School me on black bears ***Update page 7: Getting better!

[NBK]

A lot of rain the last few days and it looks like more coming for awhile.
I'm baiting every other day and carrying a shovel with me to get rid of the old soggy bait, (they don't eat it).  Started throwing in some gummi bears with the bait because at least they don't get soggy!

Here's a pic of a decent bear recently.  No "big" ones have been in lately.
 

Had a helper with me last Saturday morning.  10 year old daughter Kate.  Not going to make a habit of it for scent reasons, but I wouldn't be much of a dad if I didn't let her experience this.
 

And just making sure this is "trad" related, she can shoot.
 

[suburbanirma]

Two more weeks 'til you've got a big bruin down. Enjoy the adventure.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

[NBK]

Well fellas, I'm starting to get a bit concerned.

The bait has gotten progressively colder.
I initially chose this site because here in late August/early September its typically hot and very dry.  (Think burnt yards and dusty roads). It has now rained off and on for a couple of weeks and will continue for the foreseeable forecast.
A dark wet swamp with a watering hole isn't as attractive when its raining with puddles everywhere.
Not to mention that my crib is a smelly, mucky mess.  I shovel it out every time paying close attention to the mold along the logs.  Yesterday I took two square sheets of plywood to cover the muck and place the bait on hoping to keep it somewhat drier... Then it started pouring rain again.
I've tried introducing some new bait stuffs along with the staple of cookies and molasses.
Havent had a shooter on camera for almost a week, some days there's no activity at all and there is more nocturnal activity than before.
I wear the same clothes, same ritual for rebaiting, and the same time of day.  I can't believe that I'm spooking them.

The biggest "X" factors I see are...
1.  Natural food;  blackberries and acorns are ripening and won't be over by season start.
2.  We have 240 acres, but who knows what other bait sites are out there within a bears range.
3.  Weather;  prior to the last few weeks I noticed that rain slowed down activity at the bait... And all its done is rain.

I do have a plan B and a plan C of other areas I can hunt, but I'd really like to take a nice bear here...

Just venting I guess to guys who've "been there, done that".
Going back tomorrow to freshen the bait.

[Hummer3T]

hold in there Mike, Hope the rain stops for you, that site looked so good for a dry fall.  introduce some anise and salt into the mud around bait site.  

good luck man, we are all rooting for you.  I try to find your post first to see what's happening.

[NBK]

Talked with the bear man himself Stickflinger and did a BUNCH of research on black bear feeding habits this time of year.
The consensus is that #1 you cannot beat a bears natural desire to capitalize on natural food sources when they come into season.  At this moment I'm competing against mushrooms (wet weather has made for a bumper crop), choke cherries, blackberries and acorns.  Bear scat has been full of choke cherry seeds.  Took the kids for a walk to a neighbors house that has a huge oak and is dropping acorns... "Hey kids, you wanna play a game!"  Loaded a bucket full real quick.
#2. Baiting with sweets gets them coming, but it does seem to have some draw backs if that is the only thing we use.  Just like a kid after Halloween bear eating only sugar will take a few days off between bellies full of candy.  I've added more/better carbs in dry granola mixed with molasses and a bit of syrup.  Started two days ago and bear that hit the bait now seem to stay longer and eat more.
Just today I've also added ears of sweet corn, (hey, thousands of angry farmers can't be wrong!),  and apples.
Lastly, I climbed up into my tree stand and hung a rag soaked in liquid smoke.  I'm gonna use it not only as an attractant, but while hunting I'm gonna use a diluted spray bottle of it as a cover scent periodically while sitting.  It's a powerful smell and you can't beat their nose but it might help just enough.
Hunting is a game of odds and I approach it as doing everything possible to inch those percentages toward my favor.
Oh yeah, bait destroyed yesterday and a shooter in with an hour of light left.  
Games back on.

[Bill Carlsen]

See if you can find a beaver carcass. I have one frozen and ready to be chunked up and will use it sparingly. The comments about natural food are all spot on. You might also find apples to be appealing or any other fruit that is in season….like grapes. When Maine used to have a Spring season one trick was to get a cow or horse skull and chain it to a tree. They couldn't walk away with it and had to sit there and chew on it. There are lots of options. Our deer season and bait season overlap a bit. It I get a deer during the bait season I will haul the gut pile right out to my bait site. We have had bears feed on our gut piles. If I find a road kill and can get it signed over to me you can only guess where it is going.

[NBK]

Good advise bill unfortunately we can't use animal parts/products here in Wisconsin.
Bait was hit last night, medium sized sow, granola was gone and all apples, corn wasn't touched.
I will be sitting starting at 2:00 in the afternoon so today was the last early morning baiting time.  Now on will only be midday baiting. Kinda sad the early mornings are over, they were relaxing and fun.
Forecast is storms this evening so I'm anticipating activity during shooting hours today. If that proves to be true that'll help plan next weeks hunt.

[Ray Lyon]

Good luck! It may take them a bit to get used to corn. We baited for one of our Shrewhaven Camp property owners last fall and used corn covered with cheap maple flavored syrup to start some baits before he could get to the property to takeover (he's about 7 hours away).  All were hit well during acorn drop.  

Hope to see hero pictures here soon.

