Hit list...

[Boar]

Great Job Lee, Congrates!

[jerkbait]

Congrats Lee. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

[bigbucks]

No forgot about that one. I think there's a pile or two by each of our baits. I suppose we could just switch them. If it's the same bear or won't matter, but if it's not it just might huh?

[Boar]

worth a shot

[Boar]

If you feel safe doing a burn go for it. I took my firstbear with a bow on a burn the end of sept. He was a nocturnal bear since the get go, last chance I had to hunt an I did a bacon burn, came in on a string hour later.

[jay83196]

They can be good I just did one and brought one in at 6 pm before that most were all at night. What do some of you guys use, I used small sterno can with coffee can inch above it with full package of bacon in it.

[HunterLee]

Well here he is. Long story short stay in the tree until last legal light.

I checked my baits yesterday and had a hit the previous afternoon that almost looked like a bigger bear than has been kinda off and on.

Got up in the tree about 5pm. It was cool and pretty windy, but figured you can't get them from the couch. Set my camera arm up and got my rifle and bow hung up and ready to go. I planned on getting one with a bow and getting it on video, but after the first year when I had a big one pull some funny stuff I always carry back up nothing worse than a big bear at ten yards that you can't shoot with a bow, but at fifty he was dead.

Anyway- nothing moving except the tree tops, and one lone fawn. 7pm had came and went and the sun was starting to set. The hits I have had were right around 7pm, so with the wind I thought well maybe I will sneak out a little early just in case he is laying downwind so I don't spook him.

I take my time dropping my bow and about this time the wind is somewhat settling. I kinda sit and watch for another few minutes and decide to start unscrewing my camera off the arm. About half way through that I hear some rustling behind me and look back and there he is about straight down wind. Walking down the trail and turns the corner right on to my path into the bait.

He stops directly below my tree to survey the area and sniffs on a few sticks that I must of rubbed on on the way in. Meanwhile I am spinning my camera back and and getting the record put pushed. I am about 17ft or so and I can hear him sniffing the ground below me. He then walks up to the bait and starts checking it out. He then turns broadside at a mere 20yds in good camera view so I shoot him with the rifle. He runs about 40yds and I see him crash. Lets a little moan out and its all over.

Little disappointed that I used the rifle, but it was only my second bear ever and I still have my second tag in the pocked.

Called for a little help and started to drag.

She didn't drag, but I did get her to grab an ear and take a picture.

[CANOPY SAM]

Ha ha ha! Nice!

[bigbucks]

Very cool, I'm hoping for a similar scenario this weekend or really any legal scenario that ends with me putting a bear on the ground. Well & not having to do it hand-to-hand with my knife...

[Boar]

cool beans lee, Nice job an awsome pic!

[jerkbait]

Awesome HL!!!

[Matt Breuer]

Very nice, Hunter!!!

[grapeapplepie]

Well my first bear hunting experience was a success! I attribute that a lot to this forum as I received a lot of great information on this site. A special thanks to Boar for the PMs he sent me and to DRH1175 for the two buckets of doughnut grease he provided me!

So I live in Twin Cities and the land I hunt is located near Cook, MN. With family obligations, work, and a father who recently had open-heart surgery my time to bait/hunt was limited. I made the 450 mile round-trip a total of 3 times to bait and one time to hunt. I chose to hunt from a ground blind set up about 25 feet from my bait which I had setup the first time I started to bait. I used a combination of fryer grease from a Chinese restaurant, oats, and dog food as my primary food source inside my barrel. I also had some doughnut grease, 10 gallons of blueberries, and a little bit of soft multicolored candy and a few table scraps I spread around on the ground near the barrel.

I started baiting on August 27th with my first hit on September 4th. I think I only had one bear coming into my site, but I'm not the best judge when it comes to picking out individual bears. He came into my site slowly at first, but as the days went on he was appearing quite regularly both day and night...I assume this coincided with the natural foods starting to dwindle.

