Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

[BassBoysLLP]

I used to crib all the time back in the day and do very little now, but have found out the more natural the surroundings are, the more comfortable those bears feel. You can still use the smallest of natural debris to force that bear into a shooting position without making that bear feel uncomfortable.

I've been experimenting with no cribbing this year. So far I'm getting more daylight hits by not cribbing than the cribbed baits. It'll be interesting to see what happens after the breeding season. I'm going to remove the crib on one bait this week to see if I can promote more daylight hits. Thanks for the tip Mike.

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[Stanley]

Great thread.

[Mike Foss]

Last Tuesday I woke up to a light dusting of patchy snow on the ground I thought I would take advantage of the cold temps and place two bear baits in one of the nastiest swamps in Northern Wisconsin (Bibon Swamp). Even with the cold temps the mosquito's were relentless and of coarse I didn't bring the mosquito spray, I just toughed it out. Even though we killed a 340lber on this one bait station last year we had to move it to a different location per land owner request, land owner last October placed a deer tower stand only 20 yards away from the bait station, he said they had bears coming every day past there deer stand. After about two hours of scouting I finally located a good spot, its a cool spot, its a long finger, higher dry ground about 90 yards wide that runs into the swamp and eventually ends with water on all sides except to the North where we walk in at. Its set up for a SW wind, human scent should be carried and blown over the tag alder watery mess. I am having a hard time dealing with my entrance trail but its the only option I have. Walking in from the North I have to hug the Western edge of that long finger, hoping I can condition the bears to use that entrance & exit trail also, hoping they don't like getting there feet wet. If there is a bear already at the bait he should exit away from the tree stand. I had to use a hollow log set up as if we dug a pit it would just fill in with water. Very excited to check it tomorrow and see what's on camera.

Bait station number two we decided to leave it where it is and set up a dummy stand only 7ft off the ground where the stand was last year. It was set up for a archery hunter, after looking at the bear trails this Spring and which direction they were coming from those smart bears totally used the wind and terrain to there advantage on this stand. We now set up a stand for a rifle hunter about 60 yards away to the S.E If those black ghosts continue to use the now dummy stand only to think there's no danger while creeping in we should fool them and hopefully shoot one of the monsters frequenting this bait station. Will post pics and updates later this week on there two bait stations.

[BassBoysLLP]

Bait station number two we decided to leave it where it is and set up a dummy stand only 7ft off the ground where the stand was last year. It was set up for a archery hunter, after looking at the bear trails this Spring and which direction they were coming from those smart bears totally used the wind and terrain to there advantage on this stand. We now set up a stand for a rifle hunter about 60 yards away to the S.E If those black ghosts continue to use the now dummy stand only to think there's no danger while creeping in we should fool them and hopefully shoot one of the monsters frequenting this bait station. Will post pics and updates later this week on there two bait stations.

What would be your strategy if you wanted to preserve the bait site for an archery hunter? Move the dummy stand with hopes of changing the approach? Move the bait? Set up off the bait utilizing a smaller "check" bait?

[Mike Foss]

The bait is in a great location that is why we didn't move it, its easy to access, its very thick and the trouble is there are very few big trees to set up a stand in. Sometimes after a few years of trying to bag one of those well educated bears you have to shift gears and try something different. I we don't score on one of those monsters this year on this bait we will move it not to far away and try again. The big old boys rarely slip up and when they do the hunter better be ready cause you usually only get one chance and then the game is over for another year. Also this private property is huge and the land owner is big into deer hunting, he only wants us to hunt the edges of the property, so I am limited on set ups and try to do my best with what I have to work with.

[Mike Foss]

Bait station number two we decided to leave it where it is and set up a dummy stand only 7ft off the ground where the stand was last year. It was set up for a archery hunter, after looking at the bear trails this Spring and which direction they were coming from those smart bears totally used the wind and terrain to there advantage on this stand. We now set up a stand for a rifle hunter about 60 yards away to the S.E If those black ghosts continue to use the now dummy stand only to think there's no danger while creeping in we should fool them and hopefully shoot one of the monsters frequenting this bait station. Will post pics and updates later this week on there two bait stations.

What would be your strategy if you wanted to preserve the bait site for an archery hunter? Move the dummy stand with hopes of changing the approach? Move the bait? Set up off the bait utilizing a smaller "check" bait?

"Smaller Check Bait" Sounds like a good idea and I have wanted to do that before but there are rules and regulations that forbid us to do that (knowingly no 2 bait stations within 40 acres) Although intended for deer go read the regulations on bait stations, this I believe also pertains to bear baits, another reason why we have to cap and cover our baits.

