BigGameHoundsmen.com

The past several years Michigan DNR annual bear survey reports make the claim dog hunters harvest more bear than bait-sitters. Anybody believe that?

Personally, I believe there are plenty of bait-sitters who oppose bear hunting with dogs...and they simply check the box on the survey claiming their bear was harvested over dogs hoping it will have a negative impact
on houndsmen.

possible. i know most guys who ONLY sit on their but and call it hunting are REAL quick to throw ALL dog hunting under the bus.

Rich,

MBHA will tell you that houndsmen are only resonsible for 12-14% of the bear kill in MI. Where did you see this claim? I would like to see where you got it and get it to MBHA.

BKMFR,

Thanks for your concern. It is sincerely appreciated. The DNR posted it in the annual bear survey reports the past several years.

This is no laughing matter either. The bait hunters are purposely providing false information on the mail in surveys...and a significant number of them are doing it. Obviously, their motivation is to have a negative impact on houndsmen.

You also might be interested in knowing...Michigan Attorney General Mike cox has determined commercial baiting (guiding)on CFA land is prohibited.
It is also a violation of state land use rules to "guide" on land owned by or under control of the Michigan DNR without having a Special Use Permit.
The DNR has a big mess on their hands...and they continue to allow this crap to go on to apease bait hunters.

Sorry for the rant, but this pervasive, uncontrolled bear pimping in the western U.P. has destroyed what was once some high quality bear hunting. I need to make it clear...I am not against guiding. Done some myself over the years. But, I am against uncontrolled and unregulated commercial bear baiting taking over the publics recreational land to the extent it now has.

Rich

I think you've definately got some concerns with the bear hunting up in the UP. I was up in that area last year and it was some pretty solid looking bear country. But from my take is that the tags allotted are way too high and the age/size structure is pretty sad. We found bears but they were nothing to brag about. In talking with a few of the registration stations, it seemed that the majority of the bear harvested were very small.

And not to open a can of worms, but the majority of the those tags filled had to be done by MI residents. Whether they be from the UP or Lower. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for harvesting bear but it sure wouldn't hurt you guys up there if a few more hunters were selective on when they pulled the trigger. Regardless if they are bait sitters or hound guys. We chose to eat two tags that could have been filled. One tag was mighty close but we could tell it was a sow and figured she'd be a lot more valuable to you guys with a couple cubs than on the grill.

Good Luck to you guys up there, hopefully we'll make it up that way again sometime in the future. How has the season been going thus far.

Nolte,

I sure appreciate your input. Your comments are right on the mark. The downstate bait hunters now rival the number of hunters coming here for firearms deer season. It is a windfall for the commercial bear baiting operations. They're getting $1,000 to $1,500 per hunter per week. Even saw a post from one of the bear pimps on another site saying how he likes it when a "client" kills one of thos 80 to 100 pounders because they're easier to drag and the money is the same. I do not fault downstate hunters for wanting to kill a bear, but there needs to be some common sense management...and we're not getting it from the Michigan DNR.

You asked about my hunting....in my 35 years of hunting here it is the worst I ever experienced. Dogs been doing ok for the few races I get.

If the majority of the bear registered are registered as hound kill, it will appear that hound hunting is the most effective management tool for bear populations. That is better than twelve percent which appears to be an insignificant tool for bear management.
Kyle

Nolte wrote:Rich

I'm all for harvesting bear but it sure wouldn't hurt you guys up there if a few more hunters were selective on when they pulled the trigger. Regardless if they are bait sitters or hound guys. We chose to eat two tags that could have been filled. One tag was mighty close but we could tell it was a sow and figured she'd be a lot more valuable to you guys with a couple cubs than on the grill.

Right on Nolte!
We all see the heavy trigger finger everywhere! I just wish that people would think about the future a little more than the present sometimes.

Good luck to you guys over there!

i know in the area i hunt (Shingleton/Stueben) the baiters get the nicer bears in the first few days of hunting before we can start. caught one "guide" this summer rideing around putting baits on top of ours, ones my uncles started 15 years ago. i think it would be best for the bears if some laws were made to restrict guiding. we found a decent number of bear but nothing very big, dont think they get much time to grow.