I went to check out my area that I wanted to start bear baiting this friday and was not able to get to it due to the snow. I found several areas down lower where the bears have been in the past. The prime spot that I found will require tons of work to keep the site active as it is a spell from the closet roads. The easier spot that I found was right off a main road and across a waiste deep creek. Yes I was crazy enough to cross it. On the other side I found a spot that made me laugh. There was stolen goods that the bears have robbed from nearby campsites on the other side of the creek. I know that there will probably be people camped on the other side of the creek off the road. I can almost bet that we eliminate 99% of the hunters(people who will be turkey hunting) by fording the creek. My question is, with all the traffic on the main road and campers on the other side of the creek, will the bears have a tendancy to be night feeders if I set up 2-300 yards on the other side? This looks like a prime spot where we found ALOT of chewed up items. I don't think that there will be anyone coming through the bait site, I am just concerned about the fact of alot of travel on the other side. Has anyone encountered such a situation and had success. Or do you think that I would be wasting good bait in a poor spot. Any responses are much appreciated.

Well yes and no, we had a bait that just happened to be 300 yard max from a well travelled highway and maybe 300 yards from where someone used a spot just off the highway in the forest to regularily dump garbage. This bait was screaming hot every year, I mean 2 days and a 45 gallon drum was drained! However try as we may in 3 years not one bear was harvested on that bait site and it was actually the one that had the fewest witnessed visits, our figuring was they hit it well after dark or possibly in the morning when we never could hunt. However I wouldn't say your easier spot is dud based on this, we have taken bears off spots where one wouldn't think it is the spot on the spot. As such I don't think running a bait in area that shows you sign is a complete waste of effort, cuz you just never know. I'd put a feeler bait in this local and see how it fairs. I certainly wouldn't bet the bank on one site regardless, so I would still run a primary and secondary bait min. based on sign and area. This will give you choice based on action, wind, etc! If it does turn out to be a dud then move it and try again. If the areas you mentioned are close together, than go with which ever one looks the best...2 baits in close proximity are never better than 1 placed appropriately. 2-3 miles min but the further the better IME.

Best of luck!

First off, I don't know what the laws are were you are, or were you are.... but there is prob. a leagal distance that you need to be away from any people before baiting. the second thing is that if you are sure there will be rec. campers near by, is it worth it to draw bears to that location? They may already be there, but adding fuel to the fire may be dangerous for children camping near by, and may not be very responsible on your part.
However, if you are a leagal distance away, with your bait site properly marked, and feel you won't cause a threat to an inocent people. I figure that as long as when your in your bait site, you don't hear any voices(in your head or otherwise..lol), or people don't accidently hike by, you should have no problem with the distance from the major road.
the bears will be used to the car noises so that won't factor in.

Bears are generaly timid of people, and we want to keep it that way for all involved, so be very certain that before you draw more bears to the area, and posibly associate the bait site to the campsite, that you are certain that it is responsible hunting. I didn't mean to rain on your parade, but I know how dangerous these animals can be, and I'm sure that down the road a couple of miles there is prob another great spot.

Great points by both, thanks for your input. I am now blessed with another problem. I have another far off area that I have 3 days to hunt this weekend if I want to. I have the standard baits and a long walk to the area. What types of tricks can I use for back country baiting. The spot that I have in mind I found while turkey hunting last year. I found a favorite sleeping spot under a big ponderosa. The bear had several very large wallowed out beds in the needles and the tree was scratched to heck. There were several large piles as if a horse had taken a crap. I have stumbled into bears several times just walking around turkey hunting in this spot. I will not be able to maintain this spot properly as the season goes as it is hard to get to in short order. When the snow comes off things will change and the high country will open up some more and let me get to the usual grounds away from the general population. Any suggestions?

Good points made above. All I can add is that Bears as a rule are not bothered by traffic. This is evident by the number of times they have run across the road in front of my truck. I almost hit a family of them up by Flin Flon a coup;e years ago. We were on out way to hunt bears at the time but I didn't want to harvest one with the old Ford.

