Changing bear patterns???

[natvbearhntr]

I have only been hunting bear for 2 years so I look for information from any and all sources. I recently spoke with a person about last seasons bear hunting and told him I had allot of smaller bear come in during the day but the large bear would not come in until after dark. He was telling me about a method used by a northern Minnesota hunter. He said what he did was put a radio in the woods that he would turn on after he left his stand for the evening and then turn it off when he would return the next day to hunt. He claims it kept the bear out away from the bait at night and change their feeding habits to coming during the day. Has anyone had any experience with this? Thanks.

[Schultzy]

I've never tried It but heard of others doing It. Night hitting Is a very common thing with bear and can be very frustrating. In the case you described there was multiple bear hitting a bait. I can promise you eventually the bigger bear will show In the light If there Is other bear hitting this bait. In saying that the perfect wind, the bait set up, and many other things like the amount of other hunting pressure In the area will aid In determining when these bigger older bear hit a bait. Having multiple bear hitting your bait Is a good thing. Eventually It will cause competition amongst the bear. Competition will bring bear In during day light hours but a person has to have their cards In order too.

[dan]

I think the radio and intentionally spooking the bear is a bad idea.. Every time I have had issues with night only hits by big bears its because of either spooking the bear, or the set up is wrong. Placement of the bait is crucial. It needs to be near where a big bear would bed so its a short stroll from his bed to the bait. It also needs to have enough cover up to the bait for the bear to feel comfortable moving in daylight. And it needs to be far away from other hunters, roads, and people.
Bait is important to... I like to keep enough bait out that the bear knows there is food there. I also like to have a variety of bait so that he races to get the best. I ran 6 baits for me and Chad in Minnesota last year and the cameras on each bait showed that all the big bears were hitting regularily during daylight on all the baits. Hunting the same area a few years ago with an outfitter useing all one kind of bait and putting it right next to the road with no knowledge of bear bedding resulted in spooky bears only coming in at night.

[Mike Foss]

I would not ever use that type of method (radio) you mentioned. There is so much competition out there, you could send that bear packing to another bait.

[natvbearhntr]

Thanks for the responses. This particular site was on private land boardered by forest crop land. I did not realize there were 2 or 3 other baits on the 80 acre forest crop land. I had at least 10 different bear coming in with 2 reaching over the 39" stake I put out at back height. I had allot of day time activity with small bear but nothing during the day with the bigger bear. I am assuming because the bear had 3 to 4 baits to choose from they didn't feel in competition with the others? I will move this year to an area that has little to no people hunting, it is also close to a golf course where their garbage and grease bin are hit everynight.

after talking to the guys on the forest crop land I found out one shot a 125lbs bear, one shot a bear and could not find it and one shot at the silhouette of a bear in the dark and didn't know if he hit or not.

[PLB]

I had 1100 pounds of bait up north in my shed back in 2006. A sow and 2 cubs kept busting open the door and the cubs chewed holes right through the siding. What a mess of bait strewn out all over the yard every weekend!! I tried a radio in the shed on high volume while I was at home during the week. Didn't work!! Came up to a mess and the radio still blasting!! If they can't smell you, they know you're not there and it doesn't bother them. Bears are very intelligent animals!!!

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[matt1336]

When you're hunting couldn't you take the bait in and out w/ you? I'd think that if a bear is near he'd smell it and come in. That'd create competion too...right?

[natvbearhntr]

Matt that doesn't sound like a bad idea, maybe just feed out of a 5 gallon pail and pack it in and out.

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[matt1336]

I heard that form a more expeirienced bear hunter. I'm new to the sport myself. I got my first kill tag this year. It makes sense to me.

[Mike Foss]

Matt

Phillips is where I started my guiding career. You will not have to worry about taking your bait in and out with you, that area that you are hunting has so many bears and chances are you will have bears at your bait every night while your on stand, thus there will not be any bait left for you to take out PM me your phone number, I will give you a call to discuss some tactics I use.

[Edcyclopedia]

I had 1100 pounds of bait up north in my shed back in 2006. A sow and 2 cubs kept busting open the door and the cubs chewed holes right through the siding. What a mess of bait strewn out all over the yard every weekend!! I tried a radio in the shed on high volume while I was at home during the week. Didn't work!! Came up to a mess and the radio still blasting!! If they can't smell you, they know you're not there and it doesn't bother them. Bears are very intelligent animals!!!

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Cool story!

[matt1336]

Matt

Phillips is where I started my guiding career. You will not have to worry about taking your bait in and out with you, that area that you are hunting has so many bears and chances are you will have bears at your bait every night while your on stand, thus there will not be any bait left for you to take out PM me your phone number, I will give you a call to discuss some tactics I use.

Wow Mike, that's reassuring. A pm will be sent! We see bears now and agian, especially in spring. But not too much in fall when we're hunting deer.

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[PLB]

You can pm me with any questions also Matt. I have been bear baiting and or hunting since 1988....

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