Bear bait...

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dan
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Bear bait...

Unread postby dan » Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:28 am

What has worked for you? What did not?
Do you use meat? Rotten, or fresh?
Fruit? Donuts? Dog food?
What were your results compared to nearby hunters?


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BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:50 am

When I was little (8 -10) grandpa and I baited bears just for veiwing and we used gummy worms and stale fruity pebbles cereal bought in 30pound boxes I believe. We had limited success using fish guts and fruits as well but we weren't too persistant. My cousins however are big time bear hunters they use a 5 gallon bucket and mix up corn and used kitchen oil from the local restraunts they stir it all up to one sloppy mess along with some doughnuts and man do they have the big bears come in :o
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:51 am

the also dig a hole and cement a bucket in the ground and fill their bait in that everytime then cover it with flat rocks and logs
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:41 am

is there any limitations on baiting? I noticed on the DNR website no more than 10gallons but as far as dates could a guy bait all summer or is there a limitation within a certain number of days of the season opener you can start baiting???
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby martin peters » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:49 am

I start my baits with meats that I get when family and friends clean out their freezers for me each fall.Once in camp I try to get these out to the stands a.s.a.p. After this I switch to sweets with out dated cookies and hard candies. I hit the major stores after Valentines day and Easter. Talk directly to the store manager for the discount, I've walked out of stores with hundreds of pounds of jelly beans or candy hearts for very little money. I also have found that Nordbergs recipe for fermented grain works great. I take a 55 gallon drum and add 1/3 shelled corn,1/3 oats,1/3 barley dump 10 pounds sugar on top and then pour about 7 gallons of water from a stream/lake/pond over the top of the sugar.Put the lid on tight, Tip the barrel over and roll it around every other day for a week. This has very good attracting power (scent) We call it getting the bears hooked on the grain!They love it!Do not light any matches around the barrel after fermentation! Don't overfill the barrel to that it mixes well when rolled.
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby martin peters » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:55 am

I'm small time compared to other guides only approx. 6 hunters per year now. It was cutting into my deer prep too much so I'm cutting back on the bear hunting.Results for 2009 was 6 hunters / 6 bear tagged. I would rather take 6 hunters a year and have all tags filled then take 12 hunters and have 8-10 tags filled. Try the grain it works! M.P.
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PLB
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby PLB » Thu Apr 01, 2010 4:09 am

Bakery, bread smothered with grease, jelly, frostings, lots of ice cream cones! Grease and more grease! Anise and liquid smoke for scents. Gummy worms and candies. We can't use meat or meat by products in WI! So all the grease I get has to be strained first! Nice thing is though you can go to any bar or restraunt and they will beg you to take it! They have to pay to get rid of it. We grease everything! Scratch trees, logs, all of our bait, and the trails!
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby lungbuster » Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:24 am

One thing about using grease or fryer oil in WI. straining is not legal if there was ever any meat cooked in it. The rules state that any oil or grease must only have been used for french fries or other vegatables no meat. Just an FYI to keep the warden off your back.

Our guide in Nova Scotia started baiting with beef suet last year, but as soon as it started to get rancid the bears turned off the bait, so he went with just donuts and fryer oil or old bread soaked in oil with some blueberries on top of the barrel for scent, I guess we did use a chicken on one bait, but the bear went right to the goodies and never even noticed the chicken hanging in the tree. I think meat is better used as an attractant scent (where legal) and the sweets are what the bears want to eat.
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby Schultzy » Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:50 pm

What has worked for you?
My favorite Is pure meat, no fat and grease (lots of grease). Other stuff that has worked well for me- hard candy, cold blue vanilla, fish stink (homemade), bakery goods, molasses, liquid smoke.

What did not?
Sweetcorn that Is still on the cob, dog food, pure fat, spiced meat like summer sausage and other stuff like It, calf starter, horse feed, ground up burger, guts, whole chickens. The chicken thing we tried when we could still use bones here In Mn.

Do you use meat?
Yep, see question 1

Rotten, or fresh?
Both has It's place. Rotten Is great for the 1st week to get the scent out. Once we've brought some bears In then fresh Is the best In my opinion. Although I have saw bears prefer the rotten stuff over the fresh stuff, my big guy I shot In 2000 was like that. Bear are like people, they have their favorites and are picky and finicky.

Fruit? Donuts? Dog food?
Just donuts for me. The dog food never has done me any good and the apples I've tried haven't fared to well either.

What were your results compared to nearby hunters?
Getting worse. Reason being, we don't have enough bakery goods and candy. There's some huge competition for that stuff around here. I'm having a of a time finding any and If I do they want an arm and a leg for It. I won't do It.
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:18 pm

I have never tried it but some of the guides from Canada swear by using popcorn and grease. Popcorn is cheap and super light to carry in to remote spots. Anybody have any luck with trying this?
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby dan » Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:54 pm

Dewey wrote:I have never tried it but some of the guides from Canada swear by using popcorn and grease. Popcorn is cheap and super light to carry in to remote spots. Anybody have any luck with trying this?

I think popcorn works good in Canadas remote areas where the outfitters don't have any compitition.. In Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, I think the bears would not respond well cause there is a better bait just down the road.
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby Mike Foss » Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:40 am

Its interesting reading these threads. Bears are creatures of habit they get acclimated to certain situations, what baiting techniqes might work in Canada or Minnesota does not necessarily mean in will work in Wisconsin or Michagin unless every one is on the same page. One of my biggest concerns is to follow the laws set forth for baiting (Wisconsin)some of you are baiting on the edge :o , becareful. I do not bait with meat but you can use it in Wisconsin prior to the season, once its cleaned up, there is a certain time period that you have to wait before you can legally hunt over it. My baiting techniques are I never bait the same treats 3 consecutive days in a row, there is competition down the road and bears do get tired of the same thing day after day so mix it up alittle. It would be like, you going to the same buffet and eating the same old thing over and over again, eventually you will get tired of it and try something different.
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby Schultzy » Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:35 am

You've got hook ups Mike. I envy you!
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby Mike Foss » Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:22 am

As a guide you meet allot of good people and I have met some great connections, but nothing is for free. Baiting is not just baiting there are certain techniques that I use that seem to really work.
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Re: Bear bait...

Unread postby PLB » Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:36 pm

Mike Foss wrote:As a guide you meet allot of good people and I have met some great connections, but nothing is for free. Baiting is not just baiting there are certain techniques that I use that seem to really work.

Please feel free to sheare some of these bearman! :lol: ;)
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