NWBuck
PMA Member
Minnesota has both a quota and a no quota area. Northern MN is a quota hunt and you'll need to draw. Some zones you could draw every year and others it may take two or three years. The application deadline is around the first of May. The no-quota areas are basically from just north of the Twin Cities and then south. Imagine they don't want large poplulations in and around the metro. I've been up 3 times and am looking forward to the fourth in another year or two. If you know someone in the general area, a do-it-yourself hunt is very do-able in the quota zones. I'm sure there are alot of good outfitters as well, and this would certainly be alot less work. Anyway, here's a link that will give you more info. Good luck!
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/hunting/index.html?type=hunting
NWBuck
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/hunting/index.html?type=hunting
NWBuck
The biggest draw back to a do it yourself hunt is the time involved scouting and establishing bait sites. You cain't start baiting until about 2 weeks before season opening and it takes a ton of bait to establish a new site and get the bears working a feeding pattern. I have hunted 3 times arround Moose Lake just on the edge of area 51 quota zone. I have taken 2 bears with the muzzle loader but didn't have a chance with the bow, so I still want to do that.
take a comfortable tree stand and sit quitly over a good bait and sometimes a bear just seems to appear. I could try to put you in contact with the outfitter but I don't have that info with me, and I think he is cutting back on hunter numbers. You can buy no quota tags over the counter and I think that will give you 2 bears if you want.
take a comfortable tree stand and sit quitly over a good bait and sometimes a bear just seems to appear. I could try to put you in contact with the outfitter but I don't have that info with me, and I think he is cutting back on hunter numbers. You can buy no quota tags over the counter and I think that will give you 2 bears if you want.
NWBuck
PMA Member
Very true bowmaker. The do it yourself hunts we were on were very labor intensive and we were lucky to have someone in the area to run baits for us in between our visits. It would certainly be less of a hassle to just make one trip, but I love the feeling of being involved in the hunt from start to finish. We hunted zone 31 and had great success. Nothing like putting an arrow through a bear at close range. Good luck!
NWBuck
NWBuck