Minnesota Bear hunting

[megasupermagnum]

This isn't so much a question on how to hunt them, but how to get the opportunity. I have never hunted bears. About 10 years ago, I was convinced by family who went almost every year, and were quite successful. They were not that far north of Brainerd. I put in for the lottery in area 45 and didn't get it in two years. I think it was 2014, I was living in Staples and was seeing bears often to the north, so again put in for area 45 with no luck. Last year I decided to give it another shot, but figured area 45 was close enough to the cities, and was overrun with hunters. I decided to put in for area 13 just because it seemed like it gave me the best chance, plus its practically all state forest. Still no draw. I'm thinking of putting in again this year, but holy moley what does it take to get drawn in this state? I see bears often enough, and bear hunters seem increasingly rare. The only guys I know that hunt September are bow hunting deer.

Am I putting in for the wrong areas, or is it just that hard? Driving and baiting are a long after thought. It seems so weird considering I turkey hunt the A season every year. They have a lottery for that, but in 10 years I have never not been drawn.

I am also considering hunting No-Quota. I'm not too optimistic. Alexandria, which is second home for me (the real home), I have not seen a bear there in my lifetime. That's only 30 miles or so from the no-quota border. I grew up in Annandale, never seen a bear, only 26 miles from the border. The most southern bear I've seen was when driving on highway 10, not far outside of Little falls. I've seen horror stories online about the north east bit of no-quota, Hinckley/Pine city with gross over crowding.

Looking west I'm seeing very little public land, and knowing the area, not much for bear. Maybe Detroit Lakes?

[Norske]

The best areas are very popular, but there are no lottery zones that will require more luck to get a big bear. I have 2 preference points helping me this year. A friend gets a tag for one of those lottery zones every year because of his veteran of a foreign war preference.

[NLS1]

Gotta admit, though I don't have any help for ya with the bear, I can relate with the frustration. I get less excited to hunt this state every year.....so few animals, so many hunters, so expensive, lotteries that leave you hanging for years.....yep good times.....

[Norske]

But Manitoba and Ontario are close by.

[megasupermagnum]

@NLS1, there's plenty of animals in this state, some more than ever. Deer numbers are higher than they have ever been, turkey numbers are higher than they have ever been, and expanded through the entire state. Pheasants are kind of low, but plenty huntable. While geese remain steady, duck numbers are horrible. Jack rabbits are all but gone. Other than that Minnesota is a healthy, and growing hunting state. Even bear numbers are up and expanding as far as I can tell.

I just got back from a good public land turkey hunt. Wednesday was all rain, but I sat out all day in the blind. Last night I shot a nice tom about 8:30 pm. I do well for turkeys ever year.

I'm fortunate to have private land to escape the regular firearms deer hunting, that's the one and only season I would be concerned about public land.

@Norske, I have considered it, but the cost would go through the roof. Besides the travel, and non resident tags, I would have to hire a guide. Plus Canada doesn't allow handgun hunting, which is a deal breaker.

I just noticed on the DNR website, they have minimum preference points listed for the areas. The boundry waters says I could get it with one point, looks like a lot of stipulations though. It looks like I should pick one of the areas with a 3 minimum. I should have a good chance of drawing there.

[outdoorfan]

I've hunted Minnesota no quota many times. Hit or miss. But I never imagined it would be as difficult as what you're experiencing to get a bear tag through the draw. I don't understand what's going on.

Have you checked around the bemidji area? I've heard there's lots of bear there with a good chance at drawing, but that was years ago.

[megasupermagnum]

I couldn't believe it either. Area 45 is a minimum 5 preference points, and a 72% chance of getting it at that. Bemidji (area 46) is a minimum 4, but only a 24% chance at that.

I'm thinking of putting in for either area 13 or 25. Either one is going to be a haul to scout and bait, but I should have a good chance of drawing there.

The thing that blows me away is that the DNR claims 21,184 people put in for a tag last year. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone I know that still bear hunts. There are a number of people who used to do it 10-20 or more years ago. I can't think of any that still bear hunt. Where are these 20,000+ people coming from?

