September kicks off fall bear season in Minnesota. Some of the highest concentrations of bears are way up in the Superior National Forest and into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In Wisconsin the Chequamegon and Nicolet national forests produce a lot of bears. Bears are concentrated in the north and central part of the state, but are expanding southward. Wisconsin has a crop damage program where the DNR connects hunters with farmers that have reported bear damage.
In Michigan, the upper peninsula opens the Wednesday before the second Saturday in September. Some good bets are the Ottawa, Hiawatha, Manistee and Huron national forests. Also look at Baraga and Ontonagon counties.
In Kentucky, the southeast corner of the state holds the best bear hunting opportunity with good public access in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Note bear reserves (closed to bear hunting) in McCreary, Bell, Harlan and Letcher counties.
Missouri has a statewide season quota of 40 bears total and it is all over when the limit is reached. Note bear hunters must apply for tags.
My friend Ray Crow has been guiding hunters in Minnesota every year for the past two decades. I have been hunting out of a Minnesota camp with Arrowhead Wilderness Outfitters since 2015. Crow said when their guides site stands, they look for pinch points created by streams and roads or landmarks. It’s a good strategy. Pay attention to the prevailing winds and give yourself options to take advantage whichever way the wind blows.
If there are old orchards, or patches of berries nearby, bears will have routes in and out. A stand location could be adjacent to a known food source. If the bear has to cross a forest road to get there, so much the better.
If a bear is hitting a bait, it will come back. One of the things it is easy to do is talk yourself out of a good stand. Have confidence in the research, scouting and site location.
Do Yourself a Flavor
Do yourself a flavor. Sweeten the deal with an attractant spray or powder. Use a headnet and gloves to keep mosquitoes at bay. Stay in the stand till dark. It can happen at any moment.
Here are some of my favorite bear attractancts:
ODIN’S INNOVATIONS
Odin’s Innovations manufactures bead scents and liquid scents offering a complete selection of scents and dispersal options. Odin’s offers a dozen liquid lure scents. The liquid comes in a 4-ounce bottle with a directional squirt cap. Point and squeeze. Point and squeeze on trees and the earth in front of the blind or the trail camera. Squirt any of the liquid scents across bushes and let the wind carry the scent. Don’t overlook citronella which masks the smells of human sweat and carbon dioxide to which mosquitoes flock. The original long-lasting and biodegradable Odin’s beads, available in 3-ounce and 12-ounce bottles that fit easily in a backpack, come in a large variety of scent options, too. They can continue to draw game even after other scents have vanished – a great choice for implementing as part of an overall baiting strategy – cover scents for you and your gear, and to keep mosquitoes away.
Visit odinsinnovations.com
NORTHWOODS BEAR PRODUCTS
Northwoods Gold Rush is a powerful butterscotch aroma that can be mixed easily with fryer grease. Use 1 to 2 ounces for 5 gallons of grease. Northwoods Spray Scents is a great attractant or cover scent to be sprayed around the bait site. Spray out to 20 feet or use as a mist. Available in anise, bacon, beaver castor, blueberry, butterscotch, cinnamon, donut, gold mist, grape, honey, loganberry, raspberry, watermelon and wild cherry.
Visit northwoodsbearproducts.com
