Redvers Junction Bait, bow only area.
Mark
Elmer, it's amazing what the cams are telling us.
Most of my sites are showing hits from 12:00 noon and earlier.
So far no coloured bears on cameras.
Little Bull Bait.
Little Bull bait.
You can see the Mutrie Outpost cabin and river from the permanent stand over looking this bait.
Mutrie Bait, Bow only.
I have 18 cameras watching over the baits right now.
Over 60 baits out over 9 LARGE bear management areas in 4 different wildlife units right now.
Bridge Bait, bow only.
Colenso Bait. Bow only area.
Redvers, mile #7 bait.
Dairy ration and caramel crunch mixed with pie filling. Then add gummi bears, licorice, cookies and dough, then add the popcorn mix.
Hunters bait their own sites when they are assigned a bait site. We have bait ready for them each morning and early aft.
Pot hole bait, bow only area.
Pot Hole bait.
This bait has multiple bears hitting.
This little guy has to climb up the tree to reach the bucket.
Pot Hole Bait.
Saxon on left and Brady on right.
Atv access or 25 minute walk down old logging road.
Meadow Bait.
Picture is taken right at sunrise.
Bow, M/L or Rifle at this site. I have the black bucket hanging in the back ground for archers (17 yrd shot) or barrel for long gun.
Meadow Bait.
On my other thread "Popcorn Anyone" I said there will most likely not be any bugs this year. WELL.... I must admit, I was wrong!!
Bears have been heavy on the blueberries for the last 5 weeks.
Trespass Bait. Bow only area.
Bridge bait.
Truck Bait.
This bait, among many others, has been active since May 8 and is more active now than ever.
Each bait site we have has multiple bears hitting the baits. I only keep a camera on a bait for a few days then move it to a different site.
This site is right on the edge of a huge blue berry patch. Berries were starting to fall off the plants today in the heavy rain. Pin cherries are also falling off the trees.
Now hazel nuts are ripe, but not affecting activity at the baits.
Black Bluff Bait.
This bear stood in the middle of the road a couple of days ago, where the trail head in to the bait was.
Brady will be changing the sd cards in quite a few cameras tomorrow. I'll post a bunch of new bears next evening.
Evening Rd. bait. Bow only.
Two track bait. Bow only.
Absolutely no evening pictures at this site, just from 9:00am to 11:00 am. 2 days straight.
Big ol' fat bear!!
"Is this thing on?"
That's the picture the camera took as the bear bit into it. Camera is toast now.
Knob Lake Rd #1 bait.
This site is a rifle or M/L site with a ground blind set up. About a 90 yard shot.
Lakeview bait.
5 bears feeding on 70 lbs of gummi bear candies.
Clay Lake bait.
There are well over 12 different bears visiting this bait.
Clay Lake Bait. Bow only area.
This bear also hits in the morning hours for hunters wanting to hunt the morning hours.
For a reasonably priced, semi guided Fall bear hunt call Chris @ 1-800-757-2241.
Para Quad Bait.
Did you have a dry year??
From my travels in your area (Sudbury) it seems like its all rock. Tends to dry up fast in droughts.
Bear season opens in less than 2 weeks.
Torso Bait.
Ground blind.
White Spruce Rd #2 bait. Rifle or M/L.
I also have daytime pictures of this guy after smaller bears flipped the camera.
Mutrie Rock. Bow only.
There are multiple bears hitting this bait.
Mutrie rock.
Matts Bait. Bow only.
10 days till open season for Ontario Fall bear hunting.
This site is an ATV access bait or a 20 minute walk down an old logging road.
I have a couple of baits that you can drive a truck to within 25 feet of the stand or blind, on privately owned, deeded land. These stands are for hunters who have mobility issues.
Too bad the camera was flipped before he showed up.
Soma Lake #1 bait.
Soma #3 bait. Archery set up.
In that last pict one of the cubs looks like a color.
Lots of great picts - your guys must be getting fired up!
I have Saxon, who's baited for me for 5 years. Then there's Brady, this is his first year baiting and thoroughly enjoys his job. Tanners worked for me since 2009, his job is just tracking and retrieving the bears. I bait, track and retrieve and organize hunters day.
