How far is too far to sit from the bait

Unread postby **Uncle Lou** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:58 am

Ever since I got my 2014 bear tag I have been thinking about my upcoming hunt. It will be about 6 hours away in the Upper Peninsula so I will be thinking about it more than I will be doing more hands on stuff.

Now I am fortunate to have a couple friends up there that will be helping me scout and bait, but I still want to be involved to the extent possible.

The reason I ask about distance to the bait site is I am probably going to use a 12 gauge and I am thinking of setting up about 50 -60 yards away.

The post I bumped the other day about cross wind vs wind in the face provided a lot of good information. Even before Mike Foss suggested a dummy stand, I was thinking about doing a dummy stand ~ 20 yds away and setting up farther away. The only time I hunted bear was in 2007. We set up 2 stands facing opposite directions at the bait. The first night a circling bear got shot about 60 yards away from the bait and, the second night I shot my bear on the bait. My bear had nothing to do with what I want to do, but that circling bear sure imprinted on me.

So any thoughts?

Is 60 yards too far away?

Unread postby **dan** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 10:49 am

I would use a rifle... But if your set on using a shotgun, 60 yards should be ok if your good with that gun / slug combo. On the big bear I shot last year Jay Trudell pulled a 12 gauge slug out of the shoulder meat when skinning... It was a shot that would of killed any deer, but it was not getting thru a foot of bear shoulder muscle.

60 yards should put you in the circling range as long as your scent does not tell the bear where your stand is. I like to have the wind, access, and bear trails all figured out before the bait is set and have the stand right on the access trail so the bears don't suddenly smell the new person, and he is not where the people walk... Small bears come in easy, big ones can be a little touchy, don't let the actions of small bears decide how you set up... I know you Lou, and I know size of bear is not the main factor for you, but don't blow your chances if mr big does show up.

Unread postby **Uncle Lou** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:14 pm

Thanks for the reply dan. And yes you do know me, and that is why I appreciate the input. My friend says he's got a 450 lb bear around so I am really looking forward to that first sit and not afraid to sit back and take a gun. I have not killed a lot of bear so not too proud to use a gun.

Unread postby **Mike Foss** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 1:10 pm

Lou, nothing wrong with using a gun. The important thing is to just have fun :dance:

Unread postby **ihookem** » Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:08 pm

If you can get a good shot at a bear at 50-60 yds, you are most likely in an area that is not thick enough.... unless you have a shooting lane.. My theary is thick areas close to water.

Unread postby **Uncle Lou** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:35 am

ihookem wrote:If you can get a good shot at a bear at 50-60 yds, you are most likely in an area that is not thick enough.... unless you have a shooting lane.. My theary is thick areas close to water.

That is a good point. Only hunting bear once in northern lower MI, is the extent of my experience. I think I am struggling getting that image out of my head. It was in the middle of the deadstream swamp (massive low, wet, thick area). We baited/hunted a little hump that was a little more open than the thick surroundings.

I cant wait to haul some bait up there to see what these guys are seeing, lay of the land, so I can start to really plan.

Unread postby **Hodag Hunter** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 4:45 am

ihookem wrote:If you can get a good shot at a bear at 50-60 yds, you are most likely in an area that is not thick enough.... unless you have a shooting lane.. My theary is thick areas close to water.

I agree and don't like big shooting lanes. Critters know they are there and are uneasy stepping in the open.

And at that distance hard to judge size of bear. Becomes really difficult in low light.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

john1984 · Unread postby **john1984** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 8:29 am

What if your bowhunting, and don't know all the bears trails, and don't have a good obstacle for the predominat wind. Can a person scout with stand on back and go down 60 yards from your bait and look for where a mature boar might circle , and just set up possibly 60 or 70 yards off the bait?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Unread postby **dan** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 8:49 am

john1984 wrote:What if your bowhunting, and don't know all the bears trails, and don't have a good obstacle for the predominat wind. Can a person scout with stand on back and go down 60 yards from your bait and look for where a mature boar might circle , and just set up possibly 60 or 70 yards off the bait?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I would not recommend that... You suddenly put a stand 60 yards down wind and your going to spook bears.

How far is too far to sit from the bait

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