Bear Guide or Do-It-Yourself ?

[charliepete2]

I should clarify...my first bear hunt was with a professional guide. I enjoyed myself and learned a lot, but I won't do another guided bear hunt in Minnesota. I've had a lot more fun over the last decade running things myself.

[Random guy]

If you shoot a bear nothing beats a pro to track, recover, dress out, drag out, and cool down your bear and transport it to a processor. Not everyone is physically able to do these things on their own. I still do my own baiting etc. too but a good guide can give you a great hunt as well.

That is alot of it for us, our clients come from all over the United States looking for the chance to hunt Minnesota bear, it is hard to run baits from Ohio so that is our job. We also have some hunters that just can't do it all due to age or physical ability. Not to mention we live in a decent bear area where a freezer or cooler is at least an hour drive time once you get to the highway. So with our guide fee you not only get a high percentage hunt you also get a good scale wieght, properly dressed and transported bear that is put in our on-site walk in freezer.

Basicaly it all boils down to what you want. Do you want to spend alot of time in the woods baiting? I do so I made it my job. Or do you seek a qaulity hunt without alot of the stress and time of runnig baits or does your job prevent this? Then you want to hire a guide. But to say baiting is "easy" or not rocket science" is a bit misguided. Baby bear are easy, 400lb+ bruins are not and we pull several trophy class bruins each year using our "rocket science".

[iceman16]

I have been runing baits with my uncle for about 7 years now he is a guide. i have learned alot of things from him on how to get the big bruins to come in and keep them coming in, scouting baiting tricks, tracking. i had never lost a bear tracking for him until last year when in was my own bear. i go up every weekend and bait our stands, and he runs them during the week. its alot of fun to go out and help people harvest their bears. we have people that come from all over the US as do all other guides and they are serious hunters like up back from where they are from. its alot of fun and i am hoping in a couple years when i get enough vacation where i can take all of baiting season and the first two weeks of the season to start up guiding on my own.

iceman

[dewey1980]

question,if there was one thing you guys would do that helps you bring in bear to your bait what would it be.

[kelly-p]

I was taught that a well made bait was the most importent. Logs tight enough that only maybe a squirrel or chipmunk can get to the bait and heavy enough that only a bear can move them. That way when the bear comes there is food there for him and the bait has not been cleaned out by coons, fisher etc.

[harvey lee]

I agree with Kelly. I saw logs and criss cross them until one cannot see through the pile. I make very tight log piles and it take a good bear to open up the baits. I love to see it when the logs have been wiped out in every direction and all beat up with claw marks.

[maros91]

I have a question for you guys? What if the area you hunt doesn't have big enough logs to cover your bait. The area I hunt has thick brush and small trees and is in a real swampy area that is real thick but no big logs or small logs for that matter. I can't use 4 wheelers here so bringing them in is not an option.

What do you guys recommend?

[Boar]

dewey, I agree with the tight crib, ya cant keep a bear at the site if it get's cleaned out before he gets there, an I like having a big variety of food an as fresh as I can get it. I know that mold dosent seem to bother the bears but a good trick if ya gather bait early an just dont have the freezer space for pastries an bread stuff, is to put it in plastic bin or pails an pour grease over it, the grease with preserve it to prevent molding. Biff, sorry I got nothing for your delema, much less you an some buddies humping in a couple of logs to cut up at the site, rocks in the area? I wish we could chain 55 gl. barrels to trees. Boar

[bogwalker]

You need a high and dry spot, just use the biggest stuff available. You don't have to use logs.

[kelly-p]

Can you hang the bait in burlap bags someway? I know one guy that suspends a wide board with the bait on it 6/7 feet high so only the big bear can reach it.

[maros91]

Hmm. Great ideas except for he humping the logs in . I am looking at the areas tomorrow. I like the burlap sack thing. I will see if I can make that work. Thanks for the ideas.

[charliepete2]

I thought about the burlap sack thing, but I wondered if it would be legal to leave it out in the woods. The reg's say you can leave anything that's not readily biodegradable.

[Boar]

Yea, your right to much work, "If you built a giant wooden badger" I too was thinking about you hanging a sack of dog food soaked in grease but like Hub said ya cant leave anything thats not biodegradable in the woods in Minnesota. No dead fall around at all huh?

[maros91]

Some small deadfall, thats about it. How about building a plywood box, putting the bait out and then putting the box over it? Think that would work? Plywood should be all right to use, right?

[Random guy]

Best bet is to to talk to your local CO and see just what he/she feels is legal, since they are the ones that will be writing the ticket.

I know the old non poly burlap bags don't hold up well ad they also make those "Mulching bags" you see at some garden centers, they are definetly readily bio-degradable.

[bogwalker]

I have used brush to cover bait. Little critters like coon, squirrels etc. help spread the bait scent around the area so they are not a bad thing. Crows can eat a lot of bait but their calls signaling a food find also bring in bears.

[Muthagoose]

a plywood box is a container, ticket time otherwise we would be able to use barrels...Do a bucket in and out with the bear bait...

I always feed the birds and critters. Hard to beat a loud group of scavengers for ringing the dinner bell and they work cheap.

[tealitup]

have a hollow log? Stuff it with your bait and cover the ends with smaller logs

[maros91]

All great ideas. I just may have to cover it up with as much brush as I can.

[bogwalker]

All great ideas. I just may have to cover it up with as much brush as I can.

If you don't have large diameter brush by your site you can cut a bundle of 2"-3" x 5'-6' stuff, trim any branches off and carry it in on your back. Good luck, hope you get the big one.

[Random guy]

Ya know bogwalker I was thinking about that and if you wove that brush together it would be a great cover, almost critter proof.

[bogwalker]

Good idea Jonny P.

[maros91]

I have oats and corn and want to mix them with vanilla frosting but can't get my hands on any frosting. What should I mix them with? I have molasses but heard they sometimes don't like that. Any ideas? This is what I get for waiting till the last second to get bait.

[superbee]

The molasses will work good, mix it good and don't skimp. If you can add used cooking oil that is good also. I have had good success with snowcone syrups. It works good for burns as well.

[maros91]

should I mix all 3 together or seperate? I am thinking putting out a ice cream pail of each item to start(oats,corn,donuts,dog food and syrup, and trail mix) Once they start hitting one item I will switch over to that. Do you think it is to many things for one bait? I will be pouring grease on some baits and mollasses on others.