Why do people hunt bears?
 

I was watching a show on one of the hunting/outdoor channels "Savage Outdoors." From Savage Arms. I like Accutrigger but I don't understand something. Sportsman Channel.

They were in Canada somewhere an there were about five or six of them. Briefly, they had set up barrels in the woods that appeared to have food in them, some kind of a attractant (illegal in my state from what I can read, Georgia.) Anyway, they waited for the bears to come eat and then two women shot some bears with a bow and later another guy with a Savage rifle.

My question. How is that hunting? Am I missing something? First, why are they using attractants? And why do they hunt the bears in the first place? Do they eat them? Does it thin the herd so bears don't starve like deer?

I can eat a deer and thin the population but I just didn't get the bear hunting on this show. It looks pointless and unsporting (if you can have such a thing killing animals.)


I know that sounds like trolling. Sorry. I was genuinely puzzled.

While I do not agree with baiting, to answer you're question. Yes. You can eat bears. I shot a black bear 3 years ago and it actually tasted very good. If I had to describe it I'd say almost like a mix between beef and pork. Not only did I get a lot of meat, but also a very nice rug:happy0001:

I've eaten and enjoyed black bear before, not my favorite, but good. I also used to work for a meat processor, and some would bring bear in for sausage just like venison--also good.
As for population control, there are areas where black bears are very plentiful.
As for the baiting, I don't have a strong feeling about it, but I'd point out the following. Hunting used to be (long ago) about getting food rather than as it is now for a lot of people about being sporting. So, way back when, people developed methods of hunting that were efficient at getting meat rather than being sporting. Baiting is one such method. If your trying to plow a field with a horse, make some clothes, and cut wood for the winter, you probably don't have enough time to chase bears around for a week. Thus, you figure out how to get them as easy as possible. Some of those old methods survive--right or wrong. And, those that grew up with them will tend to see them as the norm.
I'm currently building points for a Wisconsin bear hunt, and if and when I get one, it will be consumed.

I don't have a problem with people that need to eat. It was that these folks were over joyed and it looked like fish in a barrel. They killed 34 bears. They weren't eating them. Maybe they gave them away. I don't know. I just didn't think I could be overjoyed about an high priced hunt where they throw food out to fool the bear. But long ago, yes, I get that and would do the same thing.

Here's the show. Alberta teaser trailer:

http://savageoutdoors.tv/

am I wrong? Aren't those some kind of baiting barrels?

Why do they hunt coyotes, why do they hunt prairie dogs, why do they hunt wolves, why do they hunt cougars, why do they hunt lions, why do they hunt leopards? I can go on and on and on.

A bear has no natural predators any more other than other bears. Something has to control the bear population.


How do you know this?

AS far as baiting them goes...... I haven't, but have you ever tried to get close to a black bear in the Alberta woods. I can't imagine it would be very easy or effective... not to mention it would probably pretty dangerous with the high population of bears up there that would be even higher if they didn't allow baiting.

Because they want to, and they can.

And they taste good and make fine trophys and rugs.

Because they want to, and they can.
Ever hunt over a food plot? Or a water hole? Same thing.

Have you never seen whitetail deer be lured in with a deer feeding station. or a muley with a saltlick. and in africa for a leopard they will hang a peice of meat in a tree. and as bigbulls said, how do you know that they did not eat them, did they specify that they were not going to eat the bears and/or show them throwing the bears out? and i do not understand why you dislike bear hunting so bad, is it because people bait the bears? if so not all people bait bears i have seen many people not bait bears i my self run bears with hounddogs and have also hunted them with no bait with no dogs just spoting them on a ridge or knowing they are in a certain area and just going in there and hunting them, just like you would hunt deer or elk.

