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Anyone have some extra good bear bait recipes they want to share?
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Well, A bud of mine up north used one of those large cans of "Welfare Peanut Butter" the gov. was handing out about 20 yrs ago. That and a couple of ratty bluefish placed under a blowdown sure brought them in. They tore up the tree pretty good to get at it.
BTW, make sure baiting is legal in your area if you do.
BTW, make sure baiting is legal in your area if you do.
Get old bread that a local bakery is going to throw out and put it in an onion bag and soak it with oil of anise. Hang the bag at about five feet in the tree- so the bear has to stand up to get it- that will give you an idea of how big the bear is- 'cause.... bears have a way of looking bigger than they are. Drag the bait into the area to lay down a scent trail AND..... DON'T drag the bait up to the tree you will be sitting in and then to the bait tree because that's the way the bear will come and it will climb right up the tree you are sitting in. Drag the bait to the bait tree and leave it there and then walk to your tree.
You will have to put out multiple baits, 6 would be a good number. You will need to bait them every day starting a month or so before the opening of the season. Raccoons and other animals will hit these baits so a trail camera at each site is a good idea to make sure that you are attracting bears- if the camera has a timer- then you will also know what time of day the bear(s) are coming in. You should establish baits in well scouted areas- trees with scratch marks, trees bitten off by bears, etc.
With all this preparation you still have to have the wind in your favor, sit absolutely still, "let the bugs bite" or no bear is going to come into the bait. Wear rubber boots, etc- just like deer hunting. Some folks think a bait set up is a sure thing- not so. In fact if you can get a good deal with a guide- that may be your best bet.
The bait hunters think using dogs is unsporting.
The dog hunters think using bait is unsporting.
There are supposed to be bear hunters that stalk bears- that's probably okay in Alaska, etc- I haven't run across many folks in heavily wooded areas that have successfully hunted bears that way. Where I currently live I'm lucky that there are a lot of bears and I'll see tracks every day and bears maybe about every fifth or sixth day of hunting but...that's because they are protected in my area and they are not that wary. As said- make sure to check with your State's game laws and IMHO a budget hunt from a guide doing all the proper work is money well spent.
You will have to put out multiple baits, 6 would be a good number. You will need to bait them every day starting a month or so before the opening of the season. Raccoons and other animals will hit these baits so a trail camera at each site is a good idea to make sure that you are attracting bears- if the camera has a timer- then you will also know what time of day the bear(s) are coming in. You should establish baits in well scouted areas- trees with scratch marks, trees bitten off by bears, etc.
With all this preparation you still have to have the wind in your favor, sit absolutely still, "let the bugs bite" or no bear is going to come into the bait. Wear rubber boots, etc- just like deer hunting. Some folks think a bait set up is a sure thing- not so. In fact if you can get a good deal with a guide- that may be your best bet.
The bait hunters think using dogs is unsporting.
The dog hunters think using bait is unsporting.
There are supposed to be bear hunters that stalk bears- that's probably okay in Alaska, etc- I haven't run across many folks in heavily wooded areas that have successfully hunted bears that way. Where I currently live I'm lucky that there are a lot of bears and I'll see tracks every day and bears maybe about every fifth or sixth day of hunting but...that's because they are protected in my area and they are not that wary. As said- make sure to check with your State's game laws and IMHO a budget hunt from a guide doing all the proper work is money well spent.
When I was fishing in Minnesota, the camp owner used a cooler with a heater in it or something like that and used the fish parts after ppl cleaned them to make bait. I have made fish oil from cheek chubs in a huge jar and it took a long time for the oil to separate out and loose all the rotten smell. In the end it was thick as butter. He said " Why would anyone go fishing in the rain, I'm going bear hunting" We caught some walleyes in the rain that day.
jtmattison
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Donuts or molasses. Put the bait in a barrel with a small hole in the end. Situate it so the bear will present broadside while getting the bait. Don't forget to chain the barrel to a tree so they don't drag it off.
HD
HD
Last year we used beef scraps syrup and pastries, we bow shot a nice boar, but I'd like to find easier to aquire bait, we have 18 bait sites so far. I wish we could use fish scraps or whole beavers but we can't use bait with bones here. last year we attracted about 14 different bears on 7 or 8 baits. Keep those ideas coming.
Blizzard of '93
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I've never taken a bear but I know bear hunters that say that a can of sardines or cheap cat food cracked open and allowed to 'ripen' in a warm area for a few days then nailed to a tree about 6' high draws them in. they used 3-4 cans in the area they were hunting.
Does the below qualify?
The Pope took a couple of days off to visit the rugged mountains of Alaska for some sightseeing. He was cruising along the campground in the Pope Mobile when there was a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. A helpless Democrat, wearing sandals, shorts, a 'Vote for Obama' hat
and a 'Save the Trees' t-shirt, was screaming while struggling frantically and thrashing around trying to free himself from the grasp of a 10-foot grizzly.
