Baiting a critter is not smiled upon out West AT ALL.
No sport in shooting something that is in the middle of eating.......I see it as way too "American" and skill lacking.
Guess most folks don't want to actually hike and work their asses off for their kill.
They'll eat whatever presents itself, preferably with the least amount of effort. Berry season is very short and they are in a race to put on as much fat as possible before hibernation, so you can bet they are on the lookout for anything else with more nutrition value that comes along. Never thought of bears as a food animal and here, you are not required to salvage the carcass
Baiting a critter is not smiled upon out West AT ALL.
No sport in shooting something that is in the middle of eating.......I see it as way too "American" and skill lacking.
Guess most folks don't want to actually hike and work their asses off for their kill.
Here's one. Going after him on Sept 1'st with the bow. This is at a co-worker's place. Either he or I will likely get a shot at him.
I regret to say I am smoking nothing,I drive truck and have to deal with drug test now and then..cool to hear that you hunted in kettle valley area..spent alot of time in Greenwood,Midway and Rock Creek in my youth..What are you smoking, pray tell us? Is it local stuff or imported?
I have hunted west, B.C. & Ont. I understand the need to bait bear here in the east and also to use hounds to push out the whitetails from Ontario swamps.
As the Italian mama told the Pope, 'If you don't play the game, how can you make rules?!'
Bear in the spring here in the east are great, not too fatty, great pelt, but they must be baited. The meat is prime.
I understand that the old time trappers would kill a bruin in the fall mostly for the fat to be used all winter as their preferred fat.
And then there is trichinosis too worry about.
I only shot one blackie, years ago in the Kettle Valley of B.C, early in the fall. a big 400lbs. boar. I not only lost the hide as the hair slipped but lost the meat. Skinned, he looked like many of us guys, big gut, and I still feel bad.
At our cottage here in PQ, last year we had no bear depredations, this year so far so good. But being a very dry year, we are on the watch.
A good thread, thanks OPer.
-Originally Posted by Sly Old Fox
Wow! Good luck! I wait for the pics and story
Yes bears are omnivorous, but prefer meat over other foods. However they will NOT eat rotten meat! The smell of rotten meat is a good attractant, but they will not eat it. For that reason alone I prefer not to use meat as the main bait as it spoils very quickly. I do make up a stink bucket that I suspend at least 8ft off the ground. I find it allows the wind to spread the scent over a wide area to attract bears. I find the best way to make one is too get a bucket with a resealable lid and put in half a quart of rainwater & at least a pound of raw meat of your choosing. I just collect raw kitchen scrap meat. Put the lid on the bucket & leave outside for a couple of weeks. Don't open the bucket until you are at your bait site! Also don't transport it in your wifes car, lol. BTW Bear meat is one of my favourite wild meats.
