Opening Day !!!
Contributors to this thread:Michigan
From: BIG BEAR
08-Sep-17
Any of you guys starting your bear hunt on Sunday good luck !!!!! My buddy got the 3rd hunt and we have 2 bears hitting our bait on my property so we have to wait a few weeks...... Bears die on Sunday !!
From: ground hunter
09-Sep-17
this year in particular, I have seen an incredible amount of bears,,,,, driving down the roads, berry picking, trout fishing etc,,,,,,,, good amount out there,,,,, good luck everyone
From: BIG BEAR
10-Sep-17
Yes. I am a member of the Michigan Bear Hunters Association..... they have been pushing the NRC for a few years now to cut back on the number of Bear kill tags given out. The number of tags has been reduced for the last 2 years or so...... and I'm hearing a lot of feedback that everyone is seeing a lot of bears.......
From: ScaryGerry
11-Sep-17
Good Luck Chris.....knock down a big un'!
From: BIG BEAR
13-Sep-17
My uncle killed a giant that bottomed out a 550 pound scale at his place in the UP the night before last....... And my neighbor in Newberry got a 225 pounder........ we have to wait for the 3rd hunt.
From: Jon Stewart
17-Sep-17
My son, cousin and I went 3 for 3 using archery equipment. I shot mine on opening night, used a recurve and took a 6 yard shot. The bear went around 40 yards and dropped. That was the 3rd bear I saw on opening night. All the bear were males. We also saw plenty of deer when roaming around. We gave the remaining bait to a guide/hound hunter. He was surprised that we did so well....... using bows and arrows. We got a kick out of that.
From: BIG BEAR
17-Sep-17
That's AWESOME Jon...... can you post some pics ?? Way to go !!!
From: LonghairedDaddy
17-Sep-17
Congrats Jon!! Lets see them pics.
From: Jon Stewart
17-Sep-17
Got to get them from my son 1st.
From: ground hunter
18-Sep-17
nice going Jon,,,, little warm hey,,,,,,, I was at the Horshoe in Amasa, guy had a nice bear, just saw pics, being skinned right away of course,,,,, lot of bears going down
From: Jon Stewart
18-Sep-17
We also hunted Amasa. 8 years to get a first season permit though. We brought a chest freezer with us to the U.P. and the place we stayed at had power so we were all set. All the bears were skinned and quartered just a short time after they were shot.
The heat got bad but I was fortunate to get mine opening night so I had just one sit.
From: happygolucky
18-Sep-17
Way to go Jon and family! Looking forward to seeing the pics.
I killed one in WI last Friday. I killed it with a compound so not really archery equipment. I think you trad guys rock. It was over 80s degrees all 3 days I sat. I only had 5 days to hunt. I passed on this same bear on Wed (only bear I saw). Saw none on Thu and decided to take the bear on Fri. Of the 22 people using this guide, only 11 had bears as of Sunday.
From: Jon Stewart
19-Sep-17
Congrats Happy. The guy we gave our remaining bait to was a guide in both Wisconsin and Michigan. He lived in Iron River. He said he ran hounds most of the time. His buddy shot 300 pounder opening day in Wisconsin but not sure what weapon he used. It was a good hunt for us as we seen bear, deer and a wolf. I will admit I am getting a bit old for running baits all morning and then trying to sty awake for the evening hunt, lol. Our camp was on a lake so we got some fishing in also.
From: happygolucky
19-Sep-17
That is really cool Jon. Sounds like a great time! I took the easy way out and hired a guide in northern WI. I have no ability to do my own baiting anywhere and I know I'll never get a tag in MI being a non-resident. It took 8 points for me. This was my first and most likely last bear hunt. I just needed to even the score with my son who killed one at age 10 and my daughter who killed one at age 13. Both of theirs were with dogs. Mine is average size but the size did not matter to me just like with deer. I'll get a rug made for my cabin.
From: Jon Stewart
19-Sep-17
Thats a nice bear. Mine was a bit smaller. I think they said the average Michigan bear taken is 140#s give or take and mine was between 125 and 150. Didn't have a scale to weight it. The nose was even a darker brown. I am going to have the hide tanned and make some things for the grand kids out of it. I will have the skull bugged and save that though
I hear ya on the last bear hunt. It also took me 8 years to get a tag and I will be either too old and pushing daisies by the time I would draw another one,lol.
From: JimT
20-Sep-17
hay guys, do all the hunts take place in the evening? just curious.
From: happygolucky
20-Sep-17
Jim, I am not a bear expert and only have 1 experience hunting them over bait. At the camp I was at, we did not hit the woods until early afternoon. I was typically in stand around 2pm. Most people's bear activity in the camp came after 6pm. Shooting hours ended a click after 7:30pm. With the temps we had, many people's baits were only hit after dark. Others may have different stories to share.
From: Jon Stewart
20-Sep-17
Jim, it is a crap shoot as to when to hunt bear. As Happy stated the bear activity is better in the evening although I have chased bear off the bait pile at 900am so I could drop the bait knowing he would come right back in after I left. Some guides will take the hunter with them when they bait, leave the hunter for his hunt and then when the bear hears the truck door slam when the guide leaves the bear will come in. IMHO the bear know you are there when hunting they just tolerate you for the food.
On one of our cameras that we had out last week the bear was coming in at 2oo pm so my son sat early that day and the bear came in just before dark. Me, I am sitting by 400pm and that is plenty early for this old farte. lol
From: JimT
20-Sep-17
Thanks guys.
From: razorhead
23-Sep-17
Jim,,,, last fall I baited 3 sites in Wis on private land over the other side of the Brule.... One bait had bears coming in, at all times, and some nice ones,,,, I suggested my friend, get in this one stand at 5am, which he did,,,,,,, by 9 am he had seen 4 bears and at 930am, he killed a nice one about 250lbs.......... again, these bears were not bothered by dog hunters,,, too close to the river, and it was all private land.......
For baiting, he paid me, by allowing me access for late season, and grouse hunting, and trapping,,,, he only rifle hunts it for a few days
From: BIG BEAR
24-Sep-17
I bet most baits are getting hit late right now with the hot weather.... it's supposed to cool down by Thursday up at Newberry.... me and my buddy will be on my property trying to get him to fill his tag. We have 2 bears coming in....
From: BIG BEAR
24-Sep-17
My uncle killed a whopper that bottomed out his 550 pound scale on his property in the UP..... was a rifle kill
From: happygolucky
24-Sep-17
Wow BB, that is a huge bear.
From: Jon Stewart
24-Sep-17
OUTSTANDING. What a brute.
From: BIG BEAR
24-Sep-17
I have a buddy on the west end of the UP that has a similar bear hitting his bait but so far only nighttime pics of that one. His hunt starts tomorrow as does ours but we can't make it up to Newberry until Friday because of work......
From: BIG BEAR
24-Sep-17
Johnny Mac killed one like that last year with his longbow....
From: BIG BEAR
24-Sep-17
This is our target bear on my land for next weekend... hope he's still showing up....
