Easy bear bait?

12 February 2002, 06:33

Dutch

Easy bear bait?

I'm looking for some experience with "easy" bear bait. I know of a couple of bruisers, but they are away from the road, and so will require packing in bait if I want to hunt them this spring.

I'm thinking dog food or catfood, or similar stuff. I can buy it directly from the mill for about $15/100lbs, so cost is reasonable (compared to all the other stuff a guy buys for hunting!). Pretty smelly, and a whole lot easier to pack in on my back than donuts, grease, or raw meats. Any experience, suggestions? TIA, Dutch.

12 February 2002, 12:38

<Youper>

On the basis of smell per pound, I think you might want to consider including some molassas.

12 February 2002, 13:56

p dog shooter

Mix some molassas in with it. Bears seen to really like sunflower seeds. use some anise oil for scent. you should get them coming in.

12 February 2002, 15:02

Pa.Frank

Your not allowed to bait bears in Pa. but I understand that a "honeyburn" will really draw them in.

what's needed.
empty tuna can, a tea lite candle, honey

set up a little 'stove' with a couple small flat rocks, put candle between rocks, put can over candle, put honey in can. Light candle. Wait for bear.

------------------
Don't tread on me!
Pennsylvania Frank

12 February 2002, 15:11

<Tom Blimkie>

A real draw, is that liquid smoke (hickory) that we use in making jerky etc. A few drops on a cotton ball stuffed in a ventilated film canister hung in a tree will attract bears to your bait pile.
A couple punctured cans of sardines will also bring them in.
It's been suggested that if you dampen the area around the bait pile, you can determine approx. bear size by prints left in the damp areas.

12 February 2002, 16:02

Atkinson

Oil of anise works well in some areas..So does a dead horse chained to a tree...Jelly beans are great combined with anise...day old donuts and bread...

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

12 February 2002, 19:48

<john holmes>

Nothing works as good as a dead horse,but with the regulations of today,that is largely a thing of the past. Something that works good also is grease from fast food places. Put the grease in a gallon milk jug cut some holes in it and hang it above the bait barrel. I've also had excellant results with the oil and grease left over from commercial smoke houses,this stuff is way stonger then liquid smoke. A good technique with the grease is to smear it all over the tree you have your barrel on also,which puts alot of scent into the air. Garbage fish,like suckers or carp also put out alot of stink with minimal weight. After doing all of the above, I then take a burlap sack that I've put scraps of meat and grease in and allowed to rot and drag this bag with a rope in 100 yard circles or more,around my bait barrel. As you pull this bag,its going to get holes in it and leave bits of bait behind and acts an additional attractant. I've watched bears follow these drag trails into my bait and have seen it pull bears that weren't originally headed to my bait, into my bait. One of the most important things is location of your bait,you need to take advantage of areas which will disperse the smell of your bait to the largest area. You also want an area that offers some natural cover and gives a bear a feeling of security,or you'll end up with bears hitting your bait after dark.

12 February 2002, 20:27

JAB

I've used a scent called "Ultimate Bear Lure". Bought some from Bowhunters Warehouse or FS Arrow...can't remember which. This stuff is great. Put a few teaspoons of it in a spray bottle filled with water and spray it all around the bait everytime you go in to stock it. The stuff is oil based and it will last. Then, have a spray bottle with you while your in your stand and every few minutes put some mist into the air. Works better than any honey burn.

Grease is also great to keep on the dog food. I've found you can use any food if it's covered in grease. If you can get plain bread and cover it with grease your all set. The grease is heavy to carry, but the bears will eat anything (even dirt) that gets grease on it.

One last trick is rasberry jello. Dump some on top of the bait and when you go into hunt take another pack and throw the powder all over the place. Between it an the Ultimate bear lure you'll think your hunting in a candy factory, but it will bring in the bears. Been using these tricks for years with great results.

12 February 2002, 22:32

Stefan

Here comes a Swedish tips!

You guys in US and Canada have way more experience with bears thean the average Swedish hunter. The closest a living vild bear I have been is watching a month old tracks passing a logging road

Anyway, I heard this from a hunter up north. Fill a oil drum with heavy stones and mix it with every "goodies" you think the bear would like. There is plenty of good ideas above this post! Weld the lid back on to the drum, a gasmask would mabye be apropriate during welding

Drag the drum out to a suitable spot in the springtime with the help of a snowmobile. Yes we have lots of snow here Let the air tight drum "set" during the summer. A few weeks before the hunting seson start "stalk" up to the drum and fire a few shots into the barrel so itï¿½s well "ventilated". It could be a nice thing to the bears to use some caliber that donï¿½t penetrate the drum and leave sharp exit holes.