First black bear meat is good if taken care of, I hunt bears for the meat, if I shoot one that I really like I will get a rug made,but the intention is to eat what I shoot. Baiting is legal in some areas, not in others,in Canada and Alaska, the reason for baiting is simple many areas are so vast and so thick there is no other reasonable method besides baiting, I hold a baiting license , that I have used one time,I chose to hunt areas where I can spot and stalk , but that means there are huge areas I simply can't hunt ,there are alder thickets that hide moose in large numbers and moving through these is never quiet.The DFG estimate is 100,000 black bears in the state, I believe that's low, by at least half, but most people will never see a bear unless it crosses the road in front of them.[ Last] hunting bears of any kind seems to be good for their numbers, hunters target the large adult males, and these are the cannibals ,an adult male will kill the cubs if given a chance,so taking a number of them out of the picture we insure the survival of a larger number of cubs.& elk calves Deer fawns, and moose calves.

hit that one on the head! here in utah where me and houndsman 12 live you can only bait bears if you have an archery/bait permit. this year they actily have a permit objective for bear and lion witch will decline the numbers dramaticly!

I personally don't hunt bears just like I don't hunt ducks or geese. I don't mind that other people hunt them but it isn't anything I care to do. For what it is worth I enjoy an occasional meal of bear meat but don't want a freezer full of it. I would rather have that space occupied by deer or elk.

Johnny,

I agree with you, but I take it to an extreme. Please don't anybody get offended with what i'm about to say. You all can hunt anyway that suits you. I don't judge. This is what I like to do.

My dad taught me how to hunt when I was 8 years old. That was 1950. I've hunted every year since. Long time. I guess I like it. :)

Anyway, my dad was a still hunter. That's what he taught me. It's the only way i've hunted. I still find it a challenge to this day. I have no idea where the game is. I scout a lot, but I still don't know where they are. Only that they were/are in a certain area. I almost always hunt timber. Over the years i've learned to sneak along as quiet as a cat. Always looking for the slightest sign of deer or elk. What I really like about still hunting is it works all day. I'm not locked into dawn and dusk like other methods.

So, that's how I hunt. I can't see baiting, dogs, tree stands, or glassing and long shots as a method of hunting. I don't see the challenge, and it looks boring to me.

Obviously, it appeals to a lot of hunters, because those are more popular methods than still hunting. That's ok. I just wonder if they have as much fun as I do?

I hunt bears cuz I want to. I'm gonna probably jerky all the meat and have a nice bear rug. For one hunter to question another shame on ya.

Most areas that have a good population of black bears are in areas of very heavy vegetation where it's impossible to hunt them other than baiting like the OP mentioned, or running them with dogs. The other way is spot/stalk out west where there is high country to glass them when they area feeding in the open. I've only done a baited stand type hunt once on a flyin hunt that I won up in Manitoba on another website in 2009. It was a lot of fun and, although there were a lot of bears in the area, the Spring was late that year and we didn't take but one bear out of that particular camp in the 3 weeks the outfitter operated it that year. This Spring I got a message from Monty that everything meshed and a lot of the hunters filled their tags. I used to night hunt coons with dogs when I was a kid back in the 50s and I would love to go after a bear with dogs sometime, as well as a cougar, because the chase is the thrill of that type of hunting and not the actual kill. In fact, that is basically what I consider every type of hunting that I do and if I squeeze the trigger and take home some meat, then all the better, but not a necessity!

Well that's kind of what I thought but there doesn't appear to be much of a chase or thrill in what I saw. Also, someone asked about eating them and how did I know they didn't. I suppose they could have but they said they killed 34 bears. Maybe they gave the meat away. They were laying on the bears at the end of the show displaying some of their kills, and it made me think the meat would be bad by then. I thought they displayed no hunt, no skill, nothing except that they put out a rat trap and shot a bear for no reason at all other than ratings on their tv show.

I've hunted bears over bait and it isn't as easy as you would think. I live in Minnesota and about the only practical way to hunt them in the big woods is over bait. I hunted over 4 different bait sites in 4 evenings and did not see a legal bear. I saw 3 cubs on the last night at last light. I assume the sow was just back in the woods a little ways, which would've been illegal and unethical to shoot anyway. In 4 days of hunting with an outfitter who has been doing this for close to 30 years I saw 3 cubs. I suspose some of blame could be put on the guides and outfitter. However, my point is that hunting bears over bait is not as easy as is looks on these TV shows on the outdoor networks. Heck they make shooting huge bucks and bulls look easy. The issue may be with the show and how it portrayed hunting over bait, but thats whole other subject.

