I have been a bear baiter for nearly 30 years. I think what you use for bait effects the taste of the bear- and here in Idaho; we are required to salvage the bear meat.
In that light; I use sweets; not meats. Used to be it was easy to find bait; but now- now finding bait: is a hunting adventure of its own.
One thing you can always use is popcorn. Pop up 25 gallons of it for each night; and when you pop it- pour jello mix on it; or syrups; or sugar.
I also use grain; (not whole oats!) But rolled oats and in a 'sweet mix'. You buy it in 50 pound bags.
Dogfood with syrup poured on it works well; but sweet grains works well too.
Fish is a no-no if you want good tasting bear meat. In Alaska and other areas where fish are a main part of a bears diet; the thought of eating bear meat: makes people sick.
But inland grizzlies and black bears that eat berries and leaves for the primary part of their diet- the bears are utilized for their meat and the fat ( which is used for making pie crusts for one thing).
Camo is important; and can with old bears be a real need. But stand placement is probably the most important thing.
If you outline yourself - bears used to hunters: WILL pick you off; best camo or not.
You need to be part of a tree with lots of branches for cover to break up your outline.
Bears like to walk downwind of a bait to check it out first; and if your not high enough in the tree- they will pick you off that way too. Of course you can use the contour of the land to help with this; but believe me; bears do not want to die; and work hard to avoid danger when approaching a bait.
Yes young bears; and those not exposed to hunters will blunder into baits. But most old bears are really wise about baits; baiting; and hunters.
I think my most affective way to hunt bears is to utilize two stands over one bait. Both are placed as perfectly as possible; and you use only one until you kill a bear--or-- know for sure you have been picked off. Then- move to the other stand.
The longer the stand stays there untouched; the better the chance that scent will not alert the bears to its presence.
I also like to put a sweet treat- like cherry gumdrops- just a handful- where I can shoot only from from the stand I am NOT hunting. ..Always a treat in safety..that is what you want the bear to think.
I want a bear to come in thinking he has totally fooled me- (and believe me they do that virtually- if not every- night of the hunt).
I hopefully just need the bear to be fooled once.
While I try to do that with one stand; having a second set up ready is a great plan.
Your not hunting an animal that has no clue what death is; or that is not used to fear. Boars will kill cubs to force a sow into heat; sows know this; and cubs learn about danger early in life.
If they live long enough to be a big bear; they will probably have been attacked more than once by other bears; and have seen other bears die over territorial disputes; and as food to other bears.
While some bears are not thinking 'death from above'; bears in most areas are thinking about hunters in trees. Its not a give away.
As noted; although every bear can look stupid- those that are hunter stupid- are virtually all from areas where a bear has never seen or smelled a human; let alone have to think about hunters.
If your hunting Idaho; your not likely to ever see such a bear.
Ideally your treestand should be from 12 to 15 feet off the ground. In reality you might have to go up 25 feet; and that makes your shot angles critical.
I have taken all my 15 or so bears- from within 15 yards. You want a sure shot; a sure identification ( as to presence of cubs); and the ability to move without making noise.
Bears have ears that work well for them.
Expect a big bear to watch a bait from about a hundred yards or more: all day. The bear will watch you go in; and if you don't come out - it will note it. It will figure out your routine; and then use it to its advantage. If you set up a pattern; like leaving the stand at dark; the bear will wait until after dark to come in.
If it gets used to you coming in after the thermals change; it will probably come in before the thermal change.
Everything makes mistakes; and that includes bears. But if your method is to wait until the bear makes a mistake- you probably will not get the bear your after. You have to figure out what the bear has figured out about you; and then trick it.
It is like hunting a trophy whitetail; you have to be thinking all the time.
This is a good time to start: for next springs hunt
Topic: Idaho Spring Bear (Read 627 times)
