Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Bear hunting in a corn field.

My ups guy has a cousin who is a corn farmer and lives close by.
What do I need to know to be successful at harvesting a bear?
He says the bears will be in the corn soon because the acorn crop is not good this year.

talk to the farmer!! he is your go to guy. offer to help out at farm.

Recon - find out when the Bears are getting there- ask, trail cams etc. then, play the wind, and shoot straight.

Are bear tag drawings out yet for MN? My buddy has farmers begging for his help. Last year they took nine opening day. I didn't get drawn, hoping for better luck this year. Up here in northern MN they hit corn and wheat!

Can't speak for corn but when the bear are on oats here, they are about as predictable is they will ever be. They actually beat trails down to the dirt and it is very easy scouting. They are also pretty easy to kill IF they don't get pressured. Here, once pressure starts, and that includes early goose season, they go nocturnal. Shoe leather is your friend as it is hard to miss bear sign in food sources.

Don't know about bears in corn, but I'd get all the elevation I could get over the fields, that along with a good 300 magnum and a range finder.

Friend of mine told me last evening that he saw one in a corn field this past Sunday. POOR(like in none)acorn crop last year.

I am in the no quota zone east of Hinckley.
I guess I need to bring my most portable stand.
I am loading up some 165 boat tails for the 30-06.

Just in case I see one a few yards away.

I heard the same thing about the acorn crop.

Around here the bear get into the corn in August/September when there's ears and its full of moisture. Usually they won't bother the fields until there's nice juicey ears. Then as the corn dries they slow down. But they do keep going back to some degree, especially if there's nothing better to eat.

I'd walk the corn and look for bear damage. If they're in the corn it'll be easy to spot. Then I'd set up along that edge of the field. You could try to catch them coming or going.

The last time I tried this was near Red Lake.
The farmer didn't leave any trees to hang a stand on so I tried a ground blind. I did see a Coyote but that was it.

About 15 years ago I hunted near Sandstone, also non-quota area. They opened the season the last week of August that year. Lots of corn fields and the bears were hitting the corn pretty hard at night. Farmers wanted them gone! I got a medium sized bear and across the road another hunter got one that went 400+ next to a corn field.

WN

Find the trails in and out of the field and set up a blind. Trail cams would be a help if you can get out early to try to find the pattern

Bears are not stupid, and the bigger,the smarter.

Get your stand absolutely as far away as the terrain will allow.

Do not drive to the field. Walk into the place; 1/2 mile is not too far. Bears may not mind the farmer's truck, but they will know if something different is around. Or get the farmer to drop you off. 30 years ago I would have thought this advise was crazy. Now I know better.

Approach and hunt only with a good wind.

Hunt the wind, stay in the stand. Dusk and Dawn are great opportunities. Bears love corn!

The farmers I talked to today say guys are driving up from Iowa so they must have good spots picked out already.
I hear the wolf population is getting out of hand.
The tricky part is finding a farmer who is tolerant of hunters. I am going to have to kiss a few babies and shake hands.
Wish me luck!
whelennut

I met a farmer who
has land adjacent to a State Park.
He has cats and the bears are hanging around the house to eat cat food.

We may have a winner.

35 Whelen to the rescue!

Banning? Good spot. That's where I hunted some years ago--just to the east of the park.

I'd get me a nice 12 foot step ladder. Set it up in the middle of an unharvested field that has sign around it.

They hide in the corn most of the time, often only leaving it to get water if there is none in there.

Ride shotgun in the combine.....