Dave Richey Outdoors: Bear season is rapidly approaching

Bears are one of Michigan's magical animals. They alarm, spook, startle, and thoroughly frighten some people, but despite all the self-imposed drama hunters place on themselves when close to a bruin, most sportsmen wouldn't have it any other way.

You see, bears possess the capability of turning the tables on a hunter. Suddenly, the sportsman is no longer the hunter but the huntee. But, 99.9 percent of the time, the bear is far more scared of the human than the sportsman should be of the animal.

Baiting Rules

Bear baiting rules and hunting dates are currently available from the Michigan DNR website. This site provides all the information needed for licensed sportsmen to hunt bear during their appropriate season.

Scouting between now and the bear season opener can be easy or difficult, and much of the difference will depend on the abundance and availability of natural forage. Berries and nuts are common foods, and with the heavy rains seen in bear country over the past month, berries should be plentiful in most hunting areas. The Baldwin Bear Management Unit (BMU) has good numbers of blackberries and blueberries, and the same should be true in the other locations. Hunting near a good food source can be a productive way to hunt.

It's pretty much a fact that when natural forage is plentiful, as it is in most BMUs this year, bait hunting is not quite as productive. The reason is the great abundance of food elsewhere. Often, the bears may visit the fruit or nut mast sites earlier in the day and home in on bait site just before the end of shooting time.

I didn't draw a bear permit nor did I apply this year because of my dwindling vision problem. However, friends who have begun baiting for bears report there is some activity at most sites, especially those located in low-lyling cedar swamps. Bears usually will visit such areas before heading for bait sites in more open cover. My preference while taking 28 bears over many years has always been to hunt in the lowest available cover, and don't be afraid to hunt near a major road. I've shot bears within 50 yards of a road.

Keep in mind that not all such areas attract bears. A hunter would be wise during the baiting season to look at many areas. Learn to pay close attention in thick cover (either dry or wet) for well-used bear trails. Examine piles of dung, and try to determine where the bruin comes from and where it is going. Pay particular attention to the presence or absence of other vehicles which most likely would be other bear hunters doing exactly the same thing you are doing.

If it's obvious that someone else is hunting the area, find another spot four or five miles away. Don't infringe on another hunter who is baiting an area and hope that no one infringes on your turf once you've established a bait site.

Scent Direction

Pay very close attention to your scent when going into or out of a bait site. Wear rubber boots, use products like Scent-Lok or Scent Blocker clothing, and use scent eliminating sprays like Scent Shield or Vanishing Hunter to mask human odor. My personal belief is that two stands in the same area can be beneficial to any sportsman.

One stand should be set up downwind within 20 yards of the bait to cover the prevailing wind. Wind directions change dramatically in swamps, and can swirl. Bears have a keen sense of smell, and on days when the wind swirls, an alternate stand may produce. If the wind swirls and covers 360 degrees, bait the site and go home. Never jeopardize a bait site by sitting in a nearby stand when the wind blows in circles. A bruin will wind you every time, and if it's a big and savvy animal, it may never come back to that bait.

Bruins can be predictable, and they can be obstinate. Some bears will venture into a bait site during daytime hours and others will approach only during that 30-minute period between dusk and the end of shooting time. It seems as if black bears often are as wise as Solomon or as dense as a fence post. No one knows for sure which personality trait will be attached to the animal visiting a bait site.

One thing is certain about black bears. Every bruin sighting is a happening, an experience that will stick with the hunter long after the flavorful meat has been eaten and the skin has been tanned and made into a rug.

Xtra Info

For more information on hunting black bear, perhaps the finest book on the subject is Black Bear Hunting by Richard P. Smith. Contact him at 814 Clark Street, Marquette, MI 49855. Phone (906) 225-1002. E-mail him at rpsoutdoors@chartermi.net . The cost is $38.00 postpaid.