# Michigan Spring Bear Hunt?



## UPHuntr (Feb 24, 2009)

Anyone know why Michigan could or would not change their bear season to a spring hunt? me and a buddy of mine were talking and saying how much fun it would be right now as winter is ending to be looking forward to getting a spring bear tag. We are looking at possibly drawing this year and were just kicking around how with all the other hunting going on in the fall a spring bear hunt here in Michigan would be cool. I can see possibility of shooting a sow that would have a cub. But wouldn't it be better to be able to see a sow with a cub and have to pass and maybe get a old dry sow instead. In the fall wouldn't you have a better chance of shooting a good breeding sow which you want to keep around for the better of the population? Just asking questions here and thought this would be a good discussion point.


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## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

I think its a great Idea, I dont think shooting a Sow with cubs would be nearly the problem they make it out to be. Bait hunters have plenty of time to look them over and hound guys would do the same. Now adays everyone has trail cams too so if a Sow was showing herself she would already have told on herself. It sure would open up the fall for more Bird, deer, fishing what ever! That picture i put on the other thread of the Sow w/3cubs was there all the time. I wlaked in on her a 10 am on morning with the generator running and all. They were only 100yd from my camper. I got 100 plus pictures of Bears and many different ones. 

Mark

You know another thing, maybe Bait hunt in the spring, & hounds in the fall! What do you think about that?


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## UPHuntr (Feb 24, 2009)

Actually that is what started this topic between my buddy and I. we kept hearing about all the issues between bait and hound hunters and thought maybe you could cure that with bait in the spring and hounds in the fall. What the heck bird hunters are out in the woods in the fall with their dogs too so no reason why guys who wante to hunt bait would have dogs running in on them if spring was bait hunting.


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## soccer_man48420 (Nov 14, 2010)

This wouldnt really cure the hound and bait hunters issues, I myself and a hound hunter and have bait hunted. I enjoy both. But in the spring we can still train our dogs until april 15. This goes for hunting coyotes training on spring bear, **** and or squirrels. The fact is dogs will be in the woods until april 15th. I know many people that as soon as that snow is off the trails enough to get in the woods again with trucks they are out running the dogs. Good idea but i dont think it would solve much. Bear hunters in general need to work together to keep the sport around instead of fighting each other, this just adds more fuel to the fire for the antis.


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## Mickey Finn (Jan 21, 2005)

UPHuntr said:


> Anyone know why Michigan could or would not change their bear season to a spring hunt? me and a buddy of mine were talking and saying how much fun it would be right now as winter is ending to be looking forward to getting a spring bear tag. We are looking at possibly drawing this year and were just kicking around how with all the other hunting going on in the fall a spring bear hunt here in Michigan would be cool. I can see possibility of shooting a sow that would have a cub. But wouldn't it be better to be able to see a sow with a cub and have to pass and maybe get a old dry sow instead. In the fall wouldn't you have a better chance of shooting a good breeding sow which you want to keep around for the better of the population? Just asking questions here and thought this would be a good discussion point.


 
Spring is for morels and steelhead.

ATB


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## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

soccer_man48420 said:


> This wouldnt really cure the hound and bait hunters issues, I myself and a hound hunter and have bait hunted. I enjoy both. But in the spring we can still train our dogs until april 15. This goes for hunting coyotes training on spring bear, **** and or squirrels. The fact is dogs will be in the woods until april 15th. I know many people that as soon as that snow is off the trails enough to get in the woods again with trucks they are out running the dogs. Good idea but i dont think it would solve much. Bear hunters in general need to work together to keep the sport around instead of fighting each other, this just adds more fuel to the fire for the antis.


You just cant make them Dogmen happy!

Just kidding boys! I agree on the working together, but still would like a spring season. If your running the dogs anyway, you might as well be hunting, Us Master baiters can wait til fall!


