For spring bear I like to hang carp in a burlap bag high in the same tree my bait barrel is attached to. In the barrel however, are sweets. Doughnuts, donuts, dooooooonuts! Then I'll pour molassis around barrel. Al these arromatic attractants will bring them in. You just need to be there when they do! That is another problem. I'd like to someday be able to afford a game cam that shows time and date, point it at bait, take pic's of bears coming in, and try to get a handle on the bears patterns.
Probably the only time I'd use a tree stand too. Not comfortable sitting in a ground blind with hungry baby toten' mama bears coming in for a free snack!