Author Topic: Bear Hunting 2012  (Read 14335 times)

Offline JetsOrBust

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Bear Hunting 2012
« on: Mar 12, 2012, 01:23:53 PM »
Hey everyone,

I'm looking to go bear hunting for the first time this year, and basically don't know anything about it.  My buddy and I are thinking of finding a spot somewhere near the Lac du Bonnet area.

Does anyone know where the best places are to buy maps of property lines (i.e. that show where public land is) and where you can get some bulk foods (like grains or cereal) at a decent price?  We were just going to clean out an old oil drum, burry it most of the way in the ground and fill it with different stuff to try to keep a bear coming back, but I don't know if anyone has better suggestions for the area, or if you need to do something to keep raccoons from taking everything?


Any advice anyone has would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Jonathon

Offline bogmanjr

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #1 on: Mar 12, 2012, 01:38:48 PM »
Welcome to the site.
" Those who forge their guns into plows will plow for those who did not " Thomas Jefferson.

Offline Raquettedacker

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #2 on: Mar 12, 2012, 04:12:31 PM »
Welcome to the site....
"Dying is the easy part. Learning how to live is the hard part..."

Offline Green Mountian Hunter

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #3 on: Mar 12, 2012, 05:42:43 PM »
welcome to the site


Offline aquaassassin

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #4 on: Mar 12, 2012, 06:19:24 PM »
Welcome! Must be some gorgeous Cinnamon Black Bears up your way somewhere?
It's not being cocky if you can back it up!

Offline JetsOrBust

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #5 on: Mar 13, 2012, 08:20:10 AM »
Yeah in recent years around the Lac du Bonnet area ENE of Winnipeg there's been a ton of nuisance bears, so it should be a good area to try to go.  My biggest problem is trying to find a big enough area of public land suitable for hunting.

I've never really been in the area before, I've done deer and partridge hunting near Hadishville or Marchand/Woodridge areas where it's obvious that most land is crown land but I'm not too sure of how to find a good area to set up a baiting station near Lac du Bonnet.


If there are any other bear hunters in the Winnipeg area, I found a guy on kijiji who will custom-make you a bait barrel for $30.  Full steel barrels with locking lids and he's just south of the city:

http://winnipeg.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-sporting-goods-exercise-fishing-camping-outdoors-Custom-made-bear-bait-barrels-W0QQAdIdZ352763081

In case this link stops working his ad just says his name is Kelly and phone number 771-5932.  I haven't bought one yet but I plan to in the next day or two so I can tell you how it comes out.




I spoke to him though and he suggested a 6"x6" hole for the bear to paw into.  I had read that's a bit too big, and most people go with 4-5 inches to keep cubs from getting their heads stuck, and to keep the bears from eating everything too fast.  Anyone have any suggestions on that?

Offline HighlandGlenGuide

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #6 on: Mar 13, 2012, 02:20:11 PM »
you can get maps of the area from canadamapsales...its on route 90. but if your looking for land owner maps your would probably have to go to the RM of Lac du Bonnet, or phone. as for the bear hunting aspect, i am no help to you...sorry

Offline 30-30

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #7 on: Mar 27, 2012, 06:08:41 AM »

          Welcome aboard, bear hunting has turned into my favorite hunting experience, I still deer hunt but the trill to stalk a bear gets my adrenaline pumping.

Offline atplayart

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #8 on: Mar 28, 2012, 11:07:17 AM »
i use a 45 gallon drum filled with  oats and fryer greese from restaurants   5 gallons of greese per barrel --- shoot some holes in the barrel with shot gun b4 filling it an chain it to a tree  don't need big holes bears will roll barrell around to get at oats will last at least couplla weeks
 if it is a new bait (not established)  i like to hang a beaver carcus high in a tree above bait--  i put out 4 baits every year an all get hit  used to live winnipeg now live near lake winnipeg  hav hunted bears a lot near richer ( it is heavily hunted)---   lac du bonnet  not so heavily hunted  --- now hunt near patricia beach  ---- some trail cam photos from my baits r here  http://www.myhuntingforum.com/hunting_forum/index.php?topic=5757.0
drobersonMaryland posted them for me  an i getting xcited again   season is close can't wait to put baits out :)

Offline 30-30

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #9 on: Mar 28, 2012, 12:33:10 PM »
i use a 45 gallon drum filled with  oats and fryer greese from restaurants   5 gallons of greese per barrel --- shoot some holes in the barrel with shot gun b4 filling it an chain it to a tree  don't need big holes bears will roll barrell around to get at oats will last at least couplla weeks
 if it is a new bait (not established)  i like to hang a beaver carcus high in a tree above bait--  i put out 4 baits every year an all get hit  used to live winnipeg now live near lake winnipeg  hav hunted bears a lot near richer ( it is heavily hunted)---   lac du bonnet  not so heavily hunted  --- now hunt near patricia beach  ---- some trail cam photos from my baits r here  http://www.myhuntingforum.com/hunting_forum/index.php?topic=5757.0
drobersonMaryland posted them for me  an i getting xcited again   season is close can't wait to put baits out :)
Thats right, you have a spring season.