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## soccer_man48420 (Nov 14, 2010)

nice one spring! honestly to me, a kill is nice, but watchin my dogs work and getting to see more bear is all i ask. when i get to the tree and take some great pics, pet the dogs up and let the bear go to chase again is awesome... I had a big bear on several of my baits and ran him several time last season. 1 day we ran this bear for 5 or 6 hrs and when i checked the cam the next day, the same bear was back at the bait let then 3 hrs after we finshed running him, so when people say the hounds chase the bear outta the country and off the baits, they come back, some sooner then others but most of the time these bears have set paths and agendas... if they like what they are eattin then they will be back!

Like I do both, I run my hounds in the morning and in the evening I sit over the same baits I start on in the morning, most of the time as soon as u bait it there are bear headed to the baits.


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## UPHuntr (Feb 24, 2009)

I just like the idea of a spring hunt becasue there is just so much to do in the fall. Spring time we fish walleyes most of the time but the idea of going hunting would be awsome. Just cannot get into turkeys anymore for the spring. With bears and having to draw a tag it would work our better for me (selfish) and I believe alot of hunters becasue of all of the other hunting opportunities that we have in the fall. I did not know you could train dogs in the spring so yes you are right there probably would still be some issues. But how many guys do you think really run their dogs in the spring? The reason I ask this is becasue with all the time we spend at our cabin in the U.P. I have never seen anyone running dogs in the spring, but come fall bear season every road we go down seems to have a truck with bear hounds running it.


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## soccer_man48420 (Nov 14, 2010)

UPHuntr, well I cant give you numbers of course, but i know many in the UP that hunt the spring. Im not sure where your cabin is, but obviously the hardest hunted period is right before the season and through out the season. But the reason why guys run in the spring is because the only way to have a good pack is to have as much experience as possible. That means spending as much possible time in the woods. Guys like me who can only hunt the weekends need to get the dogs on bear, kill or not. I see what your saying about the spring, Im not saying its a bad thing.... Sooner or later they will have to do something different since the population is moving farther and farther south.


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## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

soccer_man48420 said:


> UPHuntr, well I cant give you numbers of course, but i know many in the UP that hunt the spring. Im not sure where your cabin is, but obviously the hardest hunted period is right before the season and through out the season. But the reason why guys run in the spring is because the only way to have a good pack is to have as much experience as possible. That means spending as much possible time in the woods. Guys like me who can only hunt the weekends need to get the dogs on bear, kill or not. I see what your saying about the spring, Im not saying its a bad thing.... Sooner or later they will have to do something different since the population is moving farther and farther south.


I've never run Bear, but know alot of guys that do. In the spring do you have a problem running sow's with small cubs or does she tree right away?


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## soccer_man48420 (Nov 14, 2010)

No different then in the fall with those same cubs, she'll put em up a tree and run circles for awhile, checkin on the cubs, or sometimes the whole lot will tree... just depends on the sow. But really theres no difference. Most of the time we are either lookin for tracks and or riggin but if we see small cub tracks we move on to another track...


springdale said:


> I've never run Bear, but know alot of guys that do. In the spring do you have a problem running sow's with small cubs or does she tree right away?


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## beardog (Dec 30, 2010)

you try like he11 NOT to run a sow with cubs!!!!! it could be dangerous for the dogs and or the cubs.


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## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

beardog said:


> you try like he11 NOT to run a sow with cubs!!!!! it could be dangerous for the dogs and or the cubs.


Yea, I wondered about that. When a dog strikes do you try to check first or let them go?


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## beardog (Dec 30, 2010)

we will always check for tracks there is some bear we dont like to train on sows with cubs included.


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## wallhd (Nov 14, 2010)

Michigan's DNR is extremely slow when it comes to changing anything other then the immediate shutting down the baiting. Don't hold your breath.


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## soccer_man48420 (Nov 14, 2010)

isnt that the truth...



wallhd said:


> Michigan's DNR is extremely slow when it comes to changing anything other then the immediate shutting down the baiting. Don't hold your breath.


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