Bear Baiting Questions
03-26-2016, 07:21 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Idaho
Posts: 75
Bear Baiting Questions
I have really been wanting to bait Black Bears for awhile now, last year I gave it a try and never had any bears come into my bait site.
I was using oats, syrup, marshmallows, and donuts.
What would be the best area to bait the bears in? and what's a good homemade item to attract bears into the bait site? Any other tips/tricks would greatly be appreciated
I was using oats, syrup, marshmallows, and donuts.
What would be the best area to bait the bears in? and what's a good homemade item to attract bears into the bait site? Any other tips/tricks would greatly be appreciated
03-26-2016, 07:56 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: WI
Posts: 1,089
I don't know the rules for your state, but here i like to get what i call a scent bait going 1st. I put something sticky in the covered stump like bread covered in syrup,(like you use) or sorghum or anything real sticky so when coons get into it they track the smell all over the woods. Also i like a spray of, cherry liquid or whatever smelly scent and spray it around for scent to get the bears coming. For a good homemade item i like popcorn with syrup or sorghum on top as it's light to carry in & cheap. I look for areas with bear sign and bait there, around here areas like swamps, creeks seem to do good. Also sometimes i put the bait on a hill 1st using the wind to get them smelling there way in, then move it to an ideal spot. Good luck IdahoHunt.
03-27-2016, 02:30 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,952
I don't know the rules for your state, but here i like to get what i call a scent bait going 1st. I put something sticky in the covered stump like bread covered in syrup,(like you use) or sorghum or anything real sticky so when coons get into it they track the smell all over the woods. Also i like a spray of, cherry liquid or whatever smelly scent and spray it around for scent to get the bears coming. For a good homemade item i like popcorn with syrup or sorghum on top as it's light to carry in & cheap. I look for areas with bear sign and bait there, around here areas like swamps, creeks seem to do good. Also sometimes i put the bait on a hill 1st using the wind to get them smelling there way in, then move it to an ideal spot. Good luck IdahoHunt.
03-28-2016, 09:06 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 12,563
Bears like a quite few different foods.. If you are looking for bear signs look around for rotted logs that bears have been tearing into.. They will go after the ants and other grubs in them when there is less berries and the like around during early spring and summer months. Anise oil sprayed on the nearby brush and the like as well as bacon grease poured out where you will be baiting will help to bring them in. Cherry pie filling will bring in the bears as they love it. But, I would only using once you are getting ready to set up on your site.. Maybe a day or 2 before to get them more interested. Also there is quite few waiting for the peeps to go on clearance and will clean the shelves off once they hit the 75% off price. They use them in their bait sites as well. Cheap bait is what they figure and they get some success with them as well. But keep in mind that bears like wild berries and nuts as well and once they become plentiful They will go them as it is a natural food source for them that helps pile on the wait for a long winters nap. That is when a lot of bait sites go dead.. Maybe not all of them but most of them do.. Do you know a trapper? If so try and see if you can get a couple of beaver carcasses to hang in a tree at your bait site. This has been known to draw in some pretty hefty bears. But what ever you decide good luck at getting one..
03-29-2016, 04:19 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
Back when it was legal to bait for bear in CO, this was before the massive influx of displaced morons from CA ruined the place, I knew some guys that took bear every year by using cow or horse carcasses. They would buy old broken down stock and lead them up to where 2 or 3 canyons came together and then they would shoot the cow/horse at the head of the drainages. When the meat became fly blown and the maggots appeared, so would the bear. But such things are no longer legal in CO but they may be in your areas.
03-30-2016, 05:31 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,952
Back when it was legal to bait for bear in CO, this was before the massive influx of displaced morons from CA ruined the place, I knew some guys that took bear every year by using cow or horse carcasses. They would buy old broken down stock and lead them up to where 2 or 3 canyons came together and then they would shoot the cow/horse at the head of the drainages. When the meat became fly blown and the maggots appeared, so would the bear. But such things are no longer legal in CO but they may be in your areas.
03-30-2016, 08:59 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
Not sure if it would help, but when I have put out deer lure such as urine products early (late summer), I have drawn in bears. This may help to get them started on your bait pile. The sticky stuff suggestion made earlier sounds like a great idea.
03-31-2016, 03:04 AM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Idaho
Posts: 69
Here in Idaho you can't put out any bait until the season has opened, and all bait sites must be registered with Fish and Game. This consists of, for a small fee of course, registering what unit the bait site is located in and then they give you a little plastic tag that must be present at the site (fastens to a tree branch).
I simply use bread with used fryer grease poured over it. For bread we have a local bread store that will sell racks of bread that has exceeded its expiration date for around 30 bucks. One "rack" will fill my shortbox pickup bed to the top of the bed rails from front to back. I then (at home) empty all of the bread out of the individual packages and into 15 gallon garbage bags. I squish the bread down fairly tightly so more will fit, but don't over do it or it will be pretty heavy and tear the bag. I keep them in the deep freezer until I need them.
I've been told that the bread store won't sell a rack to someone that specifically asks to purchase it for bear bait...you are supposed to tell them it is for hog feed. I've never had them ask me what it's for, but its something you might want to keep in mind.
