Looking for your next black bear hunting trip? Look no further. 
With the Chippewa National Forest in our backyard there's no shortage of land or bear. Here at Bowstring Shores Resort we take pride in our ability to offer everyone a successful hunt. Is this your first hunt, or have you had an unsuccessful hunt? We offer guided hunts, with everything you need to have a successful hunt.  Are you an experienced hunter? No problem. Strike out on your own and enjoy all that the Chippewa National Forest has to offer. 

The black bear was originally found throughout Minnesota, but now occurs only in northern woodlands like the Chippewa National Forest.  Bears lead solitary lives except when females are rearing their young, or when concentrations of food bring bears together. Typically, an adult black bear weighs between 250 and 300 pounds and stands two to threefeet tall at the shoulders. Their coat color may vary from light brown to deep black. The black bear is omnivorous, eating grasses, fruits, berries, buds or leaves, nuts, insects and their larvae, and on small animals, deer fawns, and carrion. Less than ten percent of a bear's food is animal matter. During hibernation, a female will give birth to one to four young. At birth, cubs weigh eight to ten ounces and are hairless. But they grow rapidly and usually weigh about five pounds by the time they leave their den.  By their first birthday a cub's weight is usually 60 to 100 pounds.

Black Bear Hunting Tips

The public hunting grounds near Bowstring Shores Resort are popular for avid bear hunters.  Licensing for the black bear hunt is on a lottery system by zones, so be patient.  Although not required, a guide for this sport is often beneficial. If your a first time hunter here are a few things that might help you bag that monster bear. Black bears have a very acute sense of smell about 250 times that of a human, making it very important that you mask any man made odors like: Cologne, deodorant, cigarette smoke, laundry detergent etc... Always a good idea, wash your clothes without any laundry detergent to rid them of any artificial scents.

There are many ways to hunt bear, the most popular in Minnesota is baiting.  While this method involves a bit more work it produces a much higher success rate. Baiting should start about two weeks before you're going to hunt allowing the bear to become accustomed to eating in a certain area. If you are hunting far from home and plan on this type of bear hunting a guide can be very helpful.  When it comes to bear hunting, locating an animal and stalking to within shooting range is the most common - and most exciting - approach for the experienced hunter. This approach is often called "Spot & Stalk" and timing is everything. The more time you can dedicate to looking through binoculars, the better your chances of finding bears on the move and then knowing when to move yourself.  Taking to the trees is also a very productive method. The idea is basically that of deer hunting, locate an area that is frequented by a bear, often a food source or stream, and place a tree stand there.

Enjoy all that Minnesota Black Bear Hunting has to offer at Bowstring Shores Resort