As for the hunt, I arrived at 8:30 yesterday morning to my site and set up with very little action (except for the red squirrels and canadian jays robbing my site). I left the blind at 12:30 for lunch and to stretch my legs. I returned to the blind at 3:15. At 5:15 I got the first glimpse of the bear. He just appeared out of seemingly nowhere and walked a semi-circle around my blind. I couldn't believe how quiet he was! As you can imagine, my heart was beating a mile-a-minute. I tried to slip quietly from my chair so I could get a shot at him out one of the side windows, but either he heard me, smelled me, or caught sight of my movement in the blind. In any case, he bolted through the woods and I felt a sense of despair. I was kicking myself for not being patient and a little down on myself for maybe blowing my one chance.

Lucky for me his hunger outweighed his fear and he reappeared an hour later. This time I sat tight and fought my urge to rush the shot. He came in the same way and circled my blind (I must say it was a little unnerving having him behind me not knowing what his next move would be) for what seemed like 10 minutes before he finally showed up and made his way to the bait. I watched him eat for a bit and finally took my shot.

Field-dressed he weighed 160lbs...not a huge bear from what I've seen on this site, but I'm very happy with results based on the circumstances. I've got to say I'm completely hooked on this bear thing! I can't wait to be drawn again!

Here are a few photos...

[Boar]

That is flipping awsome!GAP Congratulations, way to put'm down. Thast just awsome to hear of yur succes! A beutifull bear with the coveted white V. You getting the Skul an mount done?

[grapeapplepie]

Hey Boar,

I'm not exactly sure what type of taxidermy work to have done. I'll have to do a little more research. I do like the white V on his chest, so maybe something that accentuates that feature. Any suggestions?!

[jay83196]

Do a half or 3/4 mount would look nice and show off the chest good. Sombody posted great looking bear mount on one of the topics on here is getting mine in a similiar pose. Nice job!

[Boar]

Like jay said a 3/4 mount would be awsome, but pricy, My first bear had the white V an i could only afford a shoulder mount an it looks very cool an shows of the V nicely. Your taxidermist will help u choose also. Again Congratulations!

[HunterLee]

Seems bear baiting is starting to pick up, got two different sites to hit today, got cameras on them now so we will see whats going on.

[jerkbait]

Awesome Grape!!! Congrats on the 1st bear.

[HooknHorns]

Glad to see some guys out there still hunting. Nice bear.

[Boar]

Oh yea, I've been trying to jumpstart the site again after halle took hers out, been two weeks since an nothing but coons. Just over 3 weeks left anything could hapen, Love the late season. Other site is sparadic.

[bigbucks]

Cool great job, nice bear. We're letting ours go dead for a couple weeks & then going to have a friend restart them for us about a week before we hit them last weekend. Can't keep making a 3 1/2 hour trek, need to try something to change their nocturnal patterns.

[Boar]

well good luck BB, Sometimes thats the way they go an not much ya can do about it. The late season is starting up an things should change for the better. Crops are hard or taken off, an naturals are all said an done, should be anyway. I just belive that once they start moving for food, if ya dont have food in the crib or barrel, they'll move on till they find food. But your distance is one ya hva to consider. If your freind jump starts the sites for ya again. I would recomend a big burn. Ive brougt in a turkey cooker an heated up a bunch of mollassas honey BBQ sauce to the point where its billowing white smoke, this will get on the air ways an travel a distance. The pour it all over the place. Good luck Bucks

[HunterLee]

Checked my one bait that has been dead all year and the barrel was cleaned, just hope it wasn't to many days ago. Going to check my others tomorrow, hoping to get at least one or two more bears to work some baits, I wouldn't mind doubling up and my brother would like a crack at one.

[Boar]

Good luck lee, I do have a small 150 class bear that I could try an fill the freezer with but might let him fatten up an see wat my river bottom will do. Plenty of time.