Go on foot, and you won't even see the cubs. I still don't see the hard part? Aren't you just sitting there waiting?

Have you never sat in a blind or tree stand over a water hole, game trail. hot spot etc,, for deer, elk or other game animals. its the same thing, your just sitting there and waiting and its not hard it just takes time.

No, I keep moving, but that doesn't matter. As I said in my above post. I don't care how anybody else hunts. I'm just trying to understand how sitting and waiting is hard.

Unless you're talking about it being boring. Sort of like waiting in a doctors office. I don't wait well, and that would be hard.

I guess I mean it's not physically hard, and I don't see how it takes any skill. It's just....well........boring. I've read some guys say they read a book in a stand. WTH?

For me it is not hard it just takes time, but as soon as something comes in the wait pays off, and it could be more difficult for an impatient person you just gotta find a way to pass time. as you said Some hunters read books i have herad of people listening to music etc.. But you are right it's not physically hard to do but for some hunters that is there way of hunting. Now by saying that you keep moving are you refering to, spot and stalk or just walking through the woods trying to jump something?

I do still hunting. It's moving very slowly through the timber. Trying to spot game, before they see you. I've been hunting like that for 60 years, and I haven't got tired of it.

I'm thinking I probably won't at this point. :D

Ya know, stand hunting isn't just walking into the woods and sitting down and waiting. There's a fair amount of scouting, planning, settin up, involved. After all, If you are going to spend a lot of time sitting in a tree, you better pick a good tree. :-)

I do still hunt sometimes, and it is fun

I myself have hunted out of tree stands blinds and have spoted and stalked and all those have payed off, i also really like to do what you do. i love to hunt and do it in many diffrent ways how i decide my stratigy is by the situation im in, I had a turkey tag this spring i set up some blinds in my hay feild, and last elk season my mom had a tag and we hike on many different trails my dad has hunted and lived here his whole life and knows alot of hot spots we ended up geting her a pretty good bull, and 2 years ago my dad had an antelope tag and we had some tree stands set up and killed a nice buck,i like to do just about any kinda hunting, my point is that we all hunt and some dont like bear hunting they dont have to bear hunt,some dont like spot and stalk some dont like sitting in a blind and they dont have to do that its up to you as a hunter and your opainon to decide what you want to do and that do me is one of the best things about hunting.

That's what I said. Everybody can hunt the way they want. I was just trying to understand the hard part of stand hunting? I know getting it setup is the hardest part, but those that hire an outfitter don't even do that part. Anyway, not important.


btw.. Many times as i'm sneaking along looking for muley's or elk. I see a bear that doesn't see me. I could have shot it if I had a tag. So, still hunting for bear will work.

well you gotta find a good spot you know do you homework of where is the best place to put a stand then the work begins especially if your by your self you gotta pack everthing in set everything up and when your hunt is over you gotta go back and take it all down and pack it out. and as far as the outfitter thing, most the people who haire an outfitter and usually a non resident of that state and/or do not know alot about the animal they are hunting or just need some help and your right they dont do the work of putting up the stand setting up the blind scouting etc...... but that is what all guides do for a living, help other hunters and they must really enjoy it or esaly they wounld not be doing it.

Muley Hunter, I don't intend to get in arguement with you, but you missed my point about hunting bears over bait. Your're right sitting in a stand is not hard, but harvesting a bear isn't as easy they make it look on hunting shows on TV. Thats what I ment about not being easy. The success rate was 29% in Minnesota last season, which was a little higher than usual. A lot of hunters sit over a lot of bait sites and don't get a chance to harvest a bear. What I am trying to say is don't judge a certain type of hunting because of a TV show. You stated in your response to me that if I would have walked around in the woods I would've not even seen the three cubs. Again you are probably right and thats why bait is used in Minnesota and other places with big woods.

I would also like to say I went with an outfitter because I live in southwestern Minnesota which isn't bear country. I would have to travel at least 150-200 miles to set up and maintain bait sites. I did not have to do a lot math to figure out with gas prices that it was cheaper to hunt through an outfitter. I enjoyed my bear hunt and the time spent in the woods and nature. To me thats what hunting is about. Pretty sad I am on a hunting forum defending and explaining that. No hard feelings just hope you see my point.

