Myths of bear hunting

[Freelance Bowhunter]

This should generate some discussion!

https://youtu.be/F068SBeMU3s

[Mike Foss]

Good video.... What's the most bait stations you have placed and baited during any particular season and how many bait stations are you going to have this year? any hunters lined up for Minnesota.

[Edcyclopedia]

Excellent video!
Thanks for allowing us into your experience...!

Ever hunt NH?

[Horizontal Hunter]

Another great video as always.

Bob

[Freelance Bowhunter]

Good video.... What's the most bait stations you have placed and baited during any particular season and how many bait stations are you going to have this year? any hunters lined up for Minnesota.

When I first started baiting nearly 20 years ago I would put out 8-10 baits every year and then just keep the ones which were the best for the next year and add more. After a few years I had it narrowed down to about 5-6 baits that were good every year and I started analyzing what these baits sites had in common, that's when it began to click and I began to learn how to pick a really good site. I started out not knowing much and learned the hard way. We are now limited to 3 sites per person in Minnesota, which is plenty if you know what to look for. I ran 5 baits in Ontario of my own and worked with a young guy there who had a bear hunting concession. Between my sites and his we filled all the tags of the 9-10 friends and family I brought up there in August each year for four years. I'm no longer doing that, but it was fun while it lasted.

This year I do not know of anyone who is getting a tag for MN so I am going to Wyoming in August to bear hunt for a week or two then I will have an antelope tag in my pocket also. September will be weird for me without any baiting, but I will probably go to Manitoba for a bear hunt if the border is open.

[Smitty]

I am not a bear hunter but was one due to experiences you mentioned who thought their vision was poor makes sense now. They thought that I just looked like a tasty treat to them!! thanks for the insight.

[stash59]

[218er]

I think your spot on. The vision one I find interesting. They catch movement for sure. But they will stare through you knowing something isn’t quite right but go back to whatever they were doing. Either they don’t think a person in a tree is a threat or they just don’t care. As far as table fair, black bear is #1 hands down in my house. It’s really superior in taste to any other wild game I’ve taken including elk, bison, antelope, white tail, mulies, red deer, etc.

[ihookem]

I agree with all of it. A few things you didn't mention. How to get them to come in later in the season. In Wisconsin, we start around Sept. 5. After about a week, it slows down many times. I always wanted to hunt later in the season . It's cooler, less chance of spoiling. This could be a myth, however, the bear slow down later in the season. Is this true? I always have less trail cam pics later in the season over a bear bait. However, there is much less baiters in the woods . Is it also a myth that you stand a chance to get a bigger bear later in the season??

[Freelance Bowhunter]

I agree with all of it. A few things you didn't mention. How to get them to come in later in the season. In Wisconsin, we start around Sept. 5. After about a week, it slows down many times. I always wanted to hunt later in the season . It's cooler, less chance of spoiling. This could be a myth, however, the bear slow down later in the season. Is this true? I always have less trail cam pics later in the season over a bear bait. However, there is much less baiters in the woods . Is it also a myth that you stand a chance to get a bigger bear later in the season??

Great questions, Not sure I can answer them 100% for certain, but I do know that there tends to be a lot of natural foods available after a week or two of season, the acorns are dropping particularly. I think that's the majority of it. I do know of people who get bears into October, but that depends on natural foods as well. In Maine a few years ago there was a complete failure of natural foods, beech nuts, acorns, etc. The bears went into hibernation the middle of October all at once. Baits went dead, and I talked to the biologist Randy Cross about it because it didn't make sense to me that if there were baits available why would they den early just because the natural foods failed? He didn't offer an explanation for that, but he said that 6 of the 8 bears they had radio collars on went into the dens over a 48-hour period. Interesting.

[Bearman13]

Bear will always den you early if there's no natural food. If you see any bears out running around during that time it's usually very small bears who don't know any better.

[Ol Split ( ) Toes]

I agree with all of it. A few things you didn't mention. How to get them to come in later in the season. In Wisconsin, we start around Sept. 5. After about a week, it slows down many times. I always wanted to hunt later in the season . It's cooler, less chance of spoiling. This could be a myth, however, the bear slow down later in the season. Is this true? I always have less trail cam pics later in the season over a bear bait. However, there is much less baiters in the woods . Is it also a myth that you stand a chance to get a bigger bear later in the season??

I believe in Wisconsin the last week or two of the bear season is your best chance for a big bear.

[Mike Foss]

I agree with all of it. A few things you didn't mention. How to get them to come in later in the season. In Wisconsin, we start around Sept. 5. After about a week, it slows down many times. I always wanted to hunt later in the season . It's cooler, less chance of spoiling. This could be a myth, however, the bear slow down later in the season. Is this true? I always have less trail cam pics later in the season over a bear bait. However, there is much less baiters in the woods . Is it also a myth that you stand a chance to get a bigger bear later in the season??

I believe in Wisconsin the last week or two of the bear season is your best chance for a big bear.

Shot some big ones during that time! Watch for the warm up days.

[Ol Split ( ) Toes]

I agree with all of it. A few things you didn't mention. How to get them to come in later in the season. In Wisconsin, we start around Sept. 5. After about a week, it slows down many times. I always wanted to hunt later in the season . It's cooler, less chance of spoiling. This could be a myth, however, the bear slow down later in the season. Is this true? I always have less trail cam pics later in the season over a bear bait. However, there is much less baiters in the woods . Is it also a myth that you stand a chance to get a bigger bear later in the season??

I believe in Wisconsin the last week or two of the bear season is your best chance for a big bear.

Shot some big ones during that time! Watch for the warm up days.

My Outlook at it is, 40% of people are tagged out, 50% given up, only 10% still at it, alot less baits to contend with. I have also noticed the bigger bears seem to get a little braver on coming into the baits during shooting hours the later in the season you get. I've seen patience really pay off.