web address for bear hunting.

[tunrevir]

Anyone care to post where a person can sign up for a tag for bear hunting? Thanks in advance, I know it is a lottery type deal and may take years but this might be my year!

Tunrevir~

[klecker]

Here you go

https://www3.wildlifelicense.com/wi/start.php

[Cooter]

How many points do you have in thus far? It is not a lottery type draw.

[GatorBait]

On average it takes from 2-4yrs to draw a bear tag, this depends highly on wether you use dogs or not. It's a goofy system, but I've had 2 tags in the last 7yrs thus far. Good Luck.

[outdoor ran]

It took me 4 years each to get my first two bear tags up here. Now I have 5 points on the third one and I've been told not to even expect another tag till 8-9 points.

[tunrevir]

I meant to say a point type system not lottery but thanks for the correction. We have a bit of a bear problem over on our property and all of the guys I hunt with are going to start applying this year as well. Thanks for the info, I am going to get in line like everyone else! Anyone familiar with what it takes to get an outfitters liscense/guiding liscense to do guided bear hunts? Just curious. The farmer nearby chased 27 bear out of his feild while combining this fall. A feild roughly 650 acres. Good luck hunting one and all, I get to head out tomorrow night and attack the woods for the weekend.

Tunrevir~

[GatorBait]

27 bear within a 650acre area That's unreal and is a serious problem. They are getting ever more popular throughout the state though, just think, wolves will be the next with reports like this.

[outdoor ran]

With all the bear problems and sightings you would think the DNR would give up a few more tags. I think there was like 80,000 people that applied and like 4000 tags givin out.

[GatorBait]

I totally agree there, and on top of that, how many of those 4,000 actually filled their tags. Yeah, disappointing results on tag/kill ratios. They can start treating bear just like they do our whitetails.

[tunrevir]

The field I was referring to was about 1/2 mile south of our property and after the corn was combined there was a sudden influx of bear in our area. We also have seen about ten different bear on our trail cameras throughout the fall as well and had one guy hunt this last fall and he took one the first night. Smaller one about 250 lbs. We had a couple in the 400 pound range on film hitting the bait. We have a day where we baited and it caught us on film at 155 pm and there was a bear on the bait at 143 on the camera! I am a little perplexed as to why the Wisc. DNR is so tight with its permits when there seems to be an ample population. Thanks for the feedback guys!

Tunrevir~

[klecker]

Right off the WI DNR's web page

Even years bait first, odd years dog first.

2006 65% harvest rate.

2005 58%

2004 65%

2003 59.4%

2002 49.4%

I read somewhere but can't find it now that 2500-2600 were taken this year. They dont have the 07 season on the web page yet.

[klecker]

For those who dont know yet, they have changed zone A1 to zone D effective for the 2008 season. People will no longer be able to hunt A and sub zone A1. Here is a copy of an email I got today from the DNR regarding the # of permits avaliable for the new zone. Any one who applied for A1 already will be converted to D.

"Hello Chad. The DNR is bringing the proposed permit levels to the Natural Resources Board next month. The permit numbers are still preliminary and we won't release them until they have been approved by the NRB. I've had reporters asking me the same question and have to tell them they are not yet available. Out of respect for the NRB and out of fairness, I can't share the exact number with you at this time.

I can, however, tell you that the change to Zone D will allow more permits to be issued - this is because the hunter success rate will be less than the previous success rates of 100% when hunters were allowed to cross over from Zone A into Subzone A1. We're planning a press release with the 2008 bear season quotas and permit levels shortly after they are approved by the NRB. We'll post the '08 numbers on the DNR's Hunting/Bear HSOforum soon after the NRB meeting, too. Or you can always e-mail near the end of December and I can share them with you at that time.

Thanks for your interest and support for the change to Zone D."

P Linda R. Olver

Assistant Deer and Bear Ecologist

Bureau of Wildlife Management

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

(() phone: (608) 261-7588

(() fax: (608) 267-7857

(+) e-mail: [email protected]

[snoozebutton]

Klecker, I just applied for a 2008 tag and their web site still says if you apply for zone A you can also hunt subzone A1. If I draw a tag, I'll be hunting right on the edge between A and A1, I hope you're wrong.

[klecker]

Snooze,

They have not updated the HSOforum. Zone A1 no longer exist. They will have quite a few hunters not to happy. A1 is now D effective for the 2008 season. In my post above I emailed the state seeking permit levels for Zone D they will not be released until the end of December. Here is the news release copied of the web site. I inclued the link as well. Looks as if they are going to give people a chance to change the selection they made, if they applied for zone A.

"Black bear hunting zone designations to change for 2008 season

MADISON – Bear hunters who are submitting an application for a 2008 Wisconsin Bear Harvest Permit should be aware that Subzone A1 will be renamed Zone D. There will now be four zones, A, B, C and D where hunters may apply for a bear hunting permit. The deadline for submitting a 2008 bear application is Dec. 10, 2007.

“Hunters will note that the paper applications still have a zone choice of A1. If a hunter selects A1, they will automatically be entered into the drawing for Zone D. Hunters who apply for Zone A will no longer be authorized to hunt in the new Zone D,” said Linda Olver, DNR assistant deer and bear ecologist.

The department will contact all potential Zone A winners after the deadline, but prior to the drawing to give them an opportunity to change their zone choice.

The proposed change was supported by voters attending the 2007 Spring Fish and Wildlife rules Hearings and was later approved by the Natural Resources Board. It will allow biologists to more closely manage the bear harvest in the “renamed” zone.

“This will give wildlife managers a much better handle on the number of bear hunters hunting in what was Subzone A1,” says Olver. “Before this change, any hunter who possessed a permit for Zone A could also hunt in Subzone A1 making it difficult to accurately predict the number of hunters in the zone and hence, manage the harvest at sustainable levels.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Olver, (608) 261-7588"

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/DNRNews_Lookup.asp?id=90#art4

[snoozebutton]

Quote:

---

They have not updated the

HSOforum

. Zone A1 no longer exist. They will have quite a few hunters not to happy.

---

"Not to happy" is an understatement. There's no excuse why they can't have the web site updated before people start applying. I've been applying for bear tags for 12 years, got a tag in 2001 and have 6 points now and they have my email address, they could've sent me that notice.