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CrookedPaddler1
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Anyone bear hunted the BWCA before? If so, what advice can you offer?
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1BigPaddle
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i have the last three years and will be again this year. Ive got plenty of do's and donts.. where would you like to start? Its not very easy.
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muddy
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Let it rip, I would love to hear!
It isn't as easy as hanging a food bag and waiting by the fire??
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fitgers1
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Kind of a pain to try to bait up there eh. Just go in and leave the food pack on the ground? I've hunted that last couple years north of wadena and had no luck. This year I have two big bears running around the property and no license. What luck huh?
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ZaraSp00k
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another tip for a successful hunt:
bring a real gun, not a pea shooter
a wounded bear is a beast
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Wetlander
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Not huge but he has been on the bait 3 separate times in the last 48 hours. For reference the log that he has is front paws on in the first picture in about 10 inches in diameter and 4 feet long. The camera is also up in a tree pointing down at and angle. It makes for some strange camera angles on the pictures but they seem to leave the cameras alone when they are up a bit higher.
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Wetlander
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...and the time on the picture is wrong. This is at about 8:30 pm. The date is right though
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CrookedPaddler1
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For someone that is just getting started, what would you consider the best tips for a sucessful hunt.
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CrookedPaddler1
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any reference materials on calling bears?
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walleye_hunter
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quote CrookedPaddler1: "any reference materials on calling bears?"
I will get you the title of the book that first got me interested in it. There are some you tube videos you can watch of people calling in bears as well.
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walleye_hunter
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quote CrookedPaddler1: "any reference materials on calling bears?" Hunting Bears by Kathy Etling
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walleye_hunter
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I've been reading about calling black bears and think it would be an effective way to hunt them in the Boundary Waters. I'm planning on trying this next year. I need to figure out how to get myself positioned so that I don't get mauled, maybe a portable tree stand. From what I've been reading and the you tube videos I have watched it looks like they can come in pretty aggressively at times when they are called.
I enjoy calling in moose and elk, a bear would be about 10 times the excitement.
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Wetlander
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quote fitgers1: "Do you put up a trail camera? Sounds like you will indeed get yourself a bear as long as he shows up at the right time. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out."
Yep. I was having some issues with the one being too far away from the bait. I attempted to fix that on Saturday when I was out. Also, put a camera on my other bait. Going out to check them again on my lunch hour today!
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fitgers1
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quote Wetlander: "quote fitgers1: "Do you put up a trail camera? Sounds like you will indeed get yourself a bear as long as he shows up at the right time. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out."
Yep. I was having some issues with the one being too far away from the bait. I attempted to fix that on Saturday when I was out. Also, put a camera on my other bait. Going out to check them again on my lunch hour today! "
Looking forward to seeing some good pictures.
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Wetlander
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If I remember the regs correctly, baiting is not allowed in the Boundary Waters. Makes sense to me. We don't need more bears getting hooked on people food in an area frequented by campers for 5 months out of the year.
...That being said, I have two bait stations full of "people food" that are getting cleaned out every night right now (well outside of the bw). September first can't come quick enough!!!
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fitgers1
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Do you put up a trail camera? Sounds like you will indeed get yourself a bear as long as he shows up at the right time. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
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1BigPaddle
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You are not allowed to have bait stations up early, so it is difficult to do any real prebaiting. But honey burns, and smearing jellies all over, up and down trees, works to get the scent all over. Ive found that setting up a few different locations and rotating between them until you start having activity is the way to go. I have found that using my trail camera has helped alot. Last year i went up about a month before the bear season started and got an area "ready", and I set my camera. It took some interesting pictures all kinds of animals. By getting a spot ready I drug several dead logs about 6ft long and laid them in a pile. I would later place my honey burn in the middle. but by dragging them over i was able to open up some shooting lanes also.
If you can get elevated all the better, just be safe.
some donts: dont think your invisible- they know your there. the trick is to make them comfortable enough with your scent that it wont bother them too much.
Dont: sit in the same spot. my brother did this for 2yrs in a row and every single year he had bear(s) get his bait and he never saw them. they figured his pattern out.
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ZaraSp00k
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not shooting one of your hunting partners
not getting mauled
those two would be a good start
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