Now you have a good bear attractor that the bears wonï¿½t carry avay that far.

Stefan.

13 February 2002, 03:42

Dutch

Hey thanks guys! In our state, the bait has to be in a 55 gal drum, so the dead horse is out...... besides Ray, was I supposed to ride it in and shoot it, or pack it in on my back? LOL! Just know which horse to use, too, ornery old cuss......

Anyway, since I am a fish farmer, dead fish is easy. A couple of the local guys use them, but geez, that's really earning your bear.......

The part I like about the dog food idea is that you can make "trails" into the bait, if you see track. Sounds like dogfood combined with grease and perhaps a "sweet" would do the trick. You know, I might just try some fish feed -- it has about 5% fish oil in it already, stinks like all-get out. Hmm. Gotta try this out. Thanks guys. Dutch.

13 February 2002, 05:04

dan belisle

Dutch, I think the tough part is going to be getting the horse to climb in the barrel after you ride it to the bait site. LOL Dog food with sweets and food grease works up here. I think the fish food idea is a good one too, I'll have to try that. Good luck. - Dan

13 February 2002, 05:08

tsturm

quote:
Originally posted by Dutch:
I'm looking for some experience with "easy" bear bait. I know of a couple of bruisers, but they are away from the road, and so will require packing in bait if I want to hunt them this spring.
I'm thinking dog food or catfood, or similar stuff. I can buy it directly from the mill for about $15/100lbs, so cost is reasonable (compared to all the other stuff a guy buys for hunting!). Pretty smelly, and a whole lot easier to pack in on my back than donuts, grease, or raw meats. Any experience, suggestions? TIA, Dutch.

Have your favorite dining establishment save all of their old BACON GREASE and DEEP FRYER GREASE add this to your dog food in and arround the barrel(find a neighbor kid to pack it in) Anise oil soaked Bread placed in tree limbs around your bait and you are ready!!
Good luck!!

13 February 2002, 10:56

<gundog>

Jelly doghnut's. JJHACK, another poster here, told a story about bears, rotting beaver carcasses, and jelly doughnuts.

He will have to correct me if I do not get all of the details right. He was involved in some sort of study of Black Bear in Washington State. They had a pile of rotting, maggot infested beaver's to attract the bears. Out of curiosity, he and another guy put a jelly doughnut under some of the carcasses. After a time, a bear came by as though it was going to pass the pile completely, but when it passed down wind, it stopped and immediately turned and went to the pile. It pulled back the rotting beaver and took the jelly doughnut with no hesitation. After it left a 2nd bear did the same thing, but since the doughnut was gone, it continued to search for the doughnut until it gave up and left.

His point was that the bear could smell the jelly doughnut even through the rancid odor of rotting beaver, demonstrating the bears sensitive nose. My observation was not only could they smell it, but they were really attracted to it.

I could be wrong however, ......

Mark.

13 February 2002, 12:01

bearhunt'r

Dutch,
The places I bait are usually 3/4 to a mile off the beaten path. I do use dog food as bait as it is easier to haul in. More important to me is that bears are not able to pick up, say a fish carcass or other large piece of bait, then take it off out of range or sight to eat it. The small pieces require the hungry bear to stay around longer, giving the hunter the opportunity to check out it's sex, pelt quality, etc. I always mix my dog food with maple syrup! I do this in a 50 gallon container. I haul the bait into the site in 6 gallon pails mounted to my back pack. The scent of maple syrup permeates the area and, if I can smell it, I guarantee that the bears can. I would also use other scents like anise oil as suggested.
Good responses to this question.
best,
bhtr

13 February 2002, 12:41

Paul H

Dutch,

If you want to successfully bait bears, you will put in more time than if you were to spot and stalk them. Baiting is a good technique for the hunter willing to put in the time to set up a good bait station, and fill it with stuff the bears will eat.

JJ had a good article or two on baiting bears in Bear Hunter magazine, worth getting the back issue(s) for the info. I lent them out to a buddy, so don't recall what issue they are in, which reminds me, I need to get them back.