[outdoorfan]

Right. I don't really believe it either, all the supposed bear hunters, that is. But, I have to admit that, probably like yourself, we don't "really" know. Lol!

Good luck!

[725]

Md. has the same problem. "Lots" of folks put in for a bear tag and the lottery only allows a small number. Of course, the State collects $15 a head for the chance with no refund. They are making thousands & thousands on this. If it weren't for the fact that Maryland is totally free of corruption and is as pure as the driven snow, I might wonder about that.

[Tripplebeards]

I have 9 years in and no tag yet in WI. I always put in for A/A1. I believe they changed the zoning the last couple years. By the time I get drawn, buy bait...donuts and bread...and with the price of fuel driving 4 hours one way to bait once a week it’s WAY cheaper to go to Canada IMO. Done both 2ce here in WI and in Canada. It was common to see 3/5 bear per day in Canada VS only 1 in WI after weeks of sitting. I’ve done the dog thing here one year. Way more productive but expect little bear. We treed 13 bear and the average bear treed is about a 150lbs... to small for me. I got lucky and bagged a sow that was 250 lbs that year...the biggest one treed. All The bigger bear keep running and fight dogs on the ground never to be caught up with.

[megasupermagnum]

9 years? Yeesh. You have a lot more patience than me. If I don't get drawn this year, or next year, I might just say screw it. Life is too short for that. If I ever went to Canada, which is unlikely, it would be for a pike fishing, duck hunting trip.

[Norske]

25 is a 3 preference point area, but a friend of mine gets his every year because he's a veteran of a foreign war.

[Gray Fox]

Here in north GA the black bears are really becoming a pest, and the season is the same as for deer in most counties and national forest areas. Two years ago a young lad with a crossbow took one that weighed close to 625 lbs., and the area was nothing buy ups and downs. If I recall it took a family friend with an old A frame auto wrecker and a couple nylon slings to get it out of the field. This fall I'm going to try some ambling woods walking on blocked fire trail with a Winchester '94 .38-55 loaded with 250 grain flat point boolits and hope I run across one about half that size. I may even try some loaded with BP as the distances you can even see in those areas is seldom more than 50 yards. Those same areas have hogs, too, but very few deer. I guess you have to keep your nose into the wind and just hope you're not too far from the truck when you get lucky. GF

[Norske]

I won the lottery for a MN area 25 hunt! The outfitter's deposit is in the mail.
Next stop is my local sporting goods store to buy the license (their linked computer works better than buying licenses than my desktop).

[KMac]

Congrats on winning the lottery, Norske!
Good luck on the hunt and hope you get a good one.
Gonna go bear hunting one of these days just to get it off of my bucket list.

[megasupermagnum]

I won the lottery for a MN area 25 hunt! The outfitter's deposit is in the mail.
Next stop is my local sporting goods store to buy the license (their linked computer works better than buying licenses than my desktop).

Good deal, that has got to be one of the best areas in the state.

I got another preference point, so drawing next year should be a sure thing. I'm still considering hunting no-quota, I've got my eye on an area SW of lower red lake. Not a lot of public land, but I think the proximity to the reservation, and hopefully less hunters than say detroit lakes, should give me a decent chance.

[Norske]

Yes, it can be good. A few years ago, the guy I"m going up there with got a 408# boar. He now shoots the first bear he sees, because his wife claims 4 bear mounts in their basement is enough.

[Nodakjohns]

Considering putting in for a tag myself. Seen a big ol bear a block from my house. Combine that with my brand new never been fired 1895 sbl and i am raring to go! But i do live pretty close to DL so i guess i better look into matters a little more as i have never hunted bear before.

[megasupermagnum]

If you are east of Detroit lakes, good luck. That's a 6+ year wait to draw. If you are west, you are in the no-quota zone, and can just buy a tag. I've never gone either, let me know if you want a partner.