As far as used fryer grease most restaurants/bars have to pay to dispose of it, so most are willing to give it to you if you're prompt at picking it up when they call. They also usually have the 5 gallon bucket and lid it came in to put it back in and let you take.
For a bait station I have a 35 gallon metal barrel that I cut a small rectangular slot in the bottom of. This is really the only tricky part, as you want the slot wide enough that the bear can get part of its paw in to pull bread out, but not too big or they can pull it out too easily and the food runs out too fast. It has a ring around the top of the lid that is tightened by a bolt so the lid can't come off. There is also two holes cut in the top end of the barrel just under the lid that a cable can be passed through so that the barrel can be cabled to a tree.
I put two bags of bread in the barrel and then pour about half of a 5 gallon bucket of grease on it. Two bags of bread stuffed into it will hold bait for four days when bears are hitting it. Go to a bigger barrel if you can't rebait every 4 days or so, if you let it run out for more than about a day it will make a big difference in the consistancy in which they return. Once the barrel lid is back on and tightened, I pour the rest of the grease all over the barrel and on the ground around it. I use only one bucket of grease when rebaiting, but the first time I bait it I use two. The key is to get grease all over the barrel and the ground around it. This way when a bear finds it, it will get all over its paws and when it leaves other bears will encounter the grease trail it left and follow it back into the bait. I also always stack several small wind-fall trees and limbs on the barrel so that I can tell if its been hit easily from a distance.
The longest I've seen it take for a bear to hit it when I first put it in is about 4 days. Last year I had a bear on it 12 hours after I put it in. One other thing, if you put a game camera on the bait site be very careful to not get any grease on it. If you do you can expect them to knock it out of alignment or even destroy it. I always hang the camera initially and also dump the pictures first thing before re-baiting.
In my experience it takes a couple of weeks of faithful baiting before they get comfortable enough to start coming in during shooting light, especially a nice sized boar. Usually an hour before dark or they'll start staying an hour or so after daylight.
I simply use bread with used fryer grease poured over it. For bread we have a local bread store that will sell racks of bread that has exceeded its expiration date for around 30 bucks. One "rack" will fill my shortbox pickup bed to the top of the bed rails from front to back. I then (at home) empty all of the bread out of the individual packages and into 15 gallon garbage bags. I squish the bread down fairly tightly so more will fit, but don't over do it or it will be pretty heavy and tear the bag. I keep them in the deep freezer until I need them.
I've been told that the bread store won't sell a rack to someone that specifically asks to purchase it for bear bait...you are supposed to tell them it is for hog feed. I've never had them ask me what it's for, but its something you might want to keep in mind.
As far as used fryer grease most restaurants/bars have to pay to dispose of it, so most are willing to give it to you if you're prompt at picking it up when they call. They also usually have the 5 gallon bucket and lid it came in to put it back in and let you take.
For a bait station I have a 35 gallon metal barrel that I cut a small rectangular slot in the bottom of. This is really the only tricky part, as you want the slot wide enough that the bear can get part of its paw in to pull bread out, but not too big or they can pull it out too easily and the food runs out too fast. It has a ring around the top of the lid that is tightened by a bolt so the lid can't come off. There is also two holes cut in the top end of the barrel just under the lid that a cable can be passed through so that the barrel can be cabled to a tree.
I put two bags of bread in the barrel and then pour about half of a 5 gallon bucket of grease on it. Two bags of bread stuffed into it will hold bait for four days when bears are hitting it. Go to a bigger barrel if you can't rebait every 4 days or so, if you let it run out for more than about a day it will make a big difference in the consistancy in which they return. Once the barrel lid is back on and tightened, I pour the rest of the grease all over the barrel and on the ground around it. I use only one bucket of grease when rebaiting, but the first time I bait it I use two. The key is to get grease all over the barrel and the ground around it. This way when a bear finds it, it will get all over its paws and when it leaves other bears will encounter the grease trail it left and follow it back into the bait. I also always stack several small wind-fall trees and limbs on the barrel so that I can tell if its been hit easily from a distance.
The longest I've seen it take for a bear to hit it when I first put it in is about 4 days. Last year I had a bear on it 12 hours after I put it in. One other thing, if you put a game camera on the bait site be very careful to not get any grease on it. If you do you can expect them to knock it out of alignment or even destroy it. I always hang the camera initially and also dump the pictures first thing before re-baiting.
In my experience it takes a couple of weeks of faithful baiting before they get comfortable enough to start coming in during shooting light, especially a nice sized boar. Usually an hour before dark or they'll start staying an hour or so after daylight.
03-31-2016, 07:37 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,952
Here in Idaho you can't put out any bait until the season has opened, and all bait sites must be registered with Fish and Game. This consists of, for a small fee of course, registering what unit the bait site is located in and then they give you a little plastic tag that must be present at the site (fastens to a tree branch).
