Hudson hunter's black bear may be largest ever in Wisconsin

pioneer press ^ | 10-18-11 | Andy Rathbun

[WOBBLY BOB]

Lon Feia didn't know how big a black bear he had until he saw the carcass.

He knew there were bears on his property, which borders Willow River State Park in the town of Hudson, Wis., and started setting out bait in July. Soon he began getting "hits."

"Then, finally, on Aug. 24, he started coming in," Feia said. "And in pretty short order he claimed the bait, so (all the other bears) went away."

It was the evening of Oct. 9 when Feia took a shot that brought down the bear - an animal that measured 7 feet, 2 inches from nose to tail.

[WOBBLY BOB]

[dis.kevin]

Sure wouldn’t want to come across a bear like that.

[bcsco]

Nice, and he had only two days left to get one...

[GLDNGUN]

Some days you get the bear...

[riverrunner]

At 650 lbs not close to largest bear in Wis a couple over 700lbs were shot last year. A big bear no less.

[Erik Latranyi]

At 650 lbs not close to largest bear in Wis a couple over 700lbs were shot last year. A big bear no less.

Bear are scored by skull size, not weight. Weight varies too much for animals that hibernate.

[riverrunner]

Yea I know all about B@C scoring all they did was mention weight here.

[Scotsman will be Free]

That’s a BIG black bear.

[super7man]

Is it legal to bait a bear?

A friend of mine wrote an article for a conservation magazine on inproving deer habitat which he had done on his property. He was accused by Fish and Game of baiting deer and it cost him $7000 to defend himself in court.

[super7man]

inproving = improving

Sorry.

[chainsaw]

Is it legal to bait a bear?

I know it is in Illinois.

[Eska]

Nice bear. Our blk bear here in Ak Interior hardly ever get much over 350 lbs. Our grizz get up to 800-1000 lbs; hungry country. We have a stand behind house to keep bear numbers down; if we don't they are forever in our yard thinking about how much better the eats are inside. Any 150 lb bear can knock a heavy door right off it's hinges if it so desires. I have seen them do it and if you spike the doors & windows; they chew through the logs at corners. Bear also take 85% of moose calf production every Spring; you got to kill them off or you won't eat any moose. Here is a pict of 7 1/2 foot interior grizz my neighbor got this past fall; they ate it. Also some picts of the 300 lber my daughter got with her 6.8 stag. Some picts from stand. Notice the older bear showing who owns the bait. People around here like to eat bear as much as any moose; except the Indians who think the bear are their long lost relatives.

[driftless2]

There are plenty of bears in southwestern Wisconsin as well. In fact, there are regular bear colonies and not just the occasional itinerant from the north country.

[WOBBLY BOB]

IIRC, in most states it is legal to bait bear.

[riverrunner]

Nice pictures we find bears are good to eat also. My daughter shot a black bear that went over 500lbs last year.

[TXnMA]

Deer feeders and “deer corn” are big business here in northeastern Texas. In fact, one of our most obvious roadside litter problems is the empty deer corn sacks that have blown out of the beds of pickup trucks...

[WOBBLY BOB]

yes.

they’re super elusive. that’s why the DNR allows baiting. even baiting is not very successful in most cases unless done over and over until the bear
accepts magic food gifts appearing from nowhere as normal.

41” around his neck!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Wow. You live in some pretty country.