This will be my first bear season. Mind you I am not afraid of falling asleep as I work wierd hours as it is, but what about the dangers from the bears themselves? Safety harness is a must and I wouldnt have the weapon loaded since it is night and trying to be as safe as possible. I know people sleep outside in just a sleeping bag or a lean to and don't worry about bears. This will be within probably 75 yards of a bait site and thats what has me asking the question.... Knowing that you would have no problem staying awake and that you would be secured with a safety harness, no bullets in the gun should it slip for some crazy reason. How dangerous is the bear near a bait site at night? There isnt really alot of info on staying in a stand over night that I could find.

I guess the first question is why in the world would you want to?

I love camping and hearing animals at night while around the campfire... Similar concept...I have to check to see the season for night hunting coyotes but was thinking maybe seeing if there were many on the guys property that im hunting. Its 26 acres and he doesnt care much for them now that I think about it and told me if i saw any last year to get them off his property. I dont think I would shoot any because of darkness. My main reason of asking was just from a knowledge standpoint on if bears can be aggressive near a bait site. I also hate sneaking in in the morning. I lost a deer last year because I dont like walking through the woods in pitch black, sitting is one thing, walking through a bunch off thorn bushes at night is not my idea of fun.

I suspect it would be a heck of a lot LESS dangerous than crossing a street in most major cities in the US.. I'm sure it would be MUCH less dangerous than walking down the street unarmed in many urban neighborhoods..

Sounds kinda odd to me, but if you want to do that, have a ball..Your risk of being eaten by a bear will be much less than the danger of falling asleep, having your safety harness fail, and falling out of the tree..

Thanks, thats what I was wondering. I Just have not had much experience with them other than the over-hyped storys on discovery. I didnt know if a bait site would make them any more aggressive like a dog over food or what. I know people night hunt coyotes from stands and they don't have any issues, but its the bait site that is what makes this different in my mind.

I would be worried about scaring all the bears away with your scent. Sooner or later they will make you and then you have a lot of educated bears to hunt .They get used to you coming and going {bring them food}but to move in ?

Exactly what I thought.

Check into this further this might be illegal.It's a grey area that may have you do some expalaining,as to why you are in a tree all night with a rifle and bullets handy.Not saying your guilty of anything, but in my town
even if your drunk and pass out in your car, with the keys in the glove compartment and with no intentions of driving home, you still can get charged for drinking and driving.It might be a court fight you may rather not get into over a stupid bear.

I'd be concerned with spooking the bears with your scent like was said by the others, as well as bears being very curious even in day light, they'll put their paws on your ladder. Now picture a bear with it's paws on your ladder in the dark of night (you hear the cling of it's claws on your steel ladder) no place to go, no bullets, and your gun is in it's case!! Yikes!! Not for me in the dark without a loaded weapon anyway!!

This is why they made trail cams with video!! LOL

So the concensus is that I most likely wont get eaten... but I wont have much luck come legal shooting hours from sitting there all night. Thats the info I wanted. Thanks, James