High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
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High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
This has been a great learning year for me in the bear woods. I, like many other hunters in WI, drew a tag for Zone C. For those unfamiliar with the WI bear zones, Zone C is the largest bear hunting zone in the state of WI covering over half (southern) of the state . The habitat throughout much is less than ideal. While there are many large forested areas, most of the area is farmland broken up with wood lots, swamps, marshes etc. This inconsistency in quality habitat significantly concentrates the hunters in the best areas. The pressure is the highest I've ever seen in this Zone!
At the last minute, I took a different approach to this bear season. The last few weeks prior to the season I saw a large influx of hunters, acorns falling, a small spike in dog pressure, and milking corn crops. Needless to say, I was less than happy with the consistency of big bear activity at my bear baiting locations. At that moment, I made the bold move to try something new. Something I now call casual stacking. I kept baiting. I didn't hunt and let large pools of my scent build up in the immediate areas next to my sites. I only monitored cameras. Other hunters in the area have been hunting and baiting at least every other day. One thing has changed over the last couple weeks. While my fellow hunter's sites/hunts/cameras have remained quiet, mine have picked up in activity, despite some of them set up in better spots than me (ideal private). I can only hypothesize that the bear in the area are acknowledging the lower pressured food source that I am providing on a regular basis.
My first hunt of the season is tomorrow night, Sept 28. 19 days after the opener. I hope I can put my tag on this theory.
At the last minute, I took a different approach to this bear season. The last few weeks prior to the season I saw a large influx of hunters, acorns falling, a small spike in dog pressure, and milking corn crops. Needless to say, I was less than happy with the consistency of big bear activity at my bear baiting locations. At that moment, I made the bold move to try something new. Something I now call casual stacking. I kept baiting. I didn't hunt and let large pools of my scent build up in the immediate areas next to my sites. I only monitored cameras. Other hunters in the area have been hunting and baiting at least every other day. One thing has changed over the last couple weeks. While my fellow hunter's sites/hunts/cameras have remained quiet, mine have picked up in activity, despite some of them set up in better spots than me (ideal private). I can only hypothesize that the bear in the area are acknowledging the lower pressured food source that I am providing on a regular basis.
My first hunt of the season is tomorrow night, Sept 28. 19 days after the opener. I hope I can put my tag on this theory.
- olivertractor
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
Good luck with your hunt, interesting for sure, but for surely would make sense IMHO. Nice work on being patient with it. Your activity dropped as a whole or just daylight appearances?
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"Sad state of affairs when I'm voting for who's gonna hurt us less, than who's gonna help us more"
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
olivertractor wrote:Good luck with your hunt, interesting for sure, but for surely would make sense IMHO. Nice work on being patient with it. Your activity dropped as a whole or just daylight appearances?
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Both dropped days prior to the season. If the activity was strong, I would have hunted hard opening week...learning nothing.
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
Actually, your hunting pretty much the same as me... I put out a bunch of baits, and only hunt when target bears are active... They are extremely sensitive to hunting pressure, and 1st strikes are very important. Much like deer, my 1st hunt of the season on a spot has always generated the best success.. Unlike deer, bear are extremely smart and if you let them know your hunting them, it will get real hard, real fast.
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
I like your reason and strategy bassboy!!! Best of luck!!
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
What is your philosophy on leaving a stand vs. prepping a couple of trees and hanging the stand the night you hunt? I pose this question to all who want to answer.
I have wondered if the presence of a tree stand (especially a ladder stand) adds pressure to the older,wiser bears visiting it.
I have wondered if the presence of a tree stand (especially a ladder stand) adds pressure to the older,wiser bears visiting it.
- Schultzy
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
Most times every bear that comes in to said bait one is hunting knows we are in the tree. Of the many bear I've shot I think maybe one didn't know I was there. Lots of times these big guys won't come in period if they know/think someone is hunting. Just sitting there one is loading the scent up vs just going in and out baiting.SmallJawNH wrote:What is your philosophy on leaving a stand vs. prepping a couple of trees and hanging the stand the night you hunt? I pose this question to all who want to answer.
I have wondered if the presence of a tree stand (especially a ladder stand) adds pressure to the older,wiser bears visiting it.
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
SmallJawNH wrote:What is your philosophy on leaving a stand vs. prepping a couple of trees and hanging the stand the night you hunt? I pose this question to all who want to answer.
I have wondered if the presence of a tree stand (especially a ladder stand) adds pressure to the older,wiser bears visiting it.
To me, you either need to prep the stand tree before you place the bait, or the day of... Or wait till the day you hunt.
Prepping a stand a few days before a hunt is doing the same damage as hunting it, well, almost the same.
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
Over the years my take in ladder stands is this. Unless they are hidden well or are back a good distance from the bait they can be a serious problem.
My problem is almost 95% of clients won't hunt out of anything but a ladder stand.
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My problem is almost 95% of clients won't hunt out of anything but a ladder stand.
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- stash59
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
Cool idea BB! Good luck on your hunt!
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
Hopefully it pays off for you sounds good.. I shot both of my bears before a storm. It started raining while tracking the one. The other right when we got back. We waited for the right wind and it paid off.
Good luck tomorrow Bass whack a big old boar
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Good luck tomorrow Bass whack a big old boar
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
I normally have a couple different trees limbed for
Stands at a bait. I'll change trees every year. Especially if we didn't kill a mature bear and he knew the hunter was there. My stands go up two weeks before hunting.
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Stands at a bait. I'll change trees every year. Especially if we didn't kill a mature bear and he knew the hunter was there. My stands go up two weeks before hunting.
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
dan wrote: To me, you either need to prep the stand tree before you place the bait, or the day of... Or wait till the day you hunt.
Prepping a stand a few days before a hunt is doing the same damage as hunting it, well, almost the same.
Dan hit my thoughts exactly. Also, ladder stands are bad news IMHO.
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
BassBoysLLP wrote:olivertractor wrote:Good luck with your hunt, interesting for sure, but for surely would make sense IMHO. Nice work on being patient with it. Your activity dropped as a whole or just daylight appearances?
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Both dropped days prior to the season. If the activity was strong, I would have hunted hard opening week...learning nothing.
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I agree great decision! Definitely socking it away in the ole memory bank
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"Sad state of affairs when I'm voting for who's gonna hurt us less, than who's gonna help us more"
- Hodag Hunter
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Re: High Pressure Bear Hunting: Casual Stacking
My 2012 kill tag was same way. I waited until last 4 days of season to hunt as I was after one particular big fella.
He didn't show the 2nd last night early enough but my plan B bear did.
Good luck, 1st sit is the best.
I have no issues with ladder stands as long as they're in early and hidden from bait. I stand behind the tree....belly facing tree and shoot around either side.
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He didn't show the 2nd last night early enough but my plan B bear did.
Good luck, 1st sit is the best.
I have no issues with ladder stands as long as they're in early and hidden from bait. I stand behind the tree....belly facing tree and shoot around either side.
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