Last fall I went bear hunting for the first time, and I would like to know if my experience was typical or unusual. I was hidden about 50 yards directly down wind of my bait station. Four times while I was hunting I saw bears at the bait pile.

The first time a sow and cubs came directly from behind me, from downwind of both me and the bait even though the terrain offered easier access to the bait from either my right or my left. I guess that it was because I had the empty molassas jug near me.

The second time it was the same sow and cubs, but they went wide two my left to get to the bait.

The third time was a (different) lone sow, and she also was going to come straight over top of me to get to the bait. In fact I had stopped facing the bait while hunting by this time and had been facing away from the bait while hunting.

The fourth time was this same lone sow, and again she came straight over top of me, in fact I shot her at nine yards as she was going past me to the bait.

My guess was that the bears where attracted by the smell of and their knowledge of the bait, but that they were uncertain of what my smell was and wanted to investigate that first. Either that or they just didn't care about my smell. In your experience do bears normally behave this way? Do you normally hunt from directly down wind, or do you try to have a cross wind between you and the bait? Would a larger or more experienced bear be more likely to avoid me and the bait if it smelled me?

Youper,

I have seen similar behavior. I have actually had bears spot me and continue chowing down while "keeping" an eye on me.

How big was the sow? Where did you hunt?

Todd E

It was a small sow, just over 4 1/2' from the tip of the nose to the tail. It looked alot bigger when it was moving, but I hear they all do. I got it in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Thirty minutes and nine miles from front door to stand.

My personal experiences with bear have taught me to say unpredictable. They can be like a big old dog, but I don't trust them to do a certain thing all the time in the same circumstance. Never hunted them over a pot of molasses tho, might be like catnip to them once they have the taste.

------------------
Good Shooting!

In my experience, they all act differently under different circumstances and you just have to wait and see. Younger bear seem to not pay too much attention to human scent around the bait site but as they age and gain experience, they will almost always circle downwind. Larger, experienced bear seem to avoid baits where there are unfamiliar scents around the sites. IMHO, I feel that movement is more of a factor then scent a good deal of the time.

Just like any game they at times can be so dumb and other times you cn't catch site of them. But with baited bears I belive they get use to the human smell from the area and it doesn't effect them. As long as you stay still they don't notice you. If you where in camo you were just another stump.

I had on an (State of Michigan required)orange vest, but I was hidden down low in some balsam firs at the edge of a low steep hill. They couldn't see me from down wind until they were on top of me, and I was difficult to spot from the bait pile. The first time one of the two cubs got in front of me while the sow and other cub where behind. The one in front saw me and spooked. The sow and other cub were trying to figure out what spooked the cub, but couldn't see me 20 yards away. They were headed in my direction, so I stood up shook a branch and coughed, at which point the sow and cub noticed me and ran off.

Hunted a fare amount of bears here with a bow and the younger bears are controlled more by their guts then their heads. The constant activity of humans coming to the bait to stock it or hunt has the same effect as your cabin or car, they get use to it and loose the fear.
Big bears though get big for a reason, at least here. They always know when your at the bait. They always use the same trail in an out. They almost always come in at the very last light. Now I'm not sure but that might have to do with the stand being 25yds away for a bow shot. Hunting with a rifle allows greater ranges from the bait and might give a big bear a sense of security not felt with the hunter so close. Good luck..Bob

I have shot only two black bears, and both of those within a couple of days of each other, so my experience is limited...but I came away with the strong opinion that both bears knew I was there in a tree stand, about 20 paces away from the bait stations, and neither bear really cared. Neither bear was very big either (5' and 5'6"). The second bear actually circled around from behind me and came into the bait from the far side and passed the bait and came straight towards the tree I was in, it stopped every few steps and looked up at me, and then proceeded on until I shot it at about 10 paces from the tree. I was later told that that bear had been seen sitting in my tree stand the week before and that that bear probably thought that I might have been another bear...

I would like to hear what you folks use for bait and how you set your bait sites up. This spring I plan on using lots of beef fat, used deep fat frying oil, cheap dog food, and honey. I have a 30 gal steel barrel that I chain to tree. Last year I busted my butt and did not manage to shoot a bear... although I did have bears hit my bait stations. A grizzly bear tore up my first station about half a mile down off the Seward Hwy, so I moved that station to avoid trouble.

Robert

Everybody knows to attack bears you need lots of good beef! Just kidding.

Seriously, what I have used in the past and seemed to work well was nothing more than day old doughnuts, bread, or muffins mixed with honey and/or molasses. Black bears seem to have quite a sweet tooth.

Todd E

We can't use mechanical contrivances with our bait, and before the first of October we can't use baits that would attract deer. Therefore I used cheap dog food with agricultural molassas and a ham that was getting too old to start out with. The problem is the dogfood doesn't hold up well in the rain if they don't get right at it. After the first I used shelled corn and the molassas. I went out two or three times a week. I gave them 40# of dog food and a gallon of molassas at a time. When I first went to the corn, I gave them 100# and a gallon, but they didn't eat it all in one night and didn't come back for a while. After that I only gave them 50# of corn and a gallon, and they were regular. Speaking of regularity, after the 100# they had diharrhea.

Many hunters around here dig a pit and cover it with small logs, to keep the coons etc. out, but I don't see how you can keep a big bear out and let a little one in.

I gave up using meat along time ago, it was messy and if the wind was in your face it you had to smell it the whole time you were in your stand. I use mainly bakery scraps or returns that I leave in a plastic bag a day or so before putting out so it rehydrates.Usally dump a bag of rolled oats under a log beside the barrel and pour molasses or cherry jello mix on it just before I hunt. And for dessert, some honey scraps from a bee keeper smeared on the under side of a log so when he's very comfortable with the food and your presence his head will be turned away for your shot.This doesn't smell alot but if put out a couple of weeks before you hunt they will usually find it and once established they come back year after year..Bob