Record number of bear permits
Wisconsin
Not a huge increase, but an increase nonetheless.
An extra 50 added to the quota? Doesn't seem like enough.
What's the success rate on bear in Wisconsin? Not drawing the tag, but the overall kill success rate.
We need to get the wolf ruling straighened out and have a record number of tags for them as well.
Success rate is over 40 percent, and is likely much higher among those who put in a solid effort.
Thanks Naz. Do they break it down between baiters and the dog guys or just all lumped together? I bought land in Wisconsin and considered putting in for a bear license until I heard how long it will take on average. Not sure I want to hump bait at almost 60 years old.
Here are the harvest numbers from last year-
Zone Males Females Unknown Total A 652 553 24 1229 B 325 395 8 728 C 502 405 14 921 D 651 732 14 1397 Unkown 2 2 0 4
Total 2132 2087 60 4279
I also have the kill by county. If you are interested send me a PM.
Thanks
Here are the harvest numbers from last year-
Zone Males Females Unknown Total A 652 553 24 1229 B 325 395 8 728 C 502 405 14 921 D 651 732 14 1397 Unkown 2 2 0 4
Total 2132 2087 60 4279
I also have the kill by county. If you are interested send me a PM.
Thanks
Success rates by zone
Zone A 59% B 74% C 18% D 63%
Overall 41%
Raising the quota by 50 puts an additional 350 tags out there.
Mike, not sure I follow on the 350 extra tags to get 50 more bears with a success rate of 40+ percent. In theory, wouldn't that many extra tags result in close to 150 extra bear?
South Farm, you should be applying, worry about how the baiting will happen when you draw. Anyone with any hunting skills that puts in a serious effort will get a bear. Well, unless your size expectations are way out of line.
I think 10 K is a good number. Pleased to see this.
I have 7 points but, have not applied because I am not sure I want to kill an animal I have no interest in eating. Are bear good eating? Been debating it for the last year.
I'll take all the bear meat I can get if was cared for properly. I like it better than Elk.
Drop Tine really? What about the quality makes it good?
I've only arrowed one bear in my life and it was delicious.
Just like a whitetail the steaks and chops are best grilled. Roasts braised and the tougher cuts saved for stewing and summer sausage.
My wife likes it - claims it is sweet tasting.
Naz=
Last year they gave out 10,340 tags.
10orbetter-
Bear are very good eating, unless they spend a lot of time in the dump.
Awesome sausage. I use 15 pounds of venison with 10 pounds of bear for summer sausage or salami. And as far as burgers go, almost as good as elk.
If I get one with bright white fat I mix that with venison burger also.
Cook the loins just like beef and have at it!
Give it a try and if you don't like it you learned from it.
Bear ranks below mountain lion and above most hooved mammals
Funny though how some on other taste threads just hate to eat bear
Be suprised to find out that in some areas of Canada the meat stays in the woods. Skull and picture hunters only
What a waste same with mountain lion carcasses
Getting it skinned and the meat cooled down as soon as possible goes a long way to good bear meat. Cook it but don't over cook it. Every fall the bear hunters in our area get together with donated bear meat (from a Trophy hunter) and we host a bear roast. Cook it whole in a rostisury grill like a pig. Everyone brings a dish to pass and we eat like kings for the day.
Gotcha Mike, perhaps the success percentage changed then so they're altering the tags based on that, zone by zone. Either way, hope for cool weather and high success rates to help the north trim some fawn killers.
This year for the bear bait sitters the season is very late (Sept 16) this puts the archery deer season before the bear season. Bear Bait stations have always slowed down once the deer baits hit the ground. Bear bait sitters might have to work extra hard this year for a successful hunt. Good luck everyone.
I have shot 5 bears, they eat good. I like good bear meat. good field care and quick cooling. of course I never shot a bear bigger than 250lbs, my smallest was 160, shot that with a longbow at 7 steps, really cool
I shot 2 bears (way back) during rifle deer hunting, one was great eating one was bad, Both in cold weather. I think now-a-days they would be better eating as different ways of cooking
Bear meat might of got its bad rap from the spring season bears?? I have never ate a spring bear,but since some guides in Canada bait with meat and fish-beaver carcasses stored in 55 gallon drums- yum. I'm sure that taints the meat, not to mention after the the meat would taste different than a bear feeding on natural food all summer. My bear hunters have never complained about the meat,we skin and get them cooled immediately. Any one ever eat a spring bear?
The late season like NWO stated will make this season a little more challenging. The up side will be less bugs, the downside will be more corn piles with the bow season starting,more landowners moving around-and the biggest one will be less foliage-so that will mean on my end setting up bait stations in tight cover. I have noticed that when things start to open ,less cover effects the hitting patterns on some bait stations as the season goes. This along with the other two factors mentioned will make it a little harder this year. But over all it should still be a good hunt with our current bear numbers that we have. Good luck on the draw everyone.
I've eaten a fall bear I arrowed on the ground at less than 10 steps in Ontario and first steak was good, but after that, got a bad one and couldn't bring myself to cook it any more so was made into various sausages and such. We took great care in immediate cleaning and cooling, including ice all the way home. I suspect the rotten meat they feed was part of it? Have eaten bear stew from animals shot in Maine and WI, both fair, but I wouldn't say it's on my top five wild game favorites.
How much meat does a person get from the average black bear? I've got a long way to go before I pull a black bear permit but just curious. Thanks!
Have shot 3 bears ( all WIS.) and the meat was all good.Really liked the back straps Also got excellent stew meat out of them .The scraps also made very good hamburger & we put some scraps in with our venison to make sausage.Like it as much as venison.I will say I do not like butchering them as much as a deer(tough to get the fat off) Had my last one butchered at the Corner Store in Armstrong Creek and they did an excellent job & were very reasonable.My brother took his there this last fall and again had excellent results & was treated great!
I was suprised by how little meat I got off my bear this year...268 lbs field dressed, about 35 lbs of steaks and roasts and 35 lbs of trim. The boar I got was pretty fat, and my butcher said he cuts the bear so that there is very little sinew, fat, or other tissue on the meat, which like venison will give it a gamey taste. So far the bear I've cooked up has been really really good. The bear only went 50 yards before expiring, and we found him right away, got him field dressed and in the cooler immediately.
Thanks for the infer guys. I am a little on the fence but, will likely apply next year. With 7 points in the bag, I think I would be good?
