Posted: 10/8/2024 9:18:30 AM EDT
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She’s sad, and says she won’t do it again, but I got her a bear for her birthday yesterday. She took the day off just to sit her bait in hopes of getting a bear on her birthday… Attached File |
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WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
Joined:
Apr 2024
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1031
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SD, USA
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It's looking like it's going to be the same for me. It has been both one of the best, and the worst bear seasons. It it has been astounding how many bear pictures we got this year, and this is the first year every single bait we had out had at least one bear on it. A couple of them were really hot bait sites. It has also been horrible in that I have never had more night pictures, and more bad luck. Early on we had a bear on one site that was coming regularly, then all of a sudden started coming in broad daylight. We hunted that spot, but the very first sit was a bust. A few hundred yards away was what I can only assume was goose hunters in a field having a good day. They did nothing wrong, but it could not have been a worse time. That bear didn't show itself for over a week, again at night. Then the MN deer bow season started and we never saw him again. That site never produced another bear either. We later had another site that was more sporadic, but then all of a sudden had multiple bears on it every night, sometimes twice a day. Then we got a picture of some guy walking through, obviously deer hunting. Again, he did nothing wrong, but it could not have been at a worse time. Those bears cleared off for good after that. That same site was dead for over a week, then a single big bear randomly came in, every single night between 9pm and 10pm. It was like that for over a week, we never let the bait run out, but for seemingly no reason he never came back after the 3rd. We also had another site that was also active since like the 3rd day of baiting, but only with a sows with cubs. Mostly daytime pictures, and plenty of them. No legal bear ever showed up. This site also went dead on the 3rd, and this is a very remote spot, and I'm quite positive there were no other bear hunters around. Another site which is admittedly less than ideal had a bears here and there, but nothing consistent ever. It also had one picture on the 3rd and nothing again. Now for no reason I can figure, every one of our baits, all went dead on the same day back on October 3rd. All are full of bait, nothing changed. Same weather as has been all season. Just zero bears at all. It's looking like this season is going to be a bust for us. This is our last week of the season. |
Joined:
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Posts:
1035
EE: 100% (4)
SD, USA
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Originally Posted By Clarinath: Acorns dropped? Once that happens here, the bears go away… It's impossible to say why, or even if there is a reason besides them not wanting the bait. These baits are in central Minnesota, generally acorns are dropping in August, and finishing in September. I'm sure they are still falling, but we are getting to the end of the season for that to be a big factor. The weather has been crazy here, as I'm sure it has been other places. We came off a really dry, really warm winter, and went right into an extremely wet spring and summer. It seemed like it was never going to stop raining sometimes. Temperatures were relatively normal though. Then mid-late August, it just stopped one day, and that was that. My baits are 250 miles from my house, but the weather has been similar. Maybe there was a sprinkle I didn't notice, but from what I can tell it has not rained a measurable amount since mid August anywhere in the eastern SD or western/central MN. Things went from being wetter than I have ever seen them before for late summer, to bone dry. Temperatures this fall have also been hot. We stayed well above normal all September, and continuing into October. October 3rd was the only day I'm aware of that had a high lower than average. I don't know if that is a coincidence. We have not been super hot the past week, but we have been well over average high every day. We just about hit 80f today here, when an average high is like 62F. The hot weather can't be helping. The other factor is other hunters. MN early goose season started September 1st (Sep1-15), as well as the early teal season (Sep 1-5). MN archery deer started September 14th. Minnesota has an odd duck season. They opened September 21st but stop on the 29th. Then a break. Then reopen on October 5th for the remainder of the season. This could account for one of the baits which is kind of close to a boat accessible slough, but it is still 3/4 mile from the boat launch. I have a hard time believing it is a factor. The other sites are nowhere close to anything I think people would duck hunt. One isn't even within a mile of a crop field from what I can see. There is squirrel hunting open, and I suppose people could be squirrel hunting the areas I have baits. Fall turkey is open, but few people do that, no way that's a factor for multiple bait sites. All that to say, I don't know. I did everything I could possibly do. I had a bait in every spot that I thought could potentially produce. It's all public land so it isn't like we can just move them. We baited with good bait, at times and in a manner I think was ideal. My one and only regret of the season was after it started to dry out in mid September, there is one more spot I think I could have put out a bait. It was very wet earlier in the season so I didn't want to slog out there. It's too late to worry about that now. |
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Bait sitting is tough. The overall success rate in Wi is just 25%. Those are not the best odds. MN can bait with fare more kinds of bait than WI, but sometimes, the bear win… |
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WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
