Bait has gone cold

[nik]

Does anybody have any advise for me to get my baits hot again? We couldn't keep up with our baits earlier during baiting and the first part of the season. We are aware of 2 bears that were taken from our area. I know there are bears left because they will hit our bait, but very lightly and not during day light. I think the hunting pressure turned them off a bit and am just wondering if there is a scent that people are using that has been working well to bring them in during the day? Currently we use bacon oil for scent. It has worked up until now. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I sure would hate to start all over some where else. Thanks

[hookset]

from what I have herd, the acorns are droping. it could be a few weeks till they dry up enough for the bears come back. keep checking your bait and work on the wifes honey do list in the meantime.

joe

[glenn57]

you could try putting it in the microwave, that should warm it up. SORRY, just being a smart butt.feels kinda like your gooing up somehow dont it. been there. noticed your from montrose, do you know any howes?

[nik]

Yeah. Maybe the timer going off on the microwave will bring them in. It gets me running to it everytime. I don't know any Howes in Montrose.

[HeviShot]

ACORNS ACORNS ACORNS>

[Boar]

This is where ya gatta dig down deep an stick it out. If the acorns are dropping, that su cks but the bear know where your site is an the acorns will deplete. You just have to have bait in your site when that happens. when the natural forage is gone they will be on the roam for a food source, my advise would be to keep fresh bait in the crib, remove old stuff that has gone stagnent or moldy bad, an replenish with new every so often. A big thing is to grease the area continously everytime you go in. Spread it all over the trails an surrounding trees an foiliage. When they get on the roam for the feed bag youll be ready. It's just hard to go in an do this time after time with no results, but it will happen. I've given up before mid september because of money reasons only to find out that if I had kept it up for one more week things could have been different. Dont over complicate things like moving or different scents, keep the area greased is big, that scent travels for miles . Good luck boar

[nik]

Thanks for the advice boar. The acorns are really bad. It was raining acorns last night. There was more activity on the bait yesterday than previous days before, so that is always a plus. By the way...congratulations on that big boy you scored.

[mudslinger64]

my bait went from being hit every night to nothing.it got pounded from last sunday (sunday was the first day i baited this site)until thursday.i hunted thursday evening for the first time and at 5:30 i could hear branches breaking every so often,it is pretty thick where i am hunting and i could catch only a movement every once in awhile.then i saw it a big blonde bear at about 35 yards,he stepped into a little bit of a clear spot and was headed down wind of me and my bait,not even close to enough time for a shot as i am hunting with a bow.i was hoping he was going to circle my bait and come in but nothing and like i said my bait hasn't been touched since.at about 7:00 i had a couple of coyotes come by and check things out by my stand and bait they didn't even know i was there.i don't know if they would cause my bait to go cold,maybe he is a drifter and he has the other bears running scared.i don't know of any acorns or other hunters in the same area.i have been going back everyday and freshing things up with scent and bait just don't know what else to do other than play the waiting game with him.i also had a big pile of fresh scat with corn from my bait in it at the base of the tree that my stand is in on thursday when i showed up to hunt.i really want this blonde bear.........

[Boar]

Thanks nik, a blond would be a rug for sure for me. good luck mudslinger. Boar

[mudslinger64]

i just got back from checking my bait and it was hit again,so i will be hunting it again tomorrow.he ate all of the doughnuts and bread but not to much of the corn or apples.the wife has other plans for me tonight or else i would be out there right now.......

[Archerysniper]

mudslinger just get ready if it is a boar you might have to time his circle or pattern some times it will be 3 or more days before he comes back,a sow with cub will hit your bait almost daily and and make a mess out of it.

[mudslinger64]

tomorrow i will bait it again early with doughnuts and hunt in the afternoon.hoping to see the blonde again,maybe the heat slowed things down.almost a week with no hits until today,been thinking about taken the rifle out instead in case he just circles me again but i would prefer to take it with my bow.i think i will give it some more time before mister remington comes out to play...

[fishnhooks]

This is my first year attempting to hunt Bear. So, first I would like to thank everyone for their questions and for the answers that have been given. I have learned alot this year and it has been pretty exciting. It has been fun to get everyones thoughts, ideas, opinions and etiquette.

My bait has also gone pretty cold, but I am not worrying quite yet. There is still some action, just not what I had before. I am also near a lot of acorns.

They have come in mostly at night, but I think for my first year I would be happy to even see a Mama and cubs. That would be pretty cool.