[BassBoysLLP]

Bait station number two we decided to leave it where it is and set up a dummy stand only 7ft off the ground where the stand was last year. It was set up for a archery hunter, after looking at the bear trails this Spring and which direction they were coming from those smart bears totally used the wind and terrain to there advantage on this stand. We now set up a stand for a rifle hunter about 60 yards away to the S.E If those black ghosts continue to use the now dummy stand only to think there's no danger while creeping in we should fool them and hopefully shoot one of the monsters frequenting this bait station. Will post pics and updates later this week on there two bait stations.

What would be your strategy if you wanted to preserve the bait site for an archery hunter? Move the dummy stand with hopes of changing the approach? Move the bait? Set up off the bait utilizing a smaller "check" bait?

"Smaller Check Bait" Sounds like a good idea and I have wanted to do that before but there are rules and regulations that forbid us to do that (knowingly no 2 bait stations within 40 acres) Although intended for deer go read the regulations on bait stations, this I believe also pertains to bear baits, another reason why we have to cap and cover our baits.

I was told the 40 acre rule didn't apply to bear hunting, but the total volume of the baits need to be under 10 gallons. May be good second opinion question for DNR Mark.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Mike Foss]

You are spot on, on that one. Another new weapon to explore

[Mark the Biologist]

For bear hunting, you can use multiple baits that are visible from your stand or blind, so long as the total volume of bait does not exceed 10 gallons. Good luck on the hunt, everyone!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Mike Foss]

Thanks for the update Mark. The key words are "Visible from your stand". Question? I would never do this, but can a person knowingly place two bear bait stations for two separate hunters within 40 acres of one another?

[BassBoysLLP]

I heard back from the WI DNR today. Similar to DNR Mark, the question was forwarded up due to uncertainty.

Bottom line. Multiple baits are legal as long as the total volume is less than or equal to the legal limit. There is no "visibility" criterion in the regs. They can be out of sight of one another.

Mike, I also asked about the 1/4 mile/40 acre rule. I was told that multiple hunters could hunt their individual pile within that proximity but each individual hunter must be able to show and prove which pile was their pile when asked by the warden. This leaves a bit of a question mark regarding guiding, so I would follow up with your local warden.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

There are many people who try to kill big bears off the bait and out of sight when they circle down wind. Its also not a requirment that you have to hunt over bait, and there are some people that hunt bears off of sign, natural food, and trails... So The hunting within sight of your bait must be a misinterpretation.

[Mike Foss]

I heard back from the WI DNR today. Similar to DNR Mark, the question was forwarded up due to uncertainty.

Bottom line. Multiple baits are legal as long as the total volume is less than or equal to the legal limit. There is no "visibility" criterion in the regs. They can be out of sight of one another.

Mike, I also asked about the 1/4 mile/40 acre rule. I was told that multiple hunters could hunt their individual pile within that proximity but each individual hunter must be able to show and prove which pile was their pile when asked by the warden. This leaves a bit of a question mark regarding guiding, so I would follow up with your local warden.

[ Post made via Android ]

Thanks for the update....but no need for me to contact my local warden...don't think I ever would place two baits that close to one another for two hunters.

[BassBoysLLP]

Bait station number two we decided to leave it where it is and set up a dummy stand only 7ft off the ground where the stand was last year. It was set up for a archery hunter, after looking at the bear trails this Spring and which direction they were coming from those smart bears totally used the wind and terrain to there advantage on this stand. We now set up a stand for a rifle hunter about 60 yards away to the S.E If those black ghosts continue to use the now dummy stand only to think there's no danger while creeping in we should fool them and hopefully shoot one of the monsters frequenting this bait station. Will post pics and updates later this week on there two bait stations.

What would be your strategy if you wanted to preserve the bait site for an archery hunter? Move the dummy stand with hopes of changing the approach? Move the bait? Set up off the bait utilizing a smaller "check" bait?

"Smaller Check Bait" Sounds like a good idea and I have wanted to do that before but there are rules and regulations that forbid us to do that (knowingly no 2 bait stations within 40 acres) Although intended for deer go read the regulations on bait stations, this I believe also pertains to bear baits, another reason why we have to cap and cover our baits.

Now that the regs are covered, what would be your strategy to maintaining the bait site for an archery hunter. Any outside the box ideas floating around in that analytical head of yours?

[ Post made via Android ]

[bowhunter15]

Just a quick question? Does the term "cribbing" refer to arranging your bait site so that the bear's head is blocked and it is forced into a good shot angle to get to the bait? Kind of like in this video? I'm loving the tips so far. I plan on hitting the woods hard this year scouting for bear.

[bbvideo=425,350]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRkwzuMknWI[/bbvideo]