Thanks for the tips. I always ask people about it and have read the tips in the bear hunting manual that you get when you buy your tags, but I have not picked up any books, so I will look at the one you recommended. Any other tips?

By the way, in Minnesota, I can get a black bear permit every year. The zone I hunt in has not filled its quota for black bear permits in nearly 25 years. Pretty cool.

Another thing, What do you use a bear for once you kill it? I am going to use its claws and large teeth to make a necklace (because it will look bad ass). I don't want a rug, what else can I use the fur for? What is the best way to get rid of the meat? There are a lot of nasty diseases in it and by the time you cook them out of the meat, it tastes and feels like a log.