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Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7677937
09/24/22 02:21 AM
09/24/22 02:21 AM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,162
Eau Claire Wi
Trap Setter Offline
trapper
Trap Setter  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,162
Eau Claire Wi
How about opening a hunting season during the 9 day gun season like they had long ago. Could do it like the old days with party tags but have the listed participants printed on the tag and make it a separate draw for the tags from the regular seasons tags. The DNR do the draw after bear season and just allow the unfilled quotas as a guide to the numbers given. All bears need to be registered before the start of deer season and it would just be another tool in the DNRs management plan. No bait no hounds.

Just a thought


Life sure is tough when you don't learn from the mistakes of others.
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7677977
09/24/22 07:17 AM
09/24/22 07:17 AM
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,897
Wisconsin
E
Eagleye Offline
trapper
Eagleye  Offline
trapper
E

Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,897
Wisconsin
Originally Posted by AJE
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

Or the Bears were coming in until they knew the hunter was in the tree, I think the acorns dropping becomes an easy excuse rather than a major factor, maybe all bait stations should be placed under oak groves. Natural forage is always a contributing factor but so is: stand selection, wind direction, bait selection and scent.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7677989
09/24/22 07:37 AM
09/24/22 07:37 AM
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
B
Bear Tracker Offline
trapper
Bear Tracker  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
I always set my baits up with emerging food sources in mind, corn, oaks, berries. Stands are set in clumps of trees and moved year to year. Planning ahead year or two in advance is good. Wind I have never concerned myself with much. Stands are set with SW prevailing winds but I don't believe it matters much. I believe bears know your there, they circle, enter the area leave and return. Sometimes takes a couple visits. Bernie B suggested this year to have a higher nut ratio for bait as season approaches. I used some trail mix with nuts and added cashews for more mix. Also when bears are full they still check scent out. Mix scents, sweets to strong, .

Last edited by Bear Tracker; 09/24/22 08:48 AM.
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7677991
09/24/22 07:39 AM
09/24/22 07:39 AM
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
B
Bear Tracker Offline
trapper
Bear Tracker  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
I ran two baits in North Central WI, I had 1 sow w 3 cubs, 1 sow w 2, 2 sows with 1 cub. Two dry sows for sure. Growing you bet.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678030
09/24/22 08:28 AM
09/24/22 08:28 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,930
iowa
bankrunner Offline
trapper
bankrunner  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,930
iowa
I know 2 guys personally from Iowa that tagged out. Bigger one was 440 pounds.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678040
09/24/22 08:44 AM
09/24/22 08:44 AM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,492
Garden,Michigan
B
Buck (Zandra) Offline
trapper
Buck (Zandra)  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,492
Garden,Michigan
Interesting thread,especially since our DNR's own studies show bears increasing across the state,but there's rumblings from the Dept.about cutting back on licenses sold.


Buck(formely known as Zandra)
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678042
09/24/22 08:49 AM
09/24/22 08:49 AM
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
B
Bear Tracker Offline
trapper
Bear Tracker  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
While I appreciate that bankrunner, I know many that are eating tags. Dog hunters are doing well, walking corn fields now with good success.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678060
09/24/22 09:08 AM
09/24/22 09:08 AM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 231
pa
P
poconobear Offline
trapper
poconobear  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 231
pa
Our PA bears are managed by their social carrying capacity, which is lower than our natural carrying capacity. We have too many people that live in bear country that don’t like their garbage and bird feeders destroyed. Our season was typically 3-4 days before thanksgiving. This mostly protects pregnant sows, as they are usually denned up by then. A couple years ago, our estimated population hit 20,000. PGC instituted a 1 week muzzleloader season in mid October which was overlapped by a 3 week archery season. After 2 years of these extra seasons, our population is now estimated at 16,000. Reason being, the 3 week early season does not protect our sows. Sows reproduce every other year. I’m guessing our early seasons will be shorter next year. I believe the way to control bears is in the way ya manage the sows.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: Buck (Zandra)] #7678096
09/24/22 10:11 AM
09/24/22 10:11 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
O
Osky Offline
trapper
Osky  Offline
trapper
O

Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
Originally Posted by Buck (Zandra)
Interesting thread,especially since our DNR's own studies show bears increasing across the state,but there's rumblings from the Dept.about cutting back on licenses sold.


