Backpack hunt

[tattoo dave]

I drew a bear tag for the fall. I decided I'm going to do my first backpack hunt. I'm not gonna pay anybody to put bait out for me. This is Michigan and it seems like nobody here knows how to bear hunt without sittin at a bait barrel. I will also have a deer tag, and potentially a fall turkey tag, and small game of course. I should be able to harvest something. Any of you more experienced backpack hunters have any suggestions? Anybody here in Michigan want to go with? I'll be hunting grand island in the U.P.

Tattoo Dave

[cracker]

Dang I wish I lived in da UP I'd love to go.

[mullet]

Give Dana a shout, he's already there. Ronnie, I'd visit but not live there.

[nclonghunter]

Dave, I can not claim to be a bear hunter, but I have studied the possibility for a while. I believe the bait issue is due to the nature of the bear. Using dogs or bait seems to be a standard on bear. Not to say you may not "luck" into a shot at any time. If you can find some berries or acorns or a natural food source then hunt it, but that is again hunting over a bait. You either find the "natural food bait" or create your own. Sorta like guys complaining about hunting deer over a corn feeder but will put a tree stand along the edge of a cut corn field..?
Another option is to shoot a legal deer or other critter and then hunt over the remaining carcass (bones) and or entrails. Bears will find a gut pile. I suppose if you find an area they are fishing would be a good location to hunt or an area where lots of sign such as logs torn up, lots of scat, rocks turned over and trees marked...I wish you the best of luck how ever you go!

[Justin Snyder]

There are lots of guys who spot and stock hunt bears in the west.

I personally like calling with a distress call. When calling most critters you call for 10-15 seconds and watch for 60-90 seconds before calling again. Bears have A-D-D so you have to call non stop to keep them coming. Take some bear spray with you and aim for the nose.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Dave the ground you are hunting will be thicker than heck. I wish you the very best of luck friend. If all else fails you will have fun! I have my vaca allocated to southern Indiana deer hunt in October, otherwise I may have joined you for the experince.

[tattoo dave]

Well guys, I would live there but my wife would have no part of that, I'm a troll...live under the bridge. Mullet, how do I get a hold of Dana? I would like to talk to him about that  area. I guess if I luck into a bear that would be great, if not that's fine too. I originally planned a deer trip, but for the $19 dollar bear tag, now I can hunt both.

[Lee Slikkers]

Good for you Dave!  I put in for Bear 7 Elk ( ) but got zilch in the draw...

[mullet]

 Dave;
I sent you a PM.
Eddie

[crooketarrow]

  Heres a little advice here in WV you can't bait bears. So we learned to call And it dose work. We had most of our luck calling at food scorces. BEECH and white oak ridges. Here's alittle something else we did areas that had lots of beech or oaks or areas that had only a few in spots we fertized the trees or places that had alot of trees fertize say 20,30 that are close together. Fertize in the spring everyother spring (drip edges).
   Dosn't take bears or deer to find the spots. The nuts are also sweeter and bigger. Thats a couple springs. You have a legal bait pile only you know about. Really nice on PUBLIC HUNTING LAND.  MAST is like apples good year bad year. If yo fertize you have great year good year. Years theres little or no mast you have good mast and hot calling spotS KILLERRRRRRRRRRRRRR on BUCKS also.

[tattoo dave]

That's a great idea crooketarrow! That's too easy for me, work for a company that sells fertilizers. I'll be doing that next spring for sure.
Lee, I put in for elk also, got nothin on that. This is the third year in a row I drew a bear tag with no preference points. I put in for third period, Gwinn territory, so I can deer and bear hunt.

[Lee Slikkers]

Dave, that should be a good unit with a decent shot at deer for sure and hopefully bear.

The Elk draw is a pipe dream here in MI but I always put in for it...figured maybe in 20 years I'll have enough preference points 

There is always next year for bear for me I guess.

Good luck and be sure to take some pics to share with us.