# Bear hunting NOT over bait - still / stalk hunt?



## Andy G (Jul 30, 2006)

Hey ladies and fellers.

I had a few successful bear hunts in Alaska while I lived up there, none of which were over bait.

Does anyone around here stalk instead of hunting over bait?

This isn't a judgment sort of question, just wondering as it seems as though the majority of bears are taken over bait.

I'd like to put eventually do a hunt in the UP (assuming I ever get drawn).

Thanks!









Cordova blackie


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## sourdough44 (Mar 2, 2008)

1st off, put in for a point every May, if a MI resident it won’t take to long to draw.

The MI bear habitat is more dense, thick, & dark than cover out West or possibly some conditions in AK. The bears may well have different habits, more nocturnal. With a viable, active natural food source one could post up hoping for an encounter. Calling with a fawn distress predator call would up the odds somewhat. The idea of a true ‘spot & stalk’ in MI would be an extremely low probability hunt. If one spends enough to in the woods just about anything is possible though.

With an early snow(late season) one could follow a bear track, seen it.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

There is no baiting, or dog, hunting for bear in PA. They either still hunt, stalk or put on drives. Some who know where there is a lot of bear activity will tree stand hunt.


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## Tilden Hunter (Jun 14, 2018)

There aren't any blueberry covered hill sides to glass in Michigan. It takes bait to pull them out of stuff that isn't bayonet range.


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## GrizzlyHunter (Jun 17, 2005)

MI is way too thick for any spot and stalk IMO. I think you would have to be intimately familiar with a particular bear’s daily habits in order to have any change at all trying to still hunt them.

I’ve hunted in the UP for over 30 years, waaayyy back in the woods. And the last 15 years I still hunted a LOT...and I’ve NEVER even seen a bear while hunting.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Same here, almost 40 years in the Yoop, spring summer and fall, have never seen a bear in the wild!

I've snuck up on and or watched from a blind (tree and ground), just about any other type of wildlife you can think of that frequents the area !

This includes porcupine, coyote bobcat, wolf,ermin, partidge, pileated woodpecker on and on with other small game and birds and many deer!




GrizzlyHunter said:


> MI is way too thick for any spot and stalk IMO. I think you would have to be intimately familiar with a particular bear’s daily habits in order to have any change at all trying to still hunt them.
> 
> I’ve hunted in the UP for over 30 years, waaayyy back in the woods. And the last 15 years I still hunted a LOT...and I’ve NEVER even seen a bear while hunting.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Tilden Hunter said:


> There aren't any blueberry covered hill sides to glass in Michigan. It takes bait to pull them out of stuff that isn't bayonet range.


There also are not any mountain laurel patches, so thick you have to crawl through many areas, that run for miles. That laurel is often in rocky areas, with crevices to fall into because you can't see them because of the thick laurel. There are few 50 to 60' vertical drops to contend with, again, covered in thick laurel. 

Most of my shots at deer, in that laurel, and the bear I have seen, were withing 75 yards, max, many times MUCH closer than that.


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## Andy G (Jul 30, 2006)

Awesome replies...not sure why I never thought about the thick cover of Michigan vs the openness of Alaska. Thanks everyone!


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Bait, and hounds work here.


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## eino (Jun 19, 2003)

I seen some logged off areas up there that looked like some Jim Shocky Canadian hunts. Not as vast but still made my imagination run wild about stalking a bear. 
But every bear I seen while baiting was barely visible from around 25 yards. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

Bait is the majority, hounds 2nd. You use to be able to harvest them during deer season up there. Young boars are usually too rambunctious to take the big nap into Nov. Back in the mid 90s while walking in on opening day I came across a bear track. So, I decided to track him. I tracked him for about 3 hours in the fresh fallin 2" of snow. I never did see him, but he knew I was tracking him because about every 150 yds he would stop, turn around and put his front paws on a blowdown he just crossed and look at his back track. Then his start off strides from those points were a little longer. I didn't get to sit for opening mornin, but I had fun and probably moved a few deer anyways. 

It would be a dream to get stable snow in Oct. I am not saying that finding a big sparse valley or clear cut with filled with late blueberries that you couldn't still hunt, but it is really unlikely. I always thought that canoeing a stretch of river and getting out quietly on inside peninsulas where you could get a shot that predator calling might be a successful method. You can be quiet and keep down your scent while keeping a bear in front of you and cover a lot of land distance for active bears. Though, it is a very small niche concept. 

Though, this method can getting the ole ticker pumping.


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## LTH (Nov 14, 2017)

eino said:


> I seen some logged off areas up there that looked like some Jim Shocky Canadian hunts. Not as vast but still made my imagination run wild about stalking a bear.
> But every bear I seen while baiting was barely visible from around 25 yards.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


I have thought the same thing but then again those are spring hunts he is on when the bears are looking for green grass and the only place it is growing is in the open areas.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Right on LTH!! Just what I was thinking.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Pretty good bear population where I hunt. We typically see one during deer season after we were baiting bear, but only those years. I personally have only seen bear twice while hunting. VERY low odds of sneaking up on one where they typically live in MI. I'm sure I've pushed them before just walking through the woods but I'd bet its like sneaking up on a coyote.


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