MN Bear tags

Finally after a 5 year wait my son and I finally got drawn. Now we can start getting ready!

This was our fourth year, still no tags. Maybe next year!

Be happy when you go, I can see the end of our bear hunt coming. The guy in charge has become very anti bear hunting.

Osky

I some cases I don't mind waiting so long because then there are less hunters to compete with. But 5 yrs seem to be a little long. I have a good outfitter in Manitoba I have hunted with, he maybe will get more business from me if we have to go this long again.

My main unit 15 years ago had 2400 tags, this year I think 225. The number of overall bears taken hasn't changed much. They act as if bear populations are in trouble yet on their website they are asking people to report bear sightings in western and southwestern Minnesota because bear populations are expanding.
2400 had people tripping over each other, but 224 seems silly. 600-1200 for this area seemed to work very well. The guy in charge of the bear seasons I think has a recorder in his office so he can listen to himself over and over as he certainly hasn't listened to anyone I know of who has given input. Bucksnbears had some very pertinent first hand knowledge for the guy and Bucks was told not to believe his lying eyes. Ol Dave G has become a real beauty, and not a friend of Minnesota sportsman.

Osky

You may be in luck because the MB Gov is looking at going to a two bear season....trophy hunters wont pass up their first chance, because they will have another one later, could be coming this fall 2019.

I've said it more than once Osky, they are more interested in managing hunters than bears.

Sad part is hunters push for it.

I think if we had a spring season I could put a fella on a bear right now. If you beaver trap, you need to be careful what you do on account of bears. They have cleaned up carcass dumps and moved a trap or two so far. So have wolves, not to derail.

A local should automatically get a spring bear just for being a resident of his county. I would call it a homesteader's license.

There is bear sign everywhere.

It just makes no sense.
Black Bears are spreading to areas they probably have never been, relinquishing to prairie Grizzlies back in the day. No one I know of running hunters in the northern part of the state has noted any decline but certainly an increase in bears yet they keep cutting tags.
We sure do need Karne Noyce back and in charge.

Osky

It makes perfect sense. Hunters whine cause there too much competition so DNR tries to maximize "quality of experience".

I'm surprised they haven't changed the no quota area I live in. If it weren't for agriculture interests I believe they would have

During the time of 2400 tags there were baits all over. We still did 100% by going the extra to put good baits well off the beaten path. At that time after Labor Day weekend, the opener, 3/4 of the hunters gave up and were gone. Costs a lot of money to run from the south and bait. When the tags dropped to 600 it was great. Some folks around but plenty of room for all and again most are gone by the end of Labor Day week. The "experience" at that time seemed just wonderful. Who were these unsatisfied hunters and what exactly was the " experience " issue?

Osky

Must be the same grad school that you marten and fisher bio's came out of. The Grads of "Super glue derrier office chair sitters"

Sure hope those bio's; they watch Gibb's bear clip where he shows spring vs fall bear hide

One of the reasons Dave Garshellis told me why there is such a low number of bear tags available is because too many small bears, especially females, are being shot. After having talked to hundreds of Minnesota bear hunters over the past few years, the frustration is boiling over and I am convinced that most people who wait 4-6 years for a tag are going to shoot a bear no matter what. If you wait that long you are going to get your bear, which means more smaller bears are going to be shot. If you're getting a tag say every other year, people are more likely to hold out for a mature male.

I have talked to him several times and every time I come away baffled about how clueless he is.

The last few years I have been asked over and over if I got a tag this year. Because the bears are everywhere. Again I do not. it been so long since I got a tag I'm not sure I could the bait needed.

Bear hunting is all about connections. Years go by and people forget, owners change, sources move on to new people. I never paid for bait. Never will. I used truckloads for me and the kids and shot plenty of bears.


Maybe bait would be the easy part because there are so few hunter,

Bernie you are absolutely right. There is a big hole in his explanation however at least to me. The warning his office puts out to notify them if you see bears in the newly expanding areas. If too many small females are being shot, HOW THE HECK IS THE POPULATION EXPANDING?!
Divine intervention??

Osky

It might be out of the norm but I have hunted since the late 80's and with all of the bears I have been lucky to harvest there has only been 1 female bear.