Hill City

[Remington]

I was thinking of scouting around the Hill City area for bear spots. Has anybody hunted up there? Does it get crowded?

[Ruttin' Buck]

Remington...I've hunted bear up there for about 8 years now. This year we finally decided to abandon that entire zone. Everywhere you go there are guys and baits.

There's also alot of disregard for baited beyond signs. You might have a bait get hit for a few weeks and all at once somebody puts one up 200 yards away. We got frustrated and based on my earlier years of bear hunting we are now heading further north in hopes of having less individuals around.

The worst thing IMO that the state ever did to bear hunting was to up the number of permits. It killed the competition for food that is ultimately the best equation for a successful bear hunt.

Don't get me wrong, we did see and shoot bear, but we had many many frustrating experiences.

Finally, do not mark your trails or leave a stand out. Nobody in my group ever had a problem but I know of 2 other groups that had stands stolen because the guys thought they needed a regular foot path into the bait..well, someone found their foot path and took their stands. We generally post baited beyond signs and then we do not 'brush out' any path in and we use a roundabout way to get to our stands.

Good luck...not to sound negative, but you will need it!

[Remington]

Thanks for the tips. It was too crowded where I hunted last year near Deerwood, so I am trying to decide where else I can think about hunting. I know that there is a lot of county land to check out between Deerwood and Hill City, but I also know that there is a big chance to take if you set up a spot and find out that there are others with the same idea. Keep me informed on how you guys do this year and I will do the same.
Good luck!

[metrojoe]

Buckblaster,

The number of permits may have had an effect but I think people who are running 30 maybe 40(or more) bait stations is whats really making it tough. I'm not hunting this year and I know a couple other parties that have not hunted for the last couple years for the exact reasons you've stated. If the DNR wants to sell more permits I think limiting the number of bait stations would help.

[Ruttin' Buck]

True Metrojoe, a large number of baits per party does not help...I agree. Still, I remember back almost 20 years ago when I was a wee lad, that we rarely would see other parties.

I also remember it was common to be sitting in the stand and having bear show up at 3:00 in the afternoon. Oftentimes several bear would make an appearance at the bait or circle. I also remember on several occassions where one of our party would shoot a bear on a bait one night, then the next night another party member would take a bear off the same bait the next evening. We rarely hunted more than 2 nights to fill out 8 tags. Back then, we would get picked to bear hunt about every other year.

Those were the days when the bear had to compete for food. The competition drove the bear out to the baits before dark...if they waited until dark, they weren't going to get dinner.

In my opinion, I'd rather get picked every other year and have a better chance then have limited number of baits. This would be very difficult for the DNR to control. Yes baits are to be registered, but then again, what would say that a party could not abandon 5 baits to begin 5 more new ones?

Bear hunting is quite frustrating to me now. Bear hunting has always required work, but when it doesn't pay off year after year it's just not as fun anymore. I have written the DNR on several occassions to express my opinions about the increased number of hunters. I've never had a response.

[metrojoe]

Your right, Reducing the number of permits is really the way to go. Less hunters should mean less baits. It's considerable more work when you have to hunt the entire season. I'm so burned out by the end of bear hunting, I almost have nothing left for the deer archery season. I don't mind all the work, in fact to me the baiting is the fun part. But comments like that are easier to say while your standing at the grill tending a few fresh bear chops.

Of course permit sales haven’t been doing all that well. I can’t imagine what it would be like if they sold all the permits.

[Ruttin' Buck]

I thought I'd grab this one again before it is dead. I don't plan to hunt up by Hill City this year, maybe not at all I guess. Thougth I'd pass on some more info to those who are anyway.

I was just up by Hill City this weekend and the raspberry crop this year is a bumper. It's going to be a tough row to hoe. Try to find the nearest berry patch and set up adjacent to them in some heavy cover...sometimes the bear will decide to come around and check out the bait even though they most oftentimes prefer to stuff their bellies with berries vs eating bait.

Good luck all.