RE: bear baiting
 

ive hunted bear quite a bit in maine and a couple times in ontario near timmons. bears will probably eat anything but in maine they always used sweets and baited with frozen meat in canada. your guide may not like you jazzing up his baits with your own stuff. i also have mixed feelings on bringing different smells to a new bait. i have done it in the past and also pissed ff the outfitter. you have to realize that its there bait station and after you leave they may put another client on it so your guide may think youve ruined the bait. i would ask first. if you need to bring somethuing i would travel light though. i make a concoction of vanilla extract-and cooking oil. old or new whatever is cheap. i think its the vanilla that the bear smells in the do-nuts. why bring bags of sweets when you can just spray the heck out of the pine tree limbs.

RE: bear baiting
 

Graybeard,
That sounds a little bit more reasonable. But I would still question the 50 yard shot. There is no reason for it, and the cover you should be hunting should not allow it. But his territory may differ from what I hunt. Good luck on your hunt.

Oh, and luquidorange...not every outfitter hunts multiple hunters at a bait site.;) Only some, but good post.

RE: bear baiting
 

I do not hunt bears as I do not like to eat them, but, have friends that do and friends that guide also. Most guide in Maine do in fact use sweets and get alot of bear that way. Canned cherry pie filling dumped onto a pile of sweets will bring in the bear here. However one such place the bears come into rather good. But, there is a big bear that has killed 2 of a friends bear hounds as he would not tree. He also would not come into sweets. He preffers meat and gets into a pile of animals discarded after being skun out by a trapper. To date no one has shot him yet though they have tried to get him more than once. I also had a grandfather that shot one off his door step that was eating an old sponge cake he had thrown out. So sweets would prolly work best.

RE: bear baiting
 

BearGuy;
The only thing I can say is that I'm going to try my best to bag a good bear,whatever the range. I'm shooting my 45/70 from25to 75 yards& keeping them in a 3 inch groop. If that won't do it I Quit! as long as I get a chance is all I'm asking from the outfitter.
Last season out of 39 bear taken15 were over 400 lbs. & 3 -500 +.
Out of 120 bait sights I should be able to pick a good one. to date there are 12 guys going, and all have hunted together before. I thing all will be well & it should be a good time. Thanks again for all the posts you guys have entered. It's like haveing good buddies a key stroke away. GB 50