Offline JetsOrBust

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #10 on: Apr 11, 2012, 12:43:12 PM »
i use a 45 gallon drum filled with  oats and fryer greese from restaurants   5 gallons of greese per barrel --- shoot some holes in the barrel with shot gun b4 filling it an chain it to a tree  don't need big holes bears will roll barrell around to get at oats will last at least couplla weeks
 if it is a new bait (not established)  i like to hang a beaver carcus high in a tree above bait--  i put out 4 baits every year an all get hit  used to live winnipeg now live near lake winnipeg  hav hunted bears a lot near richer ( it is heavily hunted)---   lac du bonnet  not so heavily hunted  --- now hunt near patricia beach  ---- some trail cam photos from my baits r here  http://www.myhuntingforum.com/hunting_forum/index.php?topic=5757.0
drobersonMaryland posted them for me  an i getting xcited again   season is close can't wait to put baits out :)

Wow those are some great pic's!

I'm going out this weekend to find a spot and set up the bait (somewhere near lac du bonnet).  I'm pretty pumped for it!

I have a question for you though, do you use a butcher for your bear that you harvest?  I'm hoping to find a butcher that will do up the meat and the rug for me (if I'm successful) but I'm not too sure who would be good.  Most of the places I've called in and around Winnipeg don't have any experience with bear.

Much appreciated

Offline JetsOrBust

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #11 on: Apr 11, 2012, 01:15:49 PM »
Also I got my bear bait barrel.  It's got a 4" square hole about halfway up to the top.  My plan was to chain the barrel upright to a tree but I started wondering....

If I do this, will bears be able to get the bait out?  Should I have put the hole closer to the bottom so they can just scratch it out?  Anyone know?

Offline windwalker

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #12 on: Apr 11, 2012, 09:48:56 PM »
What we do is chain the barrel to the tree and we normally lay it down so that the hole is faceing up .A four inch hole might be to small for what I'm discribing though .We normall put in a 6" round hole in the centre so that the bear can reach in and grab the food .If you do want it standing upright then maybe make the hole a bit bigger ( 6" ) .What we did was pour liguid mollasses onto the barrel as a scent dispersal and we used popcorn a lot ,they can't eat it all in one sitting. And if you do use bread than the larger hole is better as well .Good luck 

Offline atplayart

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #13 on: Apr 12, 2012, 09:14:29 AM »
Wow those are some great pic's!

I'm going out this weekend to find a spot and set up the bait (somewhere near lac du bonnet).  I'm pretty pumped for it!

I have a question for you though, do you use a butcher for your bear that you harvest?  I'm hoping to find a butcher that will do up the meat and the rug for me (if I'm successful) but I'm not too sure who would be good.  Most of the places I've called in and around Winnipeg don't have any experience with bear.

Much appreciated


i usually cut a 10"x 10" hole in top of barrel for pouring in the oats and greese  attach an eye bolt to bottom of barrel so i can attach it to a tree-- i use winch wire and cable clamps to attach it to tree--fill the barrel then reattach the piece of the barrel i cut out with self threading screws --- put the piece back on diaso that corners are in the middle of long sides of hole--- i like a long piece of wire 10-12 feet-- this way if i go to bait i can tell real fast if baits r hit or not --- barrel will be on its side if bear has been there they have to roll it to get oats out--- i always stand barrel up again if i am checking cameras---

i always butcher my own bears  --- butchers cannot take the time to get all the fat off the meat-- bear fat goes rancid very quickly an u get the flavor of it even in sausages --- turn most of my bears into jerky or sausage  -- get my steaks +roasts from deer :)

 hope this helps good luck  hav fun be safe :)

Offline JetsOrBust

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Re: Bear Hunting 2012
« Reply #14 on: Apr 12, 2012, 09:48:02 AM »
Thanks atplayart,

That's good information and sounds like it's about what I was planning to do.  The only question I have for you then is what size is the hole that you have for the bears to get the oats out when they roll the barrel around?

I like the idea of chaining it to a tree upright, but leaving slack so the bears can knock it down and roll it around.  But with a 4" by 4" hole I'm just wondering if it's too big (i.e. the bears will get all the food out too fast if they can roll it).

I can make the hole bigger if I have to but I can't make it smaller now.


Anyways good luck this year, I'm pumped to get out there and try this for the first time.

 


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