Lottie & Gloria does all the paper work and are the cooks. Jocelyn is the cabin cleaner and keeps camp clean.
Bears have always hit during the morning hours, just hard to get hunters to hunt the morning hours.
If a hunter does not see a bear on his bait while hunting from 2:00 pm till dark, some automatically think its a night bear.
Long range shows great weather for opening week.
There will NOT be any Mountain Ash Berries this year. Also the Hazel Nuts are pretty well finished.
Mutrie Rock Bait.
There are multiple bears visiting this site.
Soma #3 Bait. Archery site.
Blue Berries still holding on!! No problem bears here yet Skull.
Brian, Delwayne and I just came home from Tim Hortons in Dryden!!!
Gershon Bait.
Soma Lake #1 bait.
Soma Lake #1.
The crew with me had a good laugh this afternoon. We were having to stink this one bait up. I was carrying a pail of juicy 3 day old fish guts.
We also poured grease into a smaller pail to carry into the site to do a grease pad. I stepped in the grease to track in the smell. Well, as I stepped down into the ditch, I slipped and fell and the pail with the fish guts went flying and landed ALL over me.
Saxon and Delwayne were bent over laughing. They wouldn't let me sit in the truck on the way out.
How do you keep the bears from tearing up all your camera's? I have had cameras broken from them. I talked with a guy last year that said black pepper in the battery tray would stop them from messing with them. I run a camera for 4 weeks last year and didn't have one fool with it in spite of getting a dozen or so walking by it. So, it seems to work. You might give it a try if they get to tearing up to many.
Good luck and God Bless
It seems after they play with the camera the first time, they leave it alone. I buy cheap cameras.
BLOCKIE's Link
Here is my first try at posting a video. This was last year at Spike Buck's camp. It was a great time with plenty of quality animals. The video is a great example as to how good his bait is. Don't laugh at the "warning shot". Can't wait to get back.
Look at the time on the camera!!
Buller Road #2 bait.
Again another morning bear!!
Segise Road #3 Bait.
Segise #3 bait.
Segise #3 bait.
I have different bears hitting this site also.
Buller Road #1 Bait.
Bear is visiting site just after noon.
Kid Rock Bait.
Soma #2 Bait.
Mikies Bait. Archery only.
Well the other day I bumped a bear off at 8:30 am. I rebaited and switched sd cards. About 25 minutes later I realized I left the sd card on the camera.
I went back in and the bait had been hit after I bumped him off 40 minutes earlier.
So morning hunts ARE successful for the ones willing to try them!!
Kid Rock bait. Set up for Archers at 16 yards.
Lake Bait.
I find trail cams are easy to use and takes no extra time to adjust and check. Me and the baiters enjoy going over the pictures to see where the shooters are.
Also, I noticed no increase in costs involved with using cameras.
Redvers, Mile #5 Bait.
Bear Factory Bait.
Deer Lake Area. Segise #3 bait.
This bait run is set up for September hunt. ALL baits are hit and ready to go!! West towards Kenora.
There are 2 bear management areas west of Kenora for September hunters.
Got all the cameras working the 2 west areas.
Cedar Bait.
96F out at noon.
Here's Steve Tanants bear.
Just looking back at a few of your picts, the hides on your bears look terrific.
We hit 13 bears yesterday and in the end put 11 bears in the cooler. Some real dandies. Got back from retrieving at 4:00 am. Everyones excited!!
Right now we have to deal with the ones couldn't find last night and need to be skinned right now.
Pictures to come.
August 15th 2015.
We hang this bucket quite high. I have to stand on a rock to reach to bait this site.
This is next weeks stash of baits.
Buller Creek Bait.
Looks to be another great night!! Was windy but wind has now calmed down.
Temperature is to go down to 9C or 51F tonight.
I will post the picture of his bear later.
Today 4 bears hit, 2 found so far. Picture day tomorrow.
Thanks Ibow.
Noel Kendal, also from Indiana and guides Saxon and Brady.
August 16th 2015.
August 15th 2015.