Now I have another question and before I get jumped on, please remember I am just asking a question to learn.

It is my understanding that we cannot shoot White bears, so my question is what is the difference between a White bear and a Blonde bear. I am sure that there has to be a difference and I would like to know incase I run into the situation.

Thanks,

"hooks"

[mudslinger64]

a blonde phase is a really light brown kind of tannish color and a white bear is just that white like albino.

[fishnhooks]

Thanks mudslinger64.

One more thing that I have learned!

I am going to try to find some pics.

"hooks"

[TRZ II]

I have been baiting since mid. Aug and i have been getting hit but on no consistent basis. I have 2 sites and both are getting licked clean when I'm gone but neither have been hit on a weekend when i have been there, they are both over a mile from my cabin. Does this mean it is a boar. or are me and my grandson doing something wrong, this is our first bear hunt, we have been doing a molasses burn every hunt and tried liquid smoke. Thanks!

[bogwalker]

I have been baiting since mid. Aug and i have been getting hit but on no consistent basis. I have 2 sites and both are getting licked clean when I'm gone but neither have been hit on a weekend when i have been there, they are both over a mile from my cabin. Does this mean it is a boar. or are me and my grandson doing something wrong, this is our first bear hunt, we have been doing a molasses burn every hunt and tried liquid smoke. Thanks!

Hey OldenDays, Sounds like the bear see your pattern. You bait, burn etc and hunt. Then you leave for a week. They can wait you out then eat all your bait after you leave. The older the bear the smarter they are. The young 150 pound class bears are careless and are the first to show up which is why so many small bear are shot every year. You might have a larger smarter bear working your bait.

[Matt Breuer]

The main goal is patterning the bear. Sounds like your bear has patterned you! I'd give the burns a break next time. Could be the warning signal for them.

[mudslinger64]

i ended up getting a bear last night finally,it wasn't the blonde but i needed to get one down so i can go after deer this weekend.i will post a pics in the harvested bears thread.

[bogwalker]

i ended up getting a bear last night finally,it wasn't the blonde but i needed to get one down so i can go after deer this weekend.i will post a pics in the harvested bears thread.

Congrats!

[Boar]

Nice job mudslinger Congrats, tough to pass on the possible blond i bet but ya got burger in the freezer good job. Oldendays, Sounds like that bear has been to a few rodeos in his time. Ease off on the burns an see if you can have some one drop you off at the site when you hunt when he leaves it gives the bear the idea that you left. Also how old is you grand son, dose he fidget alot in stand? Maybe he has your stand pegged down. Two guys in stand are twice as hard to stay still than one. Dose your grandson bait with you? if so the bear might not like that inconsistant oder. I had one bear that I baited an hunted for a month an a half Never did get him, an I tried every trick, he was to smart. Try the formentioned things first. A cagey boar will circle a bait site an sit on the fringes an watch for any movement before he commits. Good luck Boar

[nik]

Well, I am still having problems with my bear. We have concluded that it is just one bear hanging around now. He is a decent size bear with a nice white spot on his chest. This bear is so inconsistant and it is driving me insane. He will show up only at night. Some times he will show up two or three nights in a row and then disapear for two or three days. I am worried about how he is going to react once all the small game hunters hit the woods. With my bait running out, driving 400 miles every other day, and the small game hunters hitting the woods this weekend, this weekend could be my last chance for the season. I guess on the upside, my buddy from Rochester did get his first bear this year. (and I thought my drive was bad) so I will keep my fingers crossed for the next few days.

[hookset]

We need the weather to cool off. every video I get off my camera shows the bears coming through my bait sites panting like a lab chasing a ball

[bogwalker]

Nik, You have seen this bear on your trail camera? I assume so since you know his size and chest marking and that you only have one bear hitting your bait. Sounds like a good size bear or one that will live to become a good size bear. Our group holds out for mature bear (300 pound plus), We rarely take a bear in the first few weeks of the season. Small game and archery deer hunters do cause bear to go nocturnal if your baits are in their hunting areas. Is your bait in an easily accessible area? Just curious.

[nik]

Yeah, we have this one on a trail camera. He has been coming since we started baiting, but out of the 5 bears we have seen on the camera all year, he is the only one sticking around. He is not huge, but he is bigger than all the other bears we have seen this year. We are on state land, so the small game hunters will be around. We are about 2 miles from the nearest parking lot, but I have been surprised before how far people walk just to shoot some squirls. My group took a smaller bear on opener and since then, it has been pretty quiet in the woods.