When to start bear bait.
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
I'm wondering what you think about when to start a bear bait. I have a couple baits established that were baited the last couple years. I was thinking maybe around July 4th. Any advice on start times and different types of bait would be appreciated
They kill plenty of bears in mn with only two weeks of prebaiting. Personally the forst three weeks were always the best for bear sightings at my baits. Then some natural foods take presendence and some go dead. Im far from a pro but get it done when we draw tags. That will be my strategy going forth
July sounds like a good start date for you but I have always started placing teaser baits (once a week) as early as I could but usually baiting 3x starting by June, there's a huge reason why I start baiting in June, its the bears breeding season, a bait station that has been active for some time will hopefully attract more than one of those monster bears you are looking for. Allot of those big educated bears, its not there home range, they are just moving threw searching for sows but they are highly intelligent and will remember that there's a bait station there and may venture back for a few days during the hunting season. I don't get really excited until about Aug 15th, by then I usually will know what bears are committed to what bait stations. One of the biggest bears we shot (639lbs never seen before) showed up two weeks before the season started. One of the other main reasons why I start so early baiting is I love doing it, I get excited checking cameras, it good exercise, your out with nature etc. As far as bait, scent is a must and good clean fresh bait, don't let that bear get bored with the same bait, mix it up at times (use different bait). I could go on and on but most importantly just have fun with the pre-season build up before the season starts. Good Luck
Great post MF. I hunted and baited Michigan last year. You can only start baiting 30 days before the season begins there. I felt like I missed 1/2 the fun and anticipation.
Trapper I think that MI has got it right,,,,
I also start around May 1st. A lot like MF said about the boars roaming for sows. I had a friend that I helped and they had a massive boar at one of their sites in June numerous times, by July he was gone. Third week of season he showed himself and she killed a 706# bear. You always want bears to be faithful and comfortable when coming to their kitchen.
When to start baiting is more a question for you to answer. Start as early as you are able to or want to. MF does it right but not everyone can do that much . When I bait Wisconsin I do like Mike does because I am close. When I hunt Minnesota I don't start baiting until we go up to hunt. Sometimes that is after the season started, sometimes it is 4 days before season. Some baits don't even get started until after we are hunting on other baits. We did a lot of that last year and the bear I shot was on one of those baits we started days after the season opened. Actually even after one of our partners quit hunting it. Often we go to parts of the state I have never hunted in before just to add some challenge and explore new areas. But MN is a hunt every 3rd or 4th year so no big deal if it ends up a bust. Not like waiting 8+ years for a tag.
Every time I've started baiting more than 2 weeks in advance my baits go dead right about the time I'm ready to hunt (labor day)...so now I only begin 7-10 days in advance. Nice thing about that is the bait is fresh and I don't have to pay through the nose and compete with everybody else for every last day old doughnut...which in my mind takes the fun right out of it!
I always start no later than 4th of July weekend. However here in zone C I may start waiting until a few weeks before season. I am sick of the guys that just drive around looking for active baits and start one a stones throw from mine.
Rut - That's a good idea. There are too many people cutting the bears off from established baits sites in zone C. Last year I had a guy cut me off on one of my established baits so I shut it down, pulled the bait log and won't be using that bait again.
I start new baits in May and established baits in June, Like MF and Hoot said it's nice to get boars on an established routine. Keep the bait fresh and smelling good and you will get a chance to kill a bear. Even if you get a bear to come in regularly it's all a crapshoot when the season starts.
That is a big problem in C. If people are purposely cutting people off that's one thing. But, a lot of times you don't know where others are. I have one that I have used for years now. In talking to other people I know, I found out there are dozens around me that I had never seen. There are just too many tags for not enough space in C. You can get bear coming in, but they quit right around opener every year.
Live2hunt - I have to agree to a certain point. My baits certainly drop off a week or so before the opener and pressure in the woods increases dramatically. to say the least. I have found that if they feel pressure they will slow down, but not stop, unless the pressure is very high. We have killed some nice bears on public land in the middle of the season in Portage County.
Sure it can happen on accident. But if people would scout out a bait site area before they start. You can usually find if there are other current sites. In my case it was the same group of guys that found mine and took them over. This happened at 3 baits. The only way I found out who it was, is a farmer from the area knows these "hunters".
Like I have said before. There are way too many tags issued in zone C. If they cut the tags in half. The success rates would go up. They just don't want to lose that revenue.
I copied this off of my post on the other Bear thread.
The DNR doesn’t want a population of bear in C and below due to increased conflicts and not a true bear range thus the reason for the high quota and tags. This is what I got with talking with biologists while being on the CC Bear committee
Except issuing too many tags does exactly the opposite of what they are intending.
