Bear Baiting with honey

Gatehouse

Gatehouse

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I've talked to a few old time guides from the eas that swear that you don't need to bother wiht barrels of donuts to bait bear,

All you need is a pot of honey, and heat it up till it crackles and burns...

Bears come running!

True/False??????
 
Nope. Just a question

Bears are too easy and fun to hunt out here to be bothered with baiting, which seems like a ####load of work and boredom./:cool:

Besides, the difference between spotting and stalking a recored bear here and in a baiting province is still the same- Don't shoot the little bear!
 
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I have no first hand experience but was watching a canadian show the other day about problem bears and the conservation folks were baiting their traps with molasses....
 
I use molasses/honey/maple syrup burns when I'm having problems with bears that are only feeding at night.(most of the time) If you bait in an area where its so thick you can only see 25yds the bears feel safe enough to travel during daylight and you wont require a burn.

The odours from the burn gets their tummies rumbling a little and sucks them in before sundown.
 
You are right on Gatehouse. Honey burns work. Just use a can of Sterno or liquid fire, put a metal can of honey on top and let it bubble and burn (at a bit of an angle or the honey will bubble and overflow and put the fire out)

Apparently corn syrup works well too. I tried it once, didnt get a bear, but it was more of an experiment at the time. I could smell the stuff burning at about 50yds so I imagine a bear could smell it at a mile.
 
Gatehouse said:
I've talked to a few old time guides from the eas that swear that you don't need to bother wiht barrels of donuts to bait bear,

All you need is a pot of honey, and heat it up till it crackles and burns...

Bears come running!

True/False??????
Click to expand...

If a bear finds nothing to eat at the end of an appetizing scent trial, he won't be back any time soon for that same smell.
 
I've used bacon grease, put a wick in it and burn it like a candle. Use it in conjunction with your other baits. Spread molasses (mixed with bran or oatmeal so it sticks) all over the trees etc. The mosasses makes them want to wander around and gives you a multitude of shot presentations. Bears have very sensitive noses and a burn can bring them in from miles away. You have to do it a day or so ahead of time and it will help them find your baits.

the chef
 
Honey is horrendously expensive. Day old doughnuts you should be able to get behind any doughnut shop for free. Mind you, doughnuts act as cop bait too. Snicker.
 
This year we did "bacon burns" with success. A disposible pie plate, 1/2doz strips of bacon, a mini burner and voila, bacon sandwich ;).

Seriously though, we had two bears come to the smell of cooking bacon at two seperate bait sites. Both times the bear took about 1 1/2hours to work his way in.
 
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The 'honey burn' is mostly used in those areas where you can also get a 'piglett' tag as well, as i understand it :D
 
We had a large bear chewing up our camp. No bait just honey burn he came into camp within 10 min, thats how we know it was a big he bear. We always use a honey or sugar (lot cheaper) base burn with good results. Any type of bait like bread, fish, grease, table scraps, friends chocy bar, etc will keep him coming back.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
A honey burn works well only if the bear is in the immediate area. Bait stations draw and hold a bear in the area.
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Exactly.......alot of the point to Baiting is to have the Bears come back repeatedly..in fact many different bears visiting the site at different times....
Makes it easier to line a Client up on a good one..especially if you know when they will most likely come around.

I think the term Bear baiting is a misnomer...should be called Bear Feeding which is more realsitically what one is doing, especially when beginning your bait pile prior to the open season :)

FWIW: I have also heard the Honey Burn brings em in though;)
 
Picnic baskets work well too. I've never tried it but I once saw a forest ranger on TV who used a picnic basket and he caught a big bear and a small one. :D
 
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