Minnesota bear

[MrTom]

My grandson took this nice bear with a bow on Labor Day at the family cabin.

Female, maybe four years old and about 200 pounds.

 

[HC]

Congrats to him and you too.

 

[deermanok]

Congrats to your grandson.

 

[Smyrnagc]

WOW!!!

 

[03mossy]

Nice!!! Not much compares to the excitement of taking a bear!

 

[MrTom]

This kid has shot some impressive deer too. With a bow. I think this is his second bow killed bear. Second bear period .

 

[phalanx]

Fantastic!! Congrats to your grandson!

 

[snapbang]

 

[Blueridgeguy]

Congratulations!

 

[deerlessbob]

Nice!

 

[crazyboutduck]

Congratulations! I love bear hunting. Haven’t been forever but will always cherish those times

 

[eekjellander]

My grandson took this nice bear with a bow on Labor Day at the family cabin.

Female, maybe four years old and about 200 pounds.

Nice bear and a nice method of hunting , my other (Handle is stikshooter) Ed

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Congrats to him!

 

[MrTom]

The Grandson who shot the critter was by yesterday to tell me all about the hunt. He left the cabin for his stand at 5PM and shot the bear at 5:10 PM. lol. Not much of a hunt. And as he was walking out after the shot, he had a second bear of about the same size coming into the bait! I guess there was a bit of tension there as he thought maybe the second bear was the one he shot until the second one high tailed it.

I've been thinking of a bear hunt with the Optima pistol but I can't be in those carry-in stands alone anymore. Just too old to safely get situated once I'm up there. Josh said he'd put his huge two-man stand in there and climb up with me and video the hunt. Now I'm thinking I'll apply next year. Somewhere I heard that Minnesota honors seniors who haven't applied for several years in the bear lottery and I'd qualify. My last bear up there was 25 years ago, and she was the second oldest bear ever registered in the state. 17-1/2 years old. Still dressed at 245 and I harvested almost 37 pounds of fat off her.

 

[toytruck]

Can you all carry a backup firearm when bow hunting? We can in VA with a CCW permit. I always had one just in case, one never knows. I was chased by a rapid skunk once when unarmed, never again!

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Can you all carry a backup firearm when bow hunting? We can in VA with a CCW permit. I always had one just in case, one never knows. I was chased by a rapid skunk once when unarmed, never again!

I think we can in Michigan only if we have a CPL (Concealed Pistol License). I always have a revolver regardless of the rules. We dont have bears or wolves round here, but yotes and rabid critters or poachers demand just as much caution.

 

[MrTom]

People can carry without a CC Permit here in Minnesota as long as the gun is worn on the outside of any hunting clothing. Josh carried but also has the CC Permit.

 

[eekjellander]

Not in NY but the critters don't tell/Ed

 

[MrTom]

I hunt deer with my Optima and I do not have the CC permit, so I have to wear the gun/holster outside of my hunting clothes which is no big deal really. The pistol carries a scope with dust/dirt caps and the holster has a full flap closure that helps shed any moisture that is falling or is on the vegetation while walking. I'm pretty sure that Minnesota has a .40 cal minimum for deer if using a center-fire pistol but not certain if using, say, a Thompson Contender or revolver. I know of only one other person that uses a pistol for deer hunting but quite a few bear hunters carry sidearms, especially bow hunters since bear can be taken legally with guns or bow using the one license.

Deer taken with a bow require a bow license. Archery deer hunters cannot be in possession of any firearms while on stand or stalking or coming or going from stands even though archers can legally hunt during a firearms deer season. I'm not completely certain on Minnesota's carry laws during a deer season but I think Concealed Carry Permits get trumped if a person has a bow and a bow license and during any portion of an archery deer season. Minnesota's firearms deer and bird seasons overlap in the whole state and it's illegal to have any shotgun with larger than size 4 shot or a rifle larger than a .22 rimfire in possession in the field where an active deer season is current without a current deer license for that specific zone or area.

For the most part Minnesota's laws are fairly easy to decipher.... until we get into the whys and wherefores of deer seasons and deer season overlap.

 

[mnoland30]

NM Game & Fish agrees that you don't give up your right to self defense when you buy a hunting license. They did buy a machine that will detect lead in a carcass, so they can prove it if you shoot with a lead bullet.

There was a case recently in another state that said a taxidermist diidn't give up his rights either. Game & Fish were doing illegal searches of his home and business.