Are you guys hunting anywhere around the Pere Marquette or Betsie rivers, where I go salmon and steelhead fishing?

I had one of my baits near the headwaters of the South Branch of the Pere Marquette river.

I'm the Lead Ranger at Tippy Dam State Recreation area...in between those two fine rivers.  Salmon are in THIIIIIICK.

You've heard the expression tacked like cordwood...well, they really are.  

My FIL drew a bear tag for the Baldwin unit and killed one in 2008.  My wife will draw next year.  I only have one point...I opted to put all of my luck into the elk draw which I did last summer/fall and was successful.

I get bear picks on my trail cams all over that region(100% public land hunter).

Ill be just west of Baldwin next weekend for some hunting fishing off the PM.

How many preference points are needed to get a tag up there ? Sounds like fun.  I have a camp in Delta county, just west of Escanaba.

ChuckC

I drew with 11 points this year, but there were over 30 that weren't drawn with 11.  So sounds like at least 12 next year.

wow. . .  sounds even worse than Wisconsin !

I would be 70 or more by then !

Oh well.  Thanks for the info
ChuckC

In the western UP you can buy a late season OTC tag most years. It's the LP that has guys are waiting in line 11, 12 or more years for a chance at a backyard bear.  Crazy thing is there is no shortage of bears in the LP.  Shortage of nice bucks but not bears.

CJ,

I've been up in the Northwest end of the UP for bears. Because of the distance, we were using a guy who started the baits and then each group in after had to keep the baits up and running for the next group.  Unfortunately, that's not my cup of tea and it's a poke from TC to run baits up there.  I'm hoping to draw a Red Oak tag in a year or two since it takes about 5-6 points for that unit and I've been stocking points since I got my 2008 Baldwin unit bear.  I can do my own baiting in the Red Oak Unit as there's some spots that are only 45 minutes from the house.