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Hook & Hunting: Bear baiting

It’s bear baiting season, but it’s important to make sure we keep bears and other wildlife safe.

Bear baiting season starts 31 days before the hunting season, giving hunters time to get the bears moving. They love all the junk food we love, but you cannot use chocolate or melatonin.

Steve Griffith, a wildlife habitat biologist from the DNR, said it’s important to limit the baiting season to just those 31 days.

“If you’re baiting a bear with human-made food all year, then they get that in their head that that’s what they want,” said Griffith.

It’s also important to note that certain fruits, grains or vegetables can adversely affect other wildlife like deer and elk. You can find more information in this year’s DNR Bear Hunting Digest.