Ontario...first time hunting blackbear

hoytcanon said:
If that works for you that's great...

We use a different baiting methodology... you have created a system that almost guarantees nocturnal behaviour... making it very difficult to take a really good bear.

Creating competition on a bait and using regularly applied "fresh" bait in a quantity that will feed multiple bears but not so much that they can just wait for dark to feed without risking losing bait to the young and foolish bears, encourages the big boys to come out during shooting light. Fresh, non-rancid bait is better than rotten or sloppy goo left for weeks... also, regular baiting does not push bears to become nocturnal, unless you are unpredictable and leaving scent in random areas away from the bait and/or moving back into potential bedding areas or travel routes that the bears are using to get to the bait location. Also, baiting regularly allows you to stay on top of bear patterns and preferences and make adjustments, I am mostly speaking to those running multiple bait locations... getting "a" bear is work, getting truly "big" bears consistently requires serious dedication and alot of sweat.
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Im not after a trophy bear...im after a sausage bear :)

Unfortunately i do not have the time this year to go full out.
Lots of beaver ponds and flood areas around my property, so wet feet covered.

I have a small island in a swamp which i may turn inyo a bait station. I will be about 10-15 meters higher 50 m away because where i am you either have hills or swamp/beaver medows/ beaver ponds
 
How about a freezer full of donuts!

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Know a hunter who shot a spring black bear with perfect shot placement that was a fatal shot as can be made. Yet the bear still had enough in him to make a lunge and it was unbelievably fast and almost got him. He lost interest in bear hunting after this encounter.
 
15567 said:
Know a hunter who shot a spring black bear with perfect shot placement that was a fatal shot as can be made. Yet the bear still had enough in him to make a lunge and it was unbelievably fast and almost got him. He lost interest in bear hunting after this encounter.
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Im hitting them with a 45/70 if they get up after that they deserve to get me....lmao
 
15567 said:
Know a hunter who shot a spring black bear with perfect shot placement that was a fatal shot as can be made. Yet the bear still had enough in him to make a lunge and it was unbelievably fast and almost got him. He lost interest in bear hunting after this encounter.
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That is why Stand/Shack is the preferred method and my weapon of choice is Winchester 94. I have a chance of second shot if it is not downed by the first shot.
 
The short answer is .
Success is from ; 1 - tree stand in or near thick bush 2 - Setting bait of cooking oil mixed with popcorn or dog food. 3 - Wait .
 
They can be tough. I shot a nice sized boar in Alaska using my .375 H&H and 300 gr Nosler partitions loaded to a little over 2600 FPS and even with great shot placement and complete penetration it took three shots to keep him down. A really fun DIY hunt.
 
In the Spring, baiting is pretty much the only way to go. When I was a kid, we did have some success just sitting and waiting on power lines, but those were mostly town bears heading to the local dump. Had great success in the fall scouting and spotting for them in the cuts eating blueberries, or in the chokecherry/pincherry bushes. Best place I found for that type of hunting is in mountain ash patches. Look for poop to see what they're feeding on. If you hunt the cherry/ash patches, walk very slowly and listen - they make a lot of noise when they are eating - shaking the trees, breaking branches.

As far as telling the difference between boar and sow - just don't be in too much of a hurry to make the shot. Cubs never stray very much from Mom, especially in areas where bears are fairly common. Cubs are a nice light snack for poppas.
 
Telling the difference between boars and sows can be difficult, more so on younger bears, as the boar's chests and shoulders have not yet developed into the heavier, broader and thicker proportions of an adult boar. Thicker forearms, looking more like stove pipes from the elbows to the paws is also a good sign.
Looking at the genitals is very difficult, and is more so from an elevated stand.
Ears are good for judging size; big ears equals small, young bears. An older bear's ears will look shorter and smaller, are wider apart, and may look like they are on the side of the head instead of on the top of the head.
A creased forehead will also be a sign of an older bear. Shot a nice bear once with a good crease, turned out to be a 18 1/2" dry sow.
Older dominant boars also have a swagger to their walk, and when displaying dominance when there are younger bears around, will swagger and have more of a stomp to their walk than normal. They may also make more vocal sounds when coming in to announce their presence and scare off the younger bears.
 
hoytcanon said:
Amazing... wonder why the hunter success rate is under 15%?
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waiting part... the high probability of the bear showing up after dusk.

you need to take a piss... the bear sees you taking a piss and turn tail.

that burrito you had last night seemed like a good idea at the time... but when you let loose a stinky one in the middle of waiting the bear be like smell you later.

the list goes on...
 
CrazyNut said:
waiting part... the high probability of the bear showing up after dusk.

you need to take a piss... the bear sees you taking a piss and turn tail.

that burrito you had last night seemed like a good idea at the time... but when you let loose a stinky one in the middle of waiting the bear be like smell you later.

the list goes on...
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Or eating at Taco Bell the night before

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CrazyNut said:
waiting part... the high probability of the bear showing up after dusk.

you need to take a piss... the bear sees you taking a piss and turn tail.

that burrito you had last night seemed like a good idea at the time... but when you let loose a stinky one in the middle of waiting the bear be like smell you later.

the list goes on...
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So then it is not quite as simple as sticking a donut in the bush and pulling up a lawnchair...
 
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