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Bear hunting

I was lucky enough to get a bear kill permit this year for zone B after 10 years and was hoping to get some advice from other hunters on a few topics. I have hunted this zone successfully 2 other times and have guided my dad, brother and a couple of friends to successful bear hunts over the years so I’m not a total rookie but would like some insight and opinions on a few topics below. Thanks for any help you can provide.

I’m hunting on private property and have been feeding 10 gallons every other day. I have identified at least 5 or 6 different bear coming in regularly with one that I would consider a “good” bear. It seems like for the first 24 hours there is a lot of action at my bait and then when it’s gone they don’t seem to come back until they know it been replenished and then the cycle repeats, a lot of action for the next 24 hours or so. For this reason I was thinking of feeding every day and reducing my feed in half. I don’t know that I can afford to dump 10 gallons every day for the next 3 plus weeks although I’m working on some free bait which would hopefully allow me to dump 10 gallons every day but I’m not there right now. Does this seem like a good idea? Do you see any problems with doing this?

Next concern I have is regarding scent. I’ve always been a “no scent is best” hunter. A lot of what I have been reading says that you should try to leave your scent in the area so the bear get used to it. Right now I wear rubber boots and gloves and do my best to leave no scent there. Should I be trying to leave some of my scent there? What is the best way to do that? Right now I’ve got some “shooter” bear coming in during the daylight and I’d hate to mess that up.

When it comes to bear there is no such thing as being scent free. Best you can do is minimize introducing smells that are not your own (or the one doing the baiting). Bears know and become accustomed to the scent of the person doing the baiting so don't bring a friend along who wears hi-karate aftershave, or your girlfriend who just painted her nails, or a fourwheeler if you don't normally use the fourwheeler to bait. On the other hand you don't need to go out of your way to hang one of your shirts for them to get used to your scent, because they already know what you smell like. You're trying to condition them to accept your scent rather than an all out approach to eliminate it. Rubber gloves...hold them up to your nose...smell anything??? Sure you do! Don't wear them if you haven't already been using them.

You have bear coming in, in the day time. Don't fix what ain't broken!

If you have bears in during the day don't mess with it.

I however have bear coming in at night all night two real good bears and 4 young bears I am baiting 8-10 every other day and they are cleaning it out every night I will continue this routine until right around the 2nd. Then I will cut my baits in half and refresh daily. First in, first and maybe the only to feed.

I'm sure that the bear are checking the baits in the second 24 hour period, they just don't have to "come in" to check it, they can smell if the bait is there or gone from a ways away. Far enough that the camera won't pick them up, but they are still checking. I wouldn't change a thing, sounds like you should be able to kill one the first day you hunt there.

Good luck and post pictures of what is coming in and if you have a successful hunt.

Headed to Manitoba on Saturday with a friend and our hunt starts on Monday. Can't wait to get into a stand. Thank the lord for Thermacells! :)

Scent free?? I really have to laugh at that. Year after year. My best, and most active baits. Are the ones we are at on a daily basis. Sometimes 2,3,4 times during the same day. There could be as many as 5 people each time at these baits. Many different people with just me alone going in. No telling what/who else is checking in on them. Then of course there could also be a pile of dogs in, and around the bait. Doing what dogs do of course.

Now with all that activity and scent. Baits still getting hit daily. About 90% of hits during daylight. With most in last 2 hrs of light. Not so sure about the scent free thing.

However, it may/could make a difference while on stand. More so I suppose if you bait less, and are first time or rare smell at the bait. Why some outfitters ask for a sweated up tshirt for the bait. Me, I would pet the dogs up before leaving. Smoke in truck, play with bait. Then even smoke in the stand. Doubt it would have any affect at all. But, I am normal part of the scenery. Make sense??

Thanks for all the input. I think I’ll try to be a little more liberal with my scent as I go in and out. I’m also going to start feeding every day for the next week and see how it goes. I’ve got a decent bear that comes in every morning at about 6:15 after I’ve fed the previous afternoon but he doesn’t always seem to show up on the second day after I haven’t fed. I’m hoping I can get him to start showing up every morning, that’s my main reason I’m going to try to feed every day. He also comes in every afternoon as well. I’m gonna try to add a few pics, hopefully they show up.

It is certainly good to bait daily if you can. But don't burn yourself out doing more than you can do in a day. Every second day should be more than enough to keep them there. I don't try to bait daily till about a week before hunting it.

On the scent thing, go in clean when you hunt but don't use any soaps etc then that you did not use while baiting. Try to keep everything as similar as possible. That includes washing your baiting clothes the same way you wash your hunting clothes.

Remember, a bear knows he is a thief. If you do anything different when you hunt he might think you are wise to his crimes and change his methods of theft, usually going nocturnal to out smart you.

No offense Steve, but if you have multiple people and dogs on your baits all summer so that is the norm for bears using your 'bait' sites. People who have zero activity at their baits besides bears and the person baiting it do need to worry about introducing new smells or activity. Those people should also refrain from walking on the trails that the bears use to approach the bait. It tells the bears you are wise to their thefts and trying to catch them. (unless of course the bears are walking to the bait on the same trail you use for baiting, then that is normal activity to the bear)

Jeff, never offended!

That was my point within a point. People get to crazy about baiting, and scent free. Take the kids, dogs, heck, even grandma! Make the noise, leave all the scent you can. Even if you can only bait once or twice a week. This is still going to help make them more comfortable to strange smells at the baits. Start spraying that scent free stuff around the bait, and where you plan to put the stand. Sure it kills human odors so they say. It still has a smell itself. At least every product I have looked at does. At least when sprayed can smell it. Not a lingering smell like BO, but some scent. Leave as much as you can when your baiting. This way when more scent is at the bait because you are now hunting it. It wont be as critical.

Activity level is a separate issue. People, etc at the baits is one thing. Your talking a handful at most at designated spots. This is completely different than the overall activity level when the army hits the woods on the general opener. Regardless of how much activity is normal at my baits. The shear number of people tromping all over the woods has a greater impact. Duck season has a tendency to completely shut down one string of our baits.

I really dont like baiting when the bear would normally be hitting the baits. At least from a sitter stand point. I know the big bear are coming in between 6pm and dark. Baiting at this time could be a problem. Don't want them coming in a hour or 2 after you baited at 7pm. To think that they will come before that time is foolish as well. Sure they might, but if your bating normally at 7pm. Odd are against a harvest at 5pm. I know makes it harder with work and all. Now if I am just planning on running the dogs. Then running baits up to and even in the dark is great. Bear coming in after are perfect tracks.

In regards to this many will say 2 in 1 out. Bang the buckets for the dinner bell. Yes, of course this works at times. Any noise at the bait while baiting will eventually be associated with food. Perfect example. At the baits I normally run the dogs off. The dinner bell is the dogs. We roll up to a bait the whole woods knows it. Especially if a bear was recently there. I have found when not running the dogs, or at least baiting with them. The number of hits between 9-1 drops off dramatically. I also most of the time will yell out COME AND GET IT!! Been known to yell at a sow and cubs from time to time as well. Just not the most quite of folks when running baits one might say.

Conditioning them would best sum it up.

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