Bear over bait

[Muleyslayer14]

After 5 years of applications I finally drew Utah bear over bait. It’s an any legal weapon tag and runs from May 23rd - June 28th. I’m allowed to setup 2 bait stations starting on the 23rd. This unit holds lots of bears.

I am looking for any input and suggestions you guys have. Baiting techniques, bait to use, attractants, tree stands, time of year thoughts ect.
Thanks guys.

 

[Wingert]

Lots of options for bait to use for bears: popcorn, dog food, grease, doughnuts, bread, and molasses are just a few.

Attractants such as bait balls that have a lot of scent. Here's contact information for an option:
Jess
Bait Em 907
Bear Bait & Moose Lure Company
www.baitem907.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bait-E...56572604387163

Jake (aka as BRWNBR) would be a good source to ask questions on this forum.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Often a bear that's been eating garbage will have a rancid taste. Burn honey. That'll bring in every bear for a few miles. Easier to haul around too.

 

[SoDaky]

Years ago we used honey burns(coffee or soup cans on Sterno)and had some success but except for a few rare instances we always had other bait available at the site.The 'burn' is actually pretty short lived.We also added anise seeds to the burn.
The exceptions to other 'traditional' bait being present took place along sucker creeks in the Spring during spawning runs.The 'burns' could be helpful then for positioning the bear for archery shots.
If used,and you are lucky,you may see what happens if a bear touches the hot can.

 

[Muleyslayer14]

Thank you guys, what do you guys do to manage your scent? For instance on the bait and barrel, walking in, and also in a stand?

 

[smithjd]

I live in northern WI and we have a lot of black bear. We bait in the fall. Several outlets offer various baits in 55 gal drums. Ive had excellent luck with granola and trail mix, and even Shell corn type baits. We can deposit up to 10 gal at a time, but it must be covered so only bears can get it. Many times I’ll spread a sweet / sticky bait (e.g. frosting, pie filling, fry grease etc) on the logs so bears will track it away and lead others in.

At first, I’ll use the least tasty baits, such as the grease soaked bread, one or two times a week. But as the season gets closer, increase the frequency, reduce the amounts, and use a variety of sweeter or better baits. Bears can get sick of eating the same thing over and over. I also bait in the morning. If the bear wants to eat, they will have to get there in daylight before the others

Put your bait near a water source, where it’s cool. Also, if there is a big natural food source like crops or acorns, baits can shut right down.

Put a camera on your bait, but make sure you have it in a metal box. They will mess with it and chew on it

We aren't allowed any animal products, so a bacon or honey burn is out. But marshmallows, jello mix, and syrup basically do the same thing. I’ve had them come right in when cooking that up.

Bears smell as well as any creature. They will get conditioned to your smell baiting. You can leave a sweated up tshirt out there to smell the place up. If using a bow, keep your stand lower so you can get a more horizontal, double lung shot. I like about 20-25 yards at about 10-12 feet up.

I love watching bears. Bear fever is much worse than buck fever! I’ve also called them in during bow deer season several times with a fawn distress call.

Good luck! Don’t shoot the first one you see unless you know it’s a bruiser. They ALWAYS seem to shrink on the ground. See bear fever above.

 

[Lowg08]

I will tell you the best way we ever baited. Go to the local bread distribution place and get the old bread and snacks. Then find a local bbq joint and ask for there grease. Pack the bread in a barrel with a tamp and poor grease in intervals. Make sure they have to get the grease on them.
Here is the reasoning we used to watch bears wipe there greasy paws on their fur. Bears walk with a sway. So with the grease on there fur and a swaying walk they leave a scent path that other bears can follow. We at one time had 23 different bears coming to one bait. This was before all the rules here changed. We used this technique for years with great success. We ramp the bread and cover the opening with grease so they have to work for it. Therefore more and more grease gets on them.

 

[Muleyslayer14]

Great information you guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[NYHunter20]

Biggest thing when we did this in Canada was getting the smell out the first few days. Once the bear found the bait we would use a combination of pastries and molasses.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

If legal a beaver carcass is a bears absolute favorite meal, rotten and all! Great info on this thread otherwise.

 

[Wassid82]

Go to fast food places or Chinese food and ask for their old used oil. The things they crave most are fats and sugar. sometimes we even burn jello packets. I didn't believe it would work at first. It was something I heard people do in AK for black bears......well works in the lower 48 as well!

 

[SoDaky]

Yes there are a few things one can burn that last awhile and work.