August 15th. 2015.
August 15th 2015.
Coyote took his bear right through the brisket, while standing. The arrow came out an inch from the spine.
Hunters did excellent this week. Have fresh baits ready to go for this Sunday hunters.
Got to get a bear right now that was just taken at noon.
As Cris said I shot my bear while it was standing on its hind legs looking directly at me. This is not the most preferred shot angle but was all this bear gave me. I regularly shoot 3D shoots for the practice and there is a McKenzie standing bear target that has the 10 ring on the chest. The bear presented me with exactly that shot.
I hit the bear at 18 yards with a Gravedigger broadhead. The bear ran not more than 40 yards and fell over backwards and died - within in sight of my tree stand. Pretty happy with the bear - estimated live weight somewhere a little over 300#.
If you're thinking about doing a black bear hunt I suggest you contact Cris at Pine Acres. 25 in our camp this week and 18 bears killed the first two days !! Now - let the fishing begin. I'm looking for a 10# walleye and a 25# northern. ! ??
Jason Crew from Indy.
Still have a bear to track, shot an hour ago!!
Bear scat still shows a heavy berry crop. Just seems to be bears everywhere. Bears stomaches are full of Blue Berries.
Turned out he accidently switched his kill switch off. He walked about 2 miles for nothing.
Thanks Ibow, BLOCKIE, Grant, Greg and the rest.
My co workers (Saxon and Brady) are the best ever, they are great help!!
Also, having a group of great hunters really helps our success!!!
Tom saw seven bears the first morning of hunting.
Brian W
Screwball, as you know, he's (cinabear)just enjoying himself.
This bait is for September.
Pipeline west Bait.
Brian P., John B. was bluff charged by a sow with cubs while waiting for Delwayne. John fell backwards, scared the you know what out of him!!!
Now everyone shot or passed on bears this week. 100% oppertunity this week!!!
We have 13 Indiana boys, 12 took bears and one needs a second chance at a bruin.
He wanted a professional to do it!!! I'm a bear guide not a doctor.
I was going to cut it off at the knuckle.
Bear was just out smelling the flowers!!
I have a bait near where this bear was seen called " Dead Mans Curve", which will be hunted in September.
After hitting the blade of a bear on the 15th. he was able to continue hunting and bag this bear!!
No extra charge if you draw blood and don't find and you continue hunting.
That's 2 bears taken in the pouring rain today.
Third bear taken in the rain today. Temps in the high 40's.
This nice P&Y boar was shot at 5:00 pm off a bait that a hunter sat last week.
Another hunter today had 3 bears fighting over the bait. Saw the one he wanted but window of opportunity was short as the bigger bear was constantly chasing a smaller bear off.
Was heavy, dark clouds with heavy rains on the 21rst.
***For the record there were 106 bears seen by the hunters last week, August 15th to the 21st!!!
Most of last weeks baits have been dropped for the season.
Still many areas with a good amount of blueberries.
This year is a normal year for success.*** Only difference this year is that I posted the hunt on Bowsite for first time ever from May prep to present. You see our hunt real time.
Ontario has a over abundance of bears. I choose to work hard and harvest them as trophies rather than what they are doing in other parts of Ontario, shooting them as nuisance bears.
Picture was taken by Brady from his phone camera.
Picture taken 2 kilometres from camp.
Still a good crop of blueberries.
We are doing a spot and stalk bear hunt next week. Saw 2 bears in the berries this evening.
Any chance you will do something similar to this for your deer hunts? Pretty please!:)
There were quite a few wolves seen by bear hunters recently. Hope to thin them in 2 weeks.
Heres my trophy I called in (vocals) and with my hands Early winter 2014.
Our bow whitetail starts mid September. We will still be bear and wolf hunting at that time.
Our first group of whitetail hunters arrive October 17th. I will post the prep work of our deer hunt starting the 25th of Sept.
Diamond Black Ice with a Rage broadhead.
Crash Bait.
This bear has a little colour to him!!
Abitibi Bait.
Cookie dough, caramel crunch and my popcorn recipe.
Still hitting baits but rifling through and leaving certain things.
