2017 WI Bear Hunt "NWO"

[Dewey]

Sounds like a great question for Mike. He's been responsible for literally 100's of bears getting killed over the years. Hard to dispute his knowledge gained from all those hunts he set up.

[BassBoysLLP]

Sounds like a great question for Mike. He's been responsible for literally 100's of bears getting killed over the years. Hard to dispute his knowledge gained from all those hunts he set up.

Actually a great question is general for all guys with experience. I've never been in Mike's camp. Are there a lot of hang and hunt hunters or is it mostly/entirely preset?

[matt1336]

IMO hunting mobile would be a huge advantage. A bear that's been eating at bait sites for a number of years likely has the game figured out pretty well. Why wouldn't a carefully hung mobile set be an advantage. If you can quietly hang a stand and sticks and take advantage of the wind/thermals of that particular day...that's a huge advantage. Infalt is a great example of this.

[Mike Foss]

I'm sure about it.

Never had any issues with setting up stands months early and never had any baits going cold because of this. As with multiple stand site locations at bait stations... no matter which tree you set up in chances are those big smart mature bears are going to adjust to the wind direction and circle and smell the hunter. For me as a guide and taking out hunters the day before the hunt, setting stands would not be feasible when you have 20 plus bear hunters. I have made this comment a few times before....when hunting big mature bears and they are within hearing distance of you exiting your stand when you leave at night, THE JIG IS UP!

John...up here where I hunt County & National land you can leave stands out until roughly 10 days after the season closes.

[Mike Foss]

Sounds like a great question for Mike. He's been responsible for literally 100's of bears getting killed over the years. Hard to dispute his knowledge gained from all those hunts he set up.

Actually a great question is general for all guys with experience. I've never been in Mike's camp. Are there a lot of hang and hunt hunters or is it mostly/entirely preset?

Mostly all stands are preset. There are only a few stand sights (DNR Land) and very few hunters willing to set up a hang on while you hunt and Dan was one of them, the guy that shot that monster 638lber had to use a climber, but that bait station was also on DNR land and the stand had to be taken out daily. It takes a special hunter to be able to set up and take down a stand while they hunt. All conditions have to be right, you leave allot of extra human scent around and on your tree. With even the smallest clinking and clanking noise any bear camped out within 200 yards is going to hear it and throw caution to the wind. I totally agree that eventually every bear knows where that preset tree stand is, they know its not natural but I also believe the longer its there, the more they get used to it and eventually it becomes part of the land scape (95% of our stands are hung by June 1st). I agree the perfect hunter would be a hunter that sets his stand up on the day you hunt. He has to carry in light, be as stealthy as possible but I also believe you only have a few days to kill that bear that you are pursuing before he figures you out.

Preset stands will eventually almost always have a bear trail going right past and underneath your set up, most likely those claw marks on your tree are from smaller immature bears investigating out of curiosity. Rarely will you have a mature bear climb your tree, they might stand on there hind legs grab the tree, look up and sniff around etc. A hunter can direct a bears approach and attention away from his ambush stand by simply placing a trail camera on ground level and on the opposite side of the bait pit of where your tree stand is, you also can set up a dummy stand five feet off the ground and have the same results. Eventually you will have a well worn bear trail going past those items. We killed a very smart mature bear one time using the original preset stand as a dummy stand. For two nights this bear would come in and look from a distance at the hunter in his tree stand...the bear would walk away...so the next day we brought in a climber tree stand, set the hunter up in a different tree...it worked perfectly....the bear came in, looked at the original tree stand...assumed it was ok and came in to the bait "dead bear".

Whether in a preset stand or stand hung the same day as the hunt, I must have been doing something right.

[BassBoysLLP]

Good stuff Mike. I think we are generally in a agreement and your stories support my contention that the pre-set stands are a focal point of attention and that hang and hunt has some big advantages if you have the skills to do it right. It just takes practice and with a little practice you can hang and hunt very quietly. Honestly, at this point hanging and hunting is second nature as its a skill set that I use through the entire deer season as well (like many on this site).

The whole mobile vs. preset argument isn't much different than the same one made around deer hunting. You can consistently kill good bucks out of pre-set stands. I have many friends that do that on their farms each year. That first hunt after letting the stand sit for months is the best but after the first hunt you've already given away your position and you've left your scent laden tree stand up to remind the deer for many days afterwards of your position. It doesn't take long for the deer to look for you in the tree. The same applies to bears IMHO. Hanging and hunting provides an element of surprise, it givens you more options on any given day in consideration of the wind and thermals, and you take your scent laden equipment with you after the hunt. You may lay down more ground scent at the base of the tree during the setup process but regardless of preset or hang on you are laying down a pile more smelly skin rafts downwind or directly below your stand site to bugger it up. The average human expels over 40,000 skin rafts per minute. That's 7.2 million skin rafts over the course of a 3 hour hunt. That's a lot of scent.

