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Interesting, there were more bears killed in A than there were permits issued. ;-)
Jeff, quota is different than permits issued. Typically a little more than double the tags awarded to try to reach quota.
Thanks for the post Camp 2 dukes
Ya.. tanx..numbers don't lie... plenty of bear to allow a tag with your Bow and gun tags as we once had.. everyone gets one..get r done.
Yeah numbers don't lie. 22,000 bear in the state and AH wants to give a tag to all 600,000 gun hunters. That will work. NOT!
Nice Post. My observations are a lower population in Zone A on public lands, but a stable population on private land in A. Most of my D spots are all private land sections in Sawyer County-no shortage of bear at all on private in either zone. I can't gauge anything in D in my area as far as public sections since I dont bait on them.
I have ran around 25- 30 baits in Sawyer and Southern Bayfield County's for the past 16 years.Most of the baits are in the same location or moved slightly. Some hound hunters I spoke with last year confirmed the lower numbers of bear in the large tracts of public in our area in Zone A. They said it has been a steady decline. Not sure why, but I can only assume the hound hunting and bait sitting year after year has kept the population from growing and now its declining. On private land the harvest is strictly from bait sitting and not effected as much. Overall we still have great hunting- it just fluctuates a little by area depending on the pressure-just like the deer situation.
Zone B I have NINE (9) preference points, and I have been requesting a harvest tag every year. That is just ridiculous, but does help explain why most of the summer I have far more bear pictures on trail cameras than deer pictures.
Thanks Naz, I misread what that second number meant.
It seems pretty clear why the bear population is down on public land up north. First the hound hunters are surely more active there. Second add in the DIY bear hunters that probably focus more on public land. Third, even though Jim doesn't guide on public land there are guides that do. So, three categories of hunters are active on public land, not sure if many non local hunters are very active on private land.
Wolf do pray on bear-a few years ago I had a picture of a sow and two cubs on a bait near Cable. I also had a picture of two wolves on that bait the same night. The Sow showed up again a few days later-with one cub. There is a good chance the wolves took one. There was no season going yet, so it wasn't accidently shot. Also, heard a few years ago of a yearling being dragged out of a shallow den and killed-by wolves near Ashland-found by a logger yearling bear is no match for a pack of wolves. But the biggest predator by far is man. It appears the DNR is doing everything it can to manage bear for a quality hunt- unlike Mn where it is much tougher to actually kill a decent bear , but easy to draw with the abundant tags.
Just like the DNR was off by 300% on the wolf population around Pelican Lake. Their numbers, not mine. I suspect the DNR is way off on their bear population figure. I say double their number and you might be in the ball park. OTC bear hunting permits for three years.
Is it possible to hunt bear in WI w/o bait or dogs? Or would just be wasting my time? I would like to do a canoe/camping trip in zone D in 2016. I should have enough points by then. I don't know anyone up there and can't really afford to pay someone to maintain a couple sights for me as I need to save as much in my hunting fund as I can since I'm taking my boys to Wyoming for elk/mule deer in 2017. I can swing the camping trip but not a guide or baitor. This would be a solo diy trip for me. Just curious if anyone has any experience in this type of hunt since this is a bear thread.
can be done but take a ride north talk to a few farmes see if you can hunt there oats or corn field you have a chance of killing a bear. You may not have to pay them a penny
didn't we have a thread about the avg. number of points needed per zone? Anyone have info on that?
Yes, talk to farmers in the Mason, Ino area, had a friend a few years back use a predator call and pulled a curious bear out of a corn field. Very tough hunting without bait but anything is possible. Don't be picky. Check your PM I will send you info on a farmer who usually has bear problems.
another option to bait is to hunt the acorns- that is if we have a good crop. It takes some scouting but it is possible. With a late season this coming fall, it may be worth a try.
Bear tags over the counter- with over 10,000 applicatants already- that would wipe out the bear in three years- unless thats the objective,the DNR will never go there. We have a quality hunt in place in Wisconsin- but they could give a few more tags out in B for sure. Its just like the deer issue, more game on private,less on public- all due to uneven hunting pressure.
I said that wrong! 108,000 hunters applied for 10,000 tags- over the counter would not work at all in Wisconsin. This is why the season was closed in 1980/81- to many tags, to much pressure not enough bear. The DNR set up the preference point system and we had great hunting after that.
Jim....the season was closed in 84 & 85 but the message is still the same.
Black bear is a quality big game hunt at a reasonable cost in our state. I don't see why we would sacrifice that resource. More wolf tags need to be issued and everyone needs to start shooting coyotes.
Bear season was closed in'85 not '84. Antis' challenged State management, weights were dropping. and they said DNR did not know what was needed to have sustainable harvest.
