Trappers semi live bear hunt.
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: Trapper
08-Sep-17
I have a Michigan bear tag this year after a 14 year wait. I will post when I can, but I will be off the grid for the most part. Meaning no electricity, internet or cell signal most of the time. I have 3 working baits, set out varying from 4 miles to 14 miles from camp by 4 wheeler. No roads in this area, only grown over logging roads. I will start my hunt on Friday September 15th at about 10:00 in the morning.
From: Drop Tine
08-Sep-17
Good luck and have fun.
From: Reggiezpop
08-Sep-17
Shoot straight and hunt safe, Trapper!
From: MF
08-Sep-17
Good luck and have a great time.
From: ground hunter
08-Sep-17
what county are you hunting.....14 years wow long time,,,,, good luck to you,
From: Swampy
08-Sep-17
Trapper may you stay safe , enjoy every minute and shoot the big one !
From: Trapper
12-Sep-17
ground hunter, I will be in Baraga.
Swampy, I don't really want to shoot the big one. Too much work when your going by 4 wheeler. 250-350 would be about perfect. Here's a crap picture of a 3 legged one that didn't miss many meals.
From: Chris S
12-Sep-17
Good luck I got a wi tag this season at 10 points. And have 14 in Michigan right now. Probably going to use those points next year if I find a spot or guide that's not too expensive. Good luck shot straight!
From: Jeff in MN
13-Sep-17
Good luck, sounds like a great place for a remote hunt. I accumulated a few Michigan points years ago before the electronic application process. Somehow I missed some years and lost all my points which was a bummer. Last year I thought about starting the preference points again but figured by the time I got drawn I would be too old to bear hunt on my own.
From: Trapper
13-Sep-17
Not true Jeff, If you can tolerate hunting the later seasons, you can draw in 3-4 years. Michigan is starting to give a higher percentage to nonresidents than what they did in the past. Starting next year I will start applying for later time periods as I'm also getting older.
From: Trapper
13-Sep-17
Hot off the camera.
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
I'm on the road.
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
From: Nocturnal
14-Sep-17
Have fun Trapper! Post more pics! :)
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
Maybe it doesn't have the greatest power but it sure does get great gas mileage
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
1 1/2 hours to go.
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
Aggghhh
From: Tweed
14-Sep-17
Looking forward to updates.
What vehicle do you have?
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
Dodge 150. Leaves are changing.
From: Trapper
14-Sep-17
From: ground hunter
15-Sep-17
Jeff. my camp is south of where Trapper is,,,,, also I have a guy in Watersmeet, he draws every year,,,, 3rd season, has only not drawn once in the last 10 years.... later can be great,,,,, he shoots small bears for the freezer, not into big bears........
I will draw next year, however I will be over between Bergland and White Pine since I am going for a pig, of a bear,,,,,,,
colors in the UP are 40 percent already
From: Trapper
15-Sep-17
On the way in today.
On the way in today.
From: Trapper
15-Sep-17
My set up today. 82 degrees.
From: Tweed
15-Sep-17
How's the skeeters?
From: ground hunter
17-Sep-17
Trapper nice ATV,,,,, you should see what my 2000 Honda Foreman looks like, ha ha,,,,, maybe you can bait with me next year, but we would use your machine,,,, ha ha
From: Jeff in MN
17-Sep-17
Hey, that is great that shorter waits are possible for a draw in later seasons. Later would be fine with me. Better fur then too. If you are game for a partner in the future keep me in mind.
From: ground hunter
17-Sep-17
Jeff I am always looking for a partner,,,,, my cabin is in western Iron Co we should hook up,,,maybe trapper will join hey maybe we will start something here
From: Chris S
17-Sep-17
I have 14 Michigan points now monkey bc my friend sold his place and have no access so I just keep applying for point.
I'm in stand now in eagle river Wisconsin. Cashed in my 10 points here. Very warm was in 80s yesterday 70ish now but hot in the sun nothing on bait last 3 days in the heat. Fingers crossed waiting on one of the big ones.
From: Chris S
17-Sep-17
I have 14 Michigan points now monkey bc my friend sold his place and have no access so I just keep applying for point.
I'm in stand now in eagle river Wisconsin. Cashed in my 10 points here. Very warm was in 80s yesterday 70ish now but hot in the sun nothing on bait last 3 days in the heat. Fingers crossed waiting on one of the big ones.
From: Chris S
17-Sep-17
I have 14 Michigan points now monkey bc my friend sold his place and have no access so I just keep applying for point.
I'm in stand now in eagle river Wisconsin. Cashed in my 10 points here. Very warm was in 80s yesterday 70ish now but hot in the sun nothing on bait last 3 days in the heat. Fingers crossed waiting on one of the big ones.
From: northbound
17-Sep-17
If you guys need an apprentice in that area... I too reside in upper mi when work allows me to leave. Iron river and Ralph. I know nothing about bear hunting but have been applying for points last 3 years. No clue what I'm looking for as far as scouting ect. Took me to many years to get a clue about deer(still lots of learning of course), would like to shorten the learning curve of bear hunting when the time comes... Btw, trapper you got me hooked on the grafting thing this spring, thanks again for fueling the addiction
From: ground hunter
17-Sep-17
Jeff I am thinking we are could be putting a good group together,,,, I hunt woodcock out of Ralph when I go east... I think we may have the beginning of a good bear camp
From: Trapper
18-Sep-17
With the warm weather the bigger bears are only hitting after dark. Plenty of little ones during the day though. 43 miles by 4 wheeler each day. Glad it's new.
