PLS REMOVE I'm trying for bear next fall - Advice please

bearkilr said:
No, bear have poor eyesight. If your (read:human) eyesight is equal to a bear's, I'd suggest to go see an optometrist.
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That's a very dogmatic statement without proof!!!! Studies and tests confirm that a bear's eyesight is just as good as any human! And, I've witnessed it!

Maybe the bears you hunt(?) are sub-par???:nest:

Are you, perchance, a bear optometrist?

Bob

www.bigbores.ca
 
Not sure how large your property is but two bait sites km's apart will just attract the same bears... I would just stick with one large one
 
nick7 said:
Not sure how large your property is but two bait sites km's apart will just attract the same bears... I would just stick with one large one
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yes, I had two bait sites about 1.5km apart and it was always the same bears. I made the other bait for my dad. The bears would hit whatever bait had the most food and the longest time without human scent around.
 
DVXDUDE said:
yes, I had two bait sites about 1.5km apart and it was always the same bears. I made the other bait for my dad. The bears would hit whatever bait had the most food and the longest time without human scent around.
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You can get away with bait sites in close proximity if there are natural barriers and/or man made barriers (Highways)... I have bait sites on opposite sides of rivers and long narrow lakes, across from each other with a highway in between, and in adjacent drainages with craggy mountains between (at least as craggy as Ontario mountains get... ant hills to you western folk ;))... I closely catalogue the animals on each bait (at least the ones I can see evidence of)... and if I am getting repeat offenders, then I will reposition one of the baits... baiting is far too much work not to cover new territory with each site.
 
bigborefan said:
I'll only say what's already been said: Bears aren't stupid... and to say they are... IS STUPID!!!

I have baited them every year for the past 25 and prior to that I hunted with an outfitter on the east of Algonquin Park for 8 straight seasons! And, I've taken my fair share. I've learned a lot about bears and their smarts... but still learning. It's been said: "If you know what a bear is going to do next, then you know more than the bear does".

I don't shoot one each year because I don't want to shoot "just any bear". For the past 4 seasons a VERY crafty bear has been hitting my baits, sneaking in behind me, checking me out, yet will hit my bait within hours of my first baiting each season. He killed a stallion on the property I hunt 4 years ago. I't private land adjacent to wilderness.

Just now my blogs are about some rifles I've used in huntin' them. And, I've written a series on baiting them.

One thing I'll mention, however, that contradicts a majority opinion here that seems to be PC... I let them hear me and smell me! It's like a dinner bell, or the ice cream man on the street doing his thing! I've had them waiting for my appearance! And, there is competition!

Bob

www.bigbores.ca
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That's funny right there Bob because that's exactly what we used to call the bait barrel. We had a resident sow at one bait that had come in as a cub with her mother. She grew up there and we were all friendly. She had nothing to fear and knew it. She also liked to eat first. :)

Had a big boar on that bait 2 seasons before I got him. Knew he was there just too cagey to catch in shooting light.
One sit we could hear bears down at the creek and waited a good hour but nothing showed. I said to my partner, runnin the camera "ring the dinner bell" so he climbed down and kicked the barrel a couple times.
He had just climbed back into his stand when we heard a bear coming out of a tree and the little sow that was a regular strolled in...with that boar on her tail. He looked up at the stands and bolted but that sow was too much for him and eventually came back in...to a 2317 @ 15yds.

That was her first season with cubs and she had 2. That boar had already killed one and was after the second when she brought him in. If folks don't know, boars will kill cubs so they can re-breed the sow.
I have a picture of that sow someplace making off with a bag of donuts after we hauled in the first batch of bait...

Dang I miss spring in the bear woods...
 
might be going a bit off topic here but I had to go looking and dig those pictures out. They're grainy, from back before digital cameras but you can make out what's what.
The first picture is the donut thief caught in the act. She was trying to run on her hind legs because the bag was almost as tall as her...bounced off a couple of trees making her escape.
The second is her and her cubs. She on the left and the youngsters on either side of the white pail on the right. She came in with one cub the next time after I took the boar...I reckon she got even with him for doin her cub harm.
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shoot a bear that has been eating out of a orchard and it will be the best meat you may ever had ........ shoot one that has been feasting on spawning salmon , and it may be the best piece of fish you have ever had .......

shoot a bear that has being living on garbage , and you may puke just trying to gut the thing out ......
 
What a very long, dreary winter we've had... I want to shoot something!

Waiting for the snow to disappear... that may be June sometime, so I can get to the range to try some new bear loads. Baiting for me starts in July. Got two trail cams yesterday at Canadian Tire, in the same package, at 60% off! Will put them up early to see if I can catch "That Big One" on 'em and pattern his routes. May have to ambush him. He's also dangerous. My load will be a 300gr TSX from my Ruger #1 in .45-70 Improved (long-throat) that has .458 Win Mag ballistics. I enjoy trying different loads and rifles.

So, what are the plans of y'all? Not trying to hijack this thread -- but I'd be interested in the plans of some others and that may help the OP as well.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca
 
DTM5 said:
I'm all excited as I've secured two bait barrels and am going to try for my first black bear this September. I hunt in Ontario Cottage country up near Algonquin park.

I have a decent sized property with varying terrain and I've scouted a few decent looking locations for a site where I know bears have been active in the past.
I'm Seeking some guidance on the following questions:

1. How early should I start baiting? Would 1 month in advance be adequate?
2. How far away from the bait should I place the stand? I like to keep shots as short as possible, without spooking an animal unnecessarily
3. Any thoughts on ground blinds? I have a great location where I can get a ground blind elevated significantly above the bait site, basically replicating a tree stand.
4. I've shot a few deer but obviously a bears anatomy is different. Where is the best place on the animal to put a 180gr. .308 round?

Thanks and happy huntin!
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I'm not a big bear hunter, but I can only give the advise to stay alert and shoot it before it gets you! You wouldn't catch me on the ground in a blind while hunting bear! But then again, I'm not a mountain man;)
 
Yo Bob! based on all the good info gained here I'm going to start baiting in August, with a few weekend hunts planned for September. I'm going to shoot 325gr hornady FTX's in 45-70 or maybe for slightly closer work 225gr FTXs ib .44 magnum.
Will be shooting maximum of 50 metres. Probably going to hunt from a ground blind. Will keep things interesting!
 
Anyone ever try a distress call for bear? I was considering one for the bear hunt this spring.
 
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