AS a bear guide and bear researcher - I might be able to help you.
You stand a far better chance baiting, than you do still hunting. If you hve ever still hunted deer, you know how many deer you see. Since bear numbers are usually less than 10-20% of deer numbers, think about your chances of seeing a bear while still hunting.
I'd bait and use a honey burn, setting it up at least a week in advance, but more if you can, up to 3-4 weeks, to get the bears accustomed to finding food at your bait site. The key word being FOOD, not scent. If they only smell scent, but there is no food, sooner or later they will learn it is a scam.
Here is an excerpt from my Bear Addict's Manual, that may help you in your baiting attempts. It is copyrighted and cannot be copied, printed or published without the written permision of the author. I give permission to use it here.
Bear Baiting Techniques
Bear Baiting Techniques
Bear hunters who use bait should choose wooded areas where the bears feel secure during daylight hours, near food sources. Look for a small opening in the woods to set out the bait, with a nearby tree big enough for a stand. This scenario is usually enough to attract bears. But, when Mother Nature decides to change the fall settings it can make it difficult for even the best hunters to get bears to hit baits during legal hunting hours. I remember one year when it was 85 degrees during the day and 65 degrees at night with humidity in the 50-60 percent range. It was hot, humid and miserable for bear hunters, and the bears. During the early season there may also still be raspberries, blueberries, serviceberries, acorns and hazelnuts available; this makes it difficult to get bears to come to the baits.
If there are numerous bears in the area, there may be hunters in the woods throughout the day. Some of them are baiting, some hunting in the evening, and a few hunting mornings, in the hope of seeing a late moving bear. This combination of hot weather, abundant food and numerous hunters makes bears more nocturnal than normal. During hot weather hunters often report that the bears are hitting the baits after dark. When this happens few bears are taken, those that are taken are often seen in the morning. This is when bear hunters say "this will separate the men from the boys when it comes to baiting."
So, how do you bait bears when the weather is hot, food is abundant and hunting pressure is high? As a guide I have found that I have very little control over the weather. All I can do is pray for cooler weather and try to get farther into the woods where the bears are. I put my hunters on the baits in the morning, when the weather is cooler. The problem with hunting mornings is that you may spook any bears in the area off the bait. But the feeling of exhilaration you get, walking through a dark woods at 4:30 in the morning, knowing you might run into a bear, makes up for the fact that you might chase off a few bears.
When we hunt mornings I take along a strong flashlight. I drive the hunter as close to the bait as I can to avoid unnecessary contact with bears and I talk loud or whistle while I walk in. The bears don't mind the sound of the truck because they hear it as I haul bait in every afternoon. I make loud noises when baiting to let the bears know supper is here. By the time the season begins the bears are accustomed to these sounds.
I have repeatedly said, "The best way to get an animal to come to you is to be in a spot it is used to, comfortable with and going to anyhow." When there is abundant natural or agricultural forage for the bears I place the bait as near the food source as I can, because I know the bear is already coming to the area. Usually there is a well-defined bear trail leading to the food source, and I place a second bait along it in the direction from which the bear comes. The farther I get from the food source along the bear trail, the deeper I get into the woods or the closer I get to a swamp or backwater, the closer I usually am to the resting area of the bear, and the better the chance I have of seeing the bear during daylight. Hopefully one or more bears will hit both the baits. To determine which bait to hunt I put a tail tmer or game camera on each bait. I attach the timer to a nearby tree and run the string from the timer to one of the logs covering the bait. When the bear moves the logs covering the bait it trips the timer.
I begin baiting as soon as I can and leave only enough bait to last through the evening. By checking the baits frequently I can determine how much bait to leave out. Remember, this technique is for times when there is abundant food. I try to teach the bears that if they want to eat they have to come in early. I use pastries, honey, molasses, licorice, cooking and chicken grease from the fast food restaurants, and raspberry Jell-O powder; foods bears love but can't find naturally. I see lots of baiters using meat and fish in the fall, but the bears are generally looking for sweets and high carbohydrate foods. Why not give them what they want? If you are feeding several bears and need lots of bait you can supplement your bait pile with fish guts, dog food, grain and unwanted meat and meat trimmings.
When I set out the bait I dig a 2 foot deep pit large enough to hold the amount of bait I intend to use. If I can only bait once or twice a week I leave more bait than if I bait once a day, and I need a larger pit. I cover the pit with logs large enough that raccoons and other small animals can’t move them and eat all the food. One of the main considerations in choosing a bait site is the distance from the tree where I plan to place my stand. I usually choose a tree slightly off to the side of the bear trail, downwind or crosswind if I can. I dig my pit near a standing tree, pile of brush, large rock, fallen log or other obstacle that will force the bear to approach the bait from the side nearest my stand, and present me with a broadside shot.
Along with the bait I use a honey burn. The burning smoke and smell of honey attracts bears from a long way. To create a burn I use a two pound coffee can with the top and bottom cut off, with holes punched along both rims to create a draft, and place a lighted can of Sterno inside the can. On top of the can I place a tin pie plate filled with the honey and Ultimate Bear Lure. I only use a burn while the hunter is actually in the stand. This way I hopefully attract bears only when the hunter is there.
I hope this helps you. If you have questions feel free to e-mail me at TRMichels.com.
Let me know how you do.
God bless,
T.R.Michels
God bless and good hunting,