From: Chris S
19-Sep-17
I went home yesterday. My bait went dead have t had an ear on it in 6 days. I think it's a combo of guys running dogs bumped them and then just not being active with it being in the 80's. I'll be back out next week when it cools off. Good luck
From: Trapper
19-Sep-17
From: Trapper
19-Sep-17
From: Nocturnal
20-Sep-17
Trapper it lookes like your having a good time. What are you holding out for?
From: happygolucky
20-Sep-17
It's awesome that you are seeing so many bears Trapper given the warm temps. Our sightings last week with the temps in the 80s were not good. I hope you get a chance at the one you are waiting for.
From: Trapper
20-Sep-17
If you look at picture immediately after the bear, that is a alumanock in the picture.
From: Trapper
20-Sep-17
Big rains coming on Wednesday and then 80s so I decided to fill my tag last night. I had been waiting for a 300 or bigger but that wasn't happening. Maybe next year in Wisconsin.
From: Live2hunt
20-Sep-17
I was wondering what that last pic was, congrats.
From: WausauDug
20-Sep-17
wow super cool thread and congrats
From: smokey
20-Sep-17
Enjoyed the posts. Congratulations.
From: Reggiezpop
20-Sep-17
Glowing arrow in the last pic? Congrats, Trapper!
From: Trapper
20-Sep-17
Shane, this picture is for you.
From: Nocturnal
20-Sep-17
Congrats Larry!!
From: casekiska
20-Sep-17
Congratulations to you. I, too, wondered about the 2nd picture, now we know! Betcha he didn't go far! Way to go!
From: happygolucky
20-Sep-17
Congrats Trapper! I don't blame you for not holding out due to the crappy weather. I did the same thing on day 3 after passing on the one I shot when I saw it the 1st day.
From: Drop Tine
20-Sep-17
Some good eating there. Congrats!
From: Trapper
21-Sep-17
Thanks everyone! It was a great hunt with some great friends that I haven't seen much over the past 15 years. Each day started out with running baits at 8:00 in the morning, by 10:30 I was back and ate a late breakfast/ early lunch. I was always in the stand by 12:00 and sat till 7:30. Small bears came in early and often. The bigger bear stayed back in the brush pacing back and forth quite a bit. I never really had a constant decent wind in 5 days of hunting. On the 5th day with storms and unseasonably hot weather on the way I decided I would try for one of the other bears. At 3:05 he comes in and heads straight to the bait. I get a fair video of it but it didn't show the lighted nock hitting. He ran about 45 yards and piled up quickly. At 3:30 he was gutted, 4:45 skinned and by 6:00 butchered and on ice. Now I have 3 extra days of vacation for the rut. Thanks again and Good Luck to everyone else.
From: Jeff in MN
21-Sep-17
Wow, congrats. That is pretty good time for gutting and skinning and butchering.
From: Trapper
21-Sep-17
Jeff that's a story in itself. My Buddy that lives off the grid has a neighbor now that had a bear camp in Ontario that they shot 25+ bears a year. He skinned and quartered all of them for his clients. Said he missed it and asked if I would allow him to do mine. I said, I'll get the beer!
From: GVS
22-Sep-17
Sounds like a great hunt. Congratulatons!! Thanks for taking us along.
From: Jeff in MN
22-Sep-17
The camp I went to in Manitoba did things a bit different than I had ever seen. No gutting. Bears came in whole. Up on a table two guides would go at it, usually with help from at least two of the clients who were very skilled at their technique. I bet they finished skinning a 250# bear in 30 minutes and all meat off in another 20 minutes. (bone still in the legs, skull still with the hide). Tenderloins went in the waste pile with the carcass. The 400# bear (spring bear) took a while longer. I suppose if you really cared about the tenderloins you could have opened up the guts at the waste pile.
From: Hoot
22-Sep-17
Congratulations Trapper.
From: Trapper
25-Sep-17
Northbound, How was your grafting success?
From: CaptMike
25-Sep-17
Jeff, the people that I hunt with in Manitoba do the same. Get a live (dead) weight, then skin and butcher, just as you described. Very efficient!
From: northbound
25-Sep-17
Trapper, grafts onto old fence line apples didn't do to hot, maybe 15% took. Grafts onto 2 year old common apples I had in ground where 100%. And thanks to the generous number of scions you gave me I had bought 40 bud9 rootstock -had about 80% that took. Hopefully next year I can improve my odds on those old wild Apple trees
From: Trapper
25-Sep-17
Great Northbound, I grafted one of your scions to a 20 year old crab and got over 3 feet of growth from it.
From: Crusader dad
26-Sep-17
Trapper, I'm out here now brutha! I've been putting in 16-18 hr days at work and decided to take a day off to go swear while I chase this stupid white ball around!
From: Trapper
26-Sep-17
Yeah, Shane as soon as I saw this golf course nestled in the middle of the woods I immediately thought of you. With all these perfectly good trees to hang a stand from I couldn't figure why you would prefer to be pi$$ed at a little white ball.
From: Crusader dad
26-Sep-17
When I play I'm mentally placing stands and food plots. Golf courses also make for great deer hunting areas usually. I'm finally getting decent at this stupid game so I feel like I can't quit now.
