TOM'S U.P. BLACK BEAR - PART 1

By: Ray Hansen

Tom Deno is a heavy-equipment operator for the New Page Corporation near his home outside Escanaba, Michigan in the southern “banana belt” region of the Upper Peninsula. Each November he gets together with his five brothers to hunt deer, and a few years ago he began applying for a bear tag to add a new challenge to his fall hunting season. In 2006 he received a “first-season” bear tag, and took a three-hundred pound boar on September 24. We talked about the hunt over a dinner of grilled bear steaks.

Fortunately, Tom lives in an area with a stable bear population, so finding a place to hunt was easy enough. He had to figure out how to set-up a spot and draw in the quarry. Talking to experienced bear hunters helped, as did reading articles on the subject. Since I research many topics while working on articles, I sent Tom anything I found that seemed relevant. Slowly, he developed a plan.

While thinking about which gun he would use on this hunt, Tom initially decided to use a .300 Savage that had belonged to his late father. By luck however, during 2005 he won a nice Remington bolt action 30-06 rifle while attending a U.P. Whitetails Association Inc. banquet. He coupled this gun with Federal Premium Nosler solid base, 150 grain boat-tail “Vital-Shok” rounds, and when the chance to take the bear arrived, one shot did it.

One of the most reliable ways to attract bears to a specific site, is to let them know some kind of food is available there. Tom selected an unused, permanent ground blind his brother Larry previously built for deer hunting. Digging a pit out in front of the blind, baiting it, and covering the opening with heavy logs provided an attractive reason for local bears to investigate the spot. The logs helped keep out unwanted freeloaders, and made certain the bear would have to stay a while as he moved them off the bait.

To start the entire process, Tom completed a “honey burn” near the pit. This is done by heating a mixture of honey, oil of anise, molasses, liquid smoke flavoring agent, possibly some peanut butter, a scoop or two of jam, and just about anything else you think a bear might find attractive over a small propane cooker in a metal can until it burns. The resulting smoke permeates the surrounding woods with the sweet, smoky smell, and if any bears reside in the surrounding few miles, they’ll probably investigate the spot and find your bait.

Tom stated that hunters should try to “think of every angle” when setting up for bears. He stressed placing the logs over the bait in such a way that to remove them, the bear would have to stand broadside to your blind, for example. Consider things like which way the animal is likely to approach given any wind direction (they will usually come in from downwind) and try to insure good visibility. You want to observe the approaching bear as soon as it nears.

End of part one - watch for part two tomorrow

Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008