Bear Bait

[dadams41]

Me and a couple buddies are headed back up to Idaho to bear hunt in June. Last year was very much a learning year for us and we are very excited for this year. We did put up baits last year and got 1 bear on bait. All we used was fryer grease and some old rotten food.

I have heard lots of people talk about bread and pastries, rotten meat, and several other things for beat.

What would you recommend for bait? And any other advice you would give for baiting bears?

Thanks

 

[JimP]

The trouble with baiting bears is that it is very time consuming to do. If you just have a week to do it I would say that you are just getting lucky to have a bear wander into your bait pile.

Now after saying that most of the bear hunters that I know that hunt over bait like popcorn. Lots and lots of popcorn. It is lightweight enough to pack into the bait area and can be flavored with oils to suit the need. But a big problem is that most areas require you to clean up the baiting area after the hunt is finished and cleaning up anything could be a chore.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Popcorn is a great idea. I would use something very sweet to go with it. Syrup maybe or even sweet flavored popcorn

 

[AKaviator]

I've seen "wet COB" (corn-oats-barley, with molasses) used successfully up here. It may attract deer there however, they like it too. It's heavier than popcorn but less bulky.

 

[go_deep]

Outdated trail mix, cookie dough, popcorn, and bacon grease have lead to many a bears meeting their maker. Jar up as much bacon grease as you can between now and then. Smear it on the trees around the bait, and place some on the ground also, they'll walk through it and track it around as they leave.

 

[kidoggy]

pert near anything nasty.
bears are almost as bad as sharks in that they will eat most anything.
once had one come into camp at night and it chewed up my butane lighter that I was using to light fires.

I believe the nastier something tastes the more a bear wants it.

 

[Wyoming Hart]

I have heard all of the above being used to bait bears. Our game commission in PA is partial to old doughnuts from bakeries that would just be throwing them away. Trapping and transferring trouble bears happens a lot and doughnuts seems to be the best attractant.

 

[hunttrap]

I like to use beaver castor from trapping season as a call lure.

 

[lang]

We hang a scent bag with rotten meat out of reach. Then use sweet cob as the base, plus whatever left over, cheap remnants we can get our hand on. The sweet cob doesn't attract crows as bad as popcorn. That isn't much of an issue if you use a 55 g. barrel. Just have to have something to get them there, something to fill them up, and lastly something to bring them back.

 

[alaska2go]

PM me & i'll get you set up for bear baiting. Between me & my 2 bear hunting partners we have killed over 30 bears in 8 years over bait. Some areas we hunt have a 5 bear limit.

 

[mallardsx2]

I have heard all of the above being used to bait bears. Our game commission in PA is partial to old doughnuts from bakeries that would just be throwing them away. Trapping and transferring trouble bears happens a lot and doughnuts seems to be the best attractant.

Reminds me of the one they trapped by my place out there 15 years ago. They transferred 100 miles, across 2 major highways, 2 MAJOR rivers.

A month later they caught the bear in the same trap at the same location.

He must have really liked those doughnuts. lol

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Bacon grease, fried chicken scraps, and honey burn to get them attracted, then black oil sunflower seeds to keep them. I've used the oats soaked in honey, but the bears prefer just plain old sunflower seeds. Just make sure your camera is set with a healthy delay, otherwise you will have 8,000,000 pictures of birds. I think the bird activity draws in the bears, too.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

I use dog food with powdered sugar. Seems to work well and relatively cheap to purchase.

I don't think the bait is as important as the scent attractant. The trick is to get them to smell your site, so they will come in from a distance. That requires something with a lot of odor. Things that have worked for us include anise, shellfish oil, bacon grease and anything fruity. Spray/wipe these scents in the surrounding trees. We have also had luck with a honey burn.

Checkout this site that sells scents: http://www.northwoodsbearproducts.net/

 

[dadams41]

PM me & i'll get you set up for bear baiting. Between me & my 2 bear hunting partners we have killed over 30 bears in 8 years over bait. Some areas we hunt have a 5 bear limit.

PM Sent. Thanks

 

[Sawfish]

I hunted with an Alberta outfitter a few years back who used out of date cookies that he got from a food warehouse. I was so amused at watching a big bear laying on the ground scooping cookies into his mouth, that I almost forgot to shoot!

 

[hunttrap]

Popcorn is good to use with a syrup poured over top, like making a big popcorn ball. Bears have loved mine that I mad in the past. Its light for packing a mile or more back. Of course fryer grease is a must

 

[wycathunter]

last couple years ive used a powder mix from boar masters you can pretty much mix it into anything. ive mixed it into my 50 pound bags of dog food and seems they hit it like it was 50 pounds of donuts. deffinetly worth spending a couple extra bucks for.

 

[hunttrap]

I was thinking about getting some boarmasters or baitem 907 products. Talked to a guy a few years ago that swore by boarmasters. What flavor you use

 

[wycathunter]

first year i just used there powder but it was the rebble razberry i think but then the second year i also got some spray i think was the carmel flavor to spray on my barrel and on the trees and i think that also helped a bunch. every time i showed up i could smell the carmel when i came in down wind so i know it was traveling a long ways. every year i bait i will always use their products again.

 

[Buckbob]

Popcorn with some jello powder on it works good for me. Liquid smoke, vanilla extract, and anise on a tree near the bait always works good too.