I sat on one of 2 baits I have today for the first time this year. Right at 700 PM I had 3 bears show up. First 1 wh got scared off by 2 other smaller ones. They were all small bears who I was not interested in shooting ( about 110 to 130 lbs) I got quite a show for about 40 minutes. Maybe the big one will come in tomorow.

Uglystick,

I've been thinking about hunting blackies in NW Wisconsin for a little while--seems they have a good population in that part of the state, but I woudn't have the first idea about how to go about baiting.

If it's not too much trouble, could you outline some of what you do?

Thanks!

friar

friarmeier if you want to hunt bears in NW Wis. start apply for a tag now and you could get a permit in about 5 years.

MN has more bears and permits are easier to get some parts of the state even have over the counter permits.

Baiting is easy the hardest thing is to come up with the bait.

Here in Wis. we are very limited to the type and amount of bait we can use. No meat or meat biproducts. No more then 10 gals at a time the bait site can not have any paper plastic or metal or manufacture wood products at it.

We use a lot of old pastry ect. I am using sun flower seeds and corn mixed with peanut butter and some suger the bears I have coming in eat every last seed up.

So what most baiters do is dig a hole about 18" deep and around dump the bait into the hole cover the hole with a big log or place a good size rock over it to keep the small varmints out of it.

Some baiters find a good size hollow log cut about a 18" high end out of it. burie that in the ground and place a the bait in that then place a good size rock over that.

I use anise oil for a scent to get the bears to start coming into the bait. I normally do not have to wait more then one day for a bear to start coming.

I think in MN one has to register ones bait sites with the DNR. In Wis. we do not.

I have been thinking of doing a MN bear hunt. If you might want some help we might be able to arrange something PM me.

Thanks P dog, I'd love to get together!

I'll pm you a little later--probably Monday evening or so. Things are really busy at work for a while now, but I'm sure we can figure something out.

One fellow I talked to on a plane last year described how he would use a metal 5 gal. pail whose lid was "cut out", leaving a mildly abrasive edge.

Nothing dangerous to the bear, but would catch some hair when the bear put it's paw or head into the bucket. He could then make a fair guess--or so he said--at what color phase the bear might be.

Anyway, I'll give you a hollar on Monday. Take care,

friar