BEAR HUNTING

[Fish to Win]

Make sure to apply for your Bear license as it is due soon-

Where is everyone going this year???

If I get my license I'm headed up to Lake County and I have a guide, as I have been 0-4 on my own- I enjoyed learning bait techniques but need to get my first bear under my belt- and will be back on my own after I get the first BIG ONE- Good luck

[maros91]

I am going to go hunting just south of Mille Lacs Lake. Got my first bear last year 2 miles Northeast of Pease. Nothing huge, 143lbs. It was my second year of bear hunting. My first year I hunted by the town of Glen with no success but baits were hit pretty frequently. The best part about bear hunting is making the bait station and checking it a couple of days later and everything is destroyed. It is a rush for me.

[Fish to Win]

Biff-

I hunted the Mille Lacs refuge off of 169 for the last 4 years just south of Onamia- Saw some nice bears on my trail camera but none during light hours- I agree with you that baiting and checking the station was a blast but I now have a 1 year old son and he takes up ALL of my time ( and well worth it) so I will not have time to drive up every 3-4 days to check and fill up the bait station- Good luck this year- Are you hunting the Mille lacs wildlife area?

[maros91]

That is were my cousin and I are going this year. Is there a lot of bear hunters in there? I know you can't bring wheelers in there so that might turn some people off. We already have our spots picked out. Where did you hunt in there-no specifics, North, South, East, or West

[Fish to Win]

The west part- Every year I saw more and more hunters- My first year I think I had the woods all to myself but last year I spoke to 5 hunters that were real close to me and a bear was shot 500 yards from me- that is another reason why I am going on private land this year- My uncle who was 1 mile from me shot a 185 lbs bear the opening weekend last year so I know there are some good numbers of bear in the area-I'm sure I'll be back next year- But I hope the hunter numbers goes down as it is getting crowded. Good luck

[maros91]

Fish

How far back in there were you? I have two spots picked out. One is .97 miles from the parking spot and the other is 1.30 as the crow flies. When I was walking back there I thought for sure nobody would be dumb enough to bring bait back here. Maybe I am wrong. My cousin and I have a neat little way of getting bait way back in there. Can't share. It is still alot of work but it helps. My father and I used to deer hunt Olson's field back in the early '90's and the farmer said he would see bears a couple times a year. But that was back then. I will try bear hunting the east side by Dewitt Pool. Thanks for all the info Fish!

[Fish to Win]

The dewitt pool is a little s/e of the Mgmt area but looks like a good area- I had a wheel barrow to haul my bait in and had to go in over a mile in some thick grass- Tough work but fun doing it-

[iceman16]

finland zone 31. been helpin my uncle guide for 6 years, now if i get a tag its my turn to pull the string back on one. good luck everyone.

iceman

[Fish to Win]

Iceman-

Would that be Leroy T. the big MOOSE hunter- We love his place and his cold beer- I'll be seeing Leroy in two weeks. I asked him if he was guilding this fall and he was not sure so I went elsewhere.

[iceman16]

Fish to win-

that would be where i am headed. he came back from vegas

last week and when i saw him he said if i get a tag i was set so i dont know if he is guiding or just gonna finally hunt himself. i know when he shot his moose that night he said he might take the year off but that night there was alot comin out of his mouth. when ya go up there in two weeks ya stayin at wildhurst for a weekend? i am about due for a trip up to gods country. good luck.

iceman

[charliepete2]

I got permit in for 51 this year. I caught a few bears on the game cam already in early spring. I can't wait.

[maros91]

Start baiting August 17. Best part about hunting bears is originally making the bait station and making it stink up the whole woods. I have already collected a couple of goodies from the local bakery. 4.5 months to go!

[UMDSportsman]

do you guys have any issues with people placing their signs out before you can legally put them out? My family has quit bear hunting because up at out cabin there is a guide or two who like to put their signs up early, and took some of the prime spots we have had good luck at.

[maros91]

Quote:

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do you guys have any issues with people placing their signs out before you can legally put them out?

