Baiting

[maros91]

Checked my 3 baits again and still nothing. The next time I can get out is Thursday after work. I will pull my old bait that is wet and soggy from the rain and put out fresh stuff. I thought for sure that my variety pack of bait would for sure get a couple of hits. Maybe I should go back and put just one thing out. Like a bucket of donuts on one, licorice on one, and dog food on one. What do you guys think? Variety or just one thing at one station? Thanks guys!

Very nice pics from the people that send them in. Saturday is coming and I hope you guys connect!!

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Biff what are using for scent to attract the bears? If you are still using bacon and blueberry scent on every bait, try using just one scent per bait. Also you could try dragging a gunny sack with a few loafs of bread in it, soaked in molasass( I think thats how to spell it ). The bread will keep the molasass scent longer than just using the gunny sack alone.

If you have to walk aways to get to your bait try dragging that to and from your bait. It worked for me a couple times. I did find a "secret scent" that I guess I could share with you if you would like. I just don't what to share with everybody (sorry guys). I'm not sure if it works that good because my bait in the no quota area hasn't been hit yet.

[Boar]

Yes I have Antler, I heated some up last night when I baited an was hit, An hung a big portion of my ball tonight also, it's supposed to warm uptomorrow an for the weekend so that ball should do it's job. I'm starting to mis up my bait quite a bit, i still keep doughnuts but instead of pizza an molasses corn an oats, I put in caned dog food with a gravy sauce, some liquirce, hard dog food an beef scraps. That canned dog food is'nt very expensive twelve cans for about 7 bucks so thats twelve baitings A little corn an blueberry bear feed. On opening day i'm gonna go in about three an burn a pound of maple bacon. Cant wait. Say Antler I sure would like to hear of your secret scent, being in no qouta also, No Q's need all the help we can get, if not I'm respectfull of that. I'll trade a little bait gathering secret with ya, Potental to get mucho latae' Later boar

[Boar]

Antler, If ya choose to horse trade, my e-mail is [email protected] Boar

[Boar]

I hope this is'nt an unathorized email. Boar

[maros91]

I have been using grease on top of my logs and on the ground around the bait. I have my blueberry scent ball hanging by the bait. I spray half the area with blueberry scent and the other half with bacon scent. I also have a little hamburger hanging. I will take the burger down and just use grease and blueberry scent. The other baits I have been just using grease as scent. How about bait? Keep the variety or just use one thing.

[nmnhunter]

We have four bait stations out and we aren't getting any hits. We did have a couple of hits about a week ago but that's it. What kind of scent are you all using to attact them? We have been using donuts, meat scraps, grease and strawberry syrup but nothing is working. Any ideas? Need to get these stations going....

[roosterslayer]

Has anybody here ever tried a different burn scent. I understand honey and bacon is what most people use but is there anything else. I am hunting all public land and maybe the bears smell the same scents all the time so it isn't as attractive to them. So if somebody has another burn scent please let me know.

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Boar_Check your e-mail

Biff, A varity of things are good to have but I've been told by a few people that bears don't like to have too many differnt strong smells at a bait. I don't know if there is any truth to it but I thought it was worth a try. I have been baiting with bread (put maple syrup over it), oats-cracked corn-molasass mixturre from a local feed mill and plums from a friut tree we have. Then I pour molasass and gease on the logs and ground around the bait. By pouring it on the ground I hope to have the bears track it off in the woods and leave scent trails to attract more bears (seems to work). I have never had very much luck with meat scraps ( i try to keep stuff sweet). Has anyone had luck using meat? One big thing is putting too much bait out. I put out 1 and 1/2 5 gallon pails of bait and I rebait every 3 days. In 1 pail I have bread and oat mixture and in the other i have the plums or whatever fruit I can get. If i could I would put less food out and go every day but I can't go everyday.

As for the burner I would defintely check out the stuff called Big Paw I don't think I can give out the web address but I'm sure you can find it if you googled it, it is made by the same company that Biff got his scent ball from. It doesn't smell like much but when you put it in a burner you want to be up wind. I used it last year and the bear i shot came in soon after I started it. I'm heading up tomarrow and hope to have afew pics to post.

[Gofishleech]

I started out useing dog food with syrup poored over, then I spead grease all over the crib logs and then sloshed it all over trees (basicly made a mess!!) I had 4 bait sites and to this day only the one is getting hit. The one thing different I did with the active one is hang some fish guts about 8 ft high. They have not touched them but man do they stink. I thought to have atleast 3 bears comeing in, one night the site did not get touched and I switched to bread and syrup and donugts. The site has been hit now 3 nights in row and there is a pattern that should pay off saturday evening. I am getting pumped!!

[maros91]

All right. I will re-bait tomorrow with just one, maybe two things in the bait. I'll put my grease on the logs and around the area on the ground like I have been. Hopefully it works.

