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Hey guys,
I have never hunted bears over bait. I have my best friend flying up from FL and he wants to kill a bear. I have 2 spots in the no quota zone in MN. Wondering if a few of you would chime in and give me some good tips on what to look for when setting up and best practices for baiting? My spots are about 4 miles apart and about 20 acres each. I am sure if I ask around, I can get additional permission. A bear was spotted by another friend of mine at one of the locations, so I was thinking of starting there.
Thanks Hitman
I have only baited out west, so I don't know area specifics or regulations. But look for relatively thick, brushy areas that have a water source nearby. If you can get on a knob/ridge/hill, that will help distribute the smell of your bait. A good "filler" bait is the oats rolled in molasses that you can buy at any feed store. The bear has to stay at the bait to eat it, and it's relatively cheap and easy. Then add some other treats, marshmallows, jello powder, etc. If you can get your hands on some old frier oil from a grill or donut shop that is a winner too. Also try some liquid smoke mixed with vegetable oil in a spray bottle. Spray up high on leaves and brush to distribute scent. Most importantly, have fun!
Stop in at Lucky Seven bear bait for an endless supply of Bear Bait, Cambridge Mn. Was there today, parking lot was packed with Mn. bear hunters getting their supplies today.
I dont know MN regulations, but making a giant jolly rodger will keep a bear at a site for a long time.
I'm like you - no experience with bears but I do know they like apples.
The trail mix from lucky 7 is the bomb, never seen bears eat like that, I don't use it because they would clean me out in a day and that's using 5 drums, corn and deep fryer oil is what I use, its gives my 3-4 days until they empty me out, thats at a very established bear bait
Beaver carcus hanging over bait
Beaver carcus is NOT legal in Minnesota. It would have to be "de-boned". No bones from mammals may be used. But beaver is good bait.
Thanks for all the tips guys!!! I am more interested in my buddy getting a bear than myself. I shot one years ago in Montana (spot and stalk). I just want to show him a fun time.
Hitman
Any recommendations on what to put in a stink bag
Stink bag: cabbage, hamburger/bacon grease, and some water. "Bake" outside in the sun in a black garbage bag for several days. I put all the ingredients in a mesh laundry bag before going into black garbage bag so that I could easily hang the bag from a tree and disperse scent. May want to put garbage bag in a sealed bucket or garbage can if you don't want dogs/raccoons to mess with it before you leave.
The absolute best stink bait I've found is a 50/50 mix of fryer grease and fish remains that have been in bucket fermenting all summer until they turn to juice. It will gag a maggot and you DO NOT want to get it on you, but boy does it ever bring in the bears! They don't eat it, but it helps them locate the bait for sure. It's so awful that it kills any vegetation you put it on and even my old beagle (who was really into eating and rolling in gross stuff) would run the other way when I was mixing it. LOL! Try it, it works!
Take a smal portable camp stove and a pot you donnot use and make a burn when establishing the bait. The smoke will carry downwind a half mile and get hung in the trees drawing the traveling bears to your bait. Burn a big bag of marsmallows with 2 packages of berry flavored jello mix until the smoke starts rolling. Takes about half an hour. Cheap and very effective
It would be a heck of a lot easier & cheaper just to go to the grocery store, if it was just about "food on the table".
Blood sealed in buckets or livers is a very potent attractant
Wow bigdog21, you are the one missing the boat here. Hunting to most everybody is about the journey from hunt to hunt and season to season. Add a friend or a family member into the equation and that is as the commercial used to say is "priceless". You need to pump the brakes and reflect on how you are going about things!
Ive had the most fun in life filling my freezer, grocery store is fun too, lotsa milfs
OK bigdog21......we get it that you don't like baiting and don't hunt for "fun". However for many of us, the preparation of shooting, tuning bows, testing broadheads, scouting, setting up stands.....and hunting with our archery gear is recreation.....enjoyable and fun. The manner each species can be pursued is prescribed by the state authorities in charge of game management and individual hunters can utilize the methods that best suit their interest level, time available and enjoyment. You intentionally opened a bear baiting thread to give the counter view......you made your point and stated your views.....now let it go and allow the thread to stay on track.
On my first bear hunt in Ontario in the mid-1990's, they used buckets of expired peanut butter as a scent attractant by setting it several feet off the ground so the breeze could carry the odor. Since the carcass of beavers were allowed, the area was littered with small skulls and the "fresh" ones made for a great attractant, albeit very nasty if the wind shifted towards the stand. Cheap dog food with pancake syrup or molasses was also added along with the beaver and kept the bulk up for multiple bears. Of course stale donuts, baked goods and poptarts have also been used by many successful bear hunters. The trick there is to make friends with a local baker or distributor.
Has anyone tried bear estrous scent? For Spring that is.
I bet bigdog only makes love when he wants to procreate, never just for fun, right?
Life should be fun, no matter what you do make it fun. That includes putting food on the table.
