Bear Bait

[Fish to Win]

Do all the bear hunters have their bait ready to rock n roll yet? I have about 100lbs of doughnuts that I have collected in the last week in my chest freezer. Still need lots more. I went to the black bear seminar at Cabelas last week and learned a lot of good info- Good luck in finding all the good bear bait.

[roosterslayer]

Yup I have about two 200# of dry bait, liguid smoke, five gallon pale of fryer greese as well as a 55 gallon drum of pie filling. We should be okay!

[Shad rap]

for the dry bait are you using dog food. This is the first time bear hunting for me. and we are hunting area 44. I think we are using dog food and pie filling and maybe some gummy bears. then on one of our baits where are going to use bacon greese and at the other use honey. can any tell me if there is somthing else I should have that I'm missing.

[roosterslayer]

the dry bait that i have is a mixture of oats, granola, and a powder that farmers use to get young pigs off milk and on feed, cant remember what it's called but it is really strong and smells like strawberries. we also use dog food. Honey works well if burned, and it really gets the scent out there.

[roosterslayer]

also try a couple of ears of sweet corn, or a bag of apples, last year the bears really liked the apples where I hunt.

[Perch Jerker]

I've got 3 chest freezers (50 cubic feet) full of bait so far. Also, a local butcher has meat scraps in his freezer and another friend has ground beaver meat for me.

My list is as follows and is near completion:

550lb of Beef trimmings

300lb of ground beaver meat

1500lb of unwrapped Hostess goodies (Ho-ho's,cupcakes,Ding Dongs,etc) frozen in 30-35lb blocks

55gal a week during season of fruits/veggies

200lb of bread

300lb of dog food

1000lb of oat,sugar,molasses,grease,water fermented 1 week mix

100gal used cooking grease

1gal bacon grease

32oz bottle of Anise spray scent

I am putting out 8 baits for 4 hunters in 2 different zones.

Last year we were regularly putting out 150lb+ of food every 4 days at each bait and they would clean it out. This may seem like a lot of food and a great variety of bait but if there is competetion baits around (and there always is) HE WITH THE BEST BAIT WINS! I've heard too often where people say "They were pounding the bait right till opener... and then they just stopped". Eventually every animal wants some variety after two weeks of just dog food, or just grain, or just pasteries, etc. Ever notice where they'll clean out all of one type of bait and only some of another. Each individual bear has a favorite food. Give them variety and they'll keep coming back. Also, they may hit someone elses bait, but they'll hit yours first during shooting light.

PJ

[Boar]

Say I have A Q's My first year bear hunting was succesfull but an freind who helped me bait once on the two in one out trick said I was to generous with bait. What is a good rule of thumb to keep em interested but not to over do it. Later boar

[Neiko]

What is 2 in 1 out?

[metrojoe]

"2 in 1 out"

Once you have an active bait the bears become wise to your baiting routine and wait until they hear the familiar sound of you bringing in fresh bait.(Dinner Bell) If you bring in fresh bait and then get on stand the bears still sense your presence because they don't hear, or possibly even see, you leave. To deal with this "smarter than average bear" you have a buddy walk in with you. As he freshens up the bait you climb up in your stand. Once your set your buddy walks out with the empty bucket.

boar,

I'm no expert but I think it all depends on how often you able to check your baits. If your checking them every day, I wouldn't put out much. I was checking mine two to three times a week and a 5 gallon bucket seemed to work best for us. While we were hunting we would only use half a bucket or less. You want the bait cleaned out everytime you check it.

[protrapper]

I got plenty of the best bear bait out there. Beaver Meat. No better bait. Mix with some grease, and some good bear lure. Nothing better.

[Fish to Win]

Perch Jerker hit it on the nuts when he said, "he with the best bear bait wins." I was getting hits all the time last year and other hunters that were real close never got any hits. They had alright bait but mine was liked better by the bears and that is why I had a shot opening eve. (Missed??!!). Having diff't eats on the menu helps with eliminating bear bait burn out. This is fun stuff, enjoy the hunt.