I do, but I think you missed mine.



btw..They have hunting shows on TV??

Lots of assuming going on here with baiting bear. No surprise either. Until you've walked In both shoes (spot and stalk and baiting). How can you honestly comment on the baiting aspect and knock It down? I can understand the OP on why he asked as he's never done neither before but someone from the mountains commenting on people who bait bear? Come on already! To be honest I'll take your method of hunting out west any day over hunting a bait here In Minnesota. Why? Cause It's less work. I've done both, been bear hunting for 20+ years. I've stocked up on my share of bears In Montana and Idaho In the mountains. None of which got an arrow, too small for my liking. What a thrill It was though but not near as tough as I originally thought It would be. I'm not taking a damn thing away from that style of hunting though. It's fun and very exciting being eye level at 10 yards with a bear. More exciting I think. The hardest part most people have with spot and stalk bear hunting Is their too chicken **** to get that close to a bear.

As far as baiting bears. NEVER assume every place Is like Canada. A person can get spoiled there hunting bear over bait. Like someone else mentioned In this thread, huge difference here In Mn. I've bear hunted 21 years. I've shot 10 bear. My success rate Is a little under 50%. If baiting bear was supposed to be easy that percentage should be much higher. I know for a fact I put more time and work Into bear hunting then most do and If I didn't I'd be at the average of probably 20 to 25 percent. The work that goes Into bear baiting Is nuts. Most here wouldn't do It or couldn't do It. It takes a ton of time to do. Getting a bear to hit a bait Isn't the hard part. Getting them to hit a bait In day light hours Is the challenge. I'd challenge anyone on this board to come on up to northern Minnesota and try and walk around the big woods here (10,000+ acres) and shoot a bear with your bow. Chances are you'll never see one. Problem Is, you can't see 10 yards past your nose up there. It's thick everywhere. You think the old timers years ago walked around looking for bear to shoot? I guarantee they didn't. Bear don't follow trails, they roam. They've always been baited up here. It's about the only way possible besides maybe trying calls which would be tough too cause we don't have the bear numbers that's needed for that.

I've talked with locals up where I bear hunt. Some of these people are 80 years old and they've never saw a bear their whole life. It's nothing like hunting bear out west Muley. Not even close. When you can't see what your hunting you've gotta do the next best thing. Draw them In with their nose. It's the only way It can be done here to manage our bear population. I can promise you that.

Baiting deer is legal in alot of places (not here), yet that is considered hunting. Shooting deer in an open field of hundreds of acres from a stand over planted crops is considered hunting (not my sport). Unfortunately, regardless of their story, many deer hunters Do Not eat the meat they shoot.
Bear meat is very fine, properly prepared- like venison. Each bear also gives you potentially a fine hide. Bears are a predator which can chew back. Just going into and out of your stand gets you invigorated. In many bear regions, you can also hunt bears in the spring, adding a hunting season. Bear hunts generally are one of the much more affordable hunts around. Generally speaking, any argument against bear hunting is just as easily made against Deer, rabbit, etc.

To start, as I am from Canada and I am one of those hunters that bait the same as you seen, I can forward some info on the tecnhic's used here.

The woods are very large here and at most cases spot and stock is impossible. Not that anyone here would not try a stock over the bait system. The population of bears sky rocket because of the large woods and that is another eason why there looks to be so many bear shot leaving the impression that all the bears in the area are taken, when there is way more then what is taken.

A black bear will come to food and at most times on the same trails he uses but that don't mean its like (Shooting fish in a barrel) because the nose and ears of the bear are so good that they will pick you off well before they get to the barrel at most times.

Is everyone successful when hunting here No, hunters on the most part here pass up alot of bears and only hunt the large outstanding bears that maybe coming in, but if you travel some distance and pay for a tag, then some would soon use the tag and take a meat bear.

Last season I spent two weeks over a bait and in the end I never used my tag , passing on a number of small bear, so we all are not successful all the time.

Here in Ontario we also only have a fall hunt (No spring hunt) and the season is short with the other big game seasons running into the bear is yet another reason baiting helps reduces the population.

