# Big bear spotted during rifle deer season.



## bigcrank (May 27, 2017)

My son and I were hunting in Roscommon county the day before Thanksgiving. At about 4:30 PM my son had a huge bear come out of the pines in front of his blind and come within 25 yards. It was quite a thrill for my son. I'm not a bear hunter but I thought by now he would have been hibernating.
Wondering why he is still roaming around?


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## Tilden Hunter (Jun 14, 2018)

I've seen tracks during deer season, but not often. Usually they're holed up by then.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Saw a big bear nov 16 walking back from deer hunting stand in alcona county.


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## Blaze (Oct 13, 2005)

I remember the days when you could shoot a bear on your deer license. I was hunting the U.P. at the time. It might have been U.P. only, i don't recall. I bet someone here can recall whether it was statewide or just the U.P.?


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

The latest I have seen tracks was in mid Dec a few years ago. Yep I remember we could hunt bear during gun season, but don't remember if it was state wide. I lived and hunted in the Yoop then ,really didn't care what the rules were for the rest of the state.The license was something like $5.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Blaze said:


> I remember the days when you could shoot a bear on your deer license. I was hunting the U.P. at the time. It might have been U.P. only, i don't recall. I bet someone here can recall whether it was statewide or just the U.P.?



It was legal in Rosscommon county for sure, I believe it was state wide. It was during that period that you were allowed only one deer per year.


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

The young boars can still be frolicking around during deer season. Their still growing boys you know, probably need to get another 100 lb feed sack of acorns in their belly before taking a nap. I came across a bear track on the deer opener back in the 90s in Alcona cty and followed him about a mile. He knew I was tracking him as he would stop and put his front paws on a blow down to look behind him every couple hundred yds or so. I never seen him, but he probably seen me.


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

I've heard of being able to shoot bears during rifle season. Before my hunting time.

I believe the bigger males tend to be the last to den up. They seem to just wander around looking for trouble. I used to see a sow and single cub every other year in Marquette county. The same area each time. So, I think there was something wrong with that sow and she just didn't figure out how to den up well enough to save her cubs. That or they were killed by something during the year. Either way, not a good mother it seems.


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## Blaze (Oct 13, 2005)

DecoySlayer said:


> It was legal in Rosscommon county for sure, I believe it was state wide. It was during that period that you were allowed only one deer per year.


Yep, must have been statewide and one (1) buck was the limit. I knew someone could help me out.


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## SteelSearchin (Apr 8, 2004)

The area we hunt in Roscommon county had a ton of bear activity during the first few days of deer season this year. We've seen a few lone bears on opener over the years, but this year it looked like bears had been everywhere in the snow. My nephew's gut pile was moved and the organs eaten between dark one night and daylight the next (great way to freak out 7 & 8 year old boys w/ headlights!). Another hunter had a gutshot buck drug 250 yards by his throat into the cedar swamp (must've been saving him for dessert). Not sure if the bear found the deer dead or alive.

On Saturday my son shot a doe that had a long blood trail (clipped one carotid artery- looked like a 3-400 yard murder scene). We jumped the doe twice and decided to back off and give her some time to expire. On our way back to the truck (where we had left both rifles), I came around a blow down and was face to face with a bear who had no idea we were there. She had her nose up in the air and was either tracking the blood trail or us (or both I guess). Eight yards was a little too close for my liking (and my 8-year-old son was not impressed either!). Anyway, I calmly started talking to it and it backed off a bit and started making some grunting noises. Soon two more cubs, nearly as big as momma, joined her and they trotted up over the hill and out of the swamp. My son immediately started rapid firing questions like "why don't we have a rifle?" and "are the bears gonna eat my deer before we get it?" 

Neither one of us will forget that morning, that's for sure. Talk about a great experience!


