Spring Bear?

[bilder]

Locked up permission to hunt over 250 acres of private land yesterday. Has deer, lots of small game, and at least one big ol black bear.

Was not planning on going after bear this year, but I figured since I have permission....why not?

Tag is purchased and I will be working out some good loads for the .54 later this week.

Anyone else planning on some spring bear hunting?

 

[Wes/Tex]

Won't be chasing Brier Bear unless something major changes but will recommend you start at about 90 grains FFFg or FFg for a bear load. Even the black bears can be pretty tough hided critters and you'll need something that hits hard and goes deep. :thumbsup:

 

[galamb]

Anyone else planning on some spring bear hunting?

I wish - the commie, pinko, cappuccino sipping, tree huggin' PETA supporters got our "inhumane" spring bear hunt cancelled years ago arguing that it was unfair to hunt starving bears that had just emerged from hibernation and left many "orphan cubs" that would die horrible deaths without the sow around.

(now it's costing hundreds of thousands to deal with "pest/nuance" bears in suburban areas)

So now we get no "bear burgers" until the fall

 

[crockett]

I don't know if bait is legal in your state. Some folks are against bait but they think dogs are okay; and, then others are against dogs but like bait.
When bears emerge in the spring their feet are tender- so I am told- and they haven't eaten for a while so they munch on succulents, new grow, etc. (The tender feet is important as they don't travel that far and bait will keep them nearby) The bait ought to be sweets or bread that is soaked in oil of anise. This bait ought to be put in a mesh type onion bag and hung about 5' off the ground, on a tree. If you have a trail camera- set it up to determine what time the bear is hitting the bait. Sometimes you will be surprised- such as the bear hears your truck, is watching you, and hits the bait five minutes after you drive away.
You put up a new bait every day, say three loaves of old bread. Start at least 30 days before opening day. Putting out bait is a major commitment in time and money. Putting out 10 pounds of beef fat once a week. I tried that and it doesn't work. Racoons, squirrels, etc may also start working the bait so the camera is a big help.
Ideally you should know the area, the bear needs a safe way to approach (dense woods. You ought to set up a tree stand pretty close- 30 yards maximum. Some folks put a scarecrow in the stand to get a bear used to seeing something there. The actual location doesn't have to be miles from the nearest road, if bears are in the area and used to cars, etc- then 200 yards off a road ought to be fine, maybe even 100 yards in certain locations.
Some bears scratch trees. The height of these scratches and the distance between the claw marks can give you a good idea of how big the bear is.
It is best to never hang a bait on the bait tree and walk over to the tree stand tree, your scent alerts the bear to the location of the tree stand tree, keep them seperate, have a different route into the tree stand tree.
All the standard rules of hunting still apply. DON"T MOVE. Let bugs bite you, don't figet, don't scratch that itch. DON'T MOVE. Wash your clothes in scent free soap- store them in a plastic bag with dirt and leaves- put them on when you get to the hunt site. Don't put the clothes and boots on and then sit in your truck and drive for an hour or two. If the trail cam is showing the bear's approach. Walk in on the bait trail and put a line of mashmellows along that trail as a final attraction to draw in a reluctant bear.
Wounded bear can be hard to find. No tracking snow in the Spring and bear fat can plug up bullet holes so there is no blood trail. Bear's run straight so that helps. If you can have a tracking dog back at the vehicle- that would be ideal.
A LOT of work.
Is it sporting??? That's a personal issue. If bears are hanging out by a river full of salmon, aren't the salmon a "bait"? Is setting up a stand near such a location sporting?
I've done as much bait hunting for bears as I care for. Where I now live bears aren't legal and they are all over the place. I saw 4 bears in 3 days that walked right under my stand (No bait- hunting deer) but if I was to go back to bear hunting I think I'd like to try it with hounds. You need to be in good shape as you might have to run over the mountains for a number of miles. Still, I think that would be pretty exciting.
Whether baiting is or is not sporting, it is a lot of time and work if done correctly.

