Considering a 2013 spring Idaho bear hunt. Anyone have any recommendations for outfitters?

Russell Pond Outfitters.....I promise you won't be sorry !! Great people, great guides, outstanding dogs can't speak highly enough about there outfit. Joe and Chris good folks.

We have LOTS of bears, please consider shooting two.

I would suggest Travis Bullock with Mile High Outfitters. He resides in Challis and can provide either hounds and/or bait type hunts. Success rates are near 100%. Check out his web site: http://www.huntidahoelk.com/

Are you looking for color-phase black bear(s) or black, black bear(s) ????

Looking for a color phase bear. Already have two black bears.

Idaho is a good place to get a color-phase bear, especially cinnamon phase. You might also try Colorado and New Mexico and Arizona. Those are also good states in which to find various color phases. But, if you are adamant about Idaho only, I'd look to the drainages within the Salmon River system.

I have never seen a non-black color phase bear in the Salmon River drainage and can easily document having hunted there for far more than 100 days.

The Boise River drainage has a high percentage of non-black color phase. I would guess-ta-mate there is a 30-40% chance of getting a brown or cinnamon and only saw the one blonde. I've seen a blonde phase in Hells Canyon and some other non-black but seems to have a higher percentage of black.

Whichever guide you select should have data and probability information. I've only shot 6 bears and only taken up actually hunting them recently. Most of my observations have been during the spring whitewater rafting and fall hunting seasons.

That's interesting, because many have been killed in the various drainages which make up the Salmon River complex. While I'm not intimately familiar with the Boise River complex, I'm sure there's probably excellent opportunity there, as well. And, the Snake River as you mentioned, also has good number of color-phase bear. But, based on my familiarity, I had suggested the Salmon Complex because of it's historic productivity in relation to multiple color phases. Idaho as a whole has produced a good number of color-phase black bear.

Man, I wish the area we hunt was a two tag unit.

Here in Alaska, a majority of units have a three bear bag-limit and no closed season.

I have no reason to doubt what you say. I am only willing to state what I know and that is I, personally, do not recall ever seeing a non-black color phase bear in the Salmon River drainage after hunting more than 100 days there.

Would you agree the OP should hunt south of Whitebird? I saw a bunch of bears on one spring Selway River trip and everyone was black. A friend from the Campfire went and got one - it was black

No problem. Everyone has different experience within the same area. That's pretty usual, actually. I have a friend who hunts southern Arizona and he's seen nothing but color phase bears there. I've never seen a color phase black bear in those particular mountains of southern Arizona, even though hunting there the past 30+ years.

My experience mirrors Maverick's. The Church and around Stanley have bears of every color you could imagine. North of there, especially in the Selway and even further N into the panhandle I have never seen a bear that was not black. Same with the Palisades area in E Idaho.

An outfitter in the Salmon or Challis would be my choice. Lots of color phase bears anywhere between Boise and Arco too.

Bottom line, I would hunt the central portion of the state.

Ditto on that Doghunter.

The Salmon river drainage and south produces a lot more color phase bears than the Clearwater drainage and north where black is mostly the rule.

Thank you for the replies.

I usually see 50 50 color phase in the Clearwater. Up in the panhandle seems bout 90 10 black to color phasej

There's lots of color phase bears in the Clearwater and Lochsa drainages. I'd say it's probably 50/50 black/colored.

I can't say for sure how good of a hunt these guys put on, but they're good, honest guys and hunt a great area. They hunt in the 2-bear units too if that matters to you. They take a pretty unique route in to their camp, and should have a huge area to their selves.

http://www.holeinthewallranch.com/outfitting.htm