2012 Bear numbers?

http://www.channel3000.com/recreation/30277118/detail.html I thought the bear population was doing pretty good?

Just north of Oconto, WI. Was awakened by one of the dogs scrapping with something. Ran outside to hear a big ole sow grunting. She was standing in the lawn below the deck. Yelled for the dog and she came racing up the steps(about twenty) with the sow on her a$$. Dog ran in the house. Sow ran into me with my 12-guage. She didn't care much, but eventually turned slowly and waddled back down the steps. This is a very large sow with triplets from last year. Pretty exciting. Dog has a few puncture wounds and a sore leg. I lost a couple hours of sleep. Bear numbers are way too good around these parts....

Well, to go back on an earlier ost that I made. I was checking my points on the WisDNR website daily to see if I drew. One day the made an update and everyhting looked different from the day before so I thought I didn't draw my tag. I ended up drawing my tag with 11 points in B. Our group did well actually we also got 2 tags in C. We hunt on the line so bear camp will be fun for us. Good Luck all.

HEY!!! Thanks for the tip FNB!!! I'll look into that (been thinking about relocating from Oconto County to DaYooPee for retirement anyway).

RR go try Michigan. Bear tags generally are left over the counter right across the river from you. You shouldn't have trouble finding a guide either.Michigan has a system where the hunters can get a tag at the maximum every 2 or 3 years,check it out.

I appreciate all the supportive comments. I never meant to have my "midlife crisis" right here on the internet. Well, I'll keep applying for the bear tag year after year until I get one, preferably for Zone B. Then I'll hire a guide. Bear meat is good right? A rug in front of the fireplace (which I don't have yet either) would be kind of nice but a freezer full of delicious bear meat would be even better.

Rainbow - I'm 59 years old and shot my first bear this last fall. I am like you, never had a desire to hunt bear when i was younger. my wife and i bought some land in douglas co. and i thought it would be cool to take one on my own property. long story short... it was a lot of work leading up to the hunt, but well worth it. i hope to live long enough to do it again once or twice more. most fun i have ever had !!!! you can bet i'll be looking for family and friends with tags on the years i don't have one...

Rainbow- keep appying- zone C is your best bet with 4 or 5 points- if you draw contact me in a year or two- I know landowners who bait in C who can help you out- or just wait a few more years and go for A- Last year I had a 82 year old and a 79 year old hunting with me in A- they both killed bears- your never to old!! you may see two wisconsin tags!

I don't want you guys to think I'm "frothing at the mouth" dying to kill a bear. Quite frankly, I think I would have a bit of a problem pulling the trigger on a bear. It's just that if I have to wait 7-8 more years to draw a harvest tag in Wisconsin, I'm going to be 60 years old. This seems to pretty much rule out a "do it yourself" hunt, doesn't it? There again I think I'd probably have to hire a guide anyway, to run the bait piles and all. Again, I thought it would be kind of cool to take a bear out of "my woods" (northern Oconto and Marinette County). I just don't know what to do. Again, it's not like I "desperately need" to shoot a bear.

Go to Canada and be hunting by June, where there's a will there's a way..

Go to Minnesota if you want a bear quicker. I think you can get a tag there every few years. Much quicker than Wisconsin, at least back when I went it was.

your only 52... you have a lot of time. keep sending in and good luck

Rainbow- how many points do you have? Eh.....I've only got two stinkin' points. Since I probably won't draw a bear harvest tag this year I'll have three points pretty quick, correct? I guess I'd like to take a bear out of Zone B since those are kind of "my woods" (Oconto and Marinette Counties). I'd probably want to hire a guide since this is kind of a "once in a lifetime" opportunity (for me anyway). I started out thinking about bear hunting too late in life (I'm 52). I never had any particular desire to shoot a bear (I've taken plenty of deer) but my neighbor in Oconto County shot a monster last year. I thought maybe it would be fun to go bear hunting just once. Probably too late now. I guess I could always go to Ontario and shoot a bear. It just seems like such a hassle crossing the border with firearms. What to do.....what to do.

we hunted zone C last year. There are plenty of bears in that zone. Just do your homework.

Rainbow- how many points do you have? I have talked to a few guys who have land in unit C, 4 points to draw is all. But if you dont have the contacts and a good river or creek bottem on private land- it can be a tough hunt I'm also told. Just keep appying-I dont think that 4 point C tag will last to long , it use to take 4-5 points in zone A and D- about 10 years ago- those days are gone!

I sure wish I would draw a bear harvest permit before I am forced to take a permanent dirt nap. I'd like to shoot one (just one) bear in my lifetime.