With all my hang and hunt set ups, regardless of animal hunted, my objective is to hang my stand in a place that gives the animal comfort in being able to smell his surroundings but not smell me in the process or kill him before he smells me. For bears, that means I'm set up so the bears can scent check the bait before approaching without smelling me from my ambush position. Hanging and hunting allows me to adjust to the conditions on any given day. During the preseason, I'll walk the perimeter of my bait site every time I bait to keep all my trees / ground blinds in what I've called the "circle of trust".

One thing is for certain, regardless of what you do near the bait site they will take notice and check it for several weeks, months. If you hang a treestand, they are going to continue to check it out. If you hang a camera, even from an elevated position, they are going to continue to check it out. If you stack a pile of trees and brush next to the bait, they will continue to check it out. The last one hits home recently as I'd really like to kill a good bear from the ground this time around.

When you're running a guiding business pre-sets are your best option. Heck, almost all deer hunting outfitters use pre-sets. They work and accommodate any hunter. But honestly, I struggle to see the tactical advantage of pre-sets if you take time to learn how to hunt mobile and quiet. Just my 2 cents on the matter. I'm not trying to convince anyone.

[Mike Foss]

Good stuff Mike. I think we are generally in a agreement and your stories support my contention that the pre-set stands are a focal point of attention and that hang and hunt has some big advantages if you have the skills to do it right. It just takes practice and with a little practice you can hang and hunt very quietly. Honestly, at this point hanging and hunting is second nature as its a skill set that I use through the entire deer season as well (like many on this site).

The whole mobile vs. preset argument isn't much different than the same one made around deer hunting. You can consistently kill good bucks out of pre-set stands. I have many friends that do that on their farms each year. That first hunt after letting the stand sit for months is the best but after the first hunt you've already given away your position and you've left your scent laden tree stand up to remind the deer for many days afterwards of your position. It doesn't take long for the deer to look for you in the tree. The same applies to bears IMHO. Hanging and hunting provides an element of surprise, it givens you more options on any given day in consideration of the wind and thermals, and you take yourscent laden equipment with you after the hunt. You may lay down more ground scent at the base of the tree during the setup process but regardless of preset or hang on you are laying down a pile more smelly skin rafts downwind or directly below your stand site to bugger it up. The averagehuman expels over 40,000 skin rafts per minute. That's 7.2 million skin rafts over the course of a 3 hour hunt. That's a lot of scent.

With all my hang and hunt set ups, regardless of animal hunted, my objective is to hang my stand in a place that gives the animal comfort in being able to smell his surroundings but not smell me in the process or kill him before he smells me. For bears, that means I'm set up so the bears can scent check the bait before approaching without smelling me from my ambush position. Hanging and hunting allows me to adjust to the conditions on any given day. During the preseason, I'll walk the perimeter of my bait site every time I bait to keep all my trees / ground blinds in what I've called the "circle of trust".

One thing is for certain, regardless of what you do near the bait site they will take notice and check it for several weeks, months. If you hang a treestand, they are going to continue to check it out. If you hang a camera, even from an elevated position, they are going to continue to check it out. If you stack a pile of trees and brush next to the bait, they will continue to check it out. The last one hits home recently as I'd really like to kill a good bear from the ground this time around.

When you're running a guiding business pre-sets are your best option. Heck, almost all deer hunting outfitters use pre-sets. They work and accommodate any hunter. But honestly, I struggle to see the tactical advantage of pre-sets if you take time to learn how to hunt mobile and quiet. Just my 2 cents on the matter. I'm not trying to convince anyone.

I believe you can take some scent out with you that is on your tree stand but that same tree your set (lock on) will be laden up and down for many hours with your scent from your cloths, hands and body from hugging that tree while setting up. A climber tree stand would be a better fit for scent control and ambush purposes.

