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Posted: 8/30/2015 8:13:06 AM EDT
[#1]
That area takes 8 to 10 years for a tag.
Since you have 3 boys, you can't SSS. They'll talk. Make a special trip and do it. |
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Posted: 8/30/2015 9:54:36 AM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
I've put in for a bear hunting tag now for 7 years and still have not gotten a tag. I plan on hunting in the Mountain/Lakewood/Townsend area of northern Oconto County. Has anyone had the same problems getting a tag? It's pissing me off because I went up to the cabin this past week and I have at least a 400 pounder wandering weekly within 20 yards of our cottage. I have 3 young boys and that is the last thing I want around my cottage. Any ideas of getting them away? If you're in zone B like I am, which is north of WI 64 and east of US 51, it currently takes at least 9 preference points, maybe 10, to get a tag. Our group got 3 tags for this fall, 2 guys had 10pts, the 3rd had 9pts. So you've got a few years to wait.  We've got 2 more guys with 8pts who didn't get tags this year.... which is a good thing actually... it'll be difficult enough dealing with 3, and we've got 5 "regular" visitors to our baits that are 400lbs +. In 2010 (last time we had a tag) we got a 425lb bear just before dark on opening day, took 4 guys 6 hours to get him dressed and hauled out of the woods and back to the cabin. Imagine that X 3... or 5. 
There's plenty of bears around, I wouldn't worry about just one. We've got 3 bait sites in the Nicolet Natl Forest, we started baiting on June 14th, we've used over 5,000 lbs of bait so far, and we have 11,000+ trail cam pictures of the same 15-20 bears.... and over 700 of a pack of 5 wolves too. 
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Posted: 8/30/2015 1:24:56 PM EDT
[#3]
I've had bear on all of my trail cameras before for deer hunting but I've never had a bear on a weekly basis for the past 3 months come to our cabin. I've checked in the woods around our cottage for a den but I haven't been able to find it. There's nothing attracting him to our cottage which makes it odd. Maybe just his little territory he checks goes by our cabin? We have a pack of 7 wolves by us. Including one that is huge! He's almost double the size of the other ones.
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Posted: 8/30/2015 1:35:54 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've had bear on all of my trail cameras before for deer hunting but I've never had a bear on a weekly basis for the past 3 months come to our cabin. I've checked in the woods around our cottage for a den but I haven't been able to find it. There's nothing attracting him to our cottage which makes it odd. Maybe just his little territory he checks goes by our cabin? We have a pack of 7 wolves by us. Including one that is huge! He's almost double the size of the other ones. Bears only use dens in winter to hibernate, not during the rest of the year, and many of the "dens" are really nothing more than an uprooted tree or depression in the ground. |
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Posted: 8/30/2015 1:36:29 PM EDT
[#5]
Post a picture of the 400 pounder.
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Posted: 8/30/2015 1:45:09 PM EDT
[#6]
Well it's just like a deer bed. You'd be able to see where this guy is sitting down but there's nothing like that. The land around my cabin is all hardwoods and knee high grass.
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Posted: 8/30/2015 1:46:12 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Post a picture of the 400 pounder. It's on my SD card. Won't be able to get it till Friday |
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Posted: 8/30/2015 3:23:34 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've had bear on all of my trail cameras before for deer hunting but I've never had a bear on a weekly basis for the past 3 months come to our cabin. I've checked in the woods around our cottage for a den but I haven't been able to find it. There's nothing attracting him to our cottage which makes it odd. Maybe just his little territory he checks goes by our cabin? We have a pack of 7 wolves by us. Including one that is huge! He's almost double the size of the other ones. Are you leaving out birdfeeders? Have a neighbor that is? Is there another bear hunter baiting close by? It would be a good bet someone is feeding or baiting and you are on the highway to chow. They are cool animals... hunted them for years...it's probably not too much of a threat unless there are cubs involved. Tag for the pics! |
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Posted: 8/30/2015 6:44:12 PM EDT
[#9]
No feeders. We use to have a corn feeder when my grandma was still alive so she could see the deer but that's been gone for 6 years now. As far as baiting my family owns the land on both sides of our road and 3 lakes on all sides so that makes the walk at least a mile and a half. So unless they're REALLLY dedicated then I doubt it.
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Posted: 8/31/2015 3:24:34 PM EDT
[#10]
My in-laws have a cabin off T in Townsend, we don't get too much action but the Neighbors across the RD see one every couple of weeks.