Bears will always devour my popcorn recipe.
The huge bear a few pics up that is standing on the bare dirt - wasn't that the bear that was hanging around the town dump site ?
Up to yesterday we took 5. Others passed.
So far one hunter today sent an arrow at a bear at about 6:30 today. Bear walked away and stopped to look at the hunter. Then walked away.
I went spot and stalking with my camera. Got to see a large bear grazing on the berries. Hope to see him again on Saturday.
They will try bow but have their rifles.
Watched for a few minutes then went on. About 10 minutes later saw another and stalked to within 40 yards of the bear.
We try to pull all the pre molars out of the bear for aging. The hunter in return will get a package with the age of the bear and a Ontario Successful bear patch.
Not sure on dates Greg. Still waiting for them to decide.
We hit 5 bears tonight.
One was hit in the blade while the bear was broadside on all fours. Went about 300 yards with very little blood. When lost blood A grid search was done.
Another we tracked for over 400 yards. Ran out of blood. Then did a grid search for it at the end of blood. No bear found.
The others are out now for the other 3 bears.
Let you know tomorrow.
There were 13 hunters in MAIN CAMP. There were 10 hunters who released arrows at bears. Five bears the last hours of the last day of the hunt.
Four at the UPPER FALLS outpost. Everyone at the outpost had opportunities!!.
The first 2 days were raining, windy and some hunters got chilled while on stand. One group left their stands early because of the cold weather and were not prepared for the mosquitoes.
The first good evening for hunting was Wednsday afternoon.
Some never hunted the last day or 2. Baits were hit but possibly in the morning hours. Some refused to hunt mornings even though cameras indicated daylight morning hours.
*** 1 group of 3 chose fishing over bear hunting. After the fisher/hunter hunted only 1 night he said "He'll take the first cub that walks in front of him". I spoke up and he did not like my comments. Fisher/hunter turned heat full blast and left the windows open in the cabin when he left, he was chilled!!! I lost a customer!! To the fisher/hunter, this is a semi guided hunt. Next time listen to your guides!!!
The heavy rains put wash boards in the road. A little rough. I advertise baits from 2 miles to 55.
Bears were heavy on the berries this week. Coming into berries by day, baits by night or mornings.
Many of this weeks hunters hunted hard with results the very last day.
Congrats to the hunters who hunted to the last minute of the hunt!!!
When a hunter hits a bear we will go as a group to track the bear. When we find the bear guide will notch month date time on the tag, then affix the tag. Then field dress the trophy.
Me or Saxon will follow the blood to last blood. If no bear we will do a grid search for the bear. No matter how hard it is for the hunter to take, not all bears are found.
***Some, but very few, will shoot at bears and not mention it to the guides. By doing this the hunter may get charged with serious offenses. There are a couple of reasons for their thinking.
One might think he missed and wants to move to a different site. So he tells the outfitter that "He didn't see a DAMN thing", and wants to move to another bait. Then wounds another bear.
A good guide will find the rotted animal that the guy shot at and actually hit, a few days later and guess what, he did not miss. GUIDE MUST turn them in. Especially when the bear is within eyesight of the bait bucket.
Or hunter does he not mention it to the guide because he shot a small bear??
More to come on this issue soon!!
All groups were in separate areas, miles from other groups to keep the hunting pressure down. Being that I am a SEMI GUIDED hunt I can take a few more hunters than fully guided. I have the ground to handle it.
When hunting is slow like it was last week, I focus on bear, fishing when theres time. We had all plan #2 hunters last week, no fishing. Just bear.
After what was discovered the first week, I can not put up with trash talk. Especially when I have young hunters in camp.
If a unethical hunter breaks the law, we have no choice but to turn the hunter in to the authorities!!!
Mr. Mosier tagged this bear as soon as Brady dropped him off at his stand this afternoon. Another archery trophy.
Just got a call from one hunter I took out. Has a bear down, gutted and tagged. After we eat we will go get it.
August 30th.
Chris, any updates on the spot and stalk hunts you had? The suspense is killing me.
Temps a week ago Monday was in the high 30's. Today almost 100F.
