Black bears range across nearly all of Idaho’s forested country, and the 195 records here spread evenly across four major national forests, Boise, Nez Perce-Clearwater, Idaho Panhandle, and Caribou-Targhee, rather than clustering around any single stronghold, with Boise and Nez Perce-Clearwater each carrying the most named sightings.
Records fall to almost nothing in February and March, the depth of hibernation, then climb sharply into a May peak and stay elevated through summer into a September rise, likely tied to fall foraging before den season. NatureServe ranks the species S3, vulnerable, in Idaho, notably more cautious than the bear’s secure global status, a state-level distinction worth noting for a species otherwise considered common across much of North America.
Full species profile