[Boar]

Thanks joe, we have alot of beries and nuts around here this year, really wet, lots of mushrooms and rassberries to compete with, But I have a variety of stuff, my first bear came in on a bacon burn that was fun, a mounth of baiting an couldnt get him in during daylight finally sucome to the bacon burn an put an arrow through him cnat wait for this year, good luck everybody, be safe. later boar

[RussDaBuss]

Where would be the best place to get "bulk" Anise and Liquid smoke? Thanks

[Boar]

Idont know about where to find bulk of either but my cousin swears by burning those anise an liquish sticks, sorry dont know how to spell liquish. He puts sevral around his bait station and burns one up in his stand also. I might try em. Boar

[RussDaBuss]

I actually called Aperts in St. Cloud here. They have Liquid Smoke by the gallon for 14 bucks they say. I might get that. They do not have Anise. Also might just buy anise at a grocery store and mix with a little water and put in spray bottle and spray the entire bait area everytime I bait. I have heard this works well.. Good Luck All

[Fish to Win]

Do you guys do honey burns or Anise burns- I have never done either and would like to know if one is better than the other. I'm sure they both are fine but is one more natural than the other. Thanks-

[frankenstien]

Try bearscents.com have had good luck with there spray scents. They come in many differn't flavors or scents.

[Boar]

hey fish, I took my first bear on bacon burn I just kept the greese from sat. mournings and heated over a sterno on a tin coffee can an brought in a bear I knew was hitting but was nocturnally feeding, the beacon even made me hungry, but nonetheless he could'nt take it any more and strolled in, looked up at me, sucked in a deep snort an stuck his head in the grease as I put an arrow through him. Great hunt. So yes honey an grease burns work quite well. Bacon grease or burnt honey is what I like to use. Burnt honey is hard to find for me anyway it seems the bee keepers have found a mor profitable market to sell it or their refining prossess has evolved. But give bacon grease a try, but experiment with the heat cause you jus want to warm it not cook it or burn it pluse slpattering grease on youre nose will make you do what? dance like lunatic. Try it, if you have a bear hitting but but refuse to hit during daylight. Oh yea remember to remove the can at the end of the hunt. Or use those ceramic potting dishes they work great and the bear has no chance of getting his nose stuck in it. Later boar

[Fish to Win]

Boer-

I tried the bacon burn in my garage and OH BOY did it put off a scent- I had to adjust the hieght of the can so it would not burn, just a slow cook. I am going to try it only if my trail Camera states the big boy is hitting at night. I can see how that kind of burn can bring in a bear- Last year my mother-in -law was up north cooking taco's in the cabin and a bear came right up to the window- She has never been the same, (not that she was the best to begin with). If I have a bear coming in during shooting hours I'll leave the bacon at home but she'll be burning away if he comes in after dark to bring his bacon eaten (Contact US Regarding This Word) out during light hours . Thanks Boer--

[Boar]

Boy my keyboard tactics need a upgrade I can spell better really, Ha. Say I picked up sone anise extract at hugos just three little two ounce bottles, whats a good recipe for a anise burn,I also picked up some strawberry extract an some strawberry jello gonna make a berry suryp to heat. yummy. Thougth I might try something different this time. Say did you mean bacon eat'n butt, I could'nt tell with "contact us on this word " dubbed in. Us is even capitalized, you're grounded mister. No computer for a week. Good luck and be safe Later boAr

[CANOPY SAM]

Boar, you can use the Jello powder by just sprinkling it around your baiting area. You don't have to apply it wet. It still smells really strong dry, and it just gets sweeter when it rains! Freshen it up once a week with another little box of Jello. 50 cents a box! Cheep and Sweet Bear Bait!

This is a great thread! There are going to be a lot of really happy bears out there until opening morning....

[Fish to Win]

So are the baits being hit yet or does it seem hopeless. I didn't bait till Wed. late afternoon so I'm excited to check and rebait (if needed) on Sat. I set up my trail camera for the first time so I'll see how that worked out. I hope to get some nice fat Boars coming thru-

So lets hear about the baits being hit!!!

[Neiko]

Last Friday we set up 4 baits. By Sunday only 2 were hit. We also set up 2 more sites for a total of 6. My brother checked yesterday and 1 of the new ones was hit out of the 6. I beieve that is what happened last year in the begining. I won't get really worried until next weekend.

[JEV]

I put out two bait stations last weekend. Both are on the same property but on different ends. I have been baiting primarily with oats and mollases. I've tried a few different things however. Old fruit, nuts, pretzels, old bread, old cereal, and the last thing I tried was popcorn with jello spinkled on top. Man did those bears love that popcorn. I dumped quite a load out there and the next day there wasn't a piece left. They had cleaned it right up. I picked up some fryer grease the other day and I'll be dumping that out this weekend. It's looking promising so far....

JEV

[Fish to Win]

I checked my bait on sat. with no luck but tonight was a diff't story- cleaned me right out- I was a little worried after I checked the first time and it was not touch, it must have took him a little longer this year to find it. My spirts are high now and look forward to the opener that is just around the corner.