Minnesota Bear Hunting

Gr8tz

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The results are out for the Minnesota fall bear tags, took me four years to finally draw my unit 41 tag north of Bemidji. Who all on hear has hunted bear in Minnesota? I'm planning on using my bow but will have a rifle with as well, I ordered 3 bear boxes for the cameras. I have buddies in that area that will be able to maintain the bait sites for me. Now to start the long process of collecting bait throughout the summer, I've been told that the bakery outlet on airport road will save their outdated stuff for guys, if not I will make a run down to Cambridge MN there is a bear bait store down there that has bulk bait for a reasonable price. Anyone that has any experience with fall bear baiting I would like some outside input, Thanks
 


Bowhunter_24

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I’ve baited and hunted or helped with bear hunting for 10 years now. I had 13 cameras on bait last year and never had a bear touch a camera. Fyi
 

LBrandt

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They make a calf feed that is coated with molasses to get them started on grain. I would think that would work for bait on fall bears and is readlly available at fleet farm or most elevators that sell feed.
 

SDMF

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Milky oats or sunflowers wil concentrate bears.

Sweet and/or strong scents will bring bears to bait. Used fryer grease will cause bears who've been on your bait to leave a trail for other bears to follow back to your bait.

Dog food is cheap bulk and fatty enough to keep bears coming in, is easy to store, and doesn't spoil on the bait pile as fast as some other stuff either.
 


NG3067

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Bait at the same time every day and use a vehicle with a bad muffler, leave it run while you bait(the day you hunt the person sitting can get in the stand under the noise cover of the muffler.). Shut off the vehicle and use a loud animal call, start vehicle and drive away. If you do the same procedure while baiting the bear sometimes react like Pavlov and his dog theory we learned in high school. Make sure you don't use too much bait as the bear will eat their fill and lay close to your site. the baiting is almost as fun as the hunt itself. Once grouse season opens it gets harder. Lots of tricks and different opinions on bear baiting. Good luck.
 

TFX 186

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I hunted bears in Canada a few years back. The guide used oats with grease dripped on them. He had a barrel with bigger logs in it so the bears had a hard time tipping it over for the food. I think he used some old smelly stuff in this one for scent. He also used a smaller barrel with a lid that would come off. He had holes in the end of it and used a cable to tie it to a tree. The bears knew they had to tip it over and roll it around like a salt shaker so they could get the oats out of the lid with holes. It was entertaining watching how the bears would roll the barrel around and dribble the oats out. Then lay down and lick them off the ground. Another time hunting in Canada, the guys I was with had a rectangle box with a lid on it built out of rebar. It was fastened real solid to the tree. They would open the lid on top and dump dead beavers in it. Those things were a big hit with the bears. They love beaver. It would hang in this rebar box and rot and drip down the tree. It was the first thing they went to when they came into a bait. They licked it up and tried to pick as much out as they could get with their claws and teeth. They also had another barrel with oats and grease. Fun to watch. Loved bear hunting!!!! Should go do it again sometime.

Fish On!!
 

Gr8tz

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My buddies brother owns a company in Bismarck that goes around and filters restaurants fry oil I'm going to try to talk to him and see if I can get his screenings and pour that over whatever I use for bait
 

Bowhunter_24

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The first time we go up to bait we spread oil everywhere. Throw it high up in the trees on the leaves and branches. It helps the smell carry.

After that we don’t use grease or oil the rest of the year.

We use a lot of licorice and trail mix. The first time we bait we use huge 50-70 lb bricks of licorice. They work good cause they don’t just eat it all in 10 minutes. Once we start baiting everyday we use loose licorice and trail mix. Stuff they can’t drag away from the bait site
 


bucksnbears

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Well shit... Ain't a good person to put into writing detailed stuff so I'll make it short.

Stick to heavy cover, that means having heavy cover behind the bait for bedding. Swampy,wet stuff is good.
Be as dirty,stinky as you want while baiting but keep clean as possible whilst hunting.
Bear are slaves to their stomachs but those that have been around the block have learned. Probably not many bears in MN that have not been in ( on some ones) bait!.
Some years the baits get clobbered, some years it can be a struggle.
Dry/hot summers are best.
Don't rely on one bait food, variety is good.
Fresh/ frozen beef tallow ( not meat) is very good!!!
Have been starting baits last few years with nothing other than grain and resterant oil. Keep the best stuff till right before the hunt and during.
You Do Not Need the barrels,pits,and all the other concoctions you see on t.v!!!!

