# cost for michigan bear hunt?



## wildcoy73 (Mar 2, 2004)

ok so what do you figure your cost is for a michigan bear hunt?
this should include application fees, gas, bait, lodging, food, scouting cost.
I have heard a few say they have around 3grand at min to hunt about once every 6 years.
I'm looking to see advantages in cost of hunt my home state or just keep plans to do Canada every couple years.
right now my Canada hunt will be right about 3 grand includes everything mention above.
now a wolf tag would be just a little extra.
that 3 grand does include my fishing license also.
one advantage I see is I get to go to a vast section of land with no humans, no technology. get to spend the week hunting and fishing. yes a guide has us set up, but I'm ok with that.
I get one day off a week so it would be hard for me to scout and do everything I need to be successful in michigan.

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## flockshot (Feb 23, 2007)

I went with a guide and hounds and it was less than 3 grand. 1500 plus tip to guide. Airbnb for the week was 900$. Gas for the trip up and back maybe 100$. Groceries about 100$. 

I’ve spent a ton of money on **** I didn’t need for the trip but wanted so I won’t count that. lol 


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

My BIL has about $3000 into his bear hunt this year. Between guide and Taxidermy.


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## Scotts98rt2 (May 4, 2021)

I had 3k in bear guide with dogs, and taxidermy bill. 1500 each was the breakdown. Would have been cheaper but I had a 3/4 mount done.


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## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

I have about $500 in bait already for the Baldwin unit... baiting every other day...40 mile round trip. So I'm guessing I'm at about $5000 already and have not killed one yet. Guess maybe second hunt I hope to do better ....but that means more bait if I can find some. Probably a good thing this only happens every 11 yrs .

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## sparky18181 (Apr 17, 2012)

I probably have about 500 bucks in bait Gas maybe 150 bucks. I have my own place so that cost is already built in


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## jjlrrw (May 1, 2006)

Wiggler said:


> I have about $500 in bait already for the Baldwin unit... baiting every other day...40 mile round trip. So I'm guessing I'm at about $5000 already and have not killed one yet. Guess maybe second hunt I hope to do better ....but that means more bait if I can find some. Probably a good thing this only happens every 11 yrs .
> 
> Sent from my moto z4 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Dang, you must be paying yourself a good wage for the round trips.

~$550 If I kill one then the price goes up fast
14 apps= $70
1 license =$25
Bait = $250
Gas = $200


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## MIfishslayer91 (Dec 24, 2013)

Wiggler said:


> I have about $500 in bait already for the Baldwin unit... baiting every other day...40 mile round trip. So I'm guessing I'm at about $5000 already and have not killed one yet. Guess maybe second hunt I hope to do better ....but that means more bait if I can find some. Probably a good thing this only happens every 11 yrs .
> 
> Sent from my moto z4 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


$4500 in gas to bait a spot 20 miles away? I gota be missing something here. Are you flying a rocket to your bait site?


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## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

MIfishslayer91 said:


> $4500 in gas to bait a spot 20 miles away? I gota be missing something here. Are you flying a rocket to your bait site?


. I do exaggerate a little....but it seems like I fill the tank every couple days. Plus I'm always buying that "magic" lure I see at the store. This is a workout baiting. I was running 3 baits but now down to just two. And one of my baits the dog hunters found yesterday so that bait is over. Bear hasn't shown back up. So basically down to one working bait and that one the bears don't come in until an hour after dark.

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## 98885 (Jan 18, 2015)

Last year we had 200.00 in bait. Baited once before going up for the hunt so gas was (alot cheaper last year) roughly 80.00 for that trip and another 100.00 maybe for the trip for the hunt. No lodging as a tent is our camp. ORV 26.00. Lifetime license been paid off for years. No bear, No processing. Can't add taxidermy unless you actually have it done. That would be an add on cost for any location hunted. I usually just do European skulls. Groceries I think ran 120.00 for 3 weeks of camp. Add 30.00 for steaks we brought. Some wild game and fish were much of the meals. Under 600.00 divided by 2. Roughly 300.00 per man for our bear hunt bill. Not bad. Been doing it for decades so running bait one time gets all 8 baits hit that first week and ramps up from there. Depending on how long that first bait trip takes, we may stay a night in a motel so add 90.00 to that total. Otherwise we do it in a one day trip.


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## Tilden Hunter (Jun 14, 2018)

It costs me ~ $175 for gas, bait, ammo, license, and application for the season. No lodging or guide costs. Any taxidermy is above and beyond that.


