RE: Alternative Bear hunting tactics.
1. See my post in Andrewjoseph's thread.
2.You may have the idea that someone simply hikes to a nice looking spot, throws a barrel of garbage down, and then shoots the bear when it comes. Some forms of hunting occur well before the shot. In most places you don't get bear by just throwing a bait station anywhere. You need to know the area well enought to have an idea where the animals are traveling. You need to know the topography well enough to place the bait where the greater number of bears are "likely" to be. You need to try to find something to entice the larger bears out before shooting light is gone. Like other forms of hunting there are differing strategies that can be used to increase the reach of your bait and increase the odds of bear hitting the bait. You have to keep that bait well stocked everyday. Once bears hit it, they WILL clean it out. They come back and there is nothing there=they don't come back again. You are also feeding about everything else out there, helping numerous critters recover from winter.I've never baited for myself (just don't have the time and resources--it is a LOT of work), but have helped a few guys with their baits. It is a lot like trapping in some respects(Still a form of hunting, but set up to catch and hold the animal until you get there to either dispatch it or release it unharmed).
Try sitting over a bait once. Go ahead and leave the weapon at home. Take a camera. Many of us HUNT for reasons beyond harvesting an animal. You will see things over a bait that you seldom see through other methods of hunting. There is more to a good hunt than the kill....