Bear hunt question

Slugz

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Oct 12, 2014
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Woodland Park, Colorado
So I got myself a bunch of popcorn. Seen a youtube video were some guy took 4 cups of water, 4cups of sugar, koolaid pack, and heated it up to 250 degrees. Made a slurry of some sort he combined with the popcorn. I think that is the bait route I am going to go. Low cost and low weight. I also got access to deep fat fry oil. I am getting really excited. Anyone seeing any bears out and about in idaho yet?
Sounds like a great bait plan. I like it. Maybe a little honey for stickiness also.
 

hunttrap

Active Member
Jan 22, 2016
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Eastern Nebraska
Actually I have a quart of real maple syrup that I burnt this past spring while tapping trees I was going to mix in with my pop corn. Its really sweet with a smoky taste/smell with it. I figured the bears would not mind.
 

Elkoholic307

Banned
Feb 25, 2011
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Base of the Bighorns
I would recommend doing a honey burn until you find out for sure that you can use bait (unless you have already). I don't know Idaho's rules but in Wyoming, each person must register a section in their name in order to bait it.
 

Elkoholic307

Banned
Feb 25, 2011
1,217
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Base of the Bighorns
A method used to get a lot of scent out in the air quickly. You basically just pour honey into a tin can over a camp type stove and let it cook for a while. You could maybe throw some strips of bacon in there for fun too. Eventually the air will smell like burnt honey and bacon thus hopefully bring in a bear.
 

mntnguide

Very Active Member
I would recommend doing a honey burn until you find out for sure that you can use bait (unless you have already). I don't know Idaho's rules but in Wyoming, each person must register a section in their name in order to bait it.
Idaho you just need to buy bait "tags" at a local fish and game office and you can put your bait anywhere as long as you leave your tag there as well...The Honey burn definitely gets scent out there...One thing though, dont stand to close to it once it really gets going, the honey starts to turn black and the smell is freakin potent!! I got pretty darn light headed and almost sick my first time doing one because i didnt realize how strong it was gonna be.
 

Slugz

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Oct 12, 2014
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On the off chance this may be a dumb question......but if I'm hunting a state ( CO) where I cant bait.......can I do a honey burn? Is that not considered baiting? It reads like its legal.

Right now I'm glassing, berry filled hillsides in the fall and watching gut piles.
 

nunt'nbutmuleys

Active Member
Feb 25, 2011
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I've tried calling before didn't work for me but I didn't put forth very much effort at it. We have had good success at baiting but think I'm gonna put all my effort into spot and stalk this year
 

highplainsdrifter

Very Active Member
May 4, 2011
703
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Wyoming
On the off chance this may be a dumb question......but if I'm hunting a state ( CO) where I cant bait.......can I do a honey burn? Is that not considered baiting? It reads like its legal.

Right now I'm glassing, berry filled hillsides in the fall and watching gut piles.
Honey burns are legal in Wyoming...not sure about Colorado.
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
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Gypsum, Co
On the off chance this may be a dumb question......but if I'm hunting a state ( CO) where I cant bait.......can I do a honey burn? Is that not considered baiting? It reads like its legal.

Right now I'm glassing, berry filled hillsides in the fall and watching gut piles.
I do know that liquid food scent is illegal in Colorado so a honey burn may fall into that area.

What I would do is to call your local Parks and Wildlife office and talk to a officer there, not to whoever answers the phone but to one of the field guys.
 

Slugz

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Oct 12, 2014
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I do know that liquid food scent is illegal in Colorado so a honey burn may fall into that area.

What I would do is to call your local Parks and Wildlife office and talk to a officer there, not to whoever answers the phone but to one of the field guys.
Yes sir gonna do that! This could change the gameplan all together as I have been covering alot of ground during the bear hunts!
 

JimP

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You sound like me. You see bears all over the place when you don't have a tag in your pocket but as soon as you draw out for the September hunt they turn into crows.
 

Slugz

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Oct 12, 2014
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You sound like me. You see bears all over the place when you don't have a tag in your pocket but as soon as you draw out for the September hunt they turn into crows.
Truth be told......I've come across a bear the last 5 elk seasons.....I told one out of stater that was in my camp last year since he didn't draw an elk tag grab a OTC with caps bear tag......he though did not want to take my advice/intel and go to a certain valley. Instead he covered a lot of ground, found no sign and was convinced all the bears were lower in elevation. Day after he leaves camp I get a pic from a buddy who was elk hunting of a bear at 40 yards. In the spot I told him to go to!

I don't go in now with out a bear tag on me. Came across a beautiful blonde backed one last year but I couldn't get an arrow in him.

I need to really investigate this whole liquid thing as it would be a game changer for me. If I could add that to my berry field, fresh elk carcass game plan I think it would really turn the favor towards me.
 

JimP

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I have often wondered if stirring the gut pile up a little wouldn't get the stink out further and faster? I know that when it starts to decay it will smell but if you pop the gut sack and stir things up a little it should really smell.
 

ivorytip

Veteran member
Mar 24, 2012
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SE Idaho
Bait
Bait for hunting is any substance placed to attract game IDAHO
animals. Bait may be used to hunt black bears but only
under the following conditions:
Time: No bait or bait containers may be placed for the purpose
of attracting or taking black bears before the opening of black
bear take season, except in Units 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19, 20, 20A,
26, and 27, where bait may be placed up to 7 days before the
take season.
• All bait containers and materials must be removed, and
all excavations refilled, no later than 7 days after the
close of spring, fall, or dog training season.
Location: No bait site may be located within 200 feet of any
water (lake, pond, reservoir, or year-round free-flowing stream
or spring), or within 200 yards of any maintained trail or any
established roadway that is open to the general public for
motorized traffic and capable of being traveled by full-sized
automobiles.
An established roadway is defined as any road that is
established, built, maintained, approved or designated by any
government entity or private landowner for the purpose of
travel by full-sized automobiles. An established roadway shows
evidence of repeated use by full-sized automobiles, and may
include a traveled way of natural earth with depressed wheel
tracks and little or no vegetation in the tracks.
• No bait site may be located within one-half mile of any
designated campground or picnic area, administrative
site, or dwelling.
Bait: No parts of animals or fish that are currently classified
as game animals or game fish in Idaho may be used as bait.
This includes game animals and fish that come from the wild
and commercial domestic sources (i.e., pen-raised game birds/
animals or hatchery-raised game fish).
• The skin must be removed from any mammal parts or
carcasses used as bait.
No person shall use salt in any form (liquid or solid) for bait
 
Last edited:

Wild Country

Active Member
Jan 29, 2012
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OR
Calling can be very productive during the right time! And since you are going to be there the first week of June, it's a great time in my book! The last week of the season is most productive time of the year for me and have called two in the last week of May here in Oregon. The trick for me has been once I have spotted a herd of elk and they have moved off into the timber I move into the area and start calling! Bear follow elk herds during the birthing season! Good Luck!!!
 

Ikeepitcold

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 22, 2011
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Reno Nv
I think you can bait bears in Idaho, I know it was allowed a few years ago when we hunted there. If you have a way to put out some bait a few weeks befor you get there and continue to keep the bait fresh that might help you with your success.