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Posted: 8/31/2015 9:24:34 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My in-laws have a cabin off T in Townsend, we don't get too much action but the Neighbors across the RD see one every couple of weeks. Our cottage is also right off T...on the flowage shoehorned in with the rest of the neighbors. If we don't remove the bird feeders when we leave the local bear will chew em up every time...they make the rounds and, if that male is really 400 or so yes he will follow the same route or close to the same as a creature of habit. Bigger boars have a tendency to walk into a bait in the same steps when they visit...I didn't believe this at first but when I saw the video I got my edumacation... 
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Posted: 9/1/2015 3:39:17 AM EDT
[#13]
We've always seen bear before wandering through but we've never had one that religiously goes on the same path every week. As far as not seeing any deer I've got about 100 pictures of the same doe with 2 fawns. That's all I have for deer. The deer population is so low it's depressing. It definitely won't be like it use to be for a long time.
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Posted: 9/17/2015 11:43:11 AM EDT
[#14]
First day of bait hunting was yesterday. We scored on 2 of 3 tags.
 Smaller bear dressed at 280, larger at 390 (had them weighed last night at taxidermist and butcher both...same weight ). Live weights would be in neighborhood of 325 & 450. (Formula is dressed weight X 1.18 = approx. live weight). I have pictures in my cell phone, when I get them into my computer, I'll edit this and post them. We still have 1 more tag, and 3 more big bears coming to baits. We had 3 come into a bait while were dressing the big one in the dark, only 100 yds away. 
We had to find big guy in dark, he was shot at 6:50pm. In the search, I had "point".... .450 Busmaster with red dot / light / single point sling. Seek Thermal on my android in my off hand. Thermal found him from about 60yds off... he was stone dead, double-lunged by a Tikka T3 / .300 Win Mag. He was about 100yds from where he got shot. I "covered" him with my .450, while the others checked to be sure he was dead. Took 6 of us to drag him 250 yds to a logging road, in a XXL Beavertail ice-fishing sled. Sled is 3' x 5'... he filled it.
Smaller of the 2 was double-lunged by Savage 110 /.30-06 / 180gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. He only went 15yds, was 50' from a road. Easy-peasy.
btw... The bears in the top 2 trail cam pics I posted in a previous post, are the 2 we got yesterday. |
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Posted: 9/18/2015 11:57:44 AM EDT
[#15]
I'll be up to 9 or 10 preference points so I'm looking for a guide if anyone has recommendations. I've been holding out for a zone B monster!
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Posted: 10/14/2015 10:01:01 AM EDT
[#17]
Awesome bears! I only have another 8 years or so before I can go again.
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Posted: 10/14/2015 11:47:44 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Here's a few bear pics to give some kind of size perspective. This one is maybe 300lbs.... probably closer to 280. <a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/bear%20hunt%20trail-cam%20videos/IMG_0001_zpscvoxllel.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/bear%20hunt%20trail-cam%20videos/IMG_0001_zpscvoxllel.jpg</a> This one is likely 400lb range. (we'll find out on Sept 16th, when he has a date with a .300 Win Mag. )
<a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/IMG_0003_zpscv1tg0w7.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/IMG_0003_zpscv1tg0w7.jpg</a> Here's the previous 2 in the same picture... obvious difference in size. <a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/IMG_0008_zpsihn1oqry.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/IMG_0008_zpsihn1oqry.jpg</a> This is a bear we got back in 2010. His field-dressed weight was 380lb, live weight therefore was between 415-425lbs. (taxidermist said add 10-12% of field-dressed weight to dressed weight, to get approx. live weight). edit... formula is dressed weight X 1.18, not 1.12. That bear was closer to 445-450lbs. <a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/IM000013.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/IM000013.jpg</a> <a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/IM000027.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/IM000027.jpg</a> I'm on the left, in the camo hoodie & Packer hat. <a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/101_0949_zpsjpytdfep.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/101_0949_zpsjpytdfep.jpg</a> And just for something different. .... we've got a few hundred pics of this wolf pack, frequent visitors to our bait sites. That log the wolf on the left is standing next to is 9-1/2" in diameter. That'd make that wolf on the plus side of 30" at the shoulder. Got 3 tags, 3 bait sites in Nicolet Natl Forest. Started baiting June 14th... to date, in excess of 12,000 trail cam pics between the 3... not a single deer pic. These are why.
<a href="http://s890.photobucket.com/user/safcrkr/media/hunts/IMG_0030_zpsfa6xne29.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/safcrkr/hunts/IMG_0030_zpsfa6xne29.jpg</a> Damn, I.gotta bear hunt with you. We don't have any down where I hunt in Lyndon Station.
