Bear baiting: yes or no?
New York
I bet I get 200 bear pics a year but I only saw one once in person.
That being said, I wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to use bait for the early bear season. What do you guys think?
I would be willing to bet that over 50% of NY bears are taken over bait already.
I know few hunters who would shoot a bear given the chance. I think there are less and less hunters willing to shoot a bear while the bear numbers increase. It would take a number of serious human/bear incidents to get enough momentum to allow baiting. Even if they got that far, what would be allowed for bear bait (that couldn't be considered deer/waterfowl bait)? Maybe you can show our governor how much money could be made by allowing baiting.??
(Added - Yes, I would support bear baiting in NY, it is already allowed for coyote/fox)
I went on a bear hunt in Canada two years ago in the spring. The guide dropped us off at the bait sites. Out of five hunters for five days we saw and took 2 bears. How many would have been taken with out bait sights. Bait does not guarantee success with a black bear. All for it.
I agree, I think a high percentage of the bear harvest in NY is already taken over bait. I have spring bear hunted several times in southern Quebec over bait, where there are whitetails present . I never saw a deer come to the bait sites. Also, hunting bear over bait allows the hunter to be more selective. Few hunters will shoot a sow with cubs over bait.
A baited spring season would eliminate any concern about taking deer over bait .
I also support it and remember when bear hunting with hounds was legal. That said, unless the NYS government changes drastically, I doubt we will ever see it. I hunted over bait in Maine and what they used for bait would not attract deer, so I doubt that is the reason for not allowing bear baiting. Also, unlike the xbow manufacturers pouring $$$ into lobbying for a season so they can sell their products , bear baiting has no $$$ to be made .
Squash, I agree there is some money, but not enough for the governor to anger the leftist anti hunting crowd. More importantly no money or interest from big industries like the xbow manufacturers to lobby( eg: pay off) the governor, legislators and outdoor writers like they did for a xbow season.
I'm strongly against allowing baiting. I think that bear hunting in NY is a fantastic challenge. Baiting would remove much of that challenge.
We also have such a high population density (humans) that spreading bait sites far enough apart would be very difficult. Allowing baiting on public land would be a disaster.
Yeah, sad wildlife management isn’t 100% science based, instead of emotion and politics. I can tell you after 32 years at the DEC, there are a lot of very good biologists that are hamstrung because of political pressure. We were taught at ESF, wildlife management is easy, it’s people management that is impossible.
Overland, I agree it probably would not work in all of NY State.
If they allowed bear baiting in the NZ there should be very little conflict. I think it would be awesome to run a spring bear bait on my property in 6k.
I like the spring bear hunt idea and would be for baiting on private lands during such season, but does baiting work in the spring?
States that allow baiting for bears: Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming
States that allow spring bear hunting: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
I have been hunting over bait in New Brunswick, Canada for 20 years (spring) with an outfitter. Every hunt has been over bait and believe me it is not a slam dunk by any means. I have seen more bears come into the beat than I can count, but believe me just like deer hunting not every bear is a keeper! After three years I realized I enjoyed learning more about bears then I did just pulling the string and killing them. I have probably seen every type of bear behavior a hunter could possibly see. out of all the bear I have seen I have only taken five. And out of those only 1 went P&Y. It’s not that I haven’t seen more P&Y bears, they either will not come in or would not give me a good shot. So when New York State and Governor Cuomo Tell you baiting should not be allowed, they have no first-hand information to base their opinion on!!!!!!! And just like with their “New York SAFE ACT” They think they know what’s best for us . I think not friends!
I have been hunting over bait in New Brunswick, Canada for 20 years (spring) with an outfitter. Every hunt has been over bait and believe me it is not a slam dunk by any means. I have seen more bears come into the beat than I can count, but believe me just like deer hunting not every bear is a keeper! After three years I realized I enjoyed learning more about bears then I did just pulling the string and killing them. I have probably seen every type of bear behavior a hunter could possibly see. out of all the bear I have seen I have only taken five. And out of those only 1 went P&Y. It’s not that I haven’t seen more P&Y bears, they either will not come in or would not give me a good shot. So when New York State and Governor Cuomo Tell you baiting should not be allowed, they have no first-hand information to base their opinion on!!!!!!! And just like with their “New York SAFE ACT” They think they know what’s best for us . I think not friends!
