bait not getting hit

[carp killer]

I need some suggestions on why I cant get any bears to hit my bait sites. I have 4 sites in the New York Mills,MN area and two of the sites had bear sign buy them when I started baiting, but they have not hit my sites. Iam using popcorn,potato chips and fryer grease for bait.I also spray my sites down with liquid smoke and maple every time I bait. Any help would be great.

[CrowRiverRat83]

Might have to do with the time of year. The acorns are dropping like rain lately. Other guys have had similar problems. Hang in there.

[HunterLee]

Probly not the best choice of bait. Certain bears like certain things. One of mine didn't like or want any meat of anysort, but would pick out the donuts and bread.

I would try donuts, and grease.

Also don't have anything rotten in your bait. Other than that they are not around, not hungry, or don't like the bait.

[Matt Breuer]

I think that he's using great things for bait. Most bears I've ever baited love popcorn and chips. Bread is a huge filler though, bread and pastries w/ molasses. Popcorn should work fine though. The liquid smoke should attract them.

Everyone's talking about acorns too, and I haven't seen any dropping. Maybe it's the area? My land has a lot of oaks, and I'm just not seeing much for acorns hanging or on the ground.

Maybe the bear you were after got shot??

[bogwalker]

Poor bait selection. You are competing with other hunters who are probably using better bait. If you have the best bait you will have the bears unless your bait site selection is wrong. I am not the judge, the bears are.

[Cedarcreek]

Try with sweets donuts molasses. also sweet scents to coat bushes near bait site is excellent. blueberry, butterscotch extracts are awsome. breads anything sweet. also with the acorn crop bears will lead to them as they build up the with fats better. Also bait sites need to be near water of some type. i like within 200 yards or less. bears relate to area like that to stay cool. if you are not near water find a new spot.

[Boar]

I tend to agree with the not the best bait selection, popcorn an chips are great but as an additive to a main staple of say breads an pasteries. This year I took the advise of a veteren bear hunter an started to gather my pasteries realy early like in the begining of march an he told me to store the doughnuts in fryer grease in five gallon buckets. Well I took it a little step further an stored the pastries an grease in 32 gallon plastic garbage cans, well all said an done when it came time to bait the grease had preserved the pasteries to the point where it actually carmalized the bread an sugar an filling an it is the best gummy gooiey chewy yummy an aromatic bait I have ever used. An he with the best bait wins. An only the top inch or so got moled the rest was perfect. Good luck. Boar

[Boar]

Speaking of bear not liking certain things, I had a bear this year that left the dog food alone, blew me away, what bear dosent like dog food, go figure. boar

[Matt Breuer]

Drive over to Wadena and stop at Quizno's. Speak w/ the manager about bread. All of the crust ends that are cut from the subs are stored and sold for bait. I know he's got some, because I was there today. I opted out of purchasing any, because I will be here for another 2 days, and don't REALLY need any more bait. Also check w/ the Holida station there in town, ask for the day-old pastries. Stop at a feed store, get a 5-gallon pail of molasses. Start over. Don't give up on the popcorn and chips, because they're great fillers, and will pay dividends once you're station is established. Try burning some honey, citronella, or bacon grease to get the bears in to the bait. Toss some molasses dunked bread up in the trees, etc...

All of the above suggestions are great ones. Water is a great one, but wet ditches hold a TON of bear. People drive by them daily. Bears will hide out in wet ditches and culverts on warm days.

If you're desperate for sweets, I work in Wadena often, and can bring some of the tons of licorice and gummy bears we've got to you....

[carp killer]

Thanks for all of the advice. All of my bait sites are with in 300 yards of water swamps and rivers. I did do a honey burn at one site. How much would you want for some bait and how often do you come to Wadena? To the best of my knowledge I do not know of anyone else that is hunting close to my sites. I have two sites close to the Sebeka area and two sites by New York Mills.

[bogwalker]

I tend to agree with the not the best bait selection, popcorn an chips are great but as an additive to a main staple of say breads an pasteries. This year I took the advise of a veteren bear hunter an started to gather my pasteries realy early like in the begining of march an he told me to store the doughnuts in fryer grease in five gallon buckets. Well I took it a little step further an stored the pastries an grease in 32 gallon plastic garbage cans, well all said an done when it came time to bait the grease had preserved the pasteries to the point where it actually carmalized the bread an sugar an filling an it is the best gummy gooiey chewy yummy an aromatic bait I have ever used. An he with the best bait wins. An only the top inch or so got moled the rest was perfect. Good luck. Boar

Boar, Just out of curiosity where did you hear about this method of preserving bakery goods with grease?

[Matt Breuer]

When you think of baits being close, think miles. We've attracted bears from the state land 1.5-2 miles from our property, and had bears leave ours for the guys who bait that land as well. When you get competition, it's all about who's got the goodies.

I get down here every other week or every 3rd week.

Feel free to e-mail me... mjbreuer at midco point net.