Bear Hunting Mistakes?

[psirus7]

Hi Ya’ll,

I'm dedicated to getting an archery North Idaho Spring Bear, but this will be my third season without success and I am clearly doing something wrong. I consistently get a ton of bears on camera about 2 hours after I get out of the stand/saddle. I'm disciplined (or so I think) on wind and the 1-2 mile hike in to my site. Has anyone else experienced something similar and what did to change to eventually tag out?

-Sam

 

[Coveyleader]

They are pegging you coming in, or in the stand. When you say they hit the bait after you leave, I assume that's in the dark? If you don't sit, are they hitting it in the daylight?

 

[psirus7]

Last season, I had most bear activity in the morning and hunted mostly AMs. Bears were consistently still showing in the daylight after I got down, regardless of how I adjusted my hunt times.

 

[Coveyleader]

Yeap, they know you are there. I will send you a PM vs full on public disclosure with a few things that have worked for us that you can try. It goes to show you how critical bait sites are, especially in ID and the lower 48 vs some places where bears aren't hunted much.

 

[psirus7]

Awesome! Thank you much!!

 

[kylem]

In that situation I think I would try setting up the bait in a way that you can possibly get a look at it from a couple hundred yards away and stalk into it if a bear is on it. I know that's easier said than done since I also hunt north ID, but it sounds like they know when you're sitting and are simply avoiding it then.

 

[psirus7]

That sounds like a good technique.....or just switch to rifle....

 

[Blind Squirrel]

My friend used to take a buddy with him to the bait, make some ruckus, and then the buddy would walk away noisily. He said multiple times, bears would come out pretty quickly after his friend left.

 

[Quicksilver]

In that situation I think I would try setting up the bait in a way that you can possibly get a look at it from a couple hundred yards away and stalk into it if a bear is on it. I know that's easier said than done since I also hunt north ID, but it sounds like they know when you're sitting and are simply avoiding it then.

Exactly what we do in the cascades, just from a really long ways away spot a bear a mile out in blueberries and let the stalk commence.

 

[McFarmer]

My friend used to take a buddy with him to the bait, make some ruckus, and then the buddy would walk away noisily. He said multiple times, bears would come out pretty quickly after his friend left.

This is a trick we used as well and it works. Additionally, while black bears usually have poor eyesight, they can sure as hell see hunter orange and will pick up your scent easily if you are not careful. The first thing I do when getting in the stand is remove the orange and spray myself down with scent killer