The Spring Bear Playbook: Finding Bears on a Low-Snow Year with Tyler Bales

Spring bear season is right around the corner, but this year isn't shaping up like a normal one. With historically low snowpack across the West, the typical "hunt the snowline" strategy goes out the window. In this episode, I sit down with my brother Tyler to break down how we're thinking about finding and killing bears when everything is greening up fast and access is wide open. We dig into how low snow changes bear behavior, where to actually focus your time, and why glassing more country matters this year. We also talk through practical strategies like covering ground on closed roads, using burns and open terrain to your advantage, and how to balance evening glassing with midday scouting. If you've got limited time to hunt, this one will help you make better decisions right away. We also cover the stuff that doesn't get talked about enough, like judging bears, avoiding sows, shot placement, and what to do after the shot. Whether you're chasing your first bear or just trying to adapt to a weird year, this episode will give you a simple, effective game plan to roll into spring with confidence. SHOW LINKS: Learn about the Bridger Watch >> Check out the Hunt West Services >> Sign up for the Hunt West Digest >> Thanks to Bo DePena, a musician, friend, and avid hunter in Colorado, for the intro and outro for the show.