I have been hunting over bait in New Brunswick, Canada for 20 years (spring) with an outfitter. Every hunt has been over bait and believe me it is not a slam dunk by any means. I have seen more bears come into the beat than I can count, but believe me just like deer hunting not every bear is a keeper! After three years I realized I enjoyed learning more about bears then I did just pulling the string and killing them. I have probably seen every type of bear behavior a hunter could possibly see. out of all the bear I have seen I have only taken five. And out of those only 1 went P&Y. It’s not that I haven’t seen more P&Y bears, they either will not come in or would not give me a good shot. So when New York State and Governor Cuomo Tell you baiting should not be allowed, they have no first-hand information to base their opinion on!!!!!!! And just like with their “New York SAFE ACT” They think they know what’s best for us . I think not friends!
Pat, I agree, but we are talking NY, so one can only dream.
Well, I guess I'll be the odd man out here. I don't support baiting in any manner, deer or bear. What's the difference? Pile of donuts or such for the bear or pile of corn or apples for the deer? Food plots? Nothing but deer bait. Oh...Oh...other animals benefit from your food plots. Bull...you planted them to attract deer. If you're not a farmer and plant a crop to harvest, let's face it...it's bait. Look at other states where baiting is permitted and all the problems. Guys fighting over bait piles and such. Really...are we that decrepit that we can't hunt animals in their natural environment?
I have no interest in killing a bear. That said there are a lot of valid points on both sides of argument. IMO the state could make a bunch of money, but probably not smart enough to figure that out. And I agree ,large % of bears that are shot are already shot over bait.
So I guess hunting around Crabapple trees or a beech or oak ridge is also wrong.
Cornpone, I think your post is bait to try and light this thread up ? ????
Squash...not at all. Pat mentioned having the opportunity to use bear bait, I just gave my opinion of such.
I have taken a couple of bears over the years...one on a baited hunt in Quebec and one in the Catskills during the deer season. I don't think I would take another but am all for baiting bears...Spring and Fall. Nothing wrong with increasing opportunities and getting some more people out in the woods. I hate to by cynical but I would bet that the majority of successful bear hunters in NYS are aided with some type of bait...
When I went on my hunt in Quebec I had never hunted bear, I could not tell the difference between a sow and a boar. When my bear came into the bait it allowed me to watch it for 20 minutes on the bait and not seeing any cubs take the shot. If I had seen cubs I would have passed. Sorry I shot this with a gun.
Pat: Count me in on that idea. It would make the season more enjoyable as well. On the lighter side, if you could get New York to allow it Governor Lamont would probably open a season and allow baiting inCt. too !
All for it since like posted above I would bet most bears are already taken over bait. it would be a good management tool rather than the DEC killing all the problem bears even some with cubs.
I think most bears in NY are shot over bait. As I recall in the old days you could bait a site 10 days prior to the season. I have no issue with baiting on private land and some public in the Northern zone for example. There are plenty of acres and not many hunters in some places.
I would at minimum like to see them liberalize the scent rules. 1.5oz of liquid isn't really enough to attract much. I would think with a quart or a gallon of anise oil you might bring one in.
I can take it or leave it. I think in areas like the catskills where the population is high and that they would like to increase harvest it would make sense to allow it
I'm for one of two things:
1. Legalize baiting. Like many have said, it's happening. My neighboring area is baited for both deer and bear. Even with that, they haven't been able to seal the deal. My land, isn't baited but I suspect that things are drawn off the property to the bait. That hasn't stopped me from being successful either (on deer; like Pat, I've got tons of pics but never see one in the wild).
2. Prosecute/Fine those doing it. There isn't a fine line here. My guess is that each one of us knows a place or people who have a mineral/salt lick, apples, or whatever else. Heck, I've seen pickups full of potatoes go up into the woods. Of course, I know resources in the DEC are thin, but some of this stuff seems like easy pickings to me.
As for the "food plots are bait" I don't agree. It's hunting. it requires scent control, wind direction, etc. You still have to get a deer to come to the field and there are plenty of competing things in nature (Apples, oaks, maple leaves after a frost, berries, and that list goes on and on). Then it's got to be in range, be the right sex and positioned properly. I have a field that's an acre and a half deep in the woods. It's HARD work to keep it maintained. It's mostly clover and native grasses this year because of my time commitments being elsewhere. It's HARD to hunt that field! VERY hard. Deer can come from any direction making scent a problem, plus it's big enough that just because I see one doesn't mean I can shoot it. It's so challenging that I rarely hunt over it (maybe 2 or 3 times each season). Typically I'm hunting a saddle crossing, ridge line or oak flat.
