Boar asks conservation officer

[Lee Borgersen]

                  Ask a conservation officer:

                                 Question by our man Boar

 Know restrictions for baiting bears
 
By Matthew S. Miller, For the News Tribune on Aug 30, 2015 at 12:03 a.m.






Boar asks:
Q: I have a few beaver carcasses from last winter in the freezer. If I chop them into quarters can I use them as bear bait?

A: There are some specifics as to what can and cannot be used for bear bait. Your best guidance will come from a copy of the 2015 Bear Hunting Regulations which can be found online at dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/bear/index.html.


The bait restrictions are as such: To attract bears, a person may not use a bait with: (1) a carcass from a mammal, if the carcass contains more than 25 percent of the intact carcass; (2) meat from mammals, if the meat contains bones; (3) bones of mammals; (4) solid waste containing bottles, cans, plastic, paper or metal; (5) materials that are not readily biodegradable; or (6) any part of a swine, except cured pork.




As for your beaver carcasses, the quartered portions would not be lawful bait as they contain bones. If you wish, you could remove all of the bones and use the residual meat at your bait station. Don’t forget to register at your bait stations. Good luck!


Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer with the Lake Superior Marine Unit. Send your questions to outdoors@duluthnews.com.