Nocturnal Bears
Wisconsin
I have had two nice boars hitting my bait only after dark. The smaller one has been coming in since around August 15 3 nights in a row then gone for a couple days and back again, and only one visit from the big guy.. The earliest the bait is hit is around 8:30pm. I'm consistent with my bait time around 3:00 every day and about 2 ice cream pails each time bang on the pail and liquid smoke the leaves good. Wearing rubber gloves and rubber boots too.
I was thinking of cutting back in the amount of bait and switching it up starting this weekend with some popcorn, sugar, and syrup mixed with the trail mix. Started with trail mix about s week ago, acorns are dropping in Chippewa county. Unfortunately I can't bait in the mornings due to work. Any suggestions how I get these big dudes to show their faces in the daylight? landowner had the same problem two years ago. The bigger one we think is pushin 400.
Cooler weather might help, can you arrange some of that?
Some bears are just night eaters, especially when it is easy to find. Might also have something to do with human activity in the area.
Likely not bedding nearby, or not enough bait for the big one to not use your bait as its main source of food. Two ice cream buckets is likely a snack for the amount of food being placed, or your bait isn't in high demand.
Cooler weather is what we don't need, the cooler the weather the less they eat, especially if it is around 50. Budbow...try baiting earlier, you might be bumping those bears while you walk in at 3:00 to bait, pushing them back to a later feeding time and then sometimes no matter what you do they are just smarter than the average bear. Good luck that sure is a bruiser.
If you can get multiple bears coming in to the bait you won't have to cut back. Pouring some liquid scent in the area where the bears stand will create trails that other bears will find leading back to your bait. This will create some competition. Then baiting earlier might help bring them in earlier to get there first after baiting it.
I don't want to derail this thread, but I have bears coming in son after I bait. Doesn't matter if it is 7am or noon. I thought about baiting later in the afternoon to mimic when I will be in stand, but I don't want to mess up their schedule. Not sure what to do
Kylet, that's not a bad problem to have. Have someone walk in with you and have them walk out while you're on stand. Nothing wrong with shooting a bear in the morning or Noon if they'll show up soon afterwards.
Jeff, the past few mornings have that fall feeling.
He was back last night, so at least he is still interested. Baiting earlier is not an option unfortunately. Hopefully one of them slips up and shows up when I'm in the stand.
Jeff, the past few mornings have that fall feeling.
He was back last night, so at least he is still interested. Baiting earlier is not an option unfortunately. Hopefully one of them slips up and shows up when I'm in the stand.
Budbow- Put a scent out that you have not used before, but don't over do it.
Kylet- As far as the bears coming in soon after you bait that's a good thing. We have killed bears in as little as 15 minutes after baiting. The hunter gets into the stand and gets set, gives the baiter the thumbs up. The baiter fills the bait and walks out.
If you can't get anyone to tag along, put the bucket behind the base of your tree upside down and hope for the best.
Nothing better than the phone call shortly after getting to the truck!
Do not use a bucket on the day of your hunt, use a pillowcase, use dry goods for bait, the pillow case folds and packs away nicely in your pocket or backpack. Never leave a bucket near your tree stand or anywhere near, it only attracts unwanted attention from the bears. You do not want the bucket to pull the attention away from a shooter coming into your bait in the last few minutes of shooting time or any bear.
I left the bucket out once when I hunted from a ground spot. A cub played with the bucket a while and darn near brought it back to me. I had to wave at him to get him to leave. Fortunately he/she did. Using a bag to carry the bait is a good tip.
A similar tip, bring a well sealed up bag of hard candy kind of stuff with you when you hunt. Or a can of some sort of food that has an easy open lid. That way if the bait is already empty you can add that little bit to get the bears attention.
I too have my best two bears (different baits) coming in an hour or so after I bait. We will see how things go the next few days. Gonna increase the bait quantity on those baits to a full 5 gallons, maybe they are afraid other bears that are on those baits will get it first.
Mike- was thinking the same thing. I was thinking maybe butterscotch scent.
Budbow-
That's a good choice.
Went out and made all the bait's "smell good" yesterday with one of the hunters. It looks pretty good, but we all know it can change in a moments notice.
I have never had any issue with bears being drawn to the buckets, but now you've got me thinking.....
I wonder what the wife is going to say tonight when I bring home a bunch of black pillow cases and put drawstrings in them.....
Great idea! Thanks
Mike F- If you have a Goodwill in the area you can get pillow cases cheap. I always have my hunters bring them.
MF-
Stopped by Walmart in hopes of picking up some good inexpensive pillow cases. They had a blow-out on some camo ones 2 for $4 I picked up what I need plus some spares.
Threw them into the wash machine with the ropes for drawstrings and some scent free soap.
Thanks Mike!!!
Bait early in the day. Have noticed the baits I run in the morning. Get hit far more during the daylight hours. Than those baited in the afternoons!
Mike F...Camo even..sweet. Steve White.. you are spot on about the mornings.
Holey crap, that is a hog.
