1st time DIY bear hunter

The Beast’s of the North woods. Behaviors, Hunting Stories, Pictures, Tactics, Q&A.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


spirit1727
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:15 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby spirit1727 » Thu Jul 16, 2020 3:26 am

First time DIY bear hunter. Went with an outfitter 9 years ago and saw bears but nothing of any size. Outfitter wasn’t happy that I didn’t want to shoot a hundred pounder so I didn’t fill my tag. I got two baits going as of now with one that has a sow with 2 cubs and maybe a 150 pounder. Second bait has had 10 different bears on it with 4 very big bears. I’m baiting once a week right now because of the 3.5 hour drive but planning to ramp it up to twice a week 2 weeks before the season starts. It seems that when one of the bigger ones get to the bait first, they will stay the whole night to guard it from the other bears and raccoons. Pretty neat watching the pecking order. Being in Wisconsin with a 10 gal limit the bait is gone within a 1-2 days but I’ve been using a lot of scent and it seems to keep bringing them in every day at least to check out. Thinking about starting a third bait in the next couple of weeks if I don’t pick up anymore bears on the first bait. Seems as if the big sow with cubs have control over it. It’s a lot of work but man is it fun!! I attached some videos of one of the big ones but not the biggest.

Read this forum from top to bottom.....thanks everyone for all the tips & tricks!!

https://youtu.be/WnCd1GyPmGE
https://youtu.be/kNljOmmnuA4
https://youtu.be/HuooCyEo7-0


User avatar
Horizontal Hunter
500 Club
Posts: 2936
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:08 pm
Location: Western Massachusetts
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:12 am

Subscribe to Bernies’ YouTube channel BowhuntingRoad as well as Dans’ channel the HuntngBeast. Lots of great info there.

Bob
Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter. :o

Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
spirit1727
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:15 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby spirit1727 » Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:26 pm

Horizontal Hunter wrote:Subscribe to Bernies’ YouTube channel BowhuntingRoad as well as Dans’ channel the HuntngBeast. Lots of great info there.

Bob


Yup...learned a lot from those two guys
User avatar
218er
500 Club
Posts: 1070
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:55 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby 218er » Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:05 pm

If a sow with cubs is ruling a bait you may want to look elsewhere. A sow with cubs consumes a lot of bait. Plus they can run boars off. I’ve heard of people letting a bait run dry for a few weeks and firing it up down the road hoping the sow and cubs have moved on.
Persistence is undefeated.
User avatar
218er
500 Club
Posts: 1070
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:55 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby 218er » Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:08 pm

I forgot to mention. 1st time diy. Enjoy the process. The satisfaction you’ll earn is unreal. Best of luck.
Persistence is undefeated.
User avatar
Edcyclopedia
Posts: 12605
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:54 pm
Location: S. NH
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:31 pm

Freelance (Bernie) has a gr8 video you would enjoy, look him up
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
Ol Split ( ) Toes
500 Club
Posts: 675
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:10 am
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Ol Split ( ) Toes » Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:18 am

I'd start running a few more baits, I usually run 4 to 5 baits per tag. Its alot of work and expensive, but a lot of different things can ruin baits. Think of all the time and miles that go into it, just hate to see you start all over if something happens to your good bait.

It keeps your options open and gives you different winds to sit on different baits, and you don't burn them out to fast.
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Mike Foss » Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:44 am

Don’t abandon that bait station with the Sow and cubs, breeding season is ending, your time invested now, you might get bigger bears coming in to feed, that will be all that is on there mind now, most younger sows and even older ones will leave, they don’t like confrontations with other bears that could harm the cubs. Keep us posted
User avatar
Freelance Bowhunter
500 Club
Posts: 537
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:15 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernie.barringer.5/
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Freelance Bowhunter » Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:52 am

Some good advice on this thread already. The main thing I would say is that when a bear comes to the bait, he should get something good to eat. Don't depend on scent alone. If they come to a good smell and don't get rewarded they will move on. Bait as often as it takes to make sure there's bait on site.

Lots of strategies for a sow with cubs. Some sows are so aggressive they take over a bait and even mature males just find another food source. They don't want the drama. Up to you what you want to do with continuing to bait it, but I would suggest focusing the majority of your energy elsewhere.
User avatar
Freelance Bowhunter
500 Club
Posts: 537
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:15 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernie.barringer.5/
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Freelance Bowhunter » Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:52 am

Here's a link to my youtube channel mentioned earlier: https://www.youtube.com/user/BowhuntingRoad
User avatar
Bearman13
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:24 pm
Facebook: Fall River Outfitters LLC
Location: Northern, Minnesota
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Bearman13 » Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:57 am

Mike Foss wrote:Don’t abandon that bait station with the Sow and cubs, breeding season is ending, your time invested now, you might get bigger bears coming in to feed, that will be all that is on there mind now, most younger sows and even older ones will leave, they don’t like confrontations with other bears that could harm the cubs. Keep us posted


What mike said.

If there is no bait when the bears comeback to the site for a day or two that’s not a big deal either. The bait site is impregnated into their brains. They know that there’s food there. Dumping hundreds of gallons of bait down in my opinion especially in a dry low mast year is a waste. 10 gallons a day or every other day is plenty. To much bait and bear wander in and out at all times. You want your bears to be predictable. I’ve been baiting bears in MN for 25 plus years and have run up to 60 baits a year. I’ve seen and tried it all. Trial and error are your best teachers.

“You want your baits like you want your arrows, straight, straight in and straight out”. - Rut Daniels
spirit1727
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:15 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby spirit1727 » Sat Jul 18, 2020 3:55 am

Thanks for the advise all…..I was going to keep the sow w/cubs bait going either way just because it’s on my property and my neighbor has been getting pics of a big boar. Every year I get pics in my deer food plots of bears eating oats/clover in September during the day time.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
spirit1727
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:15 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby spirit1727 » Tue Aug 04, 2020 2:22 am

update on my baits.

Sow w/cubs bait has a lone wolf hanging around for the last 3 weeks. The sow knocks over the bait and a few hours later the wolf comes in and cleans it up. I was going to abandon this one but I picked up a big boar last week Thursday so I decided to keep baiting it for another week.

Since early June my river bait was rockin with around 10 different bears visiting. 4 are big boars. Last week slowed a bit but has 2 of the big boys showing up.

Started a new bait last week about 3 miles from the sow bait. It got hit the same night. 2 different bear hitting this one. One looks to be a yearling and the other one is probably double that size. So that’s very promising.
spirit1727
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:15 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby spirit1727 » Mon Aug 31, 2020 1:12 pm

A little over a week to go before the season and everything seems to be coming together. The sow/cub bait has the big boar coming in the day light. No sow with cubs for a couple of weeks.
The public bait has a big boar also coming during the day.

The river bait has a regular big one as well. But has the most activity with 6 different bears maybe more.

Started to bait twice a week 2 weeks ago which seemed to help pick things up. Keeping my fingers crossed!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Freelance Bowhunter
500 Club
Posts: 537
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:15 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernie.barringer.5/
Status: Offline

Re: 1st time DIY bear hunter

Unread postby Freelance Bowhunter » Mon Aug 31, 2020 3:42 pm

Looking good!


  • Advertisement

Return to “Bear Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests