Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

I live in PA and am going to hunt black bear hard next year... Thinking about bog hunting so lets assume I'll be usuing a bow... I have an area that i kno hows bear because of POO and some of my relatives have seen them while fishing around the dam/swap that is in the woods... I was wondering if there was any special plant or area to look for/hunt in for bear... I will do some scouting this spring while golfing and fishing but I am looking for more specifics... and what do they eat or what are their habit in the winter when there are no berries left? any info is helpful! THANX!!!!!! Also... I want to set up a trail camra... I was thinkin bout leaving fro fresh bass in front of it in the spring 2 catch a pic of one.... would that work? andy ideas of where to puit the trail camra? THANX!!!

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

They hibernate in the winter!!

I expect you will get a nice picture of a racoon eating your fish though... :>)

Drilling Man

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

what is good bait to use?

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

Yep as DM stated. Winter=Sleep;)

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

Hi Hempfieldhunter ...

Bear hunting for success is very time consuming. I'm not sure about your area in PA ... when's bear season ? Yep - they're sleeping in the winter - so the best time to scout is Spring. When they wake up - they're looking for food. In spring they eat grass and vegetation and possibly some carcasses that have perished during the winter that they find. Their diet is very flexable - they love "sweet" - so if you can find some berry patches - that's a good spot to watch.
I don't know if you can legally bait bears in PA - so even putting dead fish out could get you in a mess of trouble ... know your laws first.

If you can bait - then it's a bonus.

To "lure" a bear to a specific area that you may want to hunt - fresh fish could work ... but rotten fish works great. Simply fill a covered pail with fish guts and set it in the sun for a couple weeks - dump that at your site you want to hunt ... and follow it up with fresh meat scraps from your butcher. Continue with the meat scraps at least twice a week until 2 or 3 weeks before hunting season - then do it EVERY day. That gets the bears on a schedule.

If you're hunting with a bow - I'd suggest a climber tree stand - and when you're baiting - take off your gloves and run your hands all over the trees in the area - so that you leave your scent there and the feeding bears won't be alarmed by your scent.

Next step - set up - and kill !
Good Luck

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

Remember it's illegal to use fish in most states, and provinces because your letting it spoil. Explain the rotten fish story to the CO when he finds it..lol.

I found it.

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

baiting is illegal in Pa, no liquid lure, no nothing wait till October look for old orchards and corn fields left standing near the thickest cover you can find, if bear are using the area you'll see plent yof sign.
Here in Pa most large boars do not hibernate! they may hold up in really cold weather for a few days in a nest but they are not true hibernators. Sows will hibernate especially those with cubs.

RE: Bringing Black Bear in... With out baiting...???
 

How bout a smoke stick thing? They sell em at cabelas.They called six miles of dead fish.You burn em and they smoke for a while.