Help - 6 day guided bear hunt = skunk
 

I took my son and my dad to an outfitter in Quebec for a little get away. I got a bear license and my 9 (almost 10) year old son and I went bear hunting. We spent 6 days in the stand and saw nothing. 5:00-10:00pm each night.

I've been taking my boy deer hunting with me since he was 6 so he knows how to be quiet and still. And this time he was as good as I could expect.

The outfitter has 90% kill and 97% sighting. The other 6 hunters shot their bears by Tuesday.

What did we do wrong? I've been hunting for 30 years. Bow-killed good bucks. Even shot PA bear with no bait or hound. How could a slam dunk turn into a complete bust?

Was my kid more fidgety than I thought. The visibility was about 2 inches and bears have poor eyesight. I would say hearing was a possibility but, the flies and mosquitos made quite the cover-sound.

I'm just wondering if this was a once in a billion fluke or whether me and the kid aren't stealthy enough to hunt baited bears.

Anyone have any insight?

Thanks

Same bait or different baits? Was/were the bait/s being hit before you arrived and were they being hit at night when you weren't there?

Day 1 & 2 = one bait

Day 3 & 4 = another bait

Day 5 = a third bait

Day 6 = a fourth bait


Baits were empty each day. I assume they got hit at night.

But, other hunters got bear. Some at 6:30, 7:00 and 8:00. Shooting ended at 9:45.

At home, bears are not timid. They juat lay down and eat.

I went on a bear hunt like this years ago where my bait was getting hit at night and nothing while I was sitting there. The baiter told me it was because I was a chewer which I did spit in a bottle for sent control. So on the night he told me that I got out of the stand walked over to the pile of bait and spit my chew out on the pile. I turned to the bait guy and said if he wants that food he'll get used to chewing. Sounds silly but the next day I showed up to the stand with the bait guy to re bait it and stayed from 10am to 3pm which was the time I shot my bear. At 3pm most guys weren't even getting dressed to go to their stands. I also sprayed my boots so heavy with anise that is all I could smell all day. I say your hunt was a fluke. Bad timing if you will.

Stand hunting for bear is much more finicky than for deer. I think their eyesight is underrated. They frequently know where the stands are, and watch them from out of site. I have discovered this firsthand several times. Of course, two hunters are twice as noticeable, and what passes for minimal fidgeting on a deer stand equals alot on a bear stand.
I have learned that sitting a stand out usually pays off. Over the last five years, I shot my bear the last night (usuallly last light). I at first disagreed, but now agree with my guides that they do pick up on that little bit of new scent, and get more used to it in time. I also vastly prefer a ground blind. They give you much more freedom to move around. I have had a bobcat and bears within a few feet without knowing I was there. I think with a youngster, it would be the ideal way to go.

We did spend two days on the ground. On top of a 20 foot cliff and behind some trees and brush. I thought that was the ideal ambush spot. But, nothing but snowshoe hares showed up.

Sounds like the two of us together will never see bear unless we happen upon a stupid one :D

I'm use to the bears that come to a corn feeder here in PA. You can go out and yell at them and they just lay there and eat.

their smell is incredible.

had an outfitter say they'd put a bear's nose over a deer's.


sounds like just unlucky... less you were swatting those mosquitoes like crazy?

Had a Thermacell so we weren't doing too bad with the bugs.

Hi Barnes. I think, like the other guys here. Switching bait stations may have been your downfall. Otherwise, like the others said. scent, and movement are the usual culprits.

Good hunting.

Sounds like it just didn't come together for you. Kudos to your little guy for sticking it out though. Those are long hours, day after day, for a youngster.