 

[bilder]

Baiting is not legal around here, but it is in Alaska where I lived for many years. I used to go to the bakery thrift store on Tuesdays when they tossed out the old bread from the week before. I could get big trash bags full of stuff for two dollars each. Add some sweet stuff to hold it all together along with some dog food and the bears would be all over it.

Here I am scouting around to find out what paths they travel and hope to set up near a clearing and bring one out into the open with a predator call.

 

[crockett]

Yeah I forgot, some molasses although with oil of anise.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I liked giant trash bags full of popcorn thrown on the ground and dumping buckets of burger grease from your local fast food places works great. As does peanut butter on a stump, and expired hostess cakes and pies.

 

[crockett]

I wonder how folks reading this who aren't for baiting feel? As I re-read my post- sure doesn't sound very sporting. I think dogs would be pretty exciting. Provided the bear climbs a tree- you can always pass on it if the bear is small.

 

[Shine]

I hunted this very bear for 2 years over bait. The first year she had 2 small cubs the next year she was alone and fair game. If you use bait which by the way is a historical correct method of hunting. You are able to tell how large the bear is and if cubs are present. If you stumble across a bear in the woods and kill her and she has cubs you just killed 3 bear "sport". Im a hunter not a sportsman. But that does not mean I don't have ethics.

 

[trent/OH]

That's such a foreign looking photo. That green stuff just looks so wrong after this winter. I think it's called "The Ground", but I only barely remember it.

 

[Shine]

hahaha I hear ya. Here is a pic of the hide. Under that hide is a 17 foot canoe.

 

[bilder]

I find it interesting how some folks are against bait, but they are fine with decoys and calls. Both are a form of bait, but I guess luring an animal with the hopes of sex is more acceptable than luring them in with the hopes of a meal.

Food plots and salt licks are also bait as far as I am concerned, but they also lack the stigma a bear bait station has attached to it.

Personally I love to use calls to lure an animal in close. I have done it with moose, bear, coyotes, and birds. Figure that if I can call them to within 50 yards without blowing my cover, I have won and can take the game with no regrets.

 

[TinStar]

I see no problem with bait either.
No different than hunting a stand of oaks or beech for deer.
Besides; women use "bait" all the time to get men!

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[Patocazador]

It depends on how hungry I am. If I've got deer in the freezer, I won't hunt a food plot and have never hunted bait for deer except once in Texas.
I've killed 2 bears: one by stalking and one by blundering into it. Bears don't have horns or antlers so never went after them again. :hmm:

 

[Shine]

you cant eat horns or antlers.

 

[Snakebite]

Yea, you may not be able to eat the horns but they sure look good on the wall.

I once had to make a choice between a 6pt buck and a 10pt. It was not a hard decision and Bambi's daddy looks real good on the wall. And he was delicious.

 

[Patocazador]

you cant eat horns or antlers.

You're absolutely correct. However, one one of the two bears I've killed was so tough it couldn't be eaten either.

I get almost no charge out of hunting hogs, turkeys or bears. If they had horns, I'd be all over them. :grin:

 

[fusil de chase]

so tough it couldn't be eaten

They don't make canners in Fla? Nothing comes out of a can any tougher then butter.

Or just cut it perpendicular to the grain very thin, problem solved.


Re bait, a spring bear head down and gorging on grasses, dandelions, clover is as easy a stalk as any doughnut and offal bear.

 

[Patocazador]

I killed it in the Hell-roaring wilderness area in Montana north of Yellowstone. My brother and I back-packed 17 miles into it. I took a backstrap and cut it into thin steaks and roasted over a fire. We sat up until 11:00 pm trying to chew it and gave up. Fortunately, Montana law didn't require packing out bear meat at the time. The camp robbers and ravens ate good.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I wonder how folks reading this who aren't for baiting feel? As I re-read my post- sure doesn't sound very sporting. I think dogs would be pretty exciting. Provided the bear climbs a tree- you can always pass on it if the bear is small.

I don't think theres anything wrong with hunting them over bait, it is been done that way throughout history. You can't hunt bear with dogs in alotta places. I feel its better to shoot them over bait, then watch them eatting my deer hanging on the buck pole at deer camp.