 

[divingpa]

I've hunted Black Bears in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta over bait and CO over a dead cow. Every outfitter I've ever used has used different types bait, and they all worked. That's not to say that all bait will work in all areas, though so I'd recommend you try and find a local hunter/outfitter and find out what seems to work well in that area and what the bears may already be use to. If you can't find any, an economical way is to buy old bread and soak with molasses. No matter what you use as bait, you'll need to bring the bears into your bait and potentially train them that there is food there for them. To do this you'll need a smell they are familiar with and will go to. If you can get your hands on some beaver meat, that is a great attractant. Try and contact some trappers and you can usually pick up some beaver meat at a reasonable price. If you can't find any beaver meat you can go to a slaughter house and pick up a couple of calf heads and hang them up so the bears can't get to them. Within a few days these things will be smelling bad enough that it'll start attracting the bears to the area. Then when they can't get to the calf heads the hope is that they'll start to snack on your bait.

As far as your sent goes. Really hard to do your first season on a specific bait site. It is going to be key to try and find a spot ahead of time that is already clear with good shooting lanes. If you have to clear an area and set up your bait you're going to disrupt things more than you'd like. This isn't to say that it won't work, but you're not in an optimal situation. Once you can find a spot, go in once ever 2-3 days, go straight to your bait bucket/barrel and out. I'd go in and bait in the morning and then sit in the evening. If your bait is getting cleaned out daily, then bait daily. Just minimize walking around your area. Go straight to the bait, preferably on a quad or something, then out. NO TALKING while at the bait.

Any tree stand will work. Most that I've been in are 13+ feet up. Descent it after you hang it. Same applies to your stand. Straight to it and straight out. Don't walk around and don't walk from the bait to your stand. The bears will smell this and know where you are. It can be fun though as the more inquisitive ones will come over and climb your stand to see what the smell is.

Here is a link to a supplier that carries many commercial products if that suits you more.

Boarmasters | Bear, Hog, Deer, and Elk Bait, Lures, scents and Attractants, Snares, and Hunting.

Boarmasters offers affordable bear, hog, deer, and elk hunting baits, attractants,scents and lures. We also offer hog snares and premium hog bait.

boarmasters.com

Have fun and good luck.

 

[JMDavies]

I'm not an expert but have hunted over bait in Saskatchewan a couple of times.
Early Season- Beavertail with corn and grease.
Mid-Season- High sugar ingredients.
Late Season- Corn, grease and pork trimmings.
It's my understanding the beavertail gets them to the bait but its difficult to have enough beaver for the entire season. The sugar keeps them coming for a while but can get too rich after time. The late corn, grease and pork is a welcome change for them and is most accessible.

 

[lang]

So what's the going rate for beaver in Utah? Sorry couldn't resist. I'm no expert either, but have learned some tricks to bait on a budget that haven't already been mentioned above. Like a couple have mentioned above anything will work (we've used all of the above). You need three things something to get them there, fill them up and bring them back. For scent we just throw meat in a cloth bag-old shirt whatever. Any left over meat will work, couple of raw chickens may be the stinkiest. Tie a rope to it before fermenting and then put bag in a black plastic bag in sun couple days prior to going. Hang between trees to make it tough to get. That gets them there. We have started using sweat feed to accomplish the fill them up and bring them back. They have to stay put to eat it. With bread they will grab a piece and walk away to eat. It will also start to sprout after three weeks. You want competition, so as more bears show up you'll do better feeding less each time and making more trips with fewer days you don't feed. Gets them use to your scent and increases need to come earlier to get fed.
Also don't hug shoulder on your shot! Thoracic cavity on bears is back farther than ungulates. I like 4" back from shoulder line. We are still after a 450 lb. toad my buddy hit three years ago that he hit half way up right on the shoulder line.

5 Tips for Shot Placement on Bear

After all the work of getting within shooting distance of a big bear this spring, you’ll need confidence in your ability to make a great shot. Bears are big, tough animals that are unforgiving when hit bad. Many new bear hunters carry with them shot placement and strategy derived from experience...

www.bear-hunting.com

 

[Mosster47]

Go to your local bread store, tell them you'll buy everything in their expired bin. A lot of times they'll just give it to you, but offer. Get two gallons of maple syrup also.

Break it up into four different batches. Spread it every three days and have a camera at the site. You'll get them trained and you'll know what bear comes in around what time. They spread that syrup out a long ways so you're going to get a lot of them coming in if you're in a good area.