Hi Graybeard,

Just noticed on one of your posts that the shots are from 75-150 yards! That is a long shot for baited bear hunting. Typically most shots are under 30, with most being around 12yards. Reason, you want to be in the thickest stuff you can find, preferably next to a swamp. If you are in the right area you won't have a shot over 30 yards. Big bears like to have the security of thick cover to move around in. Smaller bears are not as picky, along with sows who like the more open cover than the bigger males. Ask your outfitter to put you in the darkest swamp he has baits at. Could be one of the reasons you hunt last time was a bust. Cover to a big black bear is almost as good as darkness. If you are hunting thin thin cover, the big boys will mainlyonly come out in the saftey of darkness. Usually, there is allways the exception to the rule, but odds are thicker the better

Also you stated that you are going hunting the second week of May, and the outfitter starts baiting two months prior to you being there.....They would have to start baiting in March, or just in a copule of weeks from now. Um,,,,there is usually quite a few feet of snow on the ground, and the bears are not out of the dens quite yet. Not saying he isn't doing what he issaying, but that sounds a bit early to me. Call him a copule of weeks and see how the baits are doing. Or he could possibly be in a area that dosen't as much snow or something.....but check things out, check things out, check things out.

Good Luck!