I am shortly going on my first baited black bear hunt in northern wi,( have hunted extensively in africa, asia etc, but never black bear) The outfitter's plan raises some questions in my mind. I know he is the expert, but some tactics worry me. Can the experienced black bear hubters give me their opinions?
outfitter wants hunters to cover up the bait at the end of the day. this means hunter will leave his scent at the bait site. I thought that wasnt good? maybe he should be covering up the bait?

he wants me to sit in a tree stand 30 yds from the bait. (I am using my light Africa rifle, a scoped 375 HH). I wanted to sit in a ground blind 100 yds away, since there is less chance of being seen/scented if i sit in an enclosed pop up blind. He said the bears would tear up the blind. Have you heard of that?

thanks in advance.

finally what do you think about scent-lok clothing and rubber boots?

Trust your outfitter. Bears will tear up a ground blind if left out while you are gone. In CO, we can't bait and usually hunt them over water or spot and stalk but, from personal experience, get above them, wind still plays a factor but the height helps. They die easy with a well placed shot so the .375 is overkill. Listen to me, I'm using a 9.3 x 74R this year, only because I haven't killed anything with it yet. A .270 or up will do just fine. Most of the 13 bears I've taken have been with a bow inside 30 yards and they die quick with a well placed shot. The scent you leave covering up the bait will be negligible so it's not a factor.
I've taken one with a 7mm-08 out of a handgun so you'll be fine. Any questions, PM me
Rick

I have killed several black bears over bait.

The closest at 12 yards. I have had a bear climb up the ladder and lick my boots...

They do not seem to care about your scent, only the bait.

Some will be scared off by noise or movement.

Others, it will take a boot to the nose.

He probably wants you to cover up the bait so you can tell if the bears are comming in after dark.

The scent you leave at a bait site is 'expected' by a bear. People have been leaving scent there for a couple of months already. IMO an older bear is capable of differentiating the scent left behind and the scent coming from. If he catches the scent of you its goodbye for tonight.

30 yards in a tree stand. Go with the guide. It would not be my preference either. You are the one with around 10 years of applying and have checked references. My wife likes to sit and watch for a bear coming to a bait I have left blinds and never had a bear bust one up, yet. Bears are kind of an asshole that way though. One busted up my camp this year. Window, water heater, hard to figure that aspect of them out. (A buddy told me after 30 years of harassing and killing bears that it was 'bear karma')

I like your choice of caliber. Big Wisconsin bears are BIG. I do not believe there is ever 'too much gun'.

Study the anatomy of a bear. Bust him where the upper shoulder meets the spine. He will lay down right there. Lots of fat on a bear may plug holes and stop external bleeding.

Don't settle for a small bear. There are some of the biggest black bears in the world over there.

I think rubber boots make my feet sweat too much. Are you hunting in the swamps or the high ground?

Scent lock clothing, I am not sold. I believe the quickening of your breath when you sight game pumps out all the scent needed to alert the bear. You need to prevent the bear from smelling you, elevation will do that.

I hope you have a great time. There are a lot of bears in Wisconsin. Most of them are 300 pounds, until you walk up to them. Lots of ground shrinkage and no guide over your shoulder to tell you "Too small".

If you do not want to cover the bait at night, tell him that. Make up some BS about being afraid of the dark. He doesn't need to know your reason. Have him earn his money, or tip accordingly.

quote:

Originally posted by emron:
I am shortly going on my first baited black bear hunt in northern wi,( have hunted extensively in africa, asia etc, but never black bear) The outfitter's plan raises some questions in my mind. I know he is the expert, but some tactics worry me. Can the experienced black bear hubters give me their opinions?
outfitter wants hunters to cover up the bait at the end of the day.

It the law in Wis. that the bait be unavailable to other animals


this means hunter will leave his scent at the bait site. I thought that wasnt good? maybe he should be covering up the bait?

he wants me to sit in a tree stand 30 yds from the bait. (I am using my light Africa rifle, a scoped 375 HH). I wanted to sit in a ground blind 100 yds away,

Bears are very hard to judge their size plus you well be hunting a very wooded area setting up 100 yards could be about impossible

he wants me to sit in a tree stand 30 yds from the bait. (I am using my light Africa rifle, a scoped 375 HH). I wanted to sit in a ground blind 100 yds away, since there is less chance of being seen/scented if i sit in an enclosed pop up blind. He said the bears would tear up the blind. Have you heard of that?


Maybe maybe not have used a pop up no trouble have heard of others getting their blinds tore up

thanks in advance.

finally what do you think about scent-lok clothing and rubber boots?

Wear it if you want but if you have the wind you have the bear.

I have two baits out now the first well be a forty yard shot the 2nd is a 18 yard shot set up for bow hunting.

It is far more important for sound and movement control when one is that close.

These bears have been smelling humans at those baits for months. They most likely smell humans every day of their lives.

I would suggest putting up sizing stakes lots of small bears get shot. I place them 5 foot apart and 30 inches high paint them bright orange. If the bear fits inside he is to small if he is bigger shoot him.

You should have plenty of time bears stay around baits for some time.

Study lot of big bear picture know what your looking at. Plus a 250 lb bear is a nice bear. The avg. shot in Wis. is something less the 150

If you are only set on a big bear lets say 350 plus you could go home empty handed.

If you want a 500 lb one good luck.

I plan on shooting around a 200lber for eating this year.

I been in on the killing of a few 500 lb bears dam they are a lot of work.

Mostly my baits are out there just for the fun of it. I am going hound hunting with friends I don't plan on shooting a bear over bait.

As far as rifles I shot them with 308, 06, 416. this year its a toss up between my No. 3 in 45-70 465gr cast or my scout rifle in 06 with 220s or maybe one of my 44 mag pistols 315gr hard cast WFN

My son plans on using his wife's 7mm-08 or his 44 mag

If you have other questions PM me.

