Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

The Beast’s of the North woods. Behaviors, Hunting Stories, Pictures, Tactics, Q&A.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Thu Mar 05, 2015 3:20 am

Its hard to believe the 2015 bear baiting season openings up in less than a month and a half. This coming week they are calling for temps in the 40s, don't be surprised if you see or hear about those sleepy bruins venturing out. I get just as excited for the baiting to begin as some of you for the opener of fishing or the deer seasons.

With the temps starting to rise next week and like every Spring, I will be out there scouting some new areas and knocking on a few doors looking for permission to place a bait station. Beat the crowd....this time of year is a great time to ask permission for hunting rights.

Share a Secret: I am always willing to help others in there quest to bag a bruin. For those of you out there that have any tricks up your sleeves that you think would benefit others please share your Secret on this post. Here's one from my page. I have mentioned and talked about this before on this site and my bear seminars I once did. Most everyone will agree that trail cameras are one of the best scouting tools one can use for bear hunting, especially over bait stations, but placement of that trail camera can be very critical. From past experience I have always placed my trail cameras on the opposite side of where the tree stand will be placed. why? those bears are intelligent, they seem to think there's something just not right with that funny looking human made object mounted on a tree next to there smorgasbord of goodies. It seems they will focus there attention and there entrance trail to the bait station in the direction of where the camera is set up. You experienced bear trail cam users out there should now what I mean, there is not one time I did not have a bear trail suddenly appear inches away from my trail cam when I set it up.

Last year, I placed a trail camera over a new bait station where the hunter was to use a climber tree stand, everything was preset, it was the perfect ambush spot, but the trail camera was to the front left of the hunters tree he would be in. When I started getting photos of bears I noticed they were walking by the trail camera before the came to the bait, so I decided to really see what direction they were coming from. Has anyone ever heard of a trail camera called the "Plot Watcher"? if not it is a time lapse camera that takes a picture every 3 seconds, it turns off at night and turns on in the morning when it gets light out. I placed that Plot Watcher 40 yards away and 7 feet up in a tree focused directly at the trail camera near the bait station. When viewing the footage a few days later, sure enough, almost all visits from multiple bears ended up venturing in from behind the trail camera and past where the hunter would be set up. I ended up taking that trail camera down and placing it on the opposite side of the bait station from where the hunter would be sitting and placed the Plot Watcher camera so it was now focused on the bait station and newly placed trail camera. It took about a week later for the bears to switch direction and they now made most of there entrances to where I placed the camera on the new tree. It was very interesting.

Eventually you could create a set up of what direction you want those bears to eventually enter your bait station at and you don't have to use a trail camera to do it, it can be anything from a dummy tree stand to a piece of metal strapped to a tree. On another note those big mature seasoned bears will most likely always use the wind before entering your set up and if they smell you, the game is over. Good hunting everyone :dance:

Mike Foss
Northern Wisconsin Outfitters


User avatar
Milk Weed Seed
500 Club
Posts: 1822
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:17 pm
Location: Northern NJ
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Milk Weed Seed » Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:21 am

Very interesting Mike! I notice this on my cameras that they always seem come from behind the camera too.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
[glow=red]Happiness is only a gut pile away[/glow]
User avatar
Bearman13
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:24 pm
Facebook: Fall River Outfitters LLC
Location: Northern, Minnesota
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Bearman13 » Sat Mar 07, 2015 8:06 am

I change tree stand locations at most baits yearly. Bears know where to look year after year. Even if well brushed in etc.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
Horizontal Hunter
500 Club
Posts: 2936
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:08 pm
Location: Western Massachusetts
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sat Mar 07, 2015 9:03 am

Milk Weed Seed wrote:Very interesting Mike! I notice this on my cameras that they always seem come from behind the camera too.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


Is there any chance they are picking up human scent from the camera?

Bob

[ Post made via iPad ] Image
Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter. :o

Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:10 pm

They already know a humans smell or what you smell like, they know what trail you will walk in from by your scent and constant use. Bears are very intelligent and curious animals, if they think something is out of place like those trail cameras they will use it to there advantage, same thing goes with a tree stand set up. One big bear we hunted would sit along side the trail camera for a few minutes before he would come to the bait station, before he made his approach he would look up in the tree.