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Posted: 10/14/2015 5:08:58 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Damn, I.gotta bear hunt with you. We don't have any down where I hunt in Lyndon Station.Get a zone B tag, and I'll set you up. I've already got a prospective tag holder lined up for next year (he has 10 preference points now). I've baited for 4 guys so far, 3 brothers, and one of their sons.... only one hunted more than opening day, he hunted an extra half day. The bears harvested on 1st day of hunting were 330lbs, 440lbs ~ (2010), 455lbs. The 4th guy could've shot his on 1st day too, but we already had 2 others on the ground and it was getting dark, so he held off until the 2nd day's afternoon to get his (290+ lbs). It was unseasonably warm on Sept 16th (1st day for bait), it was still 70 degrees after 10pm when we finally got those 2 into a walk in meat cooler.
We had about 15 bears hitting the 3 bait sites on a regular basis. The reason tags are so hard to come by in zone B is the bear population is VERY high. Over the past 8-10 years, I've seen more bears in the woods than I have deer. When the 455lb bear was shot at about 6:50pm, he was the 6th bear in that bait since 5pm... and the other 5 were still hanging around within easy gun range. The shooter wore a GoPro on his head, footage is just awesome. When the big one showed up, 3 others immediately went up trees to get out of his way. They have their hierarchy, and judging by their reaction, he was the "alpha male" in that area. Same scenario in 2010. 440lb bear was 3rd one into the bait. One of the others was close to 400lbs too, but both yielded to the biggest one.
If you prefer to hunt with dogs, I've got a friend with bear dogs for that too.
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Posted: 10/14/2015 8:43:56 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Get a zone B tag, and I'll set you up. I've already got a prospective tag holder lined up for next year (he has 10 preference points now). I've baited for 4 guys so far, 3 brothers, and one of their sons.... only one hunted more than opening day, he hunted an extra half day. The bears harvested on 1st day of hunting were 330lbs, 440lbs ~ (2010), 455lbs. The 4th guy could've shot his on 1st day too, but we already had 2 others on the ground and it was getting dark, so he held off until the 2nd day's afternoon to get his (290+ lbs). It was unseasonably warm on Sept 16th (1st day for bait), it was still 70 degrees after 10pm when we finally got those 2 into a walk in meat cooler.
We had about 15 bears hitting the 3 bait sites on a regular basis. The reason tags are so hard to come by in zone B is the bear population is VERY high. Over the past 8-10 years, I've seen more bears in the woods than I have deer. When the 455lb bear was shot at about 6:50pm, he was the 6th bear in that bait since 5pm... and the other 5 were still hanging around within easy gun range. The shooter wore a GoPro on his head, footage is just awesome. When the big one showed up, 3 others immediately went up trees to get out of his way. They have their hierarchy, and judging by their reaction, he was the "alpha male" in that area. Same scenario in 2010. 440lb bear was 3rd one into the bait. One of the others was close to 400lbs too, but both yielded to the biggest one.
If you prefer to hunt with dogs, I've got a friend with bear dogs for that too.
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Damn, I.gotta bear hunt with you. We don't have any down where I hunt in Lyndon Station.Get a zone B tag, and I'll set you up. I've already got a prospective tag holder lined up for next year (he has 10 preference points now). I've baited for 4 guys so far, 3 brothers, and one of their sons.... only one hunted more than opening day, he hunted an extra half day. The bears harvested on 1st day of hunting were 330lbs, 440lbs ~ (2010), 455lbs. The 4th guy could've shot his on 1st day too, but we already had 2 others on the ground and it was getting dark, so he held off until the 2nd day's afternoon to get his (290+ lbs). It was unseasonably warm on Sept 16th (1st day for bait), it was still 70 degrees after 10pm when we finally got those 2 into a walk in meat cooler.
We had about 15 bears hitting the 3 bait sites on a regular basis. The reason tags are so hard to come by in zone B is the bear population is VERY high. Over the past 8-10 years, I've seen more bears in the woods than I have deer. When the 455lb bear was shot at about 6:50pm, he was the 6th bear in that bait since 5pm... and the other 5 were still hanging around within easy gun range. The shooter wore a GoPro on his head, footage is just awesome. When the big one showed up, 3 others immediately went up trees to get out of his way. They have their hierarchy, and judging by their reaction, he was the "alpha male" in that area. Same scenario in 2010. 440lb bear was 3rd one into the bait. One of the others was close to 400lbs too, but both yielded to the biggest one.
If you prefer to hunt with dogs, I've got a friend with bear dogs for that too.
I've still got a few years before I can draw, but I'll take you up on that when I do.
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Posted: 10/14/2015 9:29:26 PM EDT
[#21]
I would love to take a bear but have never even applied for the tags because being so far south there's no way I could bait.
