Anyone care to share their ideas on bear baiting, setup, etc? I have poor access to some of the more common baits (donuts, horses, maple syrup, etc). Out here we can get beavers, grease, fish, etc. I could order some of the scents and various feeds but haven't done so yet.

I know the bears are going to sleep now but I'm planning ahead for spring. I welcome any comments. I'm also looking for suggested reading on the subject? There have been a few posts on the forum regarding this but I felt it would be appropriate to have as an Alaskan topic.

Many of the black bear hunters in south central use cheap dog food as bait, sometimes sweetened with honey, molasses and / or beer. During the class by fish and game (required to set up a bait station) all the rules are discussed and the routine upkeep / cleanliness of the bait station and immediate area are emphasized. Also, proper signage is a must to advise others that a bait station is in the area. I will check fish and game's website and post a link - KMule

web page --- the link to fish and game is fish and game website

No clinic is required for Unit 25D. I have the regs and some info from the Hunter Info Series but thanks for the info.

I use a whole chicken in sack tied up high as a attractant along with Bacon Grease on trees. When the bears start hitting I use Good Dog or Cat food, laced with moylasses....and whatever meatscraps I can fine....... I start my stink bait chicken about a month before the season gets hot in a bucket in a bulap bag with a rope attached to it. Just carry the bucket to the stand and use the rope to pull it up and tie it off sue does stink....but effective. I save all bacon grease and put it next to barrel so the bear will have walk thru it and will lay a scent trail for me. This works great in bringing other bears in. I have had 5 mature bears on my stand at one time.

A beaver carcess also works fine as attractant when it starts to rot.

[ 11-12-2003, 04:24: Message edited by: Alaska Bush Man ]

Last spring (2002) I spent a some time on my friends station outta Tok and he hung a mooses head (from the previous season) and some bacon grease. We had a bear on it constantly atleast until it got so damn hot that we didnt want to even want to move during the day. We'd sit there about a mile away on another hill and watch the bears climb the tree and swing while holding onto the head. Actually it was comical.

Scent trails and bacon grease on trees all must be cleaned at the end of the season including ANY contaminted soil. So I would not recommend doing them because that would make for a very long cleanup job.

I tried some bacon at my bait stand until a grizz showed up and it was bye-bye blackies.

I like to bear bait but I have seen some extremely messy sights with buckets and barrels left behind even after the season and that really burns me to see garbage left behind.

While moose hunting this year I found a bait sight that must have at least 5 years of buckets and garbage at it. I would be nice to be able to do something about A-holes like that. It still pisses me off thinking about it. Maybe fish and wildlife safe guard ? I doubt the fish and game would do anything.



Maybe some vanilla killa from team fitzgerald. I have always wanted to try that and it wouldn't be messy if sprayed on a rag and hung from a tree.

[ 11-13-2003, 06:43: Message edited by: RMiller ]

Hello;
I've never tried them personally, since I don't have access to them, but numerous people have told me you can't beat beaver carcasses for baiting bears.
Grizz

Thanks for some good info. I have good access to beavers and will be doing some of that along with trying some of the info here.

I saw something this summer that burned me up too...3 black bears that had been baited, snared and left to rot within 10 feet of each other. They were covered in BUCKETS of maggots. The locals say the blackies get the moose but there are always other factors...

Snaring black bear is not cool at all, I have used the same stand since 92' so I leave my Lock on and barrel chanined and locked to the tree. Yes, I too enjoy watching the bears, my largest is just over 7' and went 19". So I don't kill unless I can beat that. The rug is on my wall in North Pole....and my WIFE also has alot too say, alot of money at $100.00 or more a Foot. I do alot of hunting and watching and Kill little. A little Moose and fish in the freezer for a year and thats enough. I am a hunter not a killer...big difference.

[ 11-16-2003, 00:01: Message edited by: Alaska Bush Man ]

Alaska Bush Man,

You and I are a lot alike. I've baited black bears 5 different years, and have yet to shoot one over bait. The right bear just never came along, but last year I saw HIS sign in the area. His front paw measured 7" wide. But I never saw him. I also enjoy watching and taunting the brown bears that come in to the bait (from the safety of the tree).

We (me and my brothers) usually shoot 2 or 3 moose one fall, then don't bother hunting moose again for a couple of years. Combined with all the salmon, halibut, and rockfish we harvest (along with the occasional black bear shot over gutpiles) That gives our families plenty of meat for two years.

I don't shoot to kill, I shoot to eat.