Welcome to the political agenda of the Minnesota DNR. Hopefully there are more common sense individuals involved in your policy decisions than we have.

Osky


"A womans heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth, and I can find no sign on it"

Jabless in Minnesota

www.SureDockusa.com
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: Bear Tracker] #7678121
09/24/22 10:53 AM
09/24/22 10:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
O
Osky Offline
trapper
Osky  Offline
trapper
O

Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
Originally Posted by Bear Tracker
I always set my baits up with emerging food sources in mind, corn, oaks, berries. Stands are set in clumps of trees and moved year to year. Planning ahead year or two in advance is good. Wind I have never concerned myself with much. Stands are set with SW prevailing winds but I don't believe it matters much. I believe bears know your there, they circle, enter the area leave and return. Sometimes takes a couple visits. Bernie B suggested this year to have a higher nut ratio for bait as season approaches. I used some trail mix with nuts and added cashews for more mix. Also when bears are full they still check scent out. Mix scents, sweets to strong, .



I had a wise large bear on bait last year. Talk about circling. I found a light trail perpendicular about 200 yards off the stand one side of the trail. Bear came up then turned back when hunted.
After 3 no show nights. 4th day I took the hunter in at baiting time just before noon, past that trail intersection riding the atv nearly to the bait then hustled him up the stand to wait quietly the afternoon.
The big bear crossed the walk in/atv trail that evening and came in to be harvested at 6:35. As clean as that walk in trail was the bear was picking up the hunter walking in at 3:30-4:00 and it was an old flat logging trail there, no side brush involved just hard sand ground. I’d had the guy even using rubber bands to hold his pant legs from dragging.
When people say the bears quit hitting the bait when hunted, bears are simply busting the hunter. The wind, the scent on the walk in as above….noise. I back track trails at baits after season to learn and at least where I am at bears on a good bait that holds enough food to keep them happy will be holed up during the day a lot closer than people think. Hearing any sort of vehicle they are not used to towards evening puts them off same as hunter smells and other things. Hearing is crazy good for them.
Interesting to me as well is the big boars in the roughly 350-550 lb range are the most cagey. The bigger boars than 550 which I’ve seen and some taken at times come plowing in with seemingly no worry. They could however be doing all the precautionary foreplay just out of sight? The jumbos are not shy about piling right in at the bait.
These are some of my observations from the heavy bush of Northern MN. Different areas bears certainly act differently.
I never use sweets.

Osky

Last edited by Osky; 09/24/22 05:25 PM.

"A womans heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth, and I can find no sign on it"

Jabless in Minnesota

www.SureDockusa.com
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678133
09/24/22 11:10 AM
09/24/22 11:10 AM
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,384
WI
B
BvrRetriever Online content
trapper
BvrRetriever  Online Content
trapper
B

Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,384
WI
Originally Posted by AJE
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.


Sows with first year cubs are off limits. Releasing a full grown sow with cubs nearby would be a nightmare!

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678148
09/24/22 11:45 AM
09/24/22 11:45 AM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
D
Dirty D Offline
trapper
Dirty D  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
I'm in Sheboygan Co, there were bear sightings this summer and one hit and killed on the road.
One also hit and killed in Waukesha Co this summer.

It was a rare event for one to be seen this far south, now its a every spring/summer thing.

how much longer before they are full time residents I don't know.
But I'm willing to bet it'll happen.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678230
09/24/22 04:07 PM
09/24/22 04:07 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,417
Idaho
B
bearcat2 Offline
trapper
bearcat2  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,417
Idaho
I've got some friends back there that hunt them with dogs. Just hunting weekends and a week or so of vacation they are catching 40-50 a year (including training season). So there is a decent population where they are hunting. Adding additional methods of take (such as footsnaring) isn't going to affect the population because the harvest numbers are regulated by the limited amount of tags they give out. Those friends of mine there usually harvest three or four a year, by having friends and family put in for tags, because it takes years to draw a tag. If the Wisconsin DNR wants to lower the population they will have to increase the tags given out.

