From Bait to Bear Hunting Camp Upper Peninsula Michigan 2024

Welcome to our 2024 Upper Peninsula Bear Camp adventure! This trip marks another chapter in our hunting journey, and it’s packed with excitement, challenges, and the beautiful wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Robbie unexpectedly pulled a bear tag in just his second year applying, while my stepdad Steve had to forfeit his tag since he wasn't ready for this season. After two days of traveling across the far west end of the U.P., we're finally just minutes away from camp.

We’re eager to get out there and refresh the bait site, where we’ve seen plenty of bear activity, thanks to our local friend who helped keep the bait barrel stocked while we were away. As soon as we arrive, we’re hitting the ground running with baiting and gearing up for a long sit through the night. If we tag a bear early, the rest of the week will be all about relaxing and enjoying camp life.

Last month, we made a trip up here to set everything in motion, and that’s where the story really begins. Rob and I took the side-by-side through the woods, while Ryan and Victoria took a different route into camp. We met up at the same spot where we’ve baited for bears in previous years, hoping for better luck this time. Being nine hours away from home makes things tricky, so we buy a ton of bait and cross our fingers that it lasts until we get back. So far, every year, bears have shown up right before the hunt—hopefully, this year’s the same.

Our bait this time is loaded with all kinds of goodies: candy corn, granola, pumpkins, coconut, gummies, and caramel banana pudding flavoring. Rob came prepared, and we’ve spread granola everywhere to get the scent going. We’ve also got a few cameras set up, including a cellular camera and a trail cam, so we’ll see what kind of activity we get.

Camp life isn’t all about hunting. Victoria got to experience the camp for the first time, and we showed her the natural spring that’s always cool and never freezes—even if she wasn’t as impressed as we thought she’d be! But the real surprise was how well the clover is growing this year, making it a prime spot for deer. We’ve been thinking about clearing some area for a stand, and with all the new tracks we’ve seen, it looks promising.

Of course, things don’t always go smoothly. The bears knocked over a few of our trail cameras, and the batteries died before we could get any good footage. But we’ve come prepared this time with new 4K cameras to set up. The stump near the bait site has been torn up by the bears, and we’re setting up a Tactacam to get a better look at where they’re coming from.

In between the hunting prep, we also took a quick fishing trip to a creek near one of our blinds, "Ernie's," which has grown due to some beaver dams. I’ve always wanted to fish here, and finally, this was the time. Although I didn’t catch much, it was great to cast a line into the water after almost 20 years of coming here and never trying it out. Rob and I managed to catch a few small fish, and even though it wasn’t much, it was a great experience.

To top it all off, we had an amazing wildlife sighting—a massive moose with antlers as wide as I’ve ever seen, completely unbothered by our presence.

That wraps up this part of the trip! Stay tuned for the next video where we dive deeper into our bear hunt and camp life. Until then, enjoy the beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the adventures that come with it.