[elkken]

Keep the faith you have put in a ton of hard work ... it will happen

Best of luck to ya        

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Mike, It sounds like you have made some good decisions during a difficult time.  

Good Luck.

[Ray Lyon]

If I were a cat I'd be a gonner because I'm sure curious how it is going

[Bill Carlsen]

At a local feed store I found that molasses can come in a granular form. I set a bait on our property with corn and granular molasses mixed in near my wife's deer stand. It's more of an experiment but last year the pics I got of bear were all on "crunch blocks" which are sold locally and are mostly molasses, corn and sunflower seeds molded into a block. They also seem to like marshmallows and vanilla frosting. For the bear I am after I am thinking of getting a half bag of sunflower seeds and adding it to the "mix". Good luck with your hunt.

[NBK]

Activity has picked up quite a bit.
The switch to granola mixed with molasses and the sweet corn has them coming in again.
Last Friday night we did a fish fry at our cabin and there was a storm on the horizon near dusk.  I told the guys, "If they were ever gonna hit the bait before dark, tonight would be the night!"  Sure enough, checked the cameras on Saturday and they'd blown the crib up.  Not a scrap of any bait left, logs everywhere, knocked down my "wall" of brush and big piles of scat.

Pics showed a 300-350 lb. boar in at 7:04.  That's 40 min before dark...
He got chased off the bait by the sow with three cubs (man they grow over the summer!) but came back around 10:00 and again at 2 a.m.
Bait wasn't touched Sunday night but I'm not sweating it.  My Dad is baiting for me today.  Calls himself "the Master-Baiter"... yeah, funny guy.
Well, tomorrow is showtime.  I hunt by the rule of don't pass up what you'd be happy to kill on the last day but after all this I'd sure like to sit on the stand at least awhile and enjoy the moment.  Thanks to all of you for your help and send some mojo my way.

[ChuckC]

Haven't read this thread in a while,  I am guessing that to slow down the bears eating, you need to make it tougher to eat fast.  Spread the food out under all that thick stuff if you are allowed, don't make one big pile.  
ChuckC

[Bill Carlsen]

I get the feeling you are going to get your opportunity. Hope you make the best of it. Best of luck. I think the molasses is the draw. I am getting some more granulated molasses and am going in tomorrow with a dry bag of sunflower seeds, corn, granulated molasses, marshmallows a Crunch Block topped off with vanilla icing I got from the Dollar store…lots of sweet stuff their, cheap.

[NBK]

Dad baited today at 1:30.
Bait hit hard.
I'm sitting at work.
Tick tock, tick tock...

Thanks Chuck.  Seems like some days they nibble.  Others, a vault couldn't slow them down.

Bill, FWIW the days I pour an entire gallon of molasses on the crib letting it soak the logs and drip onto the bait underneath, those are the days they seem to hit the hardest.  Now if the weather will cooperate just a bit we might just have a chance.

Interesting side note:
Talked with the local game warden on Sunday and asked him "how many other bait sites do you think are within a mile of mine?"
"Bakers dozen" was his reply!
I'm not against hunting bear with dogs, but all dog hunters I've spoken with bait on average 15-20+ sites.
I think Wisconsin should go back to having to register your bait sites and making people pay for more than an allotted amount.  I appreciate the effort these people put into their hunting but THAT much bait out there really screws the non-dog bear hunters, not to mention they have no problem running off of others baits.
Sorry, I got sidetracked.

[lt-m-grow]

Originally posted by NBK:

I'm not against hunting bear with dogs, but all dog hunters I've spoken with bait on average 15-20+ sites.
I think Wisconsin should go back to having to register your bait sites and making people pay for more than an allotted amount.  I appreciate the effort these people put into their hunting but THAT much bait out there really screws the non-dog bear hunters, not to mention they have no problem running off of others baits.
.

I agree with your comments...

Along with everything you mentioned the dog/bear guys also get to "hunt" every year and have a longer season.  The cannot "kill" every year, but they can run their dogs most of summer for practice and all throughout the season on real bears.  

Like you I think dog/bear hunting is fine, but I do think the dog-crew ruins many sitters hard earned efforts.  That just isn't fair and we need some more balance to allow the sitters a better shot too (not instead of).  

Nonetheless many sitters find a bear and I wish you the best of luck.

[Bill Carlsen]

In NH you can only have 2 baits and they must be in two different Wildlife Units. You are allowed to let 2 other hunters  use the site but you must post it with a sign with you name and address on it and the names of the other 2 hunters. If you are not hunting on  your own land you must have a landowners permit and submit the site to the local CO along with a map. You must also register your bear with a CO within 12 hours and you must leave sex organs intact. Bear hunting begins Sept. 1 and you cannot bait until then.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Best of Luck Mike.

I am not in any way telling you what to do but..... If it were me and I waited 7-10 years to draw a  tag and it will be another 7-10 before I go again, I would be less picky.

I know its not all about the kill but personally, I would have little self control when the first bear walked in.

My brother hunted near wausau 2 years ago, had less activity than you and never saw a  bear . He hunted several baits and hunted every day.  All that time and money only to wait another decade to hunt bears.

I wish you the best of Luck.  Your work and thoughtfulness in this bait seems to be paying off.

shoot straight!