Originally Posted by flags

Your second photo looks like it shows a cut to the right of that water hole. I'd look really hard at that cut and see if the bear are using it to get to water and to see if there are pockets of wild rose, raspberries or currants along it, all of which bear will feed heavily on. If the fall is really dry, water would be a better thing to set up over for both elk and bear than a food source unless the food source is geographically limited or restricted like a good heavy berry thicket.

One other thing to look at is if there are any big anthills in the more open areas. A lot of people don't know it but bear will hit anthills pretty hard to get to the larvae and eggs. If there are a lot of hills that is worth keeping an eye on. I had an old game warden tell me that trick.