When it comes to successful bear hunting in the Great Lakes states, it would make sense for bear hunters to play most of their chips in their home state – if there is a season – and then prepare to travel, even if that means a late-season hunt in another state.
Unfortunately, bear hunters living in Illinois and Ohio have no choice but to travel because neither state offers a season. Good news? They don’t have to travel very far because Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania have bear seasons, and they also offer tags to non-residents, mostly through a drawing system that may require preference points to earn a tag. Since the process varies by state, hunters will need to do their homework first.
The key to bear hunting in the Great Lakes region is the variety of hunting tactics
