Minnesota Bear Bait Station Regulations

Minnesota is one of the current US states that allows bear hunters to bait bears. However, they have specific laws and regulations regarding this type of hunting practice. These regulations must be followed at all times; Failure to do so can result in heavy fines and loss of hunting privileges. This article will explain the basics of Minnesota bear bait regulations to help you properly follow them.

The first step is knowing what you “can’t” use as bear bait, below is a list of materials that are not allowed according to Minnesota hunting regulations.

• More than 25% of the carcass of an intact mammal
• Mammal meat containing bones
• Mammal bones
• Waste containing; bottles, cans, plastic, paper, or metal
• Non-biodegradable materials
• Pigs (expectation: cured pork)

Quick note: You may not leave 55 gallon drums, dumpsters, garbage bags, or plastic buckets unattended at a bear bait station.

To establish a station, you must register it with the Minnesota DNR. You must mail in the required forms for an established bait station prior to the next available postal service day that the bait station is created. All registered bait stations must display a sign of at least 6 “x 10”, which must be made of plastic, metal, or wood. The sign must include the owner’s DNR number and driver’s license number OR the full name, address, and phone number of the bait station operator. The sign must be placed no less than 6 feet or more than 10 feet from the ground, and it must be 20 feet from the bait station.

You are not allowed to establish a bear bait station within 150 yards of any registered camping site or within a half mile of a garbage dump. You may not set up a bait station in Bear Permit Area 22.

It should be duly noted that NO HUNTER can capture a white bear, which was introduced in 1998. It is not allowed to disturb bear dens or use methods to remove a bear from its den or hunt one near its den. The use of dogs as hunting aids is not allowed, nor can training of dogs with bears be practiced. We hope this article has helped you learn more about bear bait in Minnesota, if you want to learn more about bear hunting in general, continue below.