[Nodakjohns]

Well i live on the reservation so i have that going for me. Usually thats a drawback for most things, but hunting or fishing it is a plus. I am considered an "elder" so a tag would basically be free. I still have to look into it more as i have never hunted bear and nobody i know has either.

[Tripplebeards]

Start stocking up on your bakeries old, unsold, tossed out pastries and toss them in a chest freezer. Best bait on the planet.

[veeman]

I read somewhere, absolutely NO CHOCOLATE. Dunno if its true, but read it a few different places.

[megasupermagnum]

Really? For an animal that eats garbage, I can't imagine them being spooked off by chocolate.

[Tripplebeards]

They eat chocolate covered donuts, and snack cakes like they’re going out of style.

[veeman]

It supposedly will not digest well, making them very sick or death. I don't remember where I read it tho. I could be wrong. I was, once before, long time ago.

[veeman]

Is chocolate bad for bears?
Theobromine can, at high doses, be toxic to bears and other species. ... While baking chocolate is known to have high levels of theobromine, white chocolate and milk chocolate have low levels. “The bottom line is all types of chocolate can be toxic. It depends on how much they take in,” ,

[veeman]

Google is everyone's friend.
https://www.bucksbullsbears.com/2016/11/21/is-chocolate-in-bear-baits-killing-bears/

[megasupermagnum]

Good, so I'll put out nothing but baking chocolate bars, and scent the area with cocoa powder. I won't have to waste a bullet.[smilie=p:


What I get from that article is that the chocolate on pastries is rather harmless. At least it's good to know I should mix it with something else. Between donuts, fish, bacon grease, and anything else I find, I don't think bait will be my problem.

[Tripplebeards]

Ive used a spray bottle with liquid vanilla, spearmint, peppermint and or similar scents with luck. I’ve even mixed all together and sprayed. I sprayed it on a few saplings next to my bait pile and the little trees were rooted out of the ground. Must have ate them. Good smell attractant to get them to come in. Pouring grease around your bait will get on their paws making a good scent trail in the woods for more bear to find your bait. Dried out bread from the day old bread store with some $1 store maple syrup goes a long way as well.

[megasupermagnum]

In my case, I'm thinking the stink bait is going to be key. The no-quota area is no-quota for a reason, and I need to reach a LOOONG ways to draw anything in. I'm planning on a bunch of days old rotten fish carcass' and guts, and anything else I manage to kill, hung high in a tree. I've been saving bacon grease for a while now, I probably have about a quart of it. Have you ever tried deep fry oil? I've heard of guys taking that for free from the local fast food joint. That sounds like something that might leave a scent trail.

[Tripplebeards]

Oil yes, they love it. We can’t use bacon or any dead animals in WI...basically no meat. If you can legally do it dead beaver is the ticket so I hear. Can’t do honey burns here either which is also great.

[megasupermagnum]

There is no law saying we can't use meat for bait, however, we can't hunt beaver here. There is a trapping season, but it is over. Best I could do is luck out on roadkill. Speaking of which, I have my eye on a section of public land which is only accessible by boat. I'm hoping this means most people will overlook it, but still provide easy bait transport. I can pick up a deer carcass off the side of the road any day of the week. I wonder if that would be worth the hassle.

[Tripplebeards]

Only if you find bear tracks all over it. If there’s no or few Bear is not worth your time. I’ve learned in WI that I’d rather harvest a bear and not worry what size it is till I walk up to it. I’ve gotten decent size bears and have been lucky...but they seem to come into the bait all hours of the day here till season opens...then it’s a ghost town and or they go nocturnal. Kinda frustrating. Your best bet is the last couple minutes of daylight and sit farther than archery distances so they don’t smell you and off the ground so your scent blows over them. Last tine I checked here we could only use 2/5 of bait and no animal bi products. Also the bait set up had to be all natural...meaning no drums with a chain on it like Canada dose. We used and still use hollow logs buried flush in the ground filled to the brim with donuts. Then covered by a piece of plywood with a huge rock holding it in place to keep the raccoons out of it.