Bait went cold

[matt1336]

I'm running two baits this year. I started out baiting once a week in July and have went to daily baiting last week. There were multiple bears hitting each bait to start. Just before we started baiting daily, one of the baits went cold, last week it didn't get hit at all, and still has not. I was using doughnuts and bearscents bacon scent spray. I switched up up baits to icecream cones and granola mix that I bought recently.

Any suggestions? I know that I may be getting some competition from other baits, I can't control that. I still think that there are enough bears up there that I should still have some action, not totally shut off like it did. Is there anything that I should be doing to this bait to make it more attractive to the bears.

Does this happen often?....when a bait totally shuts off after being hit by multiple bears for over a month?

I worry about my nieghbor trying to mess me up. He's a little ticked after he lost some property to us after we a property survey done. But I'm not sure he'd intentionally mess w/ my bear bait/hunt. Especially since most of the locals think there are too many bears up there to begin with (Phillips/Park Falls area).

[blackwolf]

Acorn crop could be factor also if anywhere near your area.

[dan]

Lots of factors could come into play... acorns, other hunters, better bait, to far from bear bedding with hunters in between, spooking bears when you go in to bait... Etc.
The best baits will be real close to where big bears like to bed. A remote area further back than all the road warriors, and up against a low cool thick swamp.
If I had a Wisconsin tag and was baiting for myself, I would have more than two baits, You only get a tag about once a decade.
I would start a couple more "back up baits"...

[Schultzy]

Lots of factors could come into play... acorns, other hunters, better bait, to far from bear bedding with hunters in between, spooking bears when you go in to bait... Etc.
The best baits will be real close to where big bears like to bed. A remote area further back than all the road warriors, and up against a low cool thick swamp.
If I had a Wisconsin tag and was baiting for myself, I would have more than two baits, You only get a tag about once a decade.
I would start a couple more "back up baits"...

x2!!

[PLB]

Acorns and berries! It happens, that's why you run multiple baits...

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[PLB]

Stick with your routine and what has been working!! I've been baiting the same baits for 25 years and they went cold for a while this summer. I got them back now. Didn't change a thing. Had a camera stolen on 1 bait. Who knows what went on with that??

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[matt1336]

Thanks guys. I have enough bait that I may start a new site on a property I'm pretty sure I could get permission on. I'll still stick with this bait. It was producing some of the better bears and it's close to some tag alder and cedar swamp. So I believe it's in a good spot.

I just talked to the guy that is baiting for me. He said that there are bears that pass through. They just weren't eating what I had out for them. So I guess I should put some fresh doughnuts out....how can any bear resist fresh doughnuts? Is it possible that I made the bait too hard to get to? I piled a bunch of rocks on top of the stump that I used.

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[P&YBuck1]

Not sure the type of land your hunting but in Central Wisconsin,farm county, where I bait it seems every year right about this time just before season opener is when the baits go cold. In our area I believe it is like others posted earlier, it has to do with rippening of other food sources. In our area it is not unusual to see bear feasting in corn fields along with berries, acorns, and other baiters. Also, you not only get other bear baiters but some deer hunters are starting to drop deer bait too, which bear like too. The good news is the baits seems to come alive again near the ending of the season as other food sources diminish.

Good luck!

[Schultzy]

Not sure the type of land your hunting but in Central Wisconsin,farm county, where I bait it seems every year right about this time just before season opener is when the baits go cold. In our area I believe it is like others posted earlier, it has to do with rippening of other food sources. In our area it is not unusual to see bear feasting in corn fields along with berries, acorns, and other baiters. Also, you not only get other bear baiters but some deer hunters are starting to drop deer bait too, which bear like too. The good news is the baits seems to come alive again near the ending of the season as other food sources diminish.

Good luck!

Good post!

Is it possible that I made the bait too hard to get to? I piled a bunch of rocks on top of the stump that I used.