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

SteelSearchin said:


> The area we hunt in Roscommon county had a ton of bear activity during the first few days of deer season this year. We've seen a few lone bears on opener over the years, but this year it looked like bears had been everywhere in the snow. My nephew's gut pile was moved and the organs eaten between dark one night and daylight the next (great way to freak out 7 & 8 year old boys w/ headlights!). Another hunter had a gutshot buck drug 250 yards by his throat into the cedar swamp (must've been saving him for dessert). Not sure if the bear found the deer dead or alive.
> 
> On Saturday my son shot a doe that had a long blood trail (clipped one carotid artery- looked like a 3-400 yard murder scene). We jumped the doe twice and decided to back off and give her some time to expire. On our way back to the truck (where we had left both rifles), I came around a blow down and was face to face with a bear who had no idea we were there. She had her nose up in the air and was either tracking the blood trail or us (or both I guess). Eight yards was a little too close for my liking (and my 8-year-old son was not impressed either!). Anyway, I calmly started talking to it and it backed off a bit and started making some grunting noises. Soon two more cubs, nearly as big as momma, joined her and they trotted up over the hill and out of the swamp. My son immediately started rapid firing questions like "why don't we have a rifle?" and "are the bears gonna eat my deer before we get it?"
> 
> Neither one of us will forget that morning, that's for sure. Talk about a great experience!


That's pretty close to a sow and cubs following a blood trail.


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

bigcrank said:


> My son and I were hunting in Roscommon county the day before Thanksgiving. At about 4:30 PM my son had a huge bear come out of the pines in front of his blind and come within 25 yards. It was quite a thrill for my son. I'm not a bear hunter but I thought by now he would have been hibernating.
> Wondering why he is still roaming around?


A former member here has been mentioning to me that there's been reports of nuisance bear in that area and the DNR has been moving them to north of Gaylord.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

I saw tracks here in the snow last week. The latest I have seen any sign here was Dec 15. Neighbors got that one on cam and I saw the tracks all over our yard


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## Tilden Hunter (Jun 14, 2018)

Blaze said:


> Yep, must have been statewide and one (1) buck was the limit. I knew someone could help me out.


When I started hunting there was a "Big Game" tag instead of deer or bear tag that allowed you to shoot only one animal of either species. There were areas that you weren't allowed to shoot a bear.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

At one time there was a bounty on them. I think it was 25.00. That was before my time but when I started hunting we use to see tracks once in a while and I don't think there were as many bear as there is now


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## kstout (Dec 26, 2005)

I had one bust up my bird feeders last year on December 14th here in Mecosta County.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

I talked to a guy in Cadillac Wed and he said he had one the first day of gun season come out at daylight and walk up to his ladder stand and stand on its hind legs and sniff the steps. He thought it was going to climb up with him but it dropped down and went off into the swamp


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Just checked my camera in my yard, big ole boar on it last night. Plus a bobcat and four does.


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## alaska86 (Sep 29, 2010)

Picture please ?


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Dec 14, 2016 I had a big bear on cam in Manistee Co.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

alaska86 said:


> Picture please ?


I will try, Bear with me.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Here are the pics, sorry they are not the greatest as I am using a kindle to be on the site. I loaded the pics into a old computer and snapped pics. The dates and times are off because it's just a yard camera.


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## alaska86 (Sep 29, 2010)

I never get tired of looking at bear or pictures of bear. Thanks


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## Perferator (Oct 18, 2003)

A friend over in the Gaylord area posted on Monday a set of fresh tracks on his drive. Good sized track.


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## cotote wacker (Jun 12, 2012)

I might not have the years exact....
1990 in UP was the last year you could shoot a bear during rifle deer season with a bear license purchased before Nov. 14. That year I had a very large bear come out of the swamp 50 yards from me and no tag on my back.
I started deer hunting in 1975 in the UP you could shoot a bear during rifle season on your deer license, one deer could be shot state wide all seasons. Twice I've seen bears when they were legal to shoot late 70's early 80's during deer season, just never a good shot.
Camp I hunted in was started in the late 1940's only one bears was shot during deer season that was in the early 80's. I shot a bear their opening day the first year a drawing was needed to get a tag.