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I have hunted bears the past three years. Two years on private and one on public. No problems around private land. No early signs on public but my buddy promised me a "great" spot and when we got there it was only about 100yds off the 4 wheeler trail. He said there was minimal traffic, was he ever wrong. I will never hunt public land were wheelers are allowed. Private land or foot traffic only. I have heared from people in the Grand Rapids area about early posting as competition for the best spots gets real competitive.

[charliepete2]

I would definitely have problems with placing signs early. It's illegal. If I'm not mistaken, the use of signs as a whole was outlawed last session and will take effect this season. I'm happy about it. Signs aren't meant to warn as they all say, they are meant to stake out a claim on public land. Shouldn't be legal.

[OrionsX0]

Hey guys I am wondering what you use in your bait pile? Last year it seemed that they would almost eat anything that we put out but we got hit at night or when we were not around. What are some secrets to use in the Bait Pile?

[maros91]

Have a wide variety. Last year I had dog food with syrup, cracked corn, chocolate, licorice, and donuts. In front of my station I ripped up the ground so the dirt would show and dumped a 5 gallon bucket of grease. I also sprayed bacon scent and hickory smoke on hanging limbs. This worked for the first week and a half. Then my station went dry till opener. I then went to the country store and bought some blueberry stuff. Looks kind of like charcoal. The bear instantly started to come in again. I put the blueberry stuff out on a Wednesday afternoon, checked it Thursday and it got hit with only the blueberry stuff eaten, I re-baited and decided to hunt on Friday. I went out Friday afternoon and the bait was hit. I climbed up in my stand and he came walking out 10 minutes later. 146 lbs northeast of Pease.

[OrionsX0]

By chance do you remember the Name of the Blueberry stuff? Any kind of help would be great

[maros91]

I think it was called Berry Patch Blueberry or something like that. I have some leftovers at my dad's and I am going their tonight so I will get the name for sure.

[maros91]

It is called Berry Patch Bear Lunch. For a #40 lb bag it was $14.99 That is very expensive if your bait continues to get hit and you have to re-bait often. I am lucky I only had to do it once.

[Boar]

That blueberry stuff works awsome though, I use only a cup or two per site, but boy howdy do they like it. I found a great place to get molasses but it's in cocntrate form not the syrup my local feed elevator sells it at about $12.50 to fill a 5 gallon bucket, they also have gunney sacks cheap for hanging bait an oats for the going price per bushell. I'm really syced to try a new gadget I found at a dollar store, it's a plastic quart jug with a pump sprayer handle, gonna fill it yp with a mix of water an liquid smoke or any other scent, anis to an liberally spray down my bait station each time, it's small an easy to pack in. Someone mentioned last year about using his kids super soaker cool idea, but large an cumbersome an a quick way to use up scent spray, using a green garden sprayer will work great to but also big when carring in bait. I just think about the nozzel gumming up with sticky scent spay. Small squirt guns that hold a pint or two are another good way to soak down the trees with scent. Anyway I chomping at the bit for this up an comming year, it's all I think about. Later boar

[Fish to Win]

Boar-

How did you end up last year- I know you were having problems get hits on your bait- good luck on the season!

[Boar]

Yea fish that was a tough year I was getting hits in the begining but natural forage took over then nothing, I gave it till the end of Spet. then had to move on. I feel that when your own fridge is stocked full of esential suvival food why go to an knock on a strangers door for hand outs. Sycked for this year. Last year was a good learning curve, it's never the same. Later Boar

[maros91]

Just stopped at the country store to check on prices for mulch and I also asked if they were going to have the Berry Patch Bear Lunch this year and they said that the company quit making it. Looks like I will have to go without that magical stuff this year and find something else.

[Boar]

Hold on biff, you can find another brand of the stuf it's called berries an cream bear lunch made for bear baiting. Fleet supply, cabelas has had it, marvin home center in warroad carries it, an I'm sure others have seen in other stores Thats the brand name I find around here. later boar