I'm u dump n runner. Find a spot that feels right( after 30+ years of doing it)
First thing I do is look for a tree for a stand, I than dump the bait about 8-10 yards away and even cover it with a few sticks if they are close by. But seldom do so. Heavy,/ thick overhead canopy keeps the crows/ Ravens off. They don't like thick cover to feed.
Starting out, throw a bottle of stink in the trees above the bait.
Anise,vanilla,liquid smoke work well.
Could add more but the beers are kickn in:;:rockit

Oh , I should add:, MN don't need you brown- platers sucking off our resources!!!:::
 
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tikkalover

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I thought it was best\required to post on here when the alcohol is starting to kick in!! ;:;boozer;:;rofl
 

wjschmaltz

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I'm not a seasoned guy and only have a few years under my belt. But I have a lot of buddies that have been running them for 10-30 years. They/I am in AK so things may be different down there but here is my take on it.

I am a busy guy and I bait a fair ways from home so I can relate to making bait last. I use plastic 55-gallon barrels with a cable through the bottom and any solid stopper inside. Tie the cable to a tree with 2-3 foot of play so the barrel rolls freely. I then drill a small hole on the opposite side about the size of a quarter. The best place is right in the bung, but it may not be as big an issue down there since you guys don't have griz to rip the hole open.

I like using popcorn sprinkled with a combination of kool aid, powdered sugar, and bait em 907 sweet surrender. I hike into my bait about a mile to get where others are not so I choose popcorn. I will also do COB with molasses from time to time if I don't have time to pop corn. Skip the oil IMO. It's messy. I save my bacon grease and fish grease all year and will pop my popcorn in it on the turkey fryer outside. The bears will lay there for hours knocking popcorn out of that barrel one piece at a time. And if you run a few barrels at the same site, it will last weeks at a time.

For attractant, I take a my fish scraps (skins, bones) and put them into a liter jar with water and seal them in the garage for a few weeks. Take a new one out each time I rebait. I once had one pop open (not spill) and fill the pickup with that smell. My wife was not happy but luckily we were literally 10 seconds from where we park to bait. I also think Magnum Marten is the best you can buy and/or a bait em 907 Castor scent ball hoisted up in a tree. Those things are the gift that keep on giving! I also smear my barrel with bait em 907 anise tar so the bears are dragging scent trails every where they go. (they also make tons of other scent dispersion stuff, check out their website!)

do you have to clean everything up after season including contaminated dirt? If so, and if the game department takes things seriously, skip the grease and putting stuff on the ground!
 

Gr8tz

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I leave tomorrow for my MN bear hunting baits were set on Monday rained 2 inches after they were set no hits were freshened up yesterday and are now getting hit, looking forward to a week of bear hunting and musky fishing!
 


SDMF

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I leave tomorrow for my MN bear hunting baits were set on Monday rained 2 inches after they were set no hits were freshened up yesterday and are now getting hit, looking forward to a week of bear hunting and musky fishing!

May you be blessed with a deep gurgling death-moan and a short tracking job.
 

bucksnbears

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I have 2 young kids coming from " Nodak":;:help to hunt.
They came last year and each got a bear with rifle. Now the wanna try with a bow.
A new lady friend also wants to go.
I'll wait for a few weeks before I go into kill mode.

Good luck you stinking brown platers:;:
 

Trapper62

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Heading out today, baits set last weekend, had activity at two the day after they were set. Been bear hunting 12 years this is the 11th in a row. Not sure what it is but I really love DIY bear hunting, but the best part is bringing newbies and seeing and hearing their stories. That excitement is addicting!
 

Auggie

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Just left for Winnipegosis! The guide sent me a number of good pictures. If all goes well, I'll get a wolf and bear.
 

Maddog

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I have 2 young kids coming from " Nodak":;:help to hunt.
They came last year and each got a bear with rifle. Now the wanna try with a bow.
A new lady friend also wants to go.
I'll wait for a few weeks before I go into kill mode.

Good luck you stinking brown platers:;:

Careful, they may rape and pillage the resources.
Brown plate express . . . coming to a county near you.
 


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