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Posted: 10/15/2015 9:02:12 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I would love to take a bear but have never even applied for the tags because being so far south there's no way I could bait. The 4 guys who shot the bears I baited - 2 live in West Allis, 1 in Greenfield, 1 near Muskego. They supplied the 10,000lbs of bait we used this year (have about 800lbs leftover), and I baited every other day beginning on June 15th. On September 1st, I began going every day. To get to the 3 bait sites was a 16 mile round-trip drive. They have lake cabins by me, they are my hunting partners and best friends for the past 20 years, so I did this for them for free (they reimbursed me for gas used only). I also ran all the trail cameras used... we had 9 at our disposal but only used 5 at any one time. We had 3 on bait sites, 2 more watching the road we used for access, just to see who else was in the area, if we had any competition baiting in the area... or catching camera thieves. I downloaded over 13,000 pictures or videos. I'm seriously considering buying myself a $40 hunting guide license and start charging other people to bait for them, beginning next year. But here's the thing... I'm 65 years old. I'm semi-retired so I have plenty of time to bait. But it takes 10 years on average to get a tag. I have friends, or friends of friends, who have 8, 9, 10 preference points now. I seriously doubt I'll be still baiting at the age of 76 for someone just starting to apply. It's hard work for an old man, that ship will have sailed in about 5 more years.
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Posted: 10/15/2015 10:22:47 AM EDT
[#23]
Yeah, I should have started years ago. I think I need to start this year and I can figure it out 10 years from now.
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Posted: 10/15/2015 11:54:35 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yeah, I should have started years ago. I think I need to start this year and I can figure it out 10 years from now. If I'm too old to bait in 10 years, and if I'm still alive at 75, at least I'll still know some good spots to hunt. In 10 years, I'll have grandsons who will be 18 & 22... I'll have them carry the buckets. I carried 9,000+ lbs of bait into the woods over 3 months, two 5 gallon buckets per bait site, or 30-60 gallons, every other day. I made a total of 56 trips into the woods, walked about a half mile each time out, carrying about 50lbs in to each of 6, then 3, bait sites, between June 15th and September 16th. We started out with 6 sites, but whittled it down to the most promising 3, by the beginning of August. Good exercise, I lost 15 lbs doing it, and my legs haven't felt this strong in years.
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Posted: 10/16/2015 6:34:16 AM EDT
[#25]
I don't know anything about preference points or how bear hunting even works. Can anyone post a cliff notes? If I gotta wait a decade I should get started now I guess
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Posted: 10/16/2015 11:13:25 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I don't know anything about preference points or how bear hunting even works. Can anyone post a cliff notes? If I gotta wait a decade I should get started now I guess You apply with the DNR online, just like how you apply for a turkey permit or buy a hunting license. When you apply, you have the option to either use your preference point to try to get a permit this year, or save the point for a future tag. You just choose to save it until you have 8 or 10 points. |
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Posted: 10/16/2015 3:28:04 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I don't know anything about preference points or how bear hunting even works. Can anyone post a cliff notes? If I gotta wait a decade I should get started now I guess How long it takes to get a tag depends on which zone you want to hunt. I live & hunt in B, so I know it takes about 10 years, as of right now... but one guy in my group got his this year with 9 points, the other 2 guys had 10. Other zones might not take as long. From what I've been told, zone C only takes a few years. I believe zones A & D take almost as long as B. A, B, & D are the area north of hwy 64 from 141 west to 27, area east of 27 north to hwy 8, then everything north of 8, west to MN line. C is everything south of A-B-D, down to the IL border. Bear zone map is here |
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Posted: 10/18/2015 10:50:03 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How long it takes to get a tag depends on which zone you want to hunt. I live & hunt in B, so I know it takes about 10 years, as of right now... but one guy in my group got his this year with 9 points, the other 2 guys had 10. Other zones might not take as long. From what I've been told, zone C only takes a few years. I believe zones A & D take almost as long as B. A, B, & D are the area north of hwy 64 from 141 west to 27, area east of 27 north to hwy 8, then everything north of 8, west to MN line. C is everything south of A-B-D, down to the IL border. Bear zone map is here Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I don't know anything about preference points or how bear hunting even works. Can anyone post a cliff notes? If I gotta wait a decade I should get started now I guess How long it takes to get a tag depends on which zone you want to hunt. I live & hunt in B, so I know it takes about 10 years, as of right now... but one guy in my group got his this year with 9 points, the other 2 guys had 10. Other zones might not take as long. From what I've been told, zone C only takes a few years. I believe zones A & D take almost as long as B. A, B, & D are the area north of hwy 64 from 141 west to 27, area east of 27 north to hwy 8, then everything north of 8, west to MN line. C is everything south of A-B-D, down to the IL border. Bear zone map is here |
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