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## Flag Up (Feb 15, 2009)

It cost my buddy and myself $300 each for a do it yourself hunt on public land in MI. We both got bear in the first three days. Bait was free, lodging was $300 for a week and the rest was gas, food and licenses. We recovered and processed ourselves and paid someone $20 for the use of their walk-in freezer for a few nights while we stayed the rest of the week and fished.


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## LTH (Nov 14, 2017)

Last time we hunted (three years ago) I got a guide. I'd rather do the do-it-yourself but I just didn't have the time to make the 6 hour round trip drive for baiting.

Guide - $1000
Three round trips gas- $240
Lodging (campground) two weeks - $380
Food - $250
Tag - $30
Miscellaneous - $300

I know I spent more than that but I would no matter if it was an in-state hunt or in Canada.


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## mstgman (Oct 3, 2007)

3 of us on do it ourselves ~500 miles from our home.

2 bait runs (one in august about 20th time frame, then labor day weekend)

Head up Friday prior to our hunt start on Monday, camping in toy hauler for the week in the woods.

All in (bait, food, expenses etc...) doesn't include butcher nor taxidermy bill costs each of us ~$850

We do this every other year.


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## BigWoods (Jul 6, 2003)

We had 3 of us this year. Between bait, gas to bait a week prior, gas for two vehicles and utv hunt week, food and cabin rental, we had $800 each. ($2400 total) This was driving 7 hours one way getting 10-11 mpg with the vehicle we took twice and 19 mpg on the other that only made 1 trip. Half of the cost was the cabin at $1150 for the week.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

I don't know the dollar figure but it'll probably be less next time. Less than 1k each or less all told. My brother could have shot a fairly good bear but was being cautious about looking for cubs and taking risky shots which was probably responsible. He shot a meat bear the last day he was up there. We'll see how I do third season.

Diy is a lot of work. Period.


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## 98885 (Jan 18, 2015)

shaffe48b said:


> I don't know the dollar figure but it'll probably be less next time. Less than 1k each or less all told. My brother could have shot a fairly good bear but was being cautious about looking for cubs and taking risky shots which was probably responsible. He shot a meat bear the last day he was up there. We'll see how I do third season.
> 
> Diy is a lot of work. Period.


Lots of work, yes. Lots of gratification a bigger yes. Game cameras to me are worth it let alone the hunt. I love seeing what comes in and how well my baits keep the bears around. There's more to the hunt than killing for sure. That's as much important to me than the harvest and you can't get that with a guide.


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## BigWoods (Jul 6, 2003)

Great points JohnIV and Shaffe48b. Lots of work, constantly busy running baits, checking cameras, going through fuel and expending a lot of energy BUT its sooooo rewarding in the end. Just the excitement of walking in to a hit bait, figuring out what the bears are prefering in your bait, checking your trailcams and scouting a new spot is very satisfying with DIY for me.

If that isnt a benefit to you, you dont have the time or want to pursue other activities in the early part of the day, a guide would be more in line with your idea of a hunt for you. Nothing wrong with either approach.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

You can get burnt out I sort of felt that way heading back Sunday. Trail cam pictures are nice but it's weird forming a connection with specific bears. Of course I grew up raising livestock and it's part of life. 

Guides in Michigan aren't that expensive. But the cheaper ones especially I just don't know if I'd trust. Plus as others have mentioned you lose out in a lot of realism in the hunt.

Bear hunting is a lot of work even over a pile of bait as some would put it. They live in much more wild places than a deer. They are lower density and elusive.


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## 98885 (Jan 18, 2015)

shaffe48b said:


> You can get burnt out I sort of felt that way heading back Sunday. Trail cam pictures are nice but it's weird forming a connection with specific bears. Of course I grew up raising livestock and it's part of life.
> 
> Guides in Michigan aren't that expensive. But the cheaper ones especially I just don't know if I'd trust. Plus as others have mentioned you lose out in a lot of realism in the hunt.
> 
> Bear hunting is a lot of work even over a pile of bait as some would put it. They live in much more wild places than a deer. They are lower density and elusive.


That's the feeling I get every year I get a tag. Lots of work (well worth it) but it's a burn out feeling after the hunt. Lots of time and energy put in to it and even tho I feel it's some of the best of it, no doubt it wears you down. So much so that I can't get into the archery deer hunt as much the same year I bear hunt many years. It's why I only like hunting bears every other year or every third year. Kinda keeps it fresh every time.


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