bear baiting with a firearm

NewfieJer · **Posted:** Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:14 pm

I have friends that say you can and friends that say you can't, I have looked it up and still don't know. Are you allowed to carry a firearm while baiting bears ?

Gettin.er.Done · **Joined:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 5:50 pm **Posts:** 112

Why would you when they are not in season yet?I have never an had no problem with any bears

Gettin.er.Done · **Joined:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 5:50 pm **Posts:** 112

I have baited a lot of bears and shot 2 up and over 400-480 never needed anything.

NewfieJer · **Posted:** Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:44 pm

Thanks for the feedback but not really the answer I was looking for

Gettin.er.Done · **Joined:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 5:50 pm **Posts:** 112

May be if you are a guide.I really don't know what you are looking to hear.Maybe contact the Ministry of Natural Resources they will be able to answer your questions 100% instead of he say they say good luck

Always hopeful · **Posted:** Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:36 pm

Best to check but I believe u are not allowed to carry a firearm in the woods when it is out of season. Cuts down on excuses for poachers to give. There are exceptions if you are a licenced trapper or person that works in the woods and may need protection from wild animals during the work they perform

adventure · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:51 am

You can not carry a firearm in areas where big game are known to inhabit during the time there is an open season for big game and not have a license for that game. In other words, if deer season is open, you have to have a deer tag to carry a rifle. If bear season is open, you have to have a bear tag to carry a rifle. Otherwise, you can carry a firearm any time of the year. You can target shoot, hunt groundhogs, coyote etc... assuming all other laws are met.

If you carried a rifle to your bear bait before the season opened, you would undoubtly be questioned heavily if a warden happened along.

NewfieJer · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:08 pm

Well I talked to MNR today and they said you are not allowed to have a firearm while baiting bears, even if you say you are hunting coyotes etc. I guess it's that fine line and up to the warden if I run into him

Always hopeful · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:59 pm

Wish u the best of luck if u run into a warden with a bucket of bear bait in one hand and a rifle in the other hand :lol:

don't forget your coyote licence sometimes I feel this hunting is going to hell in a hand basket if u know what I mean, so many rules and they can change depending what side of a road u are hunting because of a line on a map. U can always do what I do get your buddy to carry the bait

Cheers

adventure · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:00 pm

That's a safe answer from him. I would ask for it in black and white to be certain. If there is not a law against it, expect to be heavily questioned and be sure to make all the right decisions.
I'll go out on a limb here and say you would like to carry it in for protection. After seeing the mange bear and his aggressivve behaviour, that would be your choice.

I was once heavily questioned because I was using #2 shot and out rabbit hunting in January. He told me I can't hunt rabbits with #2's and then basically accused me of deer hunting. I rationally explained there was no maximum shot size and jack rabbits get pretty big and when they're at full speed at 30 yards, #2's work well. Of course he had nothing to stand on, so after a while he went on his way and I continued rabbit hunting.

My buddies and I were also heavily questioned going in to hunt coyotes in February. Again, he accused us of deer hunting because we had rifles and one guy was using buckshot and he stated you don't use buckshot for coyotes therfor we were poaching deer. Again we explained ourselves, showed all necessary information and continued on our way after being thoroughly questioned to the point of being harassed. True story, I called in three coyotes and the guy with the buckshot shot a nice one that evening.

All laws were known well and followed both times, but he certainly tried to accuse otherwise.

NewfieJer · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:14 pm

I haven't seen "mange ass" as we've named him in a week but from what I saw for the 89 pics in one night he's very cranky. Ears were down most of the time and he honestly body slammed the barrel a few times/dug holes/came up to the camera a ton of times and threw logs. I really am not too too concerned about walking in without a firearm, from the one I ran into yesterday at 15 yards it bolted very fast. There is always that small percentage chance something bad could happen. I just wanted to know the right answer as to whether you can or not, so many hunting guys get into the same routine for years and don't know that some of the things they are doing are wrong. We only have the 1 warden in our unit and I know him so I'm not all that concerned.
I just hope me running into the one that has been there on a regular basis wasn't scared off. I'll find out tomorrow when I head back in to bait

Always hopeful · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:36 pm

Knew I guy out west that used bear spray on one that was getting pretty aggressive. He didn't stick around to see how long the affects lasted, but he did feel a lot better when it was time to turn and as a military man he would not say run but he did say it was a pretty quick retreat

U can always check to see if bear spray is legal to carry in this province, I know it is illegal to carry it in town, the police have mentioned this to my daughter but she likes the piece of mind she gets knowing it is in her purse.

NewfieJer · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:56 pm

MNR actually suggested bear spray or bear bangers when walking in, instead of rifles. Funny though when they walk in the bush they always carry a firearm of some sort. Even this past Sat fishing the one guy that stopped us on my lake had a sidearm.

Always hopeful · **Posted:** Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:38 pm

They look for poachers who carry guns and stand to lose a lot if caught, I would not do that job without it. My uncle was a game warden just north of sterling. He was going to his cabin with his son and got stopped and hauled out of his truck at gun point by a guy he busted for poaching the year before. The guy figured it was my uncles fault that he lost his gun, truck, got fined and devorced. Some people do not take responsibility for their own actions very well. After that he carried the sidearm on and off the job.
When I bear bait I make noise, never bring my dog, and carry a air horn,
Cheers and luck with the hunt

NewfieJer · **Posted:** Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:49 pm

Well once again I walked in on a bear eating this morning, I'm amazed how they have come to my feeding schedule of every 2 days. Only those days they show up, pretty cool.
I bumped into another one this morning this time very close and seeing on my trail cam pics watching me in the background. I'm getting lots of attention and this spot and all during day light hours which I'm loving, 2 more weeks guys!!!

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bear baiting with a firearm

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