As the Pope watched in horror, a group of Republican loggers with 'Go Sarah' t-Shirts came racing up. One quickly fired a 62 cal round ball into the bear's chest. The other two, put on some surgical gloves, then reached up and pulled the bleeding,semiconscious liberal/socialist from the bear's grasp. Then using long clubs, the three loggers finished off the bear, and two of them threw it onto the bed of their truck while the other tenderly placed the injured liberal/socialist on a piece of plastic in the back seat.
As they prepared to leave, the Pope summoned them to come over. 'I give you my blessing for your brave actions!' he told them. 'I heard there was a bitter hatred between Republican loggers and Democratic environmental activists, but now I've seen with my own eyes that this is not true.'
As the Pope drove off, one logger asked his buddies, 'Who was that guy?'
'It was the Pope,' another replied. 'He's in direct contact with Heaven and has access to all wisdom.'
'Well,' the logger said, 'he may have access to all wisdom, but he doesn't know squat about bear hunting! By the way, is the bait still alive, or do we need to go back to Massachusetts and get another one?'
RDE
The Pope took a couple of days off to visit the rugged mountains of Alaska for some sightseeing. He was cruising along the campground in the Pope Mobile when there was a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. A helpless Democrat, wearing sandals, shorts, a 'Vote for Obama' hat
and a 'Save the Trees' t-shirt, was screaming while struggling frantically and thrashing around trying to free himself from the grasp of a 10-foot grizzly.
As the Pope watched in horror, a group of Republican loggers with 'Go Sarah' t-Shirts came racing up. One quickly fired a 62 cal round ball into the bear's chest. The other two, put on some surgical gloves, then reached up and pulled the bleeding,semiconscious liberal/socialist from the bear's grasp. Then using long clubs, the three loggers finished off the bear, and two of them threw it onto the bed of their truck while the other tenderly placed the injured liberal/socialist on a piece of plastic in the back seat.
As they prepared to leave, the Pope summoned them to come over. 'I give you my blessing for your brave actions!' he told them. 'I heard there was a bitter hatred between Republican loggers and Democratic environmental activists, but now I've seen with my own eyes that this is not true.'
As the Pope drove off, one logger asked his buddies, 'Who was that guy?'
'It was the Pope,' another replied. 'He's in direct contact with Heaven and has access to all wisdom.'
'Well,' the logger said, 'he may have access to all wisdom, but he doesn't know squat about bear hunting! By the way, is the bait still alive, or do we need to go back to Massachusetts and get another one?'
RDE
paulvallandigham
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Anything that stinks, and has honey, or some form of sugar in it will attract the bears. Best baits for any species are ones they are more likely to find in their area, or foods they like to eat. That is why Honey works so well for black bear. Fish for Grizzly and Brown Bear. Both eat tons of fresh green grass, but that usually is gone by hunting season( unless you have a Spring Season) Its the sugar in the new shoots that the Bear's smell and crave. Berries are always a treat. If you can't put out bait with bones, then bone the meat out. It is really not that difficult or time consuming, considering how long the baits stay out on the stands.
Take the time to watch bears eat. Many years ago, I learned a valuable lesson from an old cat, who loved to eat Peas, but only cooked frozen peas- not those out of a can(YECK!) as long as they had salt, pepper and butter on them. She also loved Tuna. I once set out a plate of tuna, and a plate next to it of left over peas, seasoned and buttered, and watched her check them both out. She ate all the peas FIRST, and then without a hiccup, moved over and ate all the tuna!
I am not suggesting that Bears are as discriminating in their eating habits as my cat was, but she reminded me that you best learn how to attract an animal by watching it feed, first. Bears are true Omnivores, Like Humans, so they will eat most anything. What you want in addition to the food value, is something that will have a strong odor enough to be carried on the winds, so you can attract bears to the site from a longer distance. Next, you want to place your bait near known bear trails, so they don't have to exert much, if any, energy coming to the site. ( The Law of Conservation of Energy.)
Take the time to watch bears eat. Many years ago, I learned a valuable lesson from an old cat, who loved to eat Peas, but only cooked frozen peas- not those out of a can(YECK!) as long as they had salt, pepper and butter on them. She also loved Tuna. I once set out a plate of tuna, and a plate next to it of left over peas, seasoned and buttered, and watched her check them both out. She ate all the peas FIRST, and then without a hiccup, moved over and ate all the tuna!
