Bear Hunting Season ?

[Uncle Lou]

Even though this question is regarding the Michigan seasons, I left MI out of the title because I am looking for some input from others as well.

In Michigan's UP there are several (about 8) bear management units, most have three seasons. The first is Sept 10- Oct 21, the second is Sep 15- Oct 26, the third is Sep 25-Oct 26. You can see the overlap in the seasons.

Because we have preference points, the first seasons are harder to draw, but the second and third seasons can be obtained with little to no preference points.

So here are my questions
1. Is that 1st week really that much of an advantage over the second season, and why.
2. Also, when it comes to that third season is it really not much of a chance (see how many more tags they give out)?

For those of you that understand Bear Management, Why do you think they have this type structure. Here is a chart with a little more detail of the seasons

http://www.mich.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10363_10856_57530_57531-26056--,00.html

[dan]

Its an interesting structure for sure... If it were me, I would probably apply for the later season to get to bear hunt more often. I would be interested in knowing if baiting starts at the same time for everyone. If you can bait and hold bears on your bait while the others are hunting 1st, and have them bears know where your baits are located after the early hunters are done hunting and baiting. late season can be good too. Sometimes its better. The draw back would be that there looks to be a lot more pressure later. But if you plan your hunts and scout well, pressure should not be that big of a problem. I deal with a ton of pressure in Minnesota but still have great results by setting baits in remote areas
other hunters don't get back to, that have great bear sign, or the habitat ingrediants to hold bear.
I think most people fail bear hunting cause they try to get the bears to come to there baits rather than bringing the bait to the bears. Its easy to get a bear late or early season to hit your bait, but getting them to do it during daylight dispite hunter pressure meens placment of the bait must be accurate.

[Uncle Lou]

Dan Check out this link it shows how many units you could draw in the UP with 0 points.

http://www.mich.gov/documents/dnr/2011_Bear_Drawing_Info__356532_7.pdf

Also the top of the other link has a clickable map showing the units.

My place is in the Newberry area, but I could get interested in other areas. Got a friend with a place in Amasa. Gwinn, and Carney aren't far

[Schultzy]

Our hunting group has allot of experience in this one. I've only shot one bear late season but I've also only hunted late season a couple years. My dad has done very well late season. I can almost guarantee you (at least in Minnesota where I hunt) that you will indeed have a better chance at a big bear come late season. It's all about hunting pressure where I hunt and there's hardly none of it come late season besides the grouse hunters. It's also a fact that these big guys know their time is coming to den up soon and they will stuff their guts as full as they can get them. Once he quits hitting your bait late season chances are he went and denned up. Chances of getting a new bear to hit your bait late season is very high as well. Bear are on the move and getting ready to den up so their very aggressive.

[Mike Foss]

My past experience with later season bears: After the first week most bear hunters are done, those bear baits will dry up thus (maybe) attracting other bears to the bait stations that are still active, this doesnt mean that you will see an increase in multiple bears, what hunters forget to realize is these bears that have made it almost through another hunting season have once again gained experience and are better educated about danger (hunters) than they were when they first emerged from there den in the Spring. These bears most likely will be nocturnal bears only coming in well after dark. In WI & MI there is great competition in the form of a food source each year around mid September (archery deer season opens) , it is called corn. It is very tough to pull those bears off those deer corn piles. We have shot many bears later in the season but those hunters had to work for them, and yes most are above average size bears.

By the end of September into early October some of those bears will already be denned up and hibernating. I have seen and witnessed bears in the first week of October come strolling in to a bear bait only to sniff around and eat very little. What they are doing is just out of a repetitious habit. At this time of year, they do not gorge them selves, they are slowly passing and emptying any material left in there stomach and preparing for there hibernation state. It is very interesting when a bear is shot at this time of year, look at the stomach contents, very little food and mostly dirt.

Late season bear hunters, your bait is being hit but very little bait is being eaten, dont give up on that bait station but be ready, you might have to take a quick shot.

[Uncle Lou]

Mike, Schultzy,

Thanks for the replies, gives me something to think about.

[PLB]

I don't know about denning up in early October?? Maybe in far northern WI by you Mike they do. In NE WI they don't den up til gun season, sometimes after gun season. A lot of the biggest bears are indeed killed the last couple days of season...

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[Mike Foss]

Just because you see some bears in November doesnt mean they are not or have not denned up, they will venture out for a bite to eat on those corn piles. I seen my last bear this past year in December.

When Snaggle Tooth was shot last year Hilts told me his stomach was almost empty and he was headed to his denning area, that was mid September. It has been documented in Wisconsin (bear studies) that bears do prepare to hibernate as early as September.

[PLB]

That may be. I have seen quite a few bears acting lethargic and goofy during November. I always figured they were getting ready to den. Maybe tho they had been in the den and got spooked by hunters. September and early October I usually see them pounding the acorns during a mast year. I know guys that bait deer can't keep them off their piles that time of year.

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[dan]

I see Mikes point... But it depends a little on where your hunting, and what your considering late season. Minnesota starts on September 1st and 90% of the hunters are gone after the 1st week up in the north woods where I hunt. So if your considering late season October, yea, you might have issues hunting that late. But I am considering September 10-20th late season.

[Mike Foss]

For the last two years I have been involved in a bear research project. This hibernation thing has me thinking so I e-mailed Dr Danny Riley Ph.D. the head of the research project this question. This was his response.

Hi Dr Riley: Hope all is well and hope to see you at my bear camp again soon. I have a question for you about a black bears hibernation....how early are they known to den up in Wisconsin and do the big older bears den up earlier than the younger bears? Thanks for your time.

Great to hear from you, Mike

Again, thank you for your contributions and support of the bear research project.

We still need hunter-killed muscle tissue to finish our study. Val made the arrangements last year and will do so again this year.

There are multiple triggers for denning. A major one that they have sufficient body fat deposited to survive the starvation period. If body fat is low and mast abundance is low and weather is warm, they will delay denning until ready. A bear that dens and runs out of fat breaks down muscle to survive. Unlike fat, consuming muscle protein gives off ammonia as a bi-product. Wolves smell the ammonia and try to kill the bear. Daytime temperature staying below 45F triggers denning. Shorter daylight hours is another trigger that set their hormones into the stop eating and enter the den metabolic state. In general the sows, den by early October and the boars within one month later. Pregnant sows with enough fat undergo delayed implantation of the fertilized egg (impregnated June/July). Sufficient fat triggers hormones for implantation and pregnancy continuation. Without enough fat, the egg is aborted. The pregnant sows den before non-pregnant sows and sows with cubs. The juvenile bears are less predictable because the immaturity of their nervous and hormonal system and difficulty getting food because of competition and avoiding being killed by boars. These factors keep them from fattening up on schedule. I would not want to be a teenage male bear because the adult boars view him as reproductive competition and a snack, and the systems of his body (especially the hormones) are not mature enough for good decisions.

We will be in touch as the Fall logistics are developed.

Hoping that you have a successful 2012 hunt.

Danny A Riley, Ph.D.
Professor, Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy
Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee

[dan]

Great info Mike... I had some great conversations with Dr. Val at your bear camp.

[Schultzy]

Nice info there Mike! Sow's with cubs are a rarity come October at least where I hunt. Trail cams don't show them so that is saying something. There's no doubt in my mind the chances of shooting a bigger bear come late season are much, much better. You said Snagel tooth was heading to his denning area. How good of shape (how much fat) was he in? I honestly don't think it takes long at all for any mammal to have an empty stomach a few days/day after.

[Mike Foss]

Schultzy

Its funny you ask me that question "I dont know". Whats funny about it is: In all the years I hunted Snaggle Tooth I seen him only one time, even when he was dead, hilts was nice enough to bring him by to show me but once again he (Snaggle Tooth) avoided me, I was not there. Maybe its ment to be that way. But I know from last years trail camera pictures and videos he lost allot of weight but still managed to tip the scales at 593lbs.