MN Bear Hunting

[kctreeman]

I have a group of traditional bowhunters that were sucessful in drawing unit 31 northern MN bear tags.  Now we are looking for a guide to hunt with.  Any suggestions about guides?  We hunted there four years ago for $400/5 days.  Two years ago it was $500/5 days. This year the guide wants $852 for five days.  Is this about right? Two hundred for the tag and another hundred or so for lodging and we might as well go further north and hunt some big black bears.  Any thought about doing our our baiting, honey burns on National forests around Ely?

[Holm-Made]

I don't know what to tell you.  The price doesn't seem outrageous if you have been happy in the past.  I think you are in a good area.  I'm going to try it again around Grand Rapids even though we have had poor luck with getting any hits in recent years.  
We have a lot of bear hunters in this state.  I think you would have a difficult time coming up a few days before the season, find a spot, start baiting and have a chance to be successful.  The problem is bear guides are running upwards of 100 baits and claiming areas.  They along with the locals know the best spots and have them tied up.  It may be different up in the Ely area since that is pretty remote, I don't know.  
Have you thought of doing a canoe hunt in the Boundary Waters? No baits allowed only honey burns.  
I wish I lived closer to that area and could help you out.  Chad

[smiley]

I have a tag area 44. found a outfitter out of Bemidji for 800 he didn't say for how many days just grouse season opens. My question is this area overy hunted.

[Holm-Made]

Have your outfitter give you a list of everyone who hunted with him last year.  Make some random calls off that list.  A lot of hunters around Bemidji but your outfitter may have some good spots to themselves.  
p.s. MN only has about 25% success rate on bears and most hunt with rifles.  Recent years the success rate has been lower I believe.  Chad

[oneeye]

I would really do my homework on the outfitters. There are a few that are not straight up.

I hunt around Hill City and usually just bait for myself but sometimes I will bait for my brother. In my opinion the $800+ that the guides are charging is not out of line if they are doing a good job. Most people do not realize how much work it is "run bait" properly. Gas being near $3.00 per gallon adds up really fast also.

I think that your statement about going further north for a big bear is true. I am fortunate to live close to where I hunt so I hunt here but if I was traveling I would cross the border. I have killed bears for each of the past 2 years but my odds of getting a bruiser here are not really good. I am very happy with smaller bears but I am not laying out the cash like you are.

[Gordy]

I've drawn in area 26 again this year. (woot!) This will be my 5th time out and hopefuly will be improving on my 50% record.  Thankfully I have a private area to hunt with built in guide service (family!)

It is true that competition with "guides" is making it a tough proposition to do-it yourself.  Even having your own land to hunt doesn't gaurantee as good a spot as it used to. Like Chad said, these guys are known to run over 100 bait sites over WIDE ranges.

 (Just my opinion, but something needs to be done about the "guides" being able to plant as many bait sites as they want all over public land for a measly $82 licensing fee.)

Do-it yourself can be done though.  The BWCA  seems like a very do-able and adventurous thing (but you drew area 31 which does not include the BWCA) Finding a spot on national forest land that doesn't have easy ATV access would be a good start. Guides love ATV access. Look for canoe access maybe ?

I'd say that the increase in your fees is reasonable for a five day hunt given a quality service.
I bet if I were to add up all the receipts for a year of bear hunting (minus any taxidermy) it would probably be at least that amount...especially given todays fuel prices and a 400+mi round trip every weekend August-October  OK, scratch that...it would be WAY more than $850  

Ely is a nice town, but a bit of a tourist trap. I'll check with a friend from a small town south of there and see if he knows of anybody who can help you out.  

Chad - we had an early spring this year and it's been a pretty wet start to bear season the last several years. If things dry out early (like a normal year), we should be in great shape.
Would love to hear more about your hunting plans ... but I think I already have a pretty good idea where your headed.      

Tim

[Holm-Made]

Tim, I'll be south of GR this year.  I like to move around so people don't pattern me and find my crappy hunting spots.  In 3 years of bear hunting I've yet to see a bear.  Chad

[kctreeman]

Thanks for the help guys.  We still haven't made up our minds.  It seems like the guides fill their spots before the drawing results are released.  Now after teh results are released we are scrambling for a service.  We have a contact in Ely on National forest that we are still working on.  Thanks for the help.

[Gordy]

KC - you have a PM

Chad - I wish you all the luck. You've put in your time...you'll see a bear!     Don't feel alone. Last time out I didn't see a thing either.  :(

[oneeye]

true position, I agree with you about the number of baits that get put. It is not just the "guides" though. The hunter who surrounds one of my baits with his baits runs 20+ for himself. I run 2 baits and think that is plenty! The DNR really needs to do some changing.

[arrowslinger22]

They floated proposed rule changes (the DNR)restricting the number of bait stations for both hunters and guides last year.  Nothing has changed yet however.  I do my own baiting and I go where you have to haul bait, no atv's allowed.  Since I started that, I've had no problems with guides or anyone else.  I've seen bears every year, but only taken one in five years.  I've been in area 51 each year and I drew again this year.

[Bowdonkey]

I used to work for the DNR a few years back and can agree there are alot of bait stations out there. I don't have much to add to your post except if you do the BWCA, make sure you know the logistics of a canoe trip and getting a bear out. Any high use area should have problem bears, wheather a resort of a high use campsite in the bush. The guide fees are reasonable, I would think some of the guides would have trail cams set out to check the size of bears hitting the baits.

[smiley]

I am booking a hunt with Dick Reese and he said he had a couple of other traditional shooters coming I was wondering if is any trad gangers

[kctreeman]

I have booked the hunt with Mike Bissonet for the first week.  We had two guys drop out after finding out that it was $700/7 days.  We are going to be staying in Ely at a fishing resort.  I am looking forward to the adventure.  It's going to give my practice sessions a little more meaning.  Thanks for the help guys.

[Gordy]

This is great. We'll have to revive this thread in a couple three months and see how everyone is doing.

Good luck all !

[Mr.Vic]

I have a good friend who I've guided turkey hunting for over twenty years set up a Minnesota bear hunt this fall for me. I hope to hear if I have drawn yet in area 26. East of Bemidji. Suppose to be a private camp etc etc. Looking forward to a change from hunting Deer. Twenty years since I last been Bear hunting. I'll be watching this thread too.

[Carbon Caster]

Vic,

Did you get the Bear Medicine I sent you??  (SNUFFERS)

[Mr.Vic]

yea I did thanks. They should work great!

[Gordy]

I found a few donuts.  Anyone else ?    
It was 100 degrees today...... oh to be sweating in the bearstand swattin skeeters and "only" 75 degrees.

September can't get here soon enough !

[Hoytmystic]

I run baits for a guide in area 51, 26, 44. He charges $800 for 5 days. He isn't getting rich doing it. He has gas, bait, licenses, labor, and many other little things. I would be glad to help anyone with some suggestions. My e-mail is- [email protected]

Good luck
Kyle