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## Bud man (May 1, 2008)

This guy was out and about last weekend at 10 am. (Camera an hr off). Unfortunately I wasn't hunting this spot.


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## Perferator (Oct 18, 2003)

Bud man said:


> This guy was out and about last weekend at 10 am. (Camera an hr off). Unfortunately I wasn't hunting this spot.
> View attachment 352391


Nice bear.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

There were fresh tracks at my place two days ago.


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## bowjack (Nov 20, 2011)

Have a sow with four cubs in our neighborhood that were still feeding in a nearby corn field a couple days ago. They picked the corn yesterday so maybe now they will den up.


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## Terry Van Haitsma (Jun 23, 2006)

I have seen more bear tracks this week than I have in a few years. They are in the oaks heavy. We squirrel hunted with dogs so we put on a few miles seen at least 6 different tracks.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Still seeing tracks around my place. I remember not to long ago we never saw any bear tracks or even any bears. This last couple years it's been crazy around here with the number of bears. But here I am sitting on 12 points and still won't draw a tag for this upcoming season.


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## red wolf (Apr 1, 2014)

December 2nd 2018


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

Blaze said:


> I remember the days when you could shoot a bear on your deer license. I was hunting the U.P. at the time. It might have been U.P. only, i don't recall. I bet someone here can recall whether it was statewide or just the U.P.?


I believe it was 1977 the last time you could take a bear with your deer tag. 76 was the year I graduated and that year I took my big 9 pt, and the next year is when I was reading the rule book on the way up to the UP and I told my grandpa "we could shoot a bear on our deer tag" and he said "we've been huntin up here since 1962 and no one has seen a bear just tracks" and i said, at least you know you could shoot one if you see one. Well 3:00pm opening day guess who sees one. Yep me. I thought it was just the UP but I might be wrong. After harvesting the bear you had to take it to the dnr office and they aged it and took info from where it was taken and they gave you another deer tag to take a buck.


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## Tilden Hunter (Jun 14, 2018)

Wow. I had no clue they gave you a buck tag for bringing in a bear.


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

I had one on the trail cam Nov 30th this year also.


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## Terry Van Haitsma (Jun 23, 2006)

Seen fresh tracks today. This is the latest for me


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Wow that was a Great
Encounter, what a memory and very well written! 



SteelSearchin said:


> The area we hunt in Roscommon county had a ton of bear activity during the first few days of deer season this year. We've seen a few lone bears on opener over the years, but this year it looked like bears had been everywhere in the snow. My nephew's gut pile was moved and the organs eaten between dark one night and daylight the next (great way to freak out 7 & 8 year old boys w/ headlights!). Another hunter had a gutshot buck drug 250 yards by his throat into the cedar swamp (must've been saving him for dessert). Not sure if the bear found the deer dead or alive.
> 
> On Saturday my son shot a doe that had a long blood trail (clipped one carotid artery- looked like a 3-400 yard murder scene). We jumped the doe twice and decided to back off and give her some time to expire. On our way back to the truck (where we had left both rifles), I came around a blow down and was face to face with a bear who had no idea we were there. She had her nose up in the air and was either tracking the blood trail or us (or both I guess). Eight yards was a little too close for my liking (and my 8-year-old son was not impressed either!). Anyway, I calmly started talking to it and it backed off a bit and started making some grunting noises. Soon two more cubs, nearly as big as momma, joined her and they trotted up over the hill and out of the swamp. My son immediately started rapid firing questions like "why don't we have a rifle?" and "are the bears gonna eat my deer before we get it?"
> 
> Neither one of us will forget that morning, that's for sure. Talk about a great experience!


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## River raider (Dec 25, 2017)

I have the Boone and Crocket book with the article about the first bear tracking that was done. It took place in the Roscommon area. They mounted 
tracking devices on a large male, a smaller male and a female. The large male went 100 miles, he did this for two years and something happened to him. The younger male traveled a fair distance but not compared the big boy. The female would not cross I-75 and stayed fairly close to the area that she started in.


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