Nope. Like P&Y asked, what kind of county you hunting In? Is there ag land? Oaks?

[matt1336]

No oaks and the berries are pretty much done from what I saw a couple weeks ago. We have food plots and the soy beans are in great shape. Is it possible that they are ripping apart our beans instead of eating doughnuts? The land on this property has cedar and tamerak swamp in the low parts, this is where the bait is. They higher land is aspen, spruce and food plots.

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[Schultzy]

No oaks and the berries are pretty much done from what I saw a couple weeks ago. We have food plots and the soy beans are in great shape. Is it possible that they are ripping apart our beans instead of eating doughnuts? The land on this property has cedar and tamerak swamp in the low parts, this is where the bait is. They higher land is aspen, spruce and food plots.

[ Post made via iPad ]

Bear aren't a fan of beans from what I know. Any corn fields with In 20 miles? Their pounding the corn where I'm hunting right now. My guess Is that their patterns have slightly changed due to a certain food source of theirs being done or possibly starting up. Remember that bear prefer natural food always over bait. It's hard to believe that they would go out of their way to eat natural food when we have It there for them 24/7 but I've saw It happen to many times when the berries In the area I hunt are low In numbers. I'd rather have a huge berry crop year then a bad one. A good natural food source will keep a bear around. Last year the natural food source (plums, berries, hazel nuts) was non existent. Just about every week we'd have a new bear on camera. They would stick around for a day, sometimes 2 and they were gone. A month Into hunting last year we were getting pictures of the same bear that hit the 1st week of baiting. Give It time, they'll be back. Also be ready for some new bear to show up eventually.

Out of curiosity, how much bait you giving them and how often?

[matt1336]

I'm giving them 5gallons of bait at each bait daily, if it's hit. I've been talking to some guys that have hunted up there before. They said that it's typical of the bears to stop hitting the baits with as much regularity as they have been this time of year, right before hunting season.
Id like to shoot one before the first Sunday of the season,mbecause my wife might shoot me if I spend any more time trying to kill a bear. So Im gonna try to get at least one more bait going when I get up there next week.

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[Schultzy]

Id like to shoot one before the first Sunday of the season,mbecause my wife might shoot me if I spend any more time trying to kill a bear.

Lol!! Best of luck on you getting a bear right away then!!

[Hodag Hunter]

Sorry to hear about the baits going cold.

As the others mentioned natural foods will be preferred over your bait but find it awfull suspect that the bait went totally cold. A decrease of activity can be expected but total shutdown this time of the year sounds odd. How many weeks have hey been cold? I'm not a fan of daily baiting and this may be some of the issue.

It's common with the the quick influx of hot weather last week that night hits would become common again and/or because of the natural foods, slowing the bears path/progress reaching your baits. But baits that are going well for months with multiple bears hitting (this is key) and then a total stoppage of any kind of hit this time of the year sounds like tampering of some kind to me. At the very least a few young bear would still make the circut back into their original home area and hit your bait.......something is keeping them away. You said you changed baiting/food. Sounds like all dry items.......maybe try some berry/fruit mix paste with the new bait. I'm not a fan of changing bait either.....may ad an item or two but try to keep the same key ingrediants all season. I litterally have quite a few choices for the bear to choose from to eat.

I had a rather poor trail camera pull last week myself for daylight activity.......not totally surprised.....not happy... but not surprised. But "my" same bears were/are hitting the baits, just later and with a slight decrease of frequancy.

Does anyone know where your baits are located? A long shot, but could be someone messing with you also.

[matt1336]

My neighbor is kind of bleep......if you know what I mean. I hope it's not him shutting my bait down, but I wouldn't be surprised if he would do something dumb like that. He's ticked because he lost land to us after we had the property surveyed.
That bait hasn't been hit for about three weeks. There are bears visiting the bait at night but not eating. I think they're smelling the bacon scent that we're using. I told my bait guy to put fresh bait out tonight and we'll see what happens.

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