Bait station

[akdd]

Went out last Thursday and set up a black bear bait station a few miles from the house. This is my first time baiting bears so I don't know how successful I will be. But at least it gives me an excuse to get out. As of Saturday there had not been anything on it. On Sunday I had to go to Houston TX. for the week but hopefully by the time I get back it will be seeing some action. I will get to check on it this coming Saturday. I have some 125 Gr. Slicktricks that I am going to use if I can get a bear to come in. This is what it looked like after I got it setup.

[BT]

What are you using for bait?
My cousin (the bear guide)had told me that you have to keep the set baited everyday so that a bear would keep returning.
He says that if the bear comes back after the first hit and finds no other food he will move on.
Have you used a sweet scent attractor to help him locate the set?

A Honey burn is very effective for alot of folks and that could give you the effect you need as to the locating aspect.
Hope it works out

[akdd]

Anise oil and vanilla for an attractor and Ol'Roy dog food and syrup mixed with some hog chow for bait. Even threw in a few gummy bears for good measure. I am hoping that they don't clean it out before I get back. Made the hole small enough that they can't get their head inside the barrel so the bait might last a little longer.

[royden]

Akdd - I don't know how it happened by I posted a note about bait and it ended up in the "new sonic coming" thread

I dunno about these computers, but they don't know about me either... after I get done using a big sledge hammer they can't tell the other computers what I just did to 'em - they're dead!!

I've got a bow shop friend/owner that has a cabin on one of the islands and bear hunts in the spring. He must be up there now cause when I called him today his shop is closed for a month. He uses lots of donuts. He takes a whole pick-up load with him when he heads north that he has saved all winter from various local bakery over-runs. I think that is all he uses - old stinky sugary donuts.

Is that a thirty gallon drum you have chained to the tree? I wonder if they will open it up like a tin can Just curious.

I think Dan said the same thing that you don't want to let the bait run out and that a lot of times the bigger bears let the smaller ones in first and then come in and run 'em off - sounds like your idea of hard to get is the best otherwise they can clean you right out!

[BT]

Well , whatever happens I hope that you succeed

[akdd]

I got home from Houston at 3:00 AM this morning. I did not get around to checking on the bait station until about 1:00 in the afternoon. There was a pretty good black bear on it when I got there. He heard me coming in and he moved off before I could get a shot at him. He did not appear to be spooked when he moved off. So I am confident that he will return. There was still bait in the barrel so having the small hole seems to work. Anyway went back to the house and got the tree stand. After I got it set up I thought that I would leave, let him settle down and go back to feeding. I will probably go and set on it for a while tomorrow. But being tomorrow is Mother’s day I probably will not set on it all day.

[BT]

Great news
That was a clever idea of making it difficult to get at the bait

Look forward to seeing some success Pics in the near future!

[akdd]

When I got back to the bait on Sunday I could tell that the bears had been back to feeding on it. So I sat over it for a few hours From about 10:00 to 4:00 PM but did not have any bears come in. Had to leave at 4:00 PM so I could take the wife out for mothers day dinner. Monday I figure on setting in the evening until dark.

[akdd]

Went out Monday afternoon and got set up at about 3:30. At about 4:30 this showed up.


When I got to the bait I had sprayed some scent ( Anise and vanilla) around the barrel. When I got done I set the bottle under my stand to put my gloves back on and forgot it. The bear made a beeline for the spray bottle.


The bear messed around for about 10 min. While I was taking pictures. Then it left before I got my bow to take a shot at it.
But at 7:00


Was a good double lung shot. It went about 100 yards before it went down.

[shaman]

NICE pictures.
My Dad and Bro go on their bear hunt on Sunday.