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: Trap Setter] #7678567
09/25/22 10:10 AM
09/25/22 10:10 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
Originally Posted by Trap Setter
How about opening a hunting season during the 9 day gun season like they had long ago. Could do it like the old days with party tags but have the listed participants printed on the tag and make it a separate draw for the tags from the regular seasons tags. The DNR do the draw after bear season and just allow the unfilled quotas as a guide to the numbers given. All bears need to be registered before the start of deer season and it would just be another tool in the DNRs management plan. No bait no hounds.

Just a thought

I hunted Wisconsin during those days.


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: 330-Trapper] #7678606
09/25/22 11:14 AM
09/25/22 11:14 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
O
Osky Offline
trapper
Osky  Offline
trapper
O

Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
Originally Posted by 330-Trapper
Originally Posted by Trap Setter
How about opening a hunting season during the 9 day gun season like they had long ago. Could do it like the old days with party tags but have the listed participants printed on the tag and make it a separate draw for the tags from the regular seasons tags. The DNR do the draw after bear season and just allow the unfilled quotas as a guide to the numbers given. All bears need to be registered before the start of deer season and it would just be another tool in the DNRs management plan. No bait no hounds.

Just a thought

I hunted Wisconsin during those days.


I recall that as well. I remember too Minnesota had a bounty on bears when I was really young, my father spoke of it. Bears were able to be killed year round I believe.
Edit: I am not however as old as White17 and was not around for the bear migration across the Bearing Sea land bridge.

Osky

Last edited by Osky; 09/25/22 11:16 AM.

"A womans heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth, and I can find no sign on it"

Jabless in Minnesota

www.SureDockusa.com
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678613
09/25/22 11:27 AM
09/25/22 11:27 AM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 121
S.E. Wi
C
Chukar Offline
trapper
Chukar  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 121
S.E. Wi
They definitely are expanding their range.
Buddy on the Kenosha/Racine County line had one on his trail camera a few times, with one showing it stalking a doe and fawn.
It's been dubbed the 'Wheatland bear "

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: Chukar] #7678630
09/25/22 12:08 PM
09/25/22 12:08 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
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B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
I don't know when they dropped the tag system in WI where you could shoot a buck deer or a bear, but there were two large groups from my home county of Jackson that hunted in the Winter Draper area along the Thornapple River and I know at least a couple seasons there were one or two hunters who harvested bear during those seasons. One person got a bear two seasons in a row. That was the first time I ever saw a black bear when they came back from their camp. One was sizable, I don't remember the weight but they weighed him at the local feed mill. Lot of people dropped by to see the bear. This was the late 50s and through the 1960s if I remember correctly.

Bryce

Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: Osky] #7678650
09/25/22 01:05 PM
09/25/22 01:05 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10,421
mn north of blakely
S
Steven 49er Offline
trapper
Steven 49er  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10,421
mn north of blakely
Originally Posted by Osky


Welcome to the political agenda of the Minnesota DNR. Hopefully there are more common sense individuals involved in your policy decisions than we have.

Osky


That political agenda was driven by input from the public. People complaining about too many hunters disturbing their QOE. Instead of managing the wildlife the DNR is more interested in managing people it seems.

I am not a bear hunter but if I was I'd be glad that I reside in the no quota zone.

Last edited by Steven 49er; 09/25/22 01:06 PM.

"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Milton Friedman.
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: AJE] #7678652
09/25/22 01:07 PM
09/25/22 01:07 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10,421
mn north of blakely
S
Steven 49er Offline
trapper
Steven 49er  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10,421
mn north of blakely
Oh and I don't think anyone is as old as ole White17. Well except for maybe the beav. I don't know if the beav saw the land migration but he for sure sat behind George Washington in the 6th grade.


"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Milton Friedman.
Re: A growing Wi bear population? [Re: BvrRetriever] #7679796
09/26/22 10:16 PM
09/26/22 10:16 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
A
AJE Offline OP
trapper
AJE  Offline OP
trapper
A

Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
Originally Posted by BvrRetriever
Originally Posted by AJE
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.


Sows with first year cubs are off limits. Releasing a full grown sow with cubs nearby would be a nightmare!

True. I'm not sure how Maine handles that issue.

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