I simply use bread with used fryer grease poured over it. For bread we have a local bread store that will sell racks of bread that has exceeded its expiration date for around 30 bucks. One "rack" will fill my shortbox pickup bed to the top of the bed rails from front to back. I then (at home) empty all of the bread out of the individual packages and into 15 gallon garbage bags. I squish the bread down fairly tightly so more will fit, but don't over do it or it will be pretty heavy and tear the bag. I keep them in the deep freezer until I need them.
I've been told that the bread store won't sell a rack to someone that specifically asks to purchase it for bear bait...you are supposed to tell them it is for hog feed. I've never had them ask me what it's for, but its something you might want to keep in mind.
As far as used fryer grease most restaurants/bars have to pay to dispose of it, so most are willing to give it to you if you're prompt at picking it up when they call. They also usually have the 5 gallon bucket and lid it came in to put it back in and let you take.
For a bait station I have a 35 gallon metal barrel that I cut a small rectangular slot in the bottom of. This is really the only tricky part, as you want the slot wide enough that the bear can get part of its paw in to pull bread out, but not too big or they can pull it out too easily and the food runs out too fast. It has a ring around the top of the lid that is tightened by a bolt so the lid can't come off. There is also two holes cut in the top end of the barrel just under the lid that a cable can be passed through so that the barrel can be cabled to a tree.
I put two bags of bread in the barrel and then pour about half of a 5 gallon bucket of grease on it. Two bags of bread stuffed into it will hold bait for four days when bears are hitting it. Go to a bigger barrel if you can't rebait every 4 days or so, if you let it run out for more than about a day it will make a big difference in the consistancy in which they return. Once the barrel lid is back on and tightened, I pour the rest of the grease all over the barrel and on the ground around it. I use only one bucket of grease when rebaiting, but the first time I bait it I use two. The key is to get grease all over the barrel and the ground around it. This way when a bear finds it, it will get all over its paws and when it leaves other bears will encounter the grease trail it left and follow it back into the bait. I also always stack several small wind-fall trees and limbs on the barrel so that I can tell if its been hit easily from a distance.
The longest I've seen it take for a bear to hit it when I first put it in is about 4 days. Last year I had a bear on it 12 hours after I put it in. One other thing, if you put a game camera on the bait site be very careful to not get any grease on it. If you do you can expect them to knock it out of alignment or even destroy it. I always hang the camera initially and also dump the pictures first thing before re-baiting.
In my experience it takes a couple of weeks of faithful baiting before they get comfortable enough to start coming in during shooting light, especially a nice sized boar. Usually an hour before dark or they'll start staying an hour or so after daylight.
I simply use bread with used fryer grease poured over it. For bread we have a local bread store that will sell racks of bread that has exceeded its expiration date for around 30 bucks. One "rack" will fill my shortbox pickup bed to the top of the bed rails from front to back. I then (at home) empty all of the bread out of the individual packages and into 15 gallon garbage bags. I squish the bread down fairly tightly so more will fit, but don't over do it or it will be pretty heavy and tear the bag. I keep them in the deep freezer until I need them.
I've been told that the bread store won't sell a rack to someone that specifically asks to purchase it for bear bait...you are supposed to tell them it is for hog feed. I've never had them ask me what it's for, but its something you might want to keep in mind.
As far as used fryer grease most restaurants/bars have to pay to dispose of it, so most are willing to give it to you if you're prompt at picking it up when they call. They also usually have the 5 gallon bucket and lid it came in to put it back in and let you take.
For a bait station I have a 35 gallon metal barrel that I cut a small rectangular slot in the bottom of. This is really the only tricky part, as you want the slot wide enough that the bear can get part of its paw in to pull bread out, but not too big or they can pull it out too easily and the food runs out too fast. It has a ring around the top of the lid that is tightened by a bolt so the lid can't come off. There is also two holes cut in the top end of the barrel just under the lid that a cable can be passed through so that the barrel can be cabled to a tree.
I put two bags of bread in the barrel and then pour about half of a 5 gallon bucket of grease on it. Two bags of bread stuffed into it will hold bait for four days when bears are hitting it. Go to a bigger barrel if you can't rebait every 4 days or so, if you let it run out for more than about a day it will make a big difference in the consistancy in which they return. Once the barrel lid is back on and tightened, I pour the rest of the grease all over the barrel and on the ground around it. I use only one bucket of grease when rebaiting, but the first time I bait it I use two. The key is to get grease all over the barrel and the ground around it. This way when a bear finds it, it will get all over its paws and when it leaves other bears will encounter the grease trail it left and follow it back into the bait. I also always stack several small wind-fall trees and limbs on the barrel so that I can tell if its been hit easily from a distance.
The longest I've seen it take for a bear to hit it when I first put it in is about 4 days. Last year I had a bear on it 12 hours after I put it in. One other thing, if you put a game camera on the bait site be very careful to not get any grease on it. If you do you can expect them to knock it out of alignment or even destroy it. I always hang the camera initially and also dump the pictures first thing before re-baiting.
In my experience it takes a couple of weeks of faithful baiting before they get comfortable enough to start coming in during shooting light, especially a nice sized boar. Usually an hour before dark or they'll start staying an hour or so after daylight.
ATB