I am not suggesting that Bears are as discriminating in their eating habits as my cat was, but she reminded me that you best learn how to attract an animal by watching it feed, first. Bears are true Omnivores, Like Humans, so they will eat most anything. What you want in addition to the food value, is something that will have a strong odor enough to be carried on the winds, so you can attract bears to the site from a longer distance. Next, you want to place your bait near known bear trails, so they don't have to exert much, if any, energy coming to the site. ( The Law of Conservation of Energy.)
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Once you setup your bait whatever it is, get a few gallons of used cooking oil and pour it out in front of the bait, make it good and muddy. Any bear that finds your bait will walk off leaving a trail from it. Which will help attract other bears to the bait.
Knew an old guy that went out each day for a week before season n fried up a pound of bacon n a couple eggs, ate the eggs n a couple slices of bacon for his breakfast.. Poured the bacon grease on the face of a big ol boulder faceing the sun so it warmed each morning n put out more scent. He harvested several bears n said they sort a got used to his scent at the same time as they licked the grease off the boulder.You could smell the bacon smell for a hundred yards or so n a bears nose is way way better then ours.
paulvallandigham
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Bears are as attracted to ESTROGEN as are deer. Estrogen is the same chemical, whether it comes from a sow bear, in heat, a doe in heat, or a human woman having her monthly period.
Your friend is NOT the only hunter to use used napkins as an attractant. It works.
MY wife was having her period one deer season, but insisted on going out with me. I put her on a stand- a dead fall tree along a flood plane for a river-- where ground currents took her odor up the river. Within 20 minutes, the Biggest Buck in the Area came within 20 feet of her. She missed him with 3 shots, two going under his belly, and the last going over the its back as it was bounding up an small rise to get away from her. Biggest case of Buck Fever I have ever seen.
But, she was hooked on Deer hunting right then, and looked forward to going again. She could not even close her hand enough to pull another shell out of her large cargo pocket to reload her gun.
I saw the big boy, and then showed her its tracks. We had found his tracks along the river trail the afternoon before, and I had taken measurements to show how to identify a single deer from all others. In his case, the toes were more than 4 inches long, and left a track similar to a small steer. He went about 400 lbs. live weight by my estimate, and would easily have been over 300 lbs. dressed. I saw the deer just as she was taking her second shot at him. It had FIVE 12 inch long tines on the right main beam, and at least One long brow tine on both beams. I did not get to count the smaller tines.
She was upset she missed him because she would have liked to have shown the mount off to her older brothers, who had given her nothing but grief after learning I was taking her Deer Hunting. But, she was also a bit happy that he got away, because he was so awesome.
I told her, sternly, that he had already spread his genes in the local gene pool, and the next time she gets him in her sights, Shoot him!
Your friend is NOT the only hunter to use used napkins as an attractant. It works.
MY wife was having her period one deer season, but insisted on going out with me. I put her on a stand- a dead fall tree along a flood plane for a river-- where ground currents took her odor up the river. Within 20 minutes, the Biggest Buck in the Area came within 20 feet of her. She missed him with 3 shots, two going under his belly, and the last going over the its back as it was bounding up an small rise to get away from her. Biggest case of Buck Fever I have ever seen.
But, she was hooked on Deer hunting right then, and looked forward to going again. She could not even close her hand enough to pull another shell out of her large cargo pocket to reload her gun.
I saw the big boy, and then showed her its tracks. We had found his tracks along the river trail the afternoon before, and I had taken measurements to show how to identify a single deer from all others. In his case, the toes were more than 4 inches long, and left a track similar to a small steer. He went about 400 lbs. live weight by my estimate, and would easily have been over 300 lbs. dressed. I saw the deer just as she was taking her second shot at him. It had FIVE 12 inch long tines on the right main beam, and at least One long brow tine on both beams. I did not get to count the smaller tines.
She was upset she missed him because she would have liked to have shown the mount off to her older brothers, who had given her nothing but grief after learning I was taking her Deer Hunting. But, she was also a bit happy that he got away, because he was so awesome.
I told her, sternly, that he had already spread his genes in the local gene pool, and the next time she gets him in her sights, Shoot him!
oletymepreacher
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When it was legal to bait bears in Colorado, eggs, anise, and bacon grease for the bait bucket.
Once they began feeding, the bait bucket must be kept full. On the day of the hunt, burn at least a pound of honey. Load up and get ready. Small wood fire will work. When it is burning well, pour honey on fire. Use small sticks, you don't need a bonfire.
Once they began feeding, the bait bucket must be kept full. On the day of the hunt, burn at least a pound of honey. Load up and get ready. Small wood fire will work. When it is burning well, pour honey on fire. Use small sticks, you don't need a bonfire.
I've been storing up used oil for about a year now, this will be the 1st year we've tried it. I've heard good things about it. I'll saturate the ground like you suggested. If there is one thing I've got alot of it's eggs, I have a good size poultry flock, I didn't even think about them.
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