[Boar]

Thanks antler, when I log off I shoot ya some info too. I whent out tonight an was very pleased with a good hit, I have had three different types of hits, The first one, had laid the crib wide open an he got my first bear ball, then came scoopers with no logs rolled, cubs I'm sure, then came a tumbler, where he just tumbled over a few logs to get to the bait, now tonight it was laid open again an had very wide claw marks on the logs, man am I pumped. I like to burn a variety of thins but only one at a time. One thats easy an cheap is to take a couple of packets of cherry jello mix an mix with about two cups cold water, shake it up in a jar on the way to your site. burn this an oboy! It really puts out cherry scent or any flavor you use. I also burn a anise syrup, one cup sugar one cup water, bring to a boil, 210 degrees I think for one minuet, let simmer an add two teaspoons of anise from your grocery store, very potent. Boar

[charliepete2]

The wife is on a plane to see her mother, my camo is hanging on the line, the bow is shooting dead on, and I've got 5 productive baits for two guys. I don't know how I'll be able to gut out two more days of work until my vacation starts. I think I'll be holding out for a big boy this year or nothing at all. Last year I took a smaller color phased, but this year I'm going to try and stick to my guns regardless of color. Man am I pumped to get in the woods!

On a side note....to the guys with unproductive baits. It doesn't matter what you put out if there aren't any bears in that area. Instead of trying to invent new ways to pull bears in, you might be better served to try a bait in a different area. You don't throw every bait in your tackle box if the fish aren't biting, you try other spots.

[roosterslayer]

Hey Antler are you pouring your plums right into the bait and covering with logs or are you placing them next to the bait. I just picked a ton of wild plums on my friends property and was going to put them out this weekend, and was just curious where you placed them.

Thanks.

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Rooster,

I like to cover them up to make sure I know the bears are eating them and not coons. I would recommend not mixing all your bait together in the log crib. Put little piles of each seperate, that way you can see what they like. Another thing you can try is mixing oats,plumsor (other fruit you have), water, sugar and yeast in a pail and sit it out in the sun for a few days. It will smell very sweet.

[roosterslayer]

Thank you, also i see the pics of the nice bears that you have coming into your baits. and i also see you are in Santiago, is that the same santiago that is near Becker? And do you know of a good taxidermist in the area??

[Gopher_Man]

Hey Guys,

Nice bears you guys have coming in. Question for everyone, What is your plan for Saturday? Hunt in the morning? Check Baits and then hunt in the Evening? Don't check baits and just hunt in Evening? Just wondering what everyone's plans are.

Our baits haven't been checked since Saturday and we won't get up north until Friday Night. So I am leaning towards checking baits Saturday midday and then Hunting in the evening.

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

That is the same "big" town you are refering to. I know a really good taxidermist but I can't give out my contact info. (sorry)

I just got back from baiting and 2 baits were tore up but the 3rd bait where I moved my camera to was hardly hit at all. The logs were rolled and some bait was eaten but no pics were taken. I don't know if the camera didn't work or what but it should be a fun weekend anyway! Good Luck Hunters!

[Boar]

Man do I need a camera, 3rd day in a row I've been hit hard. I got some great claw marks of the logs, all five claws wider than my hand when it's relaxed, Those claw marks are at least six inches wide, I'm sure their splayed a little while working the logs. I'm guessing his pad at at least five inches wide. Oboy!!!!! Antler, did ya get my email?

[maros91]

I would move my baits but I'm kind of handicapped on where I can go. The one acreage I have to hunt is surrounded by corn and hayfields, and the other is a nice section of swamp land the landowner owns but there is only one piece of high ground and I don't have permission to go on the other side. Other landowner said no. I have faith. Re-baited today with just donuts, grease on the logs and on the ground. I am busy this weekend with baseball so I couldn't hunt opening weekend anyway. 1 more day for you fellers with good hits on your baits. Hope you guys get a good one!!!!

[maros91]

Here are some pics from my buddies bait station near Marcell.

Looks like he has plenty of bait out there

You think this is the same bear as the one with the cubs?

[roosterslayer]

hey Antler email me at [email protected].

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

Boar, I recieved your e-mail (very interesting idea). I have to give it a try. Thanks for the info!

Biff, WOW thats alot of bait he has out. Hard to tell if its the same bear or not. Keep us posted on how he does.

Good luck hunters!

[fireman]

Just wishing all you bear hunters good luck tomorrow. Its been 2 years with no license for our party, so I need to live vicariously through all you hunters, so lets see some pics of your success.

[maros91]

Well one of my baits is getting hit. 2nd straight night it got hit. One of the bigger logs was slid to the back and more donuts were taken. Going to hunt it tomorrow night after work.