Just a thought, what do you think?

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magicman54494
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Just a thought, what do you think?

Unread postby magicman54494 » Tue May 10, 2011 2:44 am

With all this talk about bears circling and winding the baits, why not bait on the edge of a swamp with your stand tight against the water and wade in the last 100 or so yds? You could walk dry land to bait which the bears would check and find no scent when you hunted. Has anyone tried this? Your thoughts?


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Re: Just a thought, what do you think?

Unread postby dan » Tue May 10, 2011 4:29 am

We often use water or an opening to keep the bears from circling down wind, but I have never heard of anyone wading to there stand. I tend to think ground scent is not as big a deal with bears because of the baiting ground scent... But, fresh ground scent vs old could make a difference. In Minnesota I drive back and forth and just bait the weekends so every time I bait the big ones seem to get skittish for a coupkle days cause the human scent is back... So it could work in a situation like that.
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Hodag Hunter
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Re: Just a thought, what do you think?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Tue May 10, 2011 5:13 am

I also use the back drop for circling bear and the fresh ground scent vs old is a huge importance in my opinion.

Your idea sounds like a good one to take the fresh ground scent vs old out of the equation.
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Re: Just a thought, what do you think?

Unread postby Schultzy » Tue May 10, 2011 5:22 am

Good Idea Todd. I've tried this a few times but never had a bait get hit enough to actually hunt It In the situation you described. Years ago my dad did this by canoeing a mile or so back In a crick loaded with beaver damns. He shot a big sow doing It.
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Re: Just a thought, what do you think?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Tue May 10, 2011 5:44 am

The tatic you descibe is how we hunted in Alberta with the guides. Half the baits were accessed by boat along the river and only walk in a ways......most times less than 50 yards some as short as 10 yards.

The other baits we were driven with argos right to the tree you climbed.....the guide would bait the other baits not being sat that night after he dropped us off to keep ground scent to a minimum on the next night hunting that spot then.

With smaller bear ground scent may not play a huge roll but with any large mature bear, doesn't seem to matter if it's heavy pressure or low to no pressure, seems to me anyways.........make a huge difference if they show in daylight or not.

You can bet more times than not a mature will circle and check your entrance trail before commiting to show at the bait in daylight.
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Re: Just a thought, what do you think?

Unread postby martin peters » Fri May 27, 2011 2:16 am

I have used both water and steep bluffs to keep bears from circling downwind. Large bears key off ground scent and know your entrance and exit routes step by step. I have bears back track my routes every year. This is very common! I try to set my entrance trails so the prevailing winds for that area take my scent right to the bait. This helps the bears feel comfortable while at the bait knowing they can rely on their nose while feeding. To me a great set up would be where you bust swamp in and out to hump bait then slip in the other side / back door to hunt either by canoe/waders. You need to have an idea when the bear is feeding so you don't blow the bear off your stand. I once had a bait where I canoed down a lake then up a beaver run to with in feet of the bait. I HAD a nice bear hitting this bait until one day I paddled up the beaver run and blew that bear off the bait at close range.


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