The second yellow high lighted comment.... Not every one is in peak physical condition to pull off the mobile hunt you have addressed. Even though I am 54 yrs old and still play basketball 2 to 3 times a week I consider myself in some what better shape than most men my age (what I have seen) but I would sweat up a storm if I tried the mobile set up. Even the use of a climber would cause extreme amounts of unwanted human odor. As with you I struggle with the opposite of your tactical advantage comment....most mature bears approach bait stations just before dark, why spend extra time along with noise taking down your set up when bears could be very near when you can climb down quietly and sneak out quickly. Once again things can be done differently if its a DIY vs a Guided hunt. Believe me I wish every hunter I guide would be able to use there own mobile set up, I wouldn't have to worry about tree stands just the trees for the set ups. Debate is always good

[dan]

Mobile aint for everyone... Its like anything else, theres a learning curve and it takes time to get good at it.

[Hunt247365]

Some really good stuff here. Just in the past two years I have noticed that the spots that I put a stand in that Im using some kind of deciduous tree the bears have indeed taken notice that its there...not all but most. But with the setups that the stand is setup in a nice balsam or spruce I haven't seen any sign that they have checked it out....with these sets the stands are dang near imposable to see and with the the thick cover these trees give maybe helps I don't know. Dan or Mike have either of you guys noticed that the type of tree you use makes a difference? I feel I need more then 2 season to say if it does. I know balsam and spruce are my fav stand locations for deer as I hardly ever get picked off.

Also why is it that it seems very few guys bear hunt from the ground? My fav setups are on the ground either using a blow down for cover or sitting right in the middle of a thick batch of balsams. With the younger balsams I normally just need to move a couple small branches and have great cover. Heck the bear I got 2 yrs ago I just sat at the base of a med size maple with no real cover around me and shot the bear at less then 20yds.

[Mike Foss]

Some really good stuff here. Just in the past two years I have noticed that the spots that I put a stand in that Im using some kind of deciduous tree the bears have indeed taken notice that its there...not all but most. But with the setups that the stand is setup in a nice balsam or spruce I haven't seen any sign that they have checked it out....with these sets the stands are dang near imposable to see and with the the thick cover these trees give maybe helps I don't know. Dan or Mike have either of you guys noticed that the type of tree you use makes a difference? I feel I need more then 2 season to say if it does. I know balsam and spruce are my fav stand locations for deer as I hardly ever get picked off.

Also why is it that it seems very few guys bear hunt from the ground? My fav setups are on the ground either using a blow down for cover or sitting right in the middle of a thick batch of balsams. With the younger balsams I normally just need to move a couple small branches and have great cover. Heck the bear I got 2 yrs ago I just sat at the base of a med size maple with no real cover around me and shot the bear at less then 20yds.

The Fear factor plays a huge role in not wanting to sit on the ground along with scent control while bear hunting.

[dan]

Some really good stuff here. Just in the past two years I have noticed that the spots that I put a stand in that Im using some kind of deciduous tree the bears have indeed taken notice that its there...not all but most. But with the setups that the stand is setup in a nice balsam or spruce I haven't seen any sign that they have checked it out....with these sets the stands are dang near imposable to see and with the the thick cover these trees give maybe helps I don't know.Dan or Mike have either of you guys noticed that the type of tree you use makes a difference? I feel I need more then 2 season to say if it does. I know balsam and spruce are my fav stand locations for deer as I hardly ever get picked off.
Also why is it that it seems very few guys bear hunt from the ground? My fav setups are on the ground either using a blow down for cover or sitting right in the middle of a thick batch of balsams. With the younger balsams I normally just need to move a couple small branches and have great cover. Heck the bear I got 2 yrs ago I just sat at the base of a med size maple with no real cover around me and shot the bear at less then 20yds.

I don't have much of a problem with bears figuring out which tree im in. I always like to make sure my baiting path takes me right past any of my stand choices. I do not put the stand up off to the side, or in a spot I have never walked while baiting unless I have no intentions on hunting there again. And, I make sure I have lots of baits and really don't sit most. I have baits I have been hunting for years tht have never been hunted, never put a stand up. Just waiting for the right bear and wind combination. I have noticed though, that when I do hunt a spot a few times they do start nosing around the tree I hunt out of, circling the tree rather than the bait, or coming in down the baiting trail. My best hunting has come from not hunting till the timing is right.

As far as hunting off the ground, for me its purely a scent control measure to get into a tree. Big bears circle, and big bears only give you one chance. You spook them, or they get your wind or pooling of scent and its game over most of the time.

