bear bait dilema !!!

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benelli one

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moncton . NB
will be trying out my hand this year with bear hunting and would like to know what you guys like to use as bait. I know about the basics but id like to know the weird stuff that turns these beasts on. I have heard of guys using popcorn which is definately light to lug. what are the hardcore guys usin????:shotgun::dancingbanana:
 
The outfitters of my aquaintence prefer skinned and gut-churningly disgusting putrid, falling apart beaver carcasses in barrels. The stink of these baits in warm weather can give a maggot a case of the dry heaves. Hardcore enough for you? They call it bear candy.
 
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I use old left over dog food I get from a pet stores (cheap cheap) with molasses poured over.

Greese from fast food stores also works great (also very cheap) I'll pick up a 5gal pale worth and leave it open standing up straight at the site, bear comes in and knocks it over and gets it on his feet and leaves a smell trail in the bush!

For stink bait I use chicken, get 1-2 full chickens, put it in a 5-6 gal pale, fill 3/4 with water, seal the lid and put it on the roof for 4-5 months (Boy does it smell!!!) I find it'll last better then a lot of other stink baits, even after being open in the bush for 2 months it'll stink if mixed up, or if it rains.

While i'm at the stand i'll use a honey burn (single burner propane stove, cut a pop can in half, pour 1/2" honey and put heat on low) it'll carry that sweet honey smell for miles!

I've heard of popcorn working very well, any kind of sweets/candy, bread is also one of the best, apples/most fruit. It's really hard to tell, i've seen trail cams show bears going straight for sweets, then others digging for apples below, or skipping the food completly and going to a pale of greese and licking that up. They seem to be as picky as us when you give them an option (which could be an issue an area with lots of bait sights)

My biggest bear hunting issue is berrys! No spring hunt in ont, and in the fall its hard to get bears off blue berrys, even with all the goodys I put out

Edit: I almost forgot beaver! If you know a trapper beaver works GREAT!!!
 
Dogleg said:
The outfitters of my aquaintence prefer skinned and gut-churningly disgusting putrid, falling apart beaver carcasses in barrels. The stink of these baits in warm weather can give a maggot a case of the dry heaves. Hardcore enough for you? They call it bear candy.
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I have used beaver and fish. Fresh beaver will get eaten everytime and the bears seem to love it.. Rotten beaver and fish will not. It just lays in the barrel and makes me gag when I go to re-bait. I stick to the non-rotten stuff.

has anyone tried those smokin sticks you can buy?
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They wont replace bait, but I doubt they would hurt anything.
 
The keys to a successful bear bait are location and grease. I try to set up a stand location close to a dark cool swamp and bait with lots of french fry grease. It doesn't matter what you put in the barrel as much as how much you grease it. Make sure you douse your bait as well as the barrel area. I like to put down a sand pad (this allows you to see paw prints) and pour lots of grease on it, the bait and all over the barrel. It can be messy if you're not careful but the grease highway leaving your bait site attracts numerous other bears to visit. Popcorn,bread and oats are good bases. Meat works well once a bait has been established and is being hit hard. Otherwise, rotting putrid meat is a turnoff both to the hunter and the bear. In my years of bear hunting I've noticed bears like fresh meat but not the rancid stuff. :cheers:
 
There are many ways to attract a bear.

you can use one of the following techniques or combine them.

- A stink bomb can be very effective in helping a bear find your bait. A 5gallon with a couple holes to allow the air to circulate, add fish, unbroken eggs, meat, etc.. Tape up holes, let sit in the sun +2 months. Come bear season, drop 5gallon a couple times to break eggs, remove tape, install high in a tree, done. I prefer withdrawing them when bears begin to visit my bait. It reeks and will give you the sudden urge to vomit all over yourself.

-Bait with sweets.... Cake, dough nuts, bread/molasses, and so on.
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-You can also spray the area with Anise oil for extra flavor.

-Honey burn works well.

-Paint the forest floor with old fryer grease, bears will walk in it and create sent trails leading in and out of your bait sites.
 
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I would say beaver also though I get a deal also for old bread. at $3.00 per 100 loaves. Mix it with all kinds of goodies ( fish guts etc.)
 
Bear food

go behind every Tim Hortons and climb in the garbage can an grab all the old donuts bagles muffins or tell the kid hauling out the garbage to phone you when they re getting rid of the day olds. Same thing works with bake shops here in Winnipeg you could go to City bread and geta full size truck full of "pig food" for next to nothing. Bears love donut shops out in the bush. Would you rather eat a bear after it ate maggots and rotting fish /meat or have a nice sweet bear.
 
Meat scraps from the butcher are by far the best.It doesn't take alot to fill them up,and keep them close by.
I have found breads,and doughnuts will bring a bear in to feed,but doesn't keep them around.They can empty a baid really fast with the breads,and go lookng for food elsewhere.Its best to use these baits to bring the bear in,and then switch to meat scraps.
 
Bear bait

I use a 20 gal barrel with small holes(1/2 to 3/4") at the bottom and tie the top to a tree and let them roll it around. For bait I usually use oats and molassis and throw a beaver in the barrel. Depending on the amount of bears around, this set up can last a lo0ng time and I do not have to check it weekly incase I can not get back up for a couple of weeks.
K
 
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