First Ever Spring Bear Hunt — And a Huge Lesson Learned

The opening day of spring bear in Idaho has always floated around April 15th. Last year, I got the call to join my brother Cody and our buddy Dennis for a hunt deep in the Idaho backcountry. I was fired up — not just for the hunt, but for the experience. I had never chased bears in the spring before.

Why? I was usually deployed or saving my leave for those sacred fall hunts. So when the invite came through, I jumped on it. But as the trip crept closer, a question kept bouncing around in my head:

“What the heck do I expect from a spring hunt?”

I’ve hunted the fall my whole life. That’s my comfort zone. But this was new territory.

Spring Bears = Ticks & Wild Weather

I asked around and the advice I kept hearing was... well, unsettling:

“Pack for a war against ticks… and for every possible weather condition.”

Not exactly what I wanted to hear — mostly because I knew that meant packing a ton of gear. But okay, if that’s what it takes.

I hit up Cody and Dennis to see what packs they were running. Both said they were bringing their IA8K Bags. Decision made. I packed mine too — and loaded it down.

What I Brought to the Mountain

Here’s what made the cut:

Initial Ascent Gear:

• IA8K Pack System
  

• Rifle Holder
  

• Large Hipbelt Pouch
  

• Water Bottle Holder
  

• Dry Bag
  
  

Shelter & Sleep:

• Luxe Octopeak with Stove
  

• 20° Sleeping Bag
  

• Thermarest Sleeping Pad
  

• Tyvek Sheet
  

• Crocs (never forget ‘em)
  
  

Clothing:

• Kryptek Base, Mid, Rain & Insulation Layers
• Military Fleece Beanie
  
  

Food & Water:

• Peak Refuel Meals
  

• Oatmeal, granola bars, dried fruit
  

• 2 Sawyer Squeeze filters
  

• Jetboil Flash
  

• 2 x 3L Nalgenes
  

• Lightweight cup
  
  

Other Essentials:

• Garmin InReach
  

• Headlamp
  

• Fire Kit
  

• 1ml spray bottle of Permethrin
  

• Kill Kit
  

• Trekking Poles
  

• Browning X-bolt 30-06
  

• Vortex Razor binos (10x42 + 18x56)
  

• Vortex Ridgeview Tripod
  

• Sony A7iii + Lenses

It all fit perfectly. But something didn’t sit right — I knew I wasn’t going to use all of it. Still, it’s spring in the Idaho backcountry. You pack for sunshine and snow… in the same day.

The Mistake That Almost Ruined the Hunt

Once we hit the trail and left the truck, my pack clocked in at 62 pounds. And I felt surprisingly good.

A mile in, I was struggling. Hard. My pack felt like it was trying to throw me off the mountain with every step. I looked at Cody and said,

“Man, I’m not sure this IA8K was the right move for me, I packed way too much.”

He stopped me, looked at my setup, and asked:

“Why aren’t your side stabilizer straps clipped in?”

My blank stare told him everything.

See, earlier in the week Cody had handed me a pair of frame-to-lid stabilizer straps — but I never installed them. They were sitting at home in the garage.

These straps connect the middle limb of the frame to the top roll of the bag. Their job? Prevent your pack from “worming” — that side-to-side sway that throws off your balance and drains your energy fast.

One Piece of Gear Changed Everything

Luckily, I convinced Cody to trade me his straps for some candy (don’t judge me). Once I clipped them in — boom. Game changer. Instantly, the weight shifted high and tight to my back. No sway. No fight. I felt 10 pounds lighter, and way more in control.

Those two straps are now, in my mind, the second most important part of the Initial Ascent Pack System. They offer serious lateral support and make hauling heavy loads way more manageable — like the compression straps on a sleeping bag, but for your entire pack.

The Hunt

We hunted hard for four days. Temps swung from 30°F at night to 85°F during the day — and the weather was surprisingly perfect the entire time. No tags filled, but lots of glassing, hiking, and lessons learned.

Back Home – The Packing Question

Now, sitting at home two weeks out from this year’s opener, I’m asking myself:

“Do I pack for comfort or necessity?”

And honestly — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Weather, terrain, distance from the truck… it all matters. But last year taught me something big:

 1. I didn’t need the raingear
2.  Barely touched my mid layers
3. Utilize my pack to its full potential
4. Overpacking just made the hike-in harder than it had to be

This year, I’m packing for necessity over comfort. I’ll shave weight, focus on what I know I’ll need, and leave the “just in case” items behind.

Maybe that’s what it takes to notch my first spring bear tag.