Rut +1- The DNR even admitted this two years ago. When we had guys move in on us in Northern Bayfield County, we just out baited the competition.
Rut X2 Hoot nailed it. You can out bait others, but sometimes they screw up a bait location that it is best to just pull it and move on. I have had hunters set a bait within 200 yards of my bait and do something to my bait to shut it down. Then it is best to just pull the pin and move on.
Fast Freddie.... while we are at it, lets also charge all the deer hunters (archery & rifle) on public land also, all stands registered GPS and given to the DNR, charge $25, deer hunters seem to get a little protective also, DNR can check on over baiting, all monies can go for CWD research. Great idea about hiring the hillbillies north of HWY 8, forget the gas & beer, moonshine will do.
Fast Freddie - I can tell you horror stories about guys that hire someone to bait for them. Better put trail cams up to make sure it gets baited more than a couple of times and make sure they have a guide license.
Hey fast Freddie.. nice comment about the people who live north of Hwy 8, what an insult.
I have no problem with the guide service using the public land,,,, but they also must remember it is public land..... I always respect the other guy,,,,, BUT some guides can be real dicks, wanting to have the whole area, instead of sharing,,,,, I have seen that first hand,,,, there is plenty of room.......
I would like to see less tags, to make the experience better,,,,, I love the dog hunts also but we all have to learn to share a little, and the dog training season is too long,,,
bear hunting is very popular, not like the 80 and 90's anymore,,,, we all want a piece of the pie, to make each others hunt a good hunt, you must respect the other guy
I have rarely had any trouble with other bear hunters including other guides, but then again in Northern Bayfield County there's plenty of public land. Hoot, you know about this. Two local guides (me being one of them) entered a area to start up a bait station, neither one new the other was there (1/4 mile apart) until one of the helpers seen my truck parked there while I was baiting. Season was upon us and to much time and money was already invested so we agreed on I would stop baiting it one week before the season opener and the other guide would have the first 3 days, after that it was my turn. Both hunters took nice bears off those baits. The moral of the story is hunters have to work together, most hunters and guides are good people. There's always going to be that one bad apple that gives the rest of us a bad rap.
Fast Freddie is just another troll ignore him.
I hate it when bear scatt with corn it in shows up near my baits and there is no planted corn anywhere near the area and I do not use corn.
Sure baits will slow down as the season nears. Berries are edible, as well as other natural and farm crops are edible. Plus bears are full from yours and other baits in the area. Your bait needs to be better than what others use.
Anyone that wants to use bakery products this year had better be collecting it NOW. Would be even better if you have already collected all you need by now. Other waste type of bait sources too.
I'm not a bear hunter, yet... a few years of points needed in Wisconsin and a ton in Michigan. That being said I have no clue about tactics.
Do you have to bait bears if not using dogs? Unable to pattern like deer? Just ask as everyone seems to hate on deer feeding but bear feeding is the norm on here. Not stirring a pot, truly curious.
Can you feed bears for wildlife viewing? There was a restaurant in the u.p. (ground hunter likely knows of it) that used to feed bears in back, was really cool to watch bears while eating dinner. That place has been closed for a while now, can't imagine there insurance company was happy about the entertainment they offered
northbound... all your questions (perfectly legit) have been asked and discussed here at one time or another. 1) No you do not. 2) Tough to pattern like deer. 3) I will let others chime in with the last question
I have to agree that corn showing up a week before the opener and the closest corn field being 20 plus miles away always raises a question or 2 on who is baiting/feeding deer in the area. Northbound - right from the Bear baiting and feeding regulations-
Regulations on Feeding: 1. It is not legal to place or deposit feed for bears for purposes other than legal bear hunting or bear dog training. So putting a bear bait out with out the intention of hunting or training purposes is illegal.
I would not even consider putting a bait in your back yard to watch them either. You are just asking for trouble....
Also, if you are feeding deer for your viewing pleasure and a bear shows up to eat some you are required to stop feeding the deer.
who stays awake at night and comes up with these rules?
Northbound - True a lot of people don't like baiting for deer, but hunting bear without bait and being successful is very minimal to say the least. Jeff - I know a lot of people that bait bears with corn so that might be the reason you're seeing corn in their scat.
Hoot, that is 100% the case that when corn shows up in bear scat up north someone is using it for bear bait. Especially when it is before bow season starts and the area is somewhat remote. That's why I hate it when that happens. If you are having trouble finding bears just before and early in season then look where there are corn fields in the area. That is how I got my Minnesota bear last fall. Setup a bait about 300 yards from standing corn, that was the closest we could get and it worked because the bear hung out in the swampy wooded area where we setup the bait.