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Originally Posted By Clarinath: Bait sitting is tough. The overall success rate in Wi is just 25%. Those are not the best odds. MN can bait with fare more kinds of bait than WI, but sometimes, the bear win… Are dogs legal in your state? If so, make friends with some dog hunters and have them show you how to use them. Its a game changer. |
Joined:
Apr 2024
Posts:
1039
EE: 100% (4)
SD, USA
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Originally Posted By Clarinath: Bait sitting is tough. The overall success rate in Wi is just 25%. Those are not the best odds. MN can bait with fare more kinds of bait than WI, but sometimes, the bear win… It might be that high in a better unit in MN, but it takes years to draw those tags. In the zone I'm in with unlimited tags it appears to be hovering around 10% to 15% success. There's really not a huge difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota bait regulations that pertain to me. Some people in MN can use barrels, which would help tremendously, however that is only for residents. The 10 gallon rule in Wisconsin is not a huge factor for me. I can only legally use natural cribs, plus I can't really carry more than two 5 gallon buckets at a time to a bait site. It really wouldn't be a factor. As for what we can use for bait, there's not really not a huge difference. You can't use meat in Wisconsin, which I don't know about others, but I could never afford to use any kind of meat for bait. I do put out some old fish guts as a stink bait at first, but there's alternatives to that. It's kind of strange you can't use honey in Wisconsin, but I'm not sure it matters. I sometimes use honey in Minnesota, but I'm not convinced it is any better than cheap maple syrup, which stinks more, and you can buy gallons of the stuff for the same price as a little thing of honey. On the flip side you can bait MUCH earlier in Wisconsin than Minnesota. You could start in April there, although you would have to be absolutely mad to do that. It would be really nice to at least have a month before the season though. Minnesota only gives you a couple weeks before the season. It is nail biting because you have to get it right with no mistakes. Your best chance at bear is right at the September 1st opener, and it only gets tougher from there. This year we had the double whammy of Labor day on opener, plus the early teal and early goose on the weekend. Next year will hopefully have the teal season open the weekend after. Yes, it is always tough. Even on my "easy" years where I get one right away, there was a minimum of 3 weeks hardcore baiting work before that. Anyone that thinks elk hunting is hard would have their ass handed to them bear hunting. It is the hardest hunting I have ever experienced. P.S. No dogs are not legal for bear in Minnesota. They are legal in Wisconsin in some zones, during certain seasons. |
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Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Are dogs legal in your state? If so, make friends with some dog hunters and have them show you how to use them. Its a game changer. I have hunted bear with dogs for decades. Where we live is a non hound hunting area. The state is broken into 6 areas. To get a bear tag in the hound areas takes almost ten years. ] ]Bait only areas, Mrs Clarinath has gotten a tag every year she applies… |
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WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
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Originally Posted By fgshoot: It might be that high in a better unit in MN, but it takes years to draw those tags. In the zone I'm in with unlimited tags it appears to be hovering around 10% to 15% success. There's really not a huge difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota bait regulations that pertain to me. Some people in MN can use barrels, which would help tremendously, however that is only for residents. The 10 gallon rule in Wisconsin is not a huge factor for me. I can only legally use natural cribs, plus I can't really carry more than two 5 gallon buckets at a time to a bait site. It really wouldn't be a factor. As for what we can use for bait, there's not really not a huge difference. You can't use meat in Wisconsin, which I don't know about others, but I could never afford to use any kind of meat for bait. I do put out some old fish guts as a stink bait at first, but there's alternatives to that. It's kind of strange you can't use honey in Wisconsin, but I'm not sure it matters. I sometimes use honey in Minnesota, but I'm not convinced it is any better than cheap maple syrup, which stinks more, and you can buy gallons of the stuff for the same price as a little thing of honey. On the flip side you can bait MUCH earlier in Wisconsin than Minnesota. You could start in April there, although you would have to be absolutely mad to do that. It would be really nice to at least have a month before the season though. Minnesota only gives you a couple weeks before the season. It is nail biting because you have to get it right with no mistakes. Your best chance at bear is right at the September 1st opener, and it only gets tougher from there. This year we had the double whammy of Labor day on opener, plus the early teal and early goose on the weekend. Next year will hopefully have the teal season open the weekend after. Yes, it is always tough. Even on my "easy" years where I get one right away, there was a minimum of 3 weeks hardcore baiting work before that. Anyone that thinks elk hunting is hard would have their ass handed to them bear hunting. It is the hardest hunting I have ever experienced. P.S. No dogs are not legal for bear in Minnesota. They are legal in Wisconsin in some zones, during certain seasons. If you want a slam dunk bait for bear, use beaver carcasses. That is the go to bait in Canada because it works so well. Get to know a trapper, or talk to your local trapping associations or clubs. If I could use beaver I would have a freezer just for frozen beaver bodies. Hang one in a tree on a wire and you’ll get a bear just about every time. They LOVE beaver. |
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WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS