Fall bear hunting is where I cut my teeth as a bear hunter. With that being said, Spring bear has really grown on me through the years. And now, it’s one of my all time favorite hunting seasons on the planet. Each year I try to make it out on several different hunts across the West with the hopes of furthering my overall knowledge of black bears, but also the hope of bringing home some tasty bear meat.

This past spring I spent 8 days bear hunting in the backcountry of Idaho with my good friend Eric. With previous experience in the area, I knew we’d find bears. What I didn’t know was how much weather we’d find. It was a grind of a hunt and the most time I’ve ever spent in a tent as we sought shelter from the rain/snow. All of that said, we had a great time, found a good amount of bears.

This was Eric’s first time hunting Idaho, so along with just the excitement of going back out on this hunt, there was also the excitement of introducing him to a new experience entirely. I think he’d agree when I say “he got his fill.”

Gear Breakdown – For a breakdown of gear I brought on this hunt, check out the pack dump video I did HERE.

Watch my new film No Regrets down below to come along on the journey we had. Be sure to like and subscribe to stay up to date with all future films and content.

If you’re new to backpack hunting, check out my book Becoming a Backpacker. It’s a beginner’s guide to hunting the backcountry and will get you started off on the right foot. This is the book I wish I had when I started backpack hunting.

Joshua Kirchner