Smell good baits, from the day I started baits I sprinkle some fruit smelling powder stuff, some squirt bacon attracatant, and some bacon gel smeared on a couple trees since I started baiting. I make a point of spraying a lot near the bait and some toward the direction of my stand in hopes that it might help a little in covering up some of my scent. I also make a point of not putting any near the camera.
I see the sun is visible over the tree tops, time to get my butt out of this recliner and off to the baits.
Sometimes you need a definitive indication that the bait has been baited and you WERE there. Bears know the food is there. They know when YOU ARE there. They associate smell of bait and absence of your scent as baiter. I truly believe getting them accustomed to a strong smell that is both natural, but not necessarily a food attractant. People think grease or sweet sprays are good call lures, but it is just food-based. Try something like beaver castor. It stinks and says the bait is there, but not a food call necessarily. Even a call lure like skunk essence. Not necessarily food, but a natural smell that doesn't rely on strictly food smell or body odor to say bait is set. It leaves an odor, but not necessarily food-based. The bear gets a lingering odor, long after the bait is gone. Currently, when bait and baiter is gone, so is majority of smell emanating from site. Keep a lingering smell that stays at bait site even after bears leave. Not going to cover human scent, but keeps site with a natural smell that isn't necessarily a food draw and can stack odds in your favor to change up a nocturnal bear. Big bears get big because they are smart. They avoid humans...but they still eat. Shake it up with a lingering non-food odor to show him that the bait smells with not only a food smell and the smell lingers after food is consumed.
I've been switching up my scents and bait the last two weeks. He comes in about an hour after dark regardless of what time i bait or if I hunt that spot or not. Came in at 8:15pm on Tuesday. Only 1 boar visiting regularly and he's a good one. So yesterday I put out fresh popcorn and hunted til dark. No bears came in so I tipped the stump over and took the bait out with me leaving just the scent of the fresh popcorn. I'm doing the same thing today. The landowner is going to bait tomorrow am, and I will hunt the evening.
Next week I think I might bait before I go to work around 4:30am and then hunt late afternoon and take the bait out when I leave.
It's a gamble, he might abandon the bait or he might stay nocturnal or he might show up in daylight. Some bear $hit from a different bear would probably help too. He's gotta be hanging around pretty close to the bait.
Be sure beaver castor is synthetic and not real animal gland or it is illegal.
Just a clarification which I already knew, but I will paste the response from the DNR about beaver caster use for bear baiting:
"The bear regulations state that liquid scents are not considered to be animal byproducts. In answer to your question, yes you may use beaver castor as long as it is a liquid scent. I have added a link to the bear regulations here. http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/wm/WM0197.pdf"
I am not sure if use of animal parts is illegal because of trichinosis spread or habituation bears to meat. By this rule of liquid scents, I assume bacon grease as a liquid and fryer oil from fish would also be legal for use. I don't really care, but if by definition "liquid scent", that opens up a lot of scent that is misconstrued as animal parts.
I've twice had luck by leaving only a little bait behind but leaving poop from another bear at the site. When hunting Ontario that's what we did stopped along road in different area and picked up poop that happened to be filled with berries in a zip lock bag. Then left it at bait site and took most of bait back to camp. First time I killed 270lb next day. Second time took 2 days and got a 295 that was on cam a few hours after hunting time to come in right at sunset. Sounds silly but I'm a believer. Makes the big nocturnal think a young guy is cleaning his bait out early and leaving his scent to mark it. Good luck.
Liquid honey is an animal byproduct and illegal to use as a scent, bait or in a burn.
End of discussion
Bacon grease is also an animal by product, Not legal.
Fryer grease is not an animal by product, legal of strained to remove all of the particals from the fish.
In order for it to be a liquid scent it MUST be pourable at 72 degrees. I don't know of any "real" bacon grease that is pourable at 72 degrees.
There is on manufacturer that makes bacon, shellfish and castor scent smear and it is all synthetic, which is legal.
Remember all scents need to be included in your 10 gallon limit also.
All the beaver scents I use trapping and own have glands in them. Synthetic is available but don't like them as well. As I stated and Mike clarified as well, glands make it illegal even if it pours out of the container in liquid form.
Does anybody know the reason why animal products are illegal to bait with? I had assumed spread of trichinosis and or habituation. Interesting as honey could be construed as liquid but implicitly states it cannot be used (maybe due to apiary destruction/lobbying).
My guide used a product called "Knock Out". I assumed it was a gland lure. Sure did stink.
Knock Out I used in Ontario a few times was made by James Valley scents, they have a couple great bear lures. But it is a gland lure and contains bear glands. In WI it is illegal. They are illegal, I was told by a Biologist and Warden due to not wanting to develop a propensity to eat meat and other human food sources etc. thus creating more human contact issues. I know sounds stupid but the logic I was given over the years.
Screwball, just to clarify../my guide was in Canada so assuming Knock Out was legal for use.
My mistake, I misspoke. The Knock Out "I believe" is legal (don't quote me), a loud long range call, I was thinking the Bruin Buster which is a beaver gland lure they market. Knock Out if you get brave and really smell it I believe is injected some how with something that smells like liquid propane. They do not list Knock Outs ingredients. It is a great bear lure though. Have used their deer and bear scents for years.
