Is it just me or does it seem like the bear population is on the rise? I'm in West Central Wisconsin. We have property on both sides of the county and they seem to be showing up more often (and more of them) every year.

Which county, Chippewa south for 64 is due to late season open and dnr wont change due to labor day. Issuing more tags is not the answer. The last couple years have been tough to harvest as well, acorn crop drop large and early, corn silking, various natural foods in abundance. Once they switch to protein from carbs it hard. So yep when you consider harvest numbers and the size of zone C. It is growing fast.

Almost as many bears as deer here.

More than likely there will need to be a real major look and potential change in harvest management when bears become more common in our more crop productive areas of WI which have huge food supplies along with good habitat for bears. The social carrying capacity for bears in these farm and populated areas will drive the population goals in the future. Also the wild or natural food supply is larger as well.

Bryce

Good comments above.

Here's my take: I think Wi should legalize foot snares for bear. I'm referring to like the Belisle version. We can use 'em for yotes & cats. Bear would take the larger size. It could be limited so that a trapper can only have 1 bear trap out (so no one would have to release a bear). Trappers would apply in the same drawing hunters apply for. I have heard of no issues with the current foot snares being used in Wi. I don't see what would hurt to allow them for bear trapping. I suppose they could even use a sort of deer stop to allow cubs to self release. I see no down side.

I don't think managing bear numbers in WI is a methods issue as much as it is what is the allowable harvest for the desired population goals. Also some thought needs to be put into managing bear numbers in the heavily populated southern areas with much less public land which makes the use of hounds less of a viable option.

Bryce

Black bear populations are on the rise pretty much everywhere except those wild places where there was never a decline due to humans. States are implementing black bear recovery plans without regard for human/bear conflicts that will ultimately result. Here in southwest Va a 17 mile section of the Appalachian Trail through the Mt Rogers National Recreation Area is now closed to overnight camping due to bear problems. The source of the problem? The VDGIF plan to promote an increase in the black bear population. Since the late 1980's 210 black bears have been relocated and released in the Mt Rogers area in order to accelerate the population recovery. So now we have a population of black bears that were a problem elsewhere or are the progeny of bears that were a problem elsewhere. No hunting over bait, no hunting with hounds, no trapping of bears allowed but VDGIF is working on deciding what to do. We are screwed.

Neighbor showed me a trail cam video today that appeared the other day next to my land. 2 bears were wrestling. Is that unusual? This was not at a bait station, just a cam he set up for deer. The rise in bear numbers seems obvious, with no scientific study required to confirm it.

I talked with a friend Friday that owns land in southern Jackson Co along the Black River. He has had over a dozen different bears on his cameras this year since spring.

Bryce

Bear wrestling around or establishing dominance is not unusual.

Very common in my area, I live in town on the Mississippi River, don't go in the woods anymore without a handgun

I've heard of a lot of people that had bears coming in, but not many that have shot 1.

Well one of the ways to insure a growing bear population is to be very, very selective in what you want to harvest. More larger males harvested and maybe more permits not filled due to not wanting to harvest a mid 100 lbs. bear. Which keeps more breeding females in the population.

Bryce

Here in Lower Michigan we have had an increase enough that a season has been opened in the Mid-State area(Midland Co.).

We have even had some road kills.

Wisconsin, like it's sister state, Michigan, are two burrs in a hounds tail as far as the basic landscape. Our southern counties, with only a few exceptions, are much more fertile than the northern counties. The soils are better, and the climate is a little better for growing crops...wild or man-planted, and the result is that the carrying capacity of the habitat is higher. This refers to deer, bear, 'coons, or people. Southern Michigan's rise in bear numbers will mirror southern Wisconsin's......these areas will support vastly higher numbers of bear simply because the habitat is better. People are the only thing holding back a huge growth in bear numbers. People will tolerate only so many bears, especially uneducated urban/sub-urban people with no experience with bear. My area has never been without bear, yet time after time I had down-staters walk in my showroom and act flabbergasted when I said the mounted bear were shot locally....."what? There are bear around here" Oh man, wish I didn't know that!". The southern reaches of our two states are perfect bear country....great natural foods, greater man-planted foods, plus lots of woodlots and swampy areas to den and hang out in. What more could a bruin ask for? Well, except to be left alone.

WI has several major river valleys and flood plains that make great travel lanes from north to southwest for many species including black bear. We also have several fairly large wooded wildlife areas in the 3k to 15 K acre range which once species get situated in these areas they will be here to stay. As stated above biological carrying capacity in the wooded farmland areas of WI, MN, MI is very large, much larger than the social carrying capacity. The northern 1/3rd or 1/4 of WI will always be a place where species can find enough security and food to produce the numbers to keep migrating south. Just look now at the majority of residential Canada Geese here in sourthern WI that never even bother to migrate anymore.

Bryce

So what if we had a spring season? Split up the hunters. You either apply for spring or fall hunt. Less baits per sqaure mile. Especially on public land.

If you ask me our bear population is way to high here. When I was a kid it was a special event to see one. Now they are everywhere. Had a dozen different bear hitting baits this year right behind my home. Can't go through a dozen deer trail cam pics without seeing bear.

You got that right about the harvest. Baits turned to crickets as soon as the acorns hit the ground.

I haven't heard of many successful bear hunters this year but maybe I'm not talking to the right people. So often I hear people say they had 'em coming in UNTIL season started