive never been. Looks promising on google earth. Anybody else out chasing bears, wolves, lions in idaho?
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby 7mmfan » 05 15, 2022 •  [Post 12]

Looks like the weather is working over that part of the state again today.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 15, 2022 •  [Post 13]

Yeah, not a lot of pleasant weather in the forecast but im just going to go embrace the suck and get some hunting in. Keep at it until i call something in. Just hoping for no grizz. Knowing theyre around makes cold calling a little spooky, not gonna lie.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 17, 2022 •  [Post 14]

Found a can of bear spray in he woods, looks chewed up. Punctures and dents.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby 7mmfan » 05 17, 2022 •  [Post 15]

Now just start looking for whats left of the person that it belonged to.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby wawhitey » 05 24, 2022 •  [Post 16]

Well, still in idaho. FINALLY found a bear a half hour or so ago, but its a sow with 2 cubs. So ive been sitting here just watching them, and my phone chirps at me. Its one of my cell cams at my house, just sent me this pic from my back yard. This is the 3rd time its sent me bear pics in the last week while ive been hunting bear out of state.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle residents?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 24, 2022 •  [Post 17]

Flippant bears. Good luck in the spud state.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 05 25, 2022 •  [Post 18]

Nice boar today. Waiting out 8 or 9 hours of rain and heavy fog paid off. As soon as the sun burned the fog off i found this guy. Not my usual weapon or my usual bear hunting methods, but being spring season wanted to be extra careful to make sure to not mess up and shoot a sow with cubs. Also, grizz country. So cold calling seemed like playing with fire. So the plan was spot n stalk, get inside about 200, and then call a bear in. Well, found this guy from a little over a mile away with my binos. Got over there and everything was perfect to get to where id seen him. Ended up accidentally sneaking in closer than i intended. Had a perfect frontal chest shot opportunity at 80 yards, and he looked good. Figured it would be foolish to mess with the call. I took the opportunity. One shot with the .308 and he ran maybe 30 yards and was down.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 26, 2022 •  [Post 19]

Looks like a nice coat and a big head. Will make good chili.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby Swede » 05 26, 2022 •  [Post 20]

Nice bear. Congratulations.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 05 28, 2022 •  [Post 21]

He had one funky front claw
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby Tigger » 05 31, 2022 •  [Post 22]

I dare you to undercook it! :o

Nice one and well earned!
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 06, 2022 •  [Post 23]

Went to sleep way too early and now ive been up all night, thinkin. If i can get a few hours of sleep i have an urge to head to idaho this afternoon, buy a second bear tag, and see if i cant get it done in unit 4. Not too optimistic that i can make it happen in a bait / hound unit, but what the hell, why not try? Got nothin to lose i guess, except gas money. Another week bear hunting doesnt sound too terrible, even if i come up empty handed.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 06, 2022 •  [Post 24]

Do it. Like you said, what do you have to lose?
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 06, 2022 •  [Post 25]

Arrived in shoshone county this afternoon, 2nd bear tag acquired on the way. Found a chunk of woods ive never been in that sure looks like good bear habitat. Saw a lone elk and several muleys and a bobcat track in the mud but thats all. Maybe tomorrow will bring some excitement. Or the next day. Or the day after that.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 06 07, 2022 •  [Post 26]

wawhitey wrote:Arrived in shoshone county this afternoon, 2nd bear tag acquired on the way. Found a chunk of woods ive never been in that sure looks like good bear habitat. Saw a lone elk and several muleys and a bobcat track in the mud but thats all. Maybe tomorrow will bring some excitement. Or the next day. Or the day after that.


That's a great part of the state up there. Good luck on your Idaho bear #2!
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 07, 2022 •  [Post 27]

With the sun out the next couple days, I bet they'll be out and moving. Good luck, knock some more chili down.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 09, 2022 •  [Post 28]

Well no success, and 4 days of foul weather coming. I did finally find a promising area in another unit, and watched a sow with a yearling cub for an hour or so, and saw about a million elk, mostly cows but 2 dink bulls and one bull thats already a big ol bastard, with still a month of growth to go. I may go back for a last minute effort on the 14th and 15th when the weather is supposedly going to be favorable. Kind of on the fence about that. Driving out of state to hunt just 2 days with $5 gas, plus i have to hit the road on the 17th and head to alaska, so if i get a bear on the 15th id be a busy boy my last day or two at home. Honestly, im probably going to go, even though i know i probably shouldnt, because im some sort of idiot.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 09, 2022 •  [Post 29]

No you're dedicated, theres a difference. You need that kind of negativity Dean shake it off!
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 09, 2022 •  [Post 30]

Im not an idiot, im just dedicated. Im not an idiot, im just dedicated. Im not an idiot, im just dedicated.... ill keep repeating that to myself for the next few days.

You, sir, are a bad influence.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 06 09, 2022 •  [Post 31]

wawhitey wrote:Im not an idiot, im just dedicated. Im not an idiot, im just dedicated. Im not an idiot, im just dedicated.... ill keep repeating that to myself for the next few days.

You, sir, are a bad influence.


Good luck brother. That would be an accomplishment to double up on ID bears.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 09, 2022 •  [Post 32]

7mmfan wrote: Good luck, knock some more chili down.



You must have talked to chris. Chili aint the only thing i do with my bear meat. But i do have to admit, i make some fantastic chili. :lol:
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 09, 2022 •  [Post 33]

wawhitey wrote:
7mmfan wrote: Good luck, knock some more chili down.



You must have talked to chris. Chili aint the only thing i do with my bear meat. But i do have to admit, i make some fantastic chili. :lol:



I did talk to Chris, he said the chili was phenomenal. One of my favorite meals is chili. I'd eat it every day if I could. Some of the best backstrap I've ever had was the bear I killed a couple years back though. I'm serious about killing at least one this year. I just need the weather to cooperate so I can get into my alpine spot. All 3 trips in planned last fall got scrubbed because of weather. No sense in sitting up there in the fog, rain, and wind just to sit there.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 10, 2022 •  [Post 34]

Forecast has gotten worse. Wednesday the 15th is the last day i can reasonably hunt, and still have time to get my bear sealed and butcher it, before leaving for alaska on the 17th. Driving over to shoshone county for a 1 day hunt sounds pretty stupid. Really hope this changes for the better.
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby wawhitey » 06 10, 2022 •  [Post 35]

7mmfan wrote:
wawhitey wrote:
7mmfan wrote: Good luck, knock some more chili down.



You must have talked to chris. Chili aint the only thing i do with my bear meat. But i do have to admit, i make some fantastic chili. :lol:



I did talk to Chris, he said the chili was phenomenal. One of my favorite meals is chili. I'd eat it every day if I could. Some of the best backstrap I've ever had was the bear I killed a couple years back though. I'm serious about killing at least one this year. I just need the weather to cooperate so I can get into my alpine spot. All 3 trips in planned last fall got scrubbed because of weather. No sense in sitting up there in the fog, rain, and wind just to sit there.


Ive tried to pm you twice now, but keeps getting stuck in my outbox. If the cascades are fogged in and you want a bear, i can drop you some onx pins and info if you want to make the trek to ferry county. I have more good bear spots than i have tags i can hunt any given year
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Re: Northern ID panhandle bear hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 11, 2022 •  [Post 36]

wawhitey wrote:
7mmfan wrote:
wawhitey wrote:
7mmfan wrote: Good luck, knock some more chili down.



You must have talked to chris. Chili aint the only thing i do with my bear meat. But i do have to admit, i make some fantastic chili. :lol:



I did talk to Chris, he said the chili was phenomenal. One of my favorite meals is chili. I'd eat it every day if I could. Some of the best backstrap I've ever had was the bear I killed a couple years back though. I'm serious about killing at least one this year. I just need the weather to cooperate so I can get into my alpine spot. All 3 trips in planned last fall got scrubbed because of weather. No sense in sitting up there in the fog, rain, and wind just to sit there.


Ive tried to pm you twice now, but keeps getting stuck in my outbox. If the cascades are fogged in and you want a bear, i can drop you some onx pins and info if you want to make the trek to ferry county. I have more good bear spots than i have tags i can hunt any given year


Just got those PM's. Seems they made it out. Thanks
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