when start baiting?

[jay83196]

Just wondering if most guys taking day off to bait on 17th (seems always start on a weekday) or wait until weekend to start and set up the stations. Wonder why DNR doesnt start it on a weekend? How many many sites run, do you keep them all going whole season or just site decide to hunt.

[Boar]

Morning Jay, I start the day of, I've waited 9 1/2 mounths an cant wait any longer, I get done at work a 1 on frydays so that makes it nice but i will take te day of inf it dosent land on a decent day. Running my three stites, halle an i could have 3 for here but its to much running, if she was old enough to drive we'd have more. I keep my sites going till the end or Im done. If youve done ur homework which i know you have, they will come. I get jack up for bear season, but nearly as much as late season, when the big boys start move for food, when they find it they stay on it. Good luck!

[jay83196]

Thanks boar just curious, I'm also going first day not sure when.

[Fish to Win]

So many years I would start to bait the very first day and get photos of bears coming in till about 3-4 days before to opening day and then BEARS GONE to never return. NOW, I wait till about 7-8 days before opening day to start baiting and that avoids bait burn out and gives em enough time to find that bait to begin with.

Not the best for everyone but works for me.

Thnaks-

[Random guy]

I set up then put the baits on a rotation as to much baiting for to long will ruin your site. I actaully would not mind if they shaved a week off of the baiting season.

[jay83196]

Jonny I've had that happen on a couple sites, they get pounded then days before hunting dead.. can you explain your rotation and suggestions to avoid this.

Thanks

[Boar]

This is kinda a short baiting season compared to couple seasons back when it was just shy of 3 weeks. 15 days then hunt aint bad. Not like its open a site then presto instant bear, so a guy guy could easily have 3-4 days before first hit, then no assurence that he'll stay around either. If ya get a sow an cubs in first hit, then i like to shut down in hopes they'll move on then still have time to bait in a boar before hunting. Have had this happen an it worked. but like fish said wat works for me dosent for others. Good luck boys!

[friz]

Jay,

Had this happen to us when we used to use only a couple kinds of bait then a few years ago we started using about 5-6 different kinds of bait(cookie dough,trail mix,donuts,granola,corn gluten,bread). Always use the cookie dough(pretty weatherproof)and a couple other things then will switch them up with something different after a few days when they start getting hit good and will go back and forth with different stuff. Not sure but maybe they like the variety and don't get tired of the same old stuff. We hunt an area that gets hit pretty hard too so we try to keep the bait pile as fresh as possible.

[jay83196]

That's a good point boar, even week or so shorter than last year I figured baiting every other day or two days I have 3 less times than last year. Wonder if a guy would want to wait or delay being shorter. Thoughts?

[jay83196]

Friz, so do you use all bait each time or different bait different times? I have 5-6 baits I use I've always used them all each time about 3- 5 gal pails every couple days each site.

[Boar]

in my area its tough with the naturals so I think bear in my area are gona be on the piles quick, an then its just observe as i go, I wouldnt wait or delay anything, friz has good ideas with switching things up if ya got good variety an alot of it. I add things from time to time or excluded them till next time, just to keep things interesting for the bear. beside the grease bucket of pasteries, I keep a freezer of pasteries without grease just for this veriety concept. I'll check my baits on the 3rd day of legal baiting, an go from there. I will always keep my site full, I never want a bear to come buy an find no bait. Especially the later it gets. Its all good an it almost go time.

[friz]

Jay,

I'll use my go to baits(cookie dough,trail mix and 1 other) to open the site and get them coming, then will replace say the trail mix and the other one with the donuts & corn gluten or granola for a time or two then switch them up again. Needless to say always use lots & lots of grease and stink her good with molasses too every time. We've had the baits slow down at times but never had them completely shut down doing it this way. It seems to work for us so that's kindof the way we go about it. We'll also stop using 1 bait all together if it's not getting ate for one reason or another.

[jay83196]

Worth try mix it up a little start with my base add things as I go. How much

grease you use. Do you dump all over logs and around on ground ?

[Boar]

get a water canon an bring a bucket of grease an launch it in the trees an all foileage, I try an not to use to much on the logs that are on the crib cause you end up geting pretty messy an the loggs ar slippery to handle. My sent bag gets resoaked each time an that leave a big puddle of drippings an the bears an critters trampple in it an all over the area, that seems to work great.

[friz]

With boar on this, too much around the bait pile gets ugly as the season goes on. Had a buddy slip one time and almost hurt himself bad. Like boar said, get a water cannon or super soaker and blast up in the trees. works really, really good.

[certified jumbo]

I think sometimes we try to over analyze things. We all want the upper edge and we all want to do the best things to try to increase our odds at harvesting an animal. There are so many uncontrollable things that we can't do anything about. Such as weather, wild berries, acorns, hunter pressure, what bears come in (sows, boars, or cubs), how long they stay in an area, how often they move, etc. With all those variables its hard to control whats going to shake out from year to year. That being said its hard to say when to start baiting. I think the safest bet is to start when most of the other hunters start baiting.

If we all focus on the things we can control I think that will increase our odds the best. Some examples of things we can control would be acquiring lots of properties(door knocking or public), having fresh strong smelling bait, good stand locations, having multiple bait locations, have your baits locations as spread out as possible from each other, freshening up baits as often as possible, finding areas with minimal human interference, try acquiring large tracts of private land to ensure minimal hunter pressure.

[Boar]

Very good words jumbo Icant agree more, we pretty much know wat to do, just gota stick to the guns an do it. Build it, maintain it, Keep it fresh an smelly good an they will come.

[jerkbait]

I will start my baits on Saturday, don't plan to take any time off of work. Then give it 3-4 days before checking the first time. Hopefully the hits start sooner for me then they did last year. Good luck all!!!

[Boar]

Hey chris ya need some doughnts?

[jerkbait]

I might, depends on how big of delivery of goodies I get on Wednesday. Do you have extra? Looks like I will be hunting alone as my buddy got to busy at work to try for a surplus tag yesterday.

[Boar]

ok let me know.

[AdventureDan]

Usually we bait every other day and then 5 days before the season we bait everyday hard. We also usually run them through out the season or intel the havent been hit for about 9 days give or take.

[BlackArrow1]

Everyone wants to race out, place their claim on bait spots. Gotta or you ain't pumped:). But I'm with some of the others. I've had tons of candies, carmels, sweets, bacon grease, breads etc.... Had great hits for awhile. Then they burned out! I'd say don't over do it yet. Give em some tastes and mix it up. They remember. But keeping em glued to a feast for weeks don't seem to work. Don't worry about being out baited at the start here. Save your bulk goods for closer to the season.

[Odonata]

Today is the day! Good luck and enjoy the start of baiting. Can't wait to haul my 5 gallon buckets with feed and have the box of my truck smell like fryer oil.