Who's filled their bear tag, who hasn't?

[CANOPY SAM]

We had some great dialog going on bear hunting earlier this month, but it's quieted significantly. I'm still after my bear, with little to no luck to speak of. I won't give up until it's done. It's pretty frustrating though with so many other outdoor opportunities opening up now.

How many of you have scored, and what did you fill your tag with? How many are still hunting? What kind of observations have you made over the last month?

[Tippman]

This was my first year bear hunting. Shot a 193 lb sow (it was alone) on my first day (sept 7th) 1.5 hrs after being on stand with the bow near McGregor. Couldn't have really asked for much more.

[big_walleye22]

filled mine on Sept 1st, son passed on one and youngest son had a sow and 2 cubs on his, but then the baits went to nights, haven't been back since, I would like to go again ( for the youngest to get his first) but I haven't kept the baits up so I don't know if it would be worth it

good luck

Jeff

[Bobb-o]

Was getting hit pretty well, then the acorns fell, and nothing. Went back a week after the acorns fell to rebait, got hit once, then went out there two days later with some fresh bait and plans to hunt it, found a field full of migrant workers counting white pines for the beltrami natural resources dept. in the field next to my bait, was footprints all around my bait, and someone even stepped in a pile of biscuits and chicken grease i had out there. Gave up on that spot. Haven't been back to that spot. Got permission to hunt a 240 acre parcel owned by the school up here that hasnt been hunted as long as the school has had it, only stipulation is that i have to use my bow and i can only use honey/bacon burns, no bait piles. was out there only one day and all i saw was deer, hopefully I'll get one next week.

[walterman]

After over 3 weeks I finally shot my bear, it was well worth it as it went close to 400lbs. Monday night at the tazidermist said he thought it might go top 10 in the state this year with the bow. Will have to wait and see though. Anyways, enough of me rambling on. Good luck to all of those who are still at it and be patient. Bears should be cruising looking for food.

[Boar]

Hey!!!! Finally!! I whent in to my site yesterday son-of-gun would'ny ya know the bait was still there, I could'nt believe it. Man was that awsome, I just sat down an started eating. I first had to move some big logs out of the way but then when I got settled in an started munching away I could'nt help but feeling like something was watching me,I took a few more bites then I just had to leave. I'm gonna go back in tomorrow I hope my bait is still there cause I'm getting hungry. Later boar

[CANOPY SAM]

Walt, that is an amazing bear. Congratulations!

Boar, you're weird! Knowing your eating habits I'm surprised that you bothered to move the logs, and didn't just eat right through them! I was wondering why my bait station logs all had big bite marks taken out of them. Hhmmmm......

I had a decent bear going, but recently it moved on. Perhaps someone else finally got him. Hubercita, Tealitup, what happened with you guys? Teal, you had a giant going early on. Did you get him?

[walterman]

Keep working at it guys...we have one guy who hasnt filled his tag and as of two weeks ago after I shot my bear we had four baits getting hit, and is going up this week. Later on like this in the year I usually switch my baits from sweets to grains and use molasses or jello to add some extra scent.

[tealitup]

Well I will explain my season.

Opening weekend I found out that a guide in the area was placing people on my property. Yup, thats right- the guide thought no one was hunting our land. Saw a trail from my 2 mile driveway -walked right up on a bait station (unmarked) and a stand. The guide would drop the person off and pick them up at dark.

My baits were getting hit until opening day - then nothing. I went back out 2 weekend ago and saw a huge sow with a cub. Watched them for an hour.

FM member, Oriens Hunter, my hunter partner saw the monster boar; but hit him high with an arrow. Tracked for six hours until it started to rain at about midnight. Went out the next morning but could not see any more sign.

After that I kind of went sour - I called the local CO and no response about the guide. Our 91 year old neighbor told us that the guide has a bad reputation for doing ____ like this. AND he charges $1800!!! $1800 to hunt on MY land without permission. After he noticed that we were in camp he snuck in and took down his stand - I should have taken it.

The trail camera showed that I actually had 3 monster boars and eight smaller bear coming in. I might go up on the last weekend and see if I can get another shot.

[charliepete2]

All in all I had a good bear hunting season. I posted in another thread about the entire hunt in detail. The first night out I watched a large sow and cubs for a few hours, and the next night I switched baits and took my first color phased bear ever. Like a dummy I never took any pictures in the woods, but my buddy had the forethought to snap one before I cut it up. At least it gives you an idea of the color

My buddy spooked a bear the first night on stand, and then did some stand jumping the rest of the nights and never ended up hooking up with one. He pretty much gave up on taking a bear after the first hunt. I tried to get him to rebait for another try, but he hung it up early. Too bad, late season bear hunting can be plenty productive.

[tealitup]

Great color phase. Congradulations

[CANOPY SAM]

I had been getting hit really consistently for a number of weeks then it dried up. I couldn't get the bear to show in the daylight, or at least when I was there. I too had major traffic issues almost every night, but I am hunting public land so I guess I should expect it.

To my surprise, last week, while I wasn't hunting due the rain, and strong winds, and huge boar cleaned out 25 gallons of bait from my station, and another station a few hundred yards away, then ambled off never to return. I wasn't hunting cause I'd never seen bear movement during times of miserable weather. I figure he must have returned to my station at least 2 times cause he left his mark on a few spots on trails that return back deeper into the woods. I found his tracks in the mud leading away from the site, and haven't seen hide nor hair of him since.

This bear had 5 1/2 - 6" wide front pads, and his toes and claws were splayed out like a grizzly - wider than my own hand can stretch. His back feet were nearly as long as mine - size 10 1/2. The tracks were very impressive. I guess I almost immediately figured him to be a solitary nomadic boar, and my hunches have proven correct so far. He has not returned in four straight evenings of hunting. There has been a lot of grouse hunting traffic though, so maybe he's laying low again until the nice weather clears and it gets nasty and chases the bird hunters and their dogs away.

What do you guys think? I've got 5 days left to hunt - max! What can I do?