Where are you hunting and what guide.

Thanks gents.
Will take your advice, hunt from a tree stand. Plan to use my open sighted 9.3x74 double as the shot will be close. I already have a scent lock suit so will use it. will report back in a couple of weeks

I have been baiting bear in Northern Wi.for 20 years.Tree stand is the way to go.I use a 30-30 or a revolver for bear.They are not hard to kill no matter how big they are.I have never had to shoot one twice.A 375 H&H would not be my choice in a tree.When I was younger we used Dogs to run them.You have to be in good shape to do that.Yes cover the bait when you leave.Why should they come during daylight hours if they can feed all night???I have never seen a bear spooked because of scent from a person.Most of the time they know you are in the tree and could care less.Remember the average bear shot in Wi. is 150 lbs.Do not be in a hurry to shoot.I like to hang some pie filling in a bucket about 7 feet above the bait station.Most of the time they will try to get at it and will give you a good idea of their size.Good Luck,OB

Over bait ? At the local diner here the garbage is but into a steel dumpster. He then added chain and padlock. Bear was hungry so he tore off the chain and lock .then he tore off the cover [tore apart the weld !!! ] and flipped over the dumpster ~.
Authorities fined owner $ 100 for creating the mess ! Judge threw it out !

Hey , dis is new york ! Don't mess with us !

Listen to Old Biker. Guys who live up there know bears. Northern Wisconsin is swarming with them.

reporting success!
Started out sitting in a tree stand 30-40 yds from bait site. Saw two bears, both small, I thought. Both saw me and left in a hurry! One kept coming back to the bait again and again, taking a look at me in the treestand, and taking off, legs scrabbling and feet thumping at top speed.

Next day, I persuaded the outfitter to let me sit on the ground, in a natural blind located on a beaver dam in middle of a swamp. Bait site was about 70-80 yards away, downwind. None of the other hunters wanted to go to this blind as it was quite difficult to get to, needing waders etc, and I think the outfitter didnt really relish pulling a bear out of that swamp after dark, so he didnt advertise the bait site too much! I sat on a folding chair i carried in, and used my bog pod for a rest behind some natural vegetation. It was a picturesque setting, with the fall colors just beginning to show, very peaceful.

The first bear came in at around 3 pm. seemed a little small, with big close together ears. As I was watching through binoculars, the wind shifted slightly. He stood up, snout in the air, sniffing for all he was worth. Then he was gone in a flash.
an hour later the site was visited by a big sow with a cub. She spent 10 minutes happily rooting away before she left.
Around 5 pm as I was looking at the bait site, I noticed something seemed different. Put the binos, and I was looking at the rear end of a bear that was a lot bigger I thought, than anything I had seen before.
I got the 404 up on the Bogpod, slowly and carefully so i made no sound. Through the 1-4x Leupold cranked up to 4X, the bear looked as big as a Volkswagen as he turned around. As I got on target, he turned away again and started rooting away at the bait site.
Despite the 3/4 away presentation, I thought I would have sufficient penetration with the 400 gr Woodleigh loaded to 2200 FPS. I aimed for the far shoulder and squeezed off. Lost the bear in the recoil and then he was gone.
Per outfitters instructions, I walked back through the swamp, got to the ATV, drove till I got to my truck, drove the truck till I got a cell signal, and called the outfitter. The I went back to the swamp to wait for the 5 guys who were going to help drag him out.
To make a long story short, we found him dead about 10 feet from the bait site. The bullet entered the abdomen behind the ribs and exited breaking the offside shoulder, and leaving a fair sized exit hole.
we dragged him out on a sled, then loaded him on the four wheeler, and back to the truck and then camp.
An exciting and rewarding end to my first Wi black bear hunt.

I would guess it must have worked. Congrats.

Grizz

Nice bear, Good Job! Congratulations.

Nice bear did you get a weight on him.

I shot a bear close to 500lbs 8 years ago with my 416T and 350 Speers mag tips he didn't take step. A larger caliber bullet at a decent velocity does a nice job for sure.

If you didn't see them here's my son's and my bear hunt reports from Wis. as you can by reading the reports. I know all about dragging them out of swamps.

A very wet year in Wis. for sure

What bear zone and area where you hunting in.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...3411043/m/8301074402

http://forums.accuratereloadin...3411043/m/1581032402

Congrats! Weight?

Thanks!
They call it beginners luck!
weight 386

I love a Happy ending! Congrats

quote:

Originally posted by emron:
Thanks!
They call it beginners luck!
weight 386

A very nice bear sow or boar no ground shrinkage on that one.

Very nicely done!! Great bear, congratulations!

Great looking bear, way to be adaptable to get that big boy to come in!

Congrats on your bear.

I have been hunting and guiding for bear for well over 40 years, both spot and talk and baited. I can promise you that there is way more to baiting than just throwing out a few donuts. There is also a lot of experience needed to doing spot and stalk. Avoiding ground shrinkage is paramount in both arenas.

Well done on your first bear.

Very nice bear! I think you were wise in selecting the spot no body likes to go to because of the terrain. That generally means little hunting pressure. Could be the tree stand is used every year and the bears are educated on a hunter being there.

I have a bear hunting story for you guys.
A neighboring farmer had some folks ask if they could go bear hunting. The farmer told him "yes, they are raising hell with this corn field over there, go shoot them"
He saw them a couple days later and asked if they saw anything. They told him " yes, saw a big bear right as it was getting dark" The farmer asked if he shot. " no, it was a big bear, and it was almost dark .....and I only had one bullet, my girlfriend had a BBgun and my brother a machete, but I didn't dare shoot"