Bear bait spot etiquette?

Caogelsbu

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So i went to set up a new spot to bear bait. it is on public land. trail is closed, 500 meters from a dwelling, etc... but there is a chance other people hunt there. saw some truck tracks that were a couple weeks old when i went out there, didn't see a bear bait but i didn't look much beyond the spot where i was going to hunt.

what should i do to make sure that some guy doesn't make off with my barrel? would leaving a number they can call if they have any problems with me hunting there help? should i buy a trail camera to snap some pictures of would be thieves? am i being ultra paranoid and i shouldn't worry about it?
 
Not sure what province you're in, but in MB for instance, you have to have your bait marked with name,address,etc. if it's on crown land.
As for thieves, they'll steal your camera too if they see it.
Proper etiquette would be that other hunters leave the bait you made alone, but sadly that's not always the case. There's no law that prohibits them from hunting your bait, as far as I know.
 
Truck tracks mean nothing, people drive through the woods all the time. If you know somebody is baiting close by, it would be rude. Moving in on a spot that was obviously somebody else's last year is not illegal but it's asking for trouble. I prefer to bait way off the beaten path to avoid morons shooting my bait bucket, stealing cameras, etc. Almost all of those come on 4 wheelers for some reason.
 
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So i went to set up a new spot to bear bait. it is on public land. trail is closed, 500 meters from a dwelling, etc... but there is a chance other people hunt there. saw some truck tracks that were a couple weeks old when i went out there, didn't see a bear bait but i didn't look much beyond the spot where i was going to hunt.

what should i do to make sure that some guy doesn't make off with my barrel? would leaving a number they can call if they have any problems with me hunting there help? should i buy a trail camera to snap some pictures of would be thieves? am i being ultra paranoid and i shouldn't worry about it?

It would help if we knew which province you're hunting in. In Ontario,it doesn't matter if the trail is closed,we still can't bait near it (200M) or shoot on or across.
 
So i went to set up a new spot to bear bait. it is on public land. trail is closed, 500 meters from a dwelling, etc... but there is a chance other people hunt there. saw some truck tracks that were a couple weeks old when i went out there, didn't see a bear bait but i didn't look much beyond the spot where i was going to hunt.

what should i do to make sure that some guy doesn't make off with my barrel? would leaving a number they can call if they have any problems with me hunting there help? should i buy a trail camera to snap some pictures of would be thieves? am i being ultra paranoid and i shouldn't worry about it?



If it's crown land, everyone has the right to be there and use the land legally, bear bait or not. If you leave something in the bush you may need to prepare yourself that it may find a new home, trail camera included.
 
If it's crown land, everyone has the right to be there and use the land legally, bear bait or not. If you leave something in the bush you may need to prepare yourself that it may find a new home, trail camera included.

A thief is a thief. They don't care whether they steal things from private land or crown land. Just because there's a tree stand,camera and bait barrel on crown land doesn't mean it belongs to everyone.
 
It would help if we knew which province you're hunting in. In Ontario,it doesn't matter if the trail is closed,we still can't bait near it (200M) or shoot on or across.

yeah i'm in ontario. didn't know that actually. on the ofah FAQ it says that only trails that are marked and maintained count. trail closed meant to me that the trail is not being maintained. however i definitely don't need any trouble.

what would your best judgement be? part of it isn't even a trail. it is just a field that people drive through.

Bait must not be placed within 200 metres of,
i. a right of way for public vehicular traffic, or
ii. a recreational trail that,
a. is established and maintained by an organization for the general public, and
b. is reasonably signposted and marked as a trail.


i would say that it is reasonably signposted and marked.. sure... but it says trail closed and there is a sign that requests no vehicles as it is a young tree plantation... i park my car at the sign. let me know what you think.

was hoping i'd be able to have my cake on this one. rather than having to drag the barrel deep into the thick brush. if i have to move it i'll have to stop my baiting plans and move the spot next weekend.

also, for anyone interested i asked the people living nearest what the deal was there and they said it was okay with them. they just asked that i stay nearest the west end as they hunt the east. will find another place next year but apparently it was nice that i asked.
 
Get a chain and a swivel and attach your barrel to a tree so that the bear doesn’t steal it. Set up your tree stand and go hunting. Don’t worry about anybody else, it’s crown land and you pay taxes. Good luck and share your hunting pics!
 
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