I think that I may have made up my mind. Although the easy spot fits the criteria of the game laws. Being that the campsites are not established (you have to be 1/2 mile from established campsites) and that the bait will be far enough away from the water sorce. There is enough bad media about bear baiting and the do gooders don't need another log on the fire. I will go with the one requiring a little work as the area is not a good area for any other type of hunting and lack of accessibilty will make it a good spot for a quiet dinner. After all, you get out of it what you put into it. I still will search for quick in and out spots so I can maintain the sites on days that I am not hunting( I am allowed 3 on my permit). The drive is about 30 minutes and I want to hit them before I go to work. Anytime I feed them in the evening they become night feeders. I cannot bait until opening day however I have cleared out my shooting lanes and have built a great natural blind that sits 22 yards above the dinner table. The logs are already in place and the bait and such is stockpiled for the season. Any advice on backcountry bear baiting will still be appreciated as I will not be able to maintain the best spot that I know of. One more thing. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good brand of nose plugs??????

Whether or not I was correct with my assessment of the area and the possible dangers involved, it is nice to see that all though it is a good spot, you have taken the advice of fellow poster’s for what it was worth, and made a difficult, but I think very responsible decision to abandon this bait site. I hope that in the end you are rewarded by scoring a nice trophy bear.
It sounds like you don’t bait by quad (4 wheeler), so you have to pack in your bait..
If it were me, I would hump in a 45 gallon barrel (empty) or smaller if you can find one. Throw some straps around the barrel, and turn it into a backpack. A removable top is always the best to dump in bait, cut jagged holes (to tear of hair samples) in the side before hand , a couple 4 inch holes would do.. Chain it to a tree, and then carry your bait back to the spot in 5-gallon pails. Make a few trips loading up the barrel, you can dump 8 pails of bait in the barrel that will almost fill it, and should last all season. If not, carry two pails in every time you access the bait to keep it filled. You should not have to bait more than once a week that way. I am surprised you can only have 3 bait sites, we can have as many as we choose here. As for the smell…. Don’t make me call you NANCY…LOL

p.s.
Where do you live?

Scrapes from the fish cleaning tables can get a bit ripe to be sure. The bears like it though.

I am not sure I hunt what you call back country areas, b/c we don't have any mountains in my province. I do the majority of my bear hunting in the forest and whenever possible as remote as I can get. Any hew, all my baits are done the same way first locate an area that has sign, second place the bait in the best spots possible, prepare the site for hunting and then bait(in virgin spots prior to trimming, etc I will place the bait as a feeler in fear of a complete waste of time). My baits are 45 gallon drums with 2 holes cut in the top to allow the bears to paw or spoon out with the snout/tongue my offering, the drums are chained to a large based tree and inside my barrels is a mixture - oats mixed with cookies, mollasses and fryer grease. I also pour fryer grease on the trees around the bait and in radius about 20-30 yards around the bait area, this will provide a track to other bears once any bears comes close to my bait. The fryer grease will provide smell but I believe in the stink as well, so fish heads, meat scraps or preferably beavers are used to get the animals attention. I replentish as needed and try to make sure my baits is 1/2 full at all times.

Again not sure if this will help your situation, good luck!

It's funny how people can have such a diff. in opinion with certain things.. for eg.

I will never, ever bait with fish again.. Must be the bears in Alberta, but fish was the absolute worst bait I have ever used. Sure it stinks, but the bait sites I used fish on went dead. Then after the fish was removed, they started up again. Some of the littler bears would check the fish out, but only the dogs ate it. But if it works for you, fill your boots.

I use tire baits as test baits... Take a tire, fill the center with bait, and cover it with heavy logs tied together, the dogs can't move the logs, but bears can toss them like sticks. the bears will play with the tire after..

Skeeter where in sask are you from?