My daughter was able to draw this year. So she has taken one of the spots for clients.
If you were lucky to draw as well. We still have a few openings this year with the hounds. Baitsitter spots have all been filled. We only take a handful of folks each year. So that it is a personal experience.
Questions send me a message, or give a call.
Thanks!
That’s cool Steve, are you selling bait again this year or just stocking up for yourself??? Both my brother and father got tags (A) this year, so kind of excited about that… How’s the ice fishing been???
Mark
That’s cool Mark. Can’t wait for you to start posting pictures again. We have access to 9 or 10 tags already and I am sure a few more will call begging. We will most likely only take 6. My advice to anyone with a harvest tag for zone A is too get on the ball if you are looking to go with a guide, be it bait or dogs.
Mark- Always seem to have a few extra barrels to let go. Like last year won’t really be actively selling it. To big deal with it all the time. Still went through almost 100 barrels last year. Already have it trickling in. Sitting on about 40 barrels already.
Fishing has been good this year. Although I’m sure you know gamefish have slowed a bit right now. You get through St Germain be sure to stop in. Coffee is always on!
Plotts:
Can’t wait, might try to get another bait or two going, but only if I can get cams on ’em, but I got a couple of spots that I know got some big’uns moping around!!!
Steve:
Was doing a little part time bartending over to Spang’s, but that’s been quiet for quite a while. Gotta figure out where you are again, I know just off of 70!!! I don’t have as many good spots for fishing as you do, so its been slow for me, just ain’t gettin’ out as much as I used to with the economy!!!
Mark
Mark- If you have been going to spangs taking 70. You pass me everytime. Right on 70 west of town. Just look for all the dog houses in the yard, or give a call.
I might book a zone A baitsitter or 2, but doubt it. If I don’t could turn you on to a few spots where the hounds don’t get turned out.
Whew, This bear hunting stuff is worked. 22 baits fired up and another 10 or so to go, and that’s just what I got to run. A partner is going to run another 8 for me. Man, I hope the gas prices don’t shoot to high. With 2 trucks having to run the baits some nights it is going to get costly!!!
Still got a couple of openings left for this year!
Steve:
I just found out that I have three guys looking for a place to hunt and someone to bait in “A”. If I didn’t have my dad and bro this year, I could, but I am not going to run 5 or 6 baits… Know anyone??? They want to sit and shoot bows…
Mark
plotts:
Did you read my last request to Steve??? Do you know any one that might be able to take care of three bow sitters???
Mark
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I hope the gas prices don’t shoot to high. With 2 trucks having to run the baits some nights it is going to get costly!!!
No doubt about that, I will be running roughly sixty baits this year and last years route was 92 miles loaded down on gravel and pulling a wheeler on a trailer every day for four weeks. Cha-ching $$$$$
I also am looking at a few open slots this season, between gas prices and a poor economy the bear may not be eating 5 star meals this year. 
Mark, Have them give me a call. I got 5 baits going right now in A for 1 hunter. Could always add a few more In that area.
Johnny, That’s not to bad. I got 1 50 mile loop, 1 45 mile loop, 1 40 mile loop, and depending on how it is done. Either a 55 mile loop, or a 35, and 20. No way I could use a trailer. Roads are way to rough for the most part. There may be days that we run 3 trucks. That was the original plan until one of my hunting partners crashed head on into a tree. Might be hard to get my wife to run the baits alone though. On a baiting/scouting trip I burned up $25 in gas. I fear it will be close to that with that loop every time out. I could be looking at $100 easy to run all the baits just in gas. Funny how people will do that for free in this state. Then again they are not going to be doing it as much as 5 days a week either!!!
OH, and I can’t use a wheeler 
Quote:
OH, and I can’t use a wheeler
MN is cracking down on everything, no more wheelers, only three baits per hunter and as guides we will have an entire stack of hoops to jump through. Both MN and WI won’t be happy until bear guides and bear baits are gone.
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MN is cracking down on everything, no more wheelers, only three baits per hunter and as guides we will have an entire stack of hoops to jump through. Both MN and WI won’t be happy until bear guides and bear baits are gone.
I hear ya there, Jonny!
I wish WI would crack down on the guiding a whole bunch. Way too many illegal guides out there. Guys trying to hide in gray areas. Under the guise of free hunts. No license, no insurance, no care at all. It costs me about $100 per hunter in insurance alone. Can’t see doing it for free, or risking what little I own when some idiot sues for stubbing their toe on a log. The dollar cost is looked at more by folks than the quality of the hunt. Especially in these economic times. A free guided hunt, you only pay gas and bait sounds a lot cheaper than a flat rate. Wait, that is still guiding under the law. 
I should advertise that way, and then divide the total cost of the gas, and bait per year between the hunters. Bet they would be shocked!! That’s not even counting the expense of the dogs that choose to go that route.
What am I complaining about. My truck runs on air! 
Mark,
I don’t know anyone that runs baits for just sitters in A. I have a feeling that there are a lot of guys sitting around thinking they can get hooked up with someone last minute like in years past, but with all the tags issued, everyone I know that runs dogs has way more than they can handle. I hope guys show some restraint and don’t murder everything just to fill a tag. We are finally seeing a nice average size in the area we hunt along with good numbers and it will be a shame to see that trend reversed.
Steve & plotts:
Talked to the guys about the upcoming fishing opener as well as the bear situation and apparently they have found a situation on private land to assist themselves for their bear hunt. So thank you for your thoughts and if you are fishing the opener, good luck to you both!!!
Mark
BP- Wish I had more than I could handle for tags. That would not happen as I set a limit, but to at least be full would be nice. Since I do not do it for free. We are lacking a few bookings.
The good thing is all the baits that have been checked are being hit. The big boy I was hoping for has already showed up. Just need to keep him around. Full stumps should do the trick!
Only 24 days left until our season opens. Well the hounds anyway. I don’t really count the bait season. Not my cup of tea, but like deer hunting you can get a lot of napping in.
Still have openings with the hounds. Booked for the few sitters I will take. Got to laugh a little at those guys. Since the biggest bear I have hitting the baits are on the hound baits 
They won’t sit on those baits since all the bear are scared out of the woods by the dogs. Funny how those big bear keep showing up. No matter how many times we run off the bait. In fact they are a bit of a pain. Since they tend to keep the smaller baits off the bear that we prefer to train on. Don’t mine running 1 or 2 for the ground battle work for the dogs. Yet, want to stay away from them during the training season to prevent dogs from getting hurt. Something about a 500lb bear that gets dogs hurt faster!
Here are a few pics of some of the bear that are going to live yet another, and maybe die of old age. Since we only have one tag for the hounds this year.
Great pics Steve! ! 
great bears!
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