[BassBoysLLP]

Some really good stuff here. Just in the past two years I have noticed that the spots that I put a stand in that Im using some kind of deciduous tree the bears have indeed taken notice that its there...not all but most. But with the setups that the stand is setup in a nice balsam or spruce I haven't seen any sign that they have checked it out....with these sets the stands are dang near imposable to see and with the the thick cover these trees give maybe helps I don't know. Dan or Mike have either of you guys noticed that the type of tree you use makes a difference? I feel I need more then 2 season to say if it does. I know balsam and spruce are my fav stand locations for deer as I hardly ever get picked off.

Also why is it that it seems very few guys bear hunt from the ground? My fav setups are on the ground either using a blow down for cover or sitting right in the middle of a thick batch of balsams. With the younger balsams I normally just need to move a couple small branches and have great cover. Heck the bear I got 2 yrs ago I just sat at the base of a med size maple with no real cover around me and shot the bear at less then 20yds.

They have no problem finding my trees, conifer or deciduous. You are laying down scent regardless.

I'm in agreement that the big disadvantage of hunting from the ground is scent. The setups are tricky especially with archery tackle. However, hunting from the ground allows you to slip in and out quietly and quickly while also allowing you to adjust your position for the wind and thermals any given day.

[Mike Foss]

Some really good stuff here. Just in the past two years I have noticed that the spots that I put a stand in that Im using some kind of deciduous tree the bears have indeed taken notice that its there...not all but most. But with the setups that the stand is setup in a nice balsam or spruce I haven't seen any sign that they have checked it out....with these sets the stands are dang near imposable to see and with the the thick cover these trees give maybe helps I don't know. Dan or Mike have either of you guys noticed that the type of tree you use makes a difference? I feel I need more then 2 season to say if it does. I know balsam and spruce are my fav stand locations for deer as I hardly ever get picked off.

Also why is it that it seems very few guys bear hunt from the ground? My fav setups are on the ground either using a blow down for cover or sitting right in the middle of a thick batch of balsams. With the younger balsams I normally just need to move a couple small branches and have great cover. Heck the bear I got 2 yrs ago I just sat at the base of a med size maple with no real cover around me and shot the bear at less then 20yds.

They have no problem finding my trees, conifer or deciduous. You are laying down scent regardless.

I'm in agreement that the big disadvantage of hunting from the ground is scent. The setups are tricky especially with archery tackle. However, hunting from the ground allows you to slip in and out quietly and quickly while also allowing you to adjust your position for the wind and thermals any given day.

I believe in different areas such as Canada where the bears are more tolerant you can get away with much more such as sitting on the ground. I like the idea of easy in & easy out. Two years ago we had a awesome set up in the middle of a corn field looking at an opening for drainage (farmers don't plant in those drainage ways) , before placing the bait station we pre-cut enough corn stalks to place a pop up blind in there, it fit perfectly and was for a rifle hunter. We did not leave the pop up blind there. Opening day we did our routine baiting while setting up the blind. I wish I could post the hunters comments as he text messaged us. Even though he was 40 yards away from the bait...every bear that was seen and bears he did not even see but heard breathing and sniffing behind his blind came and checked out the blind (which was hidden very well in the corn) before going to the bait station. He did shoot a nice 200lb bear and had a awesome story to tell.

[Bearman13]

We ahoot 3-5 bear a year from the ground. We use all natural ground blinds. Hunter is well hidden. All rifle sets. Though we have had two archery guys kill from one set.

I have found through trial and error that the pop up blinds fornus do not work. Set them early or right before hunt and we have never killed from one. I've killed two bears just sitting against trees turkey style. Bears never new I was there.

Ladder stands will cause you more problems than hang ons. I always try and camouflage the ladder with pine boughs if possible. Almost 90% of my sets are in spruce trees or cedars. Not balsam, nothing but pitch and sap.

[Hunt247365]

We ahoot 3-5 bear a year from the ground. We use all natural ground blinds. Hunter is well hidden. All rifle sets. Though we have had two archery guys kill from one set.

I have found through trial and error that the pop up blinds fornus do not work. Set them early or right before hunt and we have never killed from one. I've killed two bears just sitting against trees turkey style. Bears never new I was there.

Ladder stands will cause you more problems than hang ons. I always try and camouflage the ladder with pine boughs if possible. Almost 90% of my sets are in spruce trees or cedars. Not balsam, nothing but pitch and sap.

Jim you make a good point that ground sets def work better for a rifle set. The ground sets I have are all about 50yds off the baits and will use my rifle or muzzleloader. Well most my stand sets are for bow. For me I don't like climbers and will just get way to sweated up and not all spots can you leave a stand up over night. Along with not having enough stands to use is why I go with a ground set at some baits.