Hope that helps...

Not to be a smart a$$, but still hunting through the woods here and they will find you years later looking like a gun and bones, because getting lost is not hard at all. There is no openings and fields here when you get in the woods, its all rock, trees, ridges, swamps, rivers, more rocks, more swamps and it all looks the same for hundreds of miles...

When people duck hunt they throw out decoys, when people deer hunt they throw out decoys..... it's kinda the same thing. "your friends are down here come join". This will be my third year bear hunting in MN, it's legal to bait here. I've baited the past three years and hunted very hard but haven't got a bear to show up when i'm in the stand yet... i have a cuddeback up and have some great pictures of 3-4 different bears hitting my bait. So it's not as easy as they make it look. throw out some bacon and every bear in the woods will come running isn't true.

How did I know the thread would go like this. Very predictable. Even though I stated more than once. I don't give a rats arse how you hunt. How many times do I have to say that?

A lot of assumptions going on here.

One of them is i've never hunted bears, and I don't know anything about baiting.

Another is i've always lived in the west, and never hunted/lived in other states.

Another for the record. Spot and stalk is NOT still hunting. So, i'll assume those who said that don't know what either is.

One thing is a fact. You can't bait in Colorado, so at least they agree with me.

One more fact. It's easy to get lost in the Rockies. People die here all the time who have gotten lost and never survived.

Nobody has a 50% kill record here that I know of, because you can't bait here.

Preparing for a bait hunt is not 1/10th as hard as training all year for an elk hunt at 11,000ft. I hike and work out 350 days a year.

Still hunting for bear means i'm down on the ground looking for them without a clue where there are. Close encounters are common, because the point is to let the bear know you're there. Ever try to fool a bear like that. It's not the same as hiding in a tree while they come to bait. Which do you think is more dangerous? Which do you think is more of a challenge?

I wanted to just give my method of hunting in this thread, and let it go at that. You all couldn't accept that. So, now you have my real feelings. Tree stand-baiting is easy, and offers me no challenge.

Get on the ground with a muzzleloader that has one shot, and hunt bear. That's a hunt. Not just a kill.

How do you like me now? :p

the thing about baiting is that people have this viewpoint that an animal is lured in by the promise of food above all other things in the world and any animal takes leave of its good sense once under the allure of a bait... this is so untrue i almost don't know where to begin.

some of you anti-baiters hunt the eastern states (and i grew up in ohio where i've killed many deer with a recurve from a home-made groundblind and while stalking in the corn fields) and your perspective on hunting in general is derived from your experience hunting small tracts of timbered land.

i know my next statement to be very factual because i've had this conversation several times with different people. most easterners are completely overwhelmed by the amount of land and area to cover in the west that it's tough to know where to begin looking.

accross thousands or tens of thousands of acres, a bear wanders and finds food in many of the places it looks. so it is more practical to go looking for the bear, rather than letting it come past you on a trail right. and so it is with spot and stalk. but in a region so vast that there is no reason for an animal to use the same trails or even stay in the same river drainage, it's easier to try to get the animal to come to you.

in my opinion, many species of animals who travel to bait sites filter in and out of the area based on their seasonal migrations with little regard to what you have on the ground. this may mean they only stay in the area for a week or two instead of passing right through. which just prolongs your oppertunity a little.

take it easy on baiting, before you know it we won't be allowed to use doe estrous either.

All I have to say is that you seem that you are looking for a debate, my post was not a attck on you at all , I answered a question as I have hunted in your part of the world have you hunted in mine ?

The woods are very large here, but being your super man you could do it !

How do you like me now?

you don't want me to answer that question....

Why would superman care what you think?

huh uh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can see the bottom of the popcorn bucket!

Finish it up. I'm done.

Lol! You asked for It, you got It. I thought I was respectful In my post. Like I said, I've done both and walked In both shoes. For the record, It don't get any better then spot and stalk hunting either. Some places though It's just not the right style of hunting like It or not.

its funny how ppl complain about bear baiting but they think nothing about hunting deer in a tree stand over looking a feild or water hole.here in saskatchewan baiting bears is the only real option,how else do u find a bear that lives in dense woods.