2nd shift bear?

[bowberry]

I live in black bear country. I work 2nd shift. I leave for work at 2:30 pm.

  I've never baited bear but I would like to try it. I under stand most bear-bait hunting is an afternoon/dusk deal. I could hunt Saturday pm, but if I could figure out a good AM plan I could hunt 6 days a week.

  Has any one ever done baiting for a dawn/morning hunt? any suggestions, thoughts, or ideas welcome. Kind of bait? when to bait? setup? approach?

thank you,
  Scott

[Bill Carlsen]

I had a bear last year that would come to my bait 3 or 4 times a day whenever he wanted. I was shooting with Joel Riotto at the Muzzy shoot and he killed several big bears between 10 AM and noon. If you have lots of bears that could mean lots of competition for a particular food source which means anytime is a good time.

[DarkTimber]

I've never set up a bait with the intention of it being a morning bait site but I've had some baits that saw quite a bit of morning activity.  

This one if from last year and this bear was far more active in the morning than the afternoon. You can see the time stamps on the pictures.

 

 

I've also hunted a bait in the morning until 10:00 then left for lunch and returned around 2:00 only to find the bait was hit while I was gone.  There are guys on here that are FAR more experienced in baiting than I am and hopefully they can give you some tips but I say if you can only hunt until 1:30 or 2:00 set up a bait station and give it a try, you never know.  Good Luck!

[ChuckC]

I have a guess that if you condition the local bears to come in to a bait site, then apportion the bait so that there is not a whole lot, meaning, first coupla bears on the bait get to eat, and feed in the morning.  

Make noise every time you feed, like, banging the bucket against a tree to empty it or some such.  Hell, bring a dang bell with you and "ring the dinner bell".  Don't matter.  

When it is time to hunt, have someone come in with you to fuss around while you get up in the tree or in your blind, then they ring the dinner bell and leave.

ChuckC

[Bill Carlsen]

Last year...same day, same bear...check the time.

 

 

 

[bowberry]

Thanks for the input and great photos. very encouraging.

[Wiley Coyote]

That is a fine bear!!! Going fall bear hunting in two weeks in Ontario. Hope to see this guy's distant cousin...........      

[monterey]

If you are intending to bait this fall, you have excellent morning opportunity's.  At least here in Colorado they begin their fall feeding binge right about now!  There is a name for it.  Something like "hyperphage".  They spend up to 18 hours per day eating.  If you are in your stand at first light you should have a pretty good chance.

I like Chuck's idea about the dinner bell.  It works on cattle.

[Whitetail Addict]

I've read recently that Ny is considering allowing the use of bait to help control a growing black bear population.

I'd love to be able to bait bears here, and if they end up letting us, I'd have to hunt mornings, as well as afternoons.

I know afternoon/evenings are supposed to be prime time, but I love the woods to begin with, and I don't think I could pass up being in a stand when there's a chance that a bear might come in. I'd try it for sure.

Good luck.

Bob

[bowberry]

Thanks to all. I guess I just assumed the whole PM thing.

whitetail addict; Be prepared for the anti-hunt croud to swoop in. We just had a another fight with them this last election. We won, but there is alot of out of state money that roles in.
 And Maine has been baiting for years.
I can't imagine the fight you might have in a state not baiting now.

[bowberry]

I think alot of people in maine bait with day old pastries,donuts cornbread ect.

Is there a sweetgrain mix that can be used instead?