Baits for the most part are being wiped out daily. No ones hunting mornings yet. Will start mornings tomorrow.
We have 3 spot and stalkers in the group of 12. The 3 have seen 6 bears in 1 berry patch so far. It was very noisy so stalking was with rifle. They missed one at 155 yards. Passed on others. I moved 2 stalkers to a new cut a bit ago. Bear sign all over the cut, looks good for tonight!!
Hunter said that the bear had a bum foot. A recent wound from another stand down the road.
BRIDGE BAIT.
September 2,2015.
He tied the ramps but apparently not tight enough and they kicked out just a touch. Flipping him backwards. Part of the handle bar went into his helmet and scraped up his face.
We actually had a doctor in the house and Saxon was doctored up.
This is the first bear off the site BRIDGE BAIT.
****We as guides/ baiters can bring the bear into the bait sites, BUT ultimately the rest is up to the hunter to practice scent control, keep from slapping the hoards of mosquitoes and not leave the bait sites right at prime time because he is cold. Blame the guide / baiters all you want for not getting a bear, BUT WE DID OUR JOB!!!!!****
When we introduce a hunter to a bait site. it is usually an unhunted bait site. As said before, sometimes we reuse a site if it still shows promising sign. Baits are VERY ACTIVE when shown to hunter. Baits are active for well over a month before shown.
There are reasons why hunters baits don't produce after hunter starts hunting a site.
#1- hunter, pre hunt has no idea how bad the mosquitoes and black flies are until he sits for the first time. So he slaps bugs while sitting on stand. Movement is not good.
#2- scent control. Smoking in vehicles on transit to bait site. No scent control product will mask smoke or gas fumes etc. You'd be surprised that at the odd site we find cigarette butts under the stand or in the ground blind.
#3- reading a book or texting while in a stand. Baits for archers are close quarters. Bears will not put up with movement. Especially when berries are just steps away.
#4- bear got side tracked for a day or so. But aleways shows back within a day or so.
#5- hunter takes a shot at bear and looks for it himself. He then forgets to tell the outfitter. Good way to get lost or not find your bear. This happens more often than not!! We will track and retrieve the hit animal for the hunter, usually with a large group.
We have 7 bear hunter each week for the next 3 weeks. Then on to whitetails.
****We are booked for the first 2 weeks of bear season 2016. Two groups this week rebooked for Sept 2016.
*** 98% who are booked for next year rebooked before they left this year!!!
She had a bear coming in behind her as another bear was in the bait.
She and her husband will be back!!!
Beaver Dam Bait.
Other hunter saw 3 and finnaly got his shot. DUMP BAIT.
True last minute bears!!!
*** one outfitter I know states " He only takes 5 hunters to keep his success high." Well..... this same outfitter only took one bear this week for five hunters. ***
We still have active, unhunted baits for each hunter for the rest of the season.
The hunter on PIPELINE BAIT had a complete miss on his bear.
This is the fourth bear Juan has seen on 2 different bait sites.
A dad (Dan Shook) from Michigan brought his 2 sons and a daughter. Very well behaved young hunters. The dad raised them well as hunters.
Also, I had never been called sir as much as the week Buckrub was here. Also a very enjoyable young man to have in camp. After he tagged his bear he ran baits with Saxon.
Chris, out of curiosity what percentage of your hunters us a gun?
Now adays most sites are less than 23 yard set ups.
The week of Sept 6 to 12 we have 50-50.
We got about 4 inches of rain over night. Roads were rough today!!
Buller #2 bait.
Next 2 weeks is wolf/bear hunters.
I chickened out at this washout. I started sliding off the road half way across.
First year hunting with us. He'll be back again!!
****To use beef or pork the meat has to come from certified inspected animals.
Way to go guides and hunters alike. God Bless
We were done tracking and retrieving at 1:30 this morning.
Wolf opens September 15, as does Grouse.
The other bear is a X Large bear, Pope and Young for sure!!
Stomach of the X Large bear is packed with blue berries.
BULLER #1 BAIT.
Brian Whitmore, of Webster City Iowa.
