BWCA honey burns Boundary Waters Group Forum: Hunting in the BWCA
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walleye_hunter
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01/20/2012 01:33PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Has anybody tried honey burns for bruins in the BW? Did it work? Any tips for making a honey burn? The ones I've seen have used cans, which would be bending the rules a bit. Would a candle and an old cook kit work somehow?
 
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CrookedPaddler1
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01/24/2012 09:21AM  
I have an old camp pot that I used to make a honey burn a few years ago near wood lake. I used a can of sterno for heat, and put the old pot on top of 3 stones to elevate it above the heat source. Seemed to work, as the next day there was sign that bear had visited the area, but not when i was there. And if you are using an old can as a pot, I don't think it would be an issue. I have seen many youth groups using old #10 cans as pots on their trips. I would just make sure that I use it before I headed into the BWCA so they can tell that you are using it to heat your honey pot.


 
walleye_hunter
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01/24/2012 10:21AM  
Thanks, I never thought of sterno. I might use a stove to get it going good and then keep it smoldering with the sterno. I'll have to experiment with it a bit this summer.
 
eyestalker
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01/27/2012 06:45PM  
Almost went on a BWCA bear hunt one time, it wouldve been an interesting experience thats for sure! If i were you, id punt on just straight honey and get yourself some James Valley Sweet Tooth(way more smoke, and way sweeter smelling than straight honey), and hang some scent wicks with beaver castor on them while on stand/blind in the evenings! Ive personally seen a bear chasing beaver during the evening in the BWCA, and have done really well with the scents i mentioned earlier in other areas! I think the main thing to keep in mind is that you are bear hunting NOT fishing!!! You will need to find low lying flowages with swampy areas nearby, and if areas of mast can be found thats a plus but not a requirement as bears in the fall cover lots of ground looking for food for the den up! Im a bear hunter in other areas of Mn, and an avid visitor to the BWCA, and i know theres some brute bears in there!!!
 
01/27/2012 07:25PM  
Good tips eyestalker.
I've burned honey but not in the BWCA.
I was glad to learn we can use a barrel now.
Think it's relatively easier to get a permit in the BW? I have only been hunting my land in central MN with no luck the last couple years.
 
walleye_hunter
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01/28/2012 09:10AM  
Thanks for the tips eyestalker
 
eyestalker
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01/28/2012 10:16AM  
No problem guys! I believe the odds of getting drawn for area 22 are a little better than alot of other areas in the state but far from a guarantee as there are more applicants than there are permits available! A fellow bear slayer and friend of mine used to apply for the area south of the BWCA, but accessed it via the BWCA! He lives about 2hrs from the BWCA, and would go up and portage in bait on the weekends leading up to opener, and then bait lighter during the days he hunted! I believe he took in 3 Duluth Packs worth of bread/dog food every time he did one of these baiting runs! He had to portage these over beaver dams, and paddle them down a winding BWCA river to reach state forest! He would stay on a designated campsite on a lake that had decent fishing and would fish during the day to pass the time and then paddle the mile or two to his bait site to bait/hunt, then have to paddle back under cover of darkness to his campsite! He showed me trailcam pics of the bears that were working his site, and it was impressive to say the least! He always got a bear it seemed, and he believed that the bears he was baiting in werent hitting any other baits due to the fact that the nearest baiter was probably 5mi away or more! The recent burn has altered that hunt for a few years though i believe! Still a genius idea!!!
 
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