What was interesting about reviewing the footage last year was how often those feeding bears would go back and forth from the bait station to the trail camera checking it out, as if they were checking to make sure there's no danger. You experienced bear hunters out there, ever have a bear sit at the bottom of your tree stand and look up? same thing with a trail camera but I think the proximity of the camera closer to the bait station has an advantage compared to a tree stand set up 15-20 further yards away. You shouldn't walk near your stand, otherwise you will condition there curiosity by your scent trail. You should walk in, bait and check your trail camera or switch out cards and get out.
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:49 pm

Now that the weather has warmed up some, I will be scouting (combo shed hunting and bear scouting) this Tues, Wed, Thursday of this week. Hopefully find some bear sign in the snow, would love to find a used den. Will post pics or any interesting discoveries.
BassBoysLLP
500 Club
Posts: 9756
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:28 am
Location: Central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Fri Mar 13, 2015 1:25 pm

Mike Foss wrote:They already know a humans smell or what you smell like, they know what trail you will walk in from by your scent and constant use. Bears are very intelligent and curious animals, if they think something is out of place like those trail cameras they will use it to there advantage, same thing goes with a tree stand set up. One big bear we hunted would sit along side the trail camera for a few minutes before he would come to the bait station, before he made his approach he would look up in the tree.

What was interesting about reviewing the footage last year was how often those feeding bears would go back and forth from the bait station to the trail camera checking it out, as if they were checking to make sure there's no danger. You experienced bear hunters out there, ever have a bear sit at the bottom of your tree stand and look up? same thing with a trail camera but I think the proximity of the camera closer to the bait station has an advantage compared to a tree stand set up 15-20 further yards away. You shouldn't walk near your stand, otherwise you will condition there curiosity by your scent trail. You should walk in, bait and check your trail camera or switch out cards and get out.


Do you set typically set you cameras higher in the tree or a few feet off ground? I've historically set my cameras lower early in the baiting season and then I move them up a few weeks after the breeding season ends.

After a couple weak shed finds today (yearlings), I went to a different area (large spring fed cedar/spruce/hemlock swamp) and prepared two bait stations and the kill trees. Both will be hang and hunt sets, but your comments have me scratching my head on trail camera placement. What is your approach? I generally crib. Do you?
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Sun Mar 15, 2015 12:24 pm

I typically place my trail cameras around 4ft of the ground, this seems to be the best for trigger activation and capturing great video and pictures. I personally see no benefit moving the trail cameras higher as they already know they are there, and will eventually find your set up with the higher new ones.

I used to crib all the time back in the day and do very little now, but have found out the more natural the surroundings are, the more comfortable those bears feel. You can still use the smallest of natural debris to force that bear into a shooting position without making that bear feel uncomfortable.

Approach to my bait stations? I never like to walk directly past my tree stand setup with my entrance & exit trail. While baiting or bringing in a hunter to hunt, and there's a bear near, I never like to push bears past my stands, I would rather bears run away from my stands because most likely they will return after you bait thus sending them past the hunter setup before they get to the bait station.

Once again...bears are not dumb animals, especially those big educated mature ones.
User avatar
olivertractor
Posts: 1484
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:10 pm
Facebook: what's facebook
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby olivertractor » Sun Mar 15, 2015 1:00 pm

Good advice! Next year I'll be baiting again for my wife and a buddy, hopefully can't wait! I don't have a lot of bear baiting with camera experience, but ran a couple bait sit sites 4 yrs ago remember that those cameras definitely changed how they entered a historic bait sit site

[ Post made via Android ] Image
"Sad state of affairs when I'm voting for who's gonna hurt us less, than who's gonna help us more"
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Sun Mar 15, 2015 1:59 pm

I'm like a kid at Christmas time when I change out the camera SD cards, cant wait to get them home to view them, never know what you will find on them. Getting really pumped :dance:
BassBoysLLP
500 Club
Posts: 9756
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:28 am
Location: Central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:10 pm

My issue with the lower camera set is the red IR flash (when used). I don't think the older bears like the red IR flash.

I assume you haven't had any issues?
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Sun Mar 15, 2015 3:21 pm

Never an issue with bear, even when the IR stays on for the 30 seconds during video mode. Now white tail deer, that's a different story.
BassBoysLLP
500 Club
Posts: 9756
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:28 am
Location: Central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Mar 15, 2015 3:34 pm

Mike Foss wrote:Never an issue with bear, even when the IR stays on for the 30 seconds during video mode. Now white tail deer, that's a different story.


Interesting. My crew has had many issues. The bigger bears don't stick around. No shutter noise helps, as does video mode. Multi shot red flash has been bad. I think I'm going to do black flash this year. Take it out of the equation.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
Mike Foss
500 Club
Posts: 1411
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:40 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Mike Foss » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:19 pm

BassBoysLLP wrote:
Mike Foss wrote:Never an issue with bear, even when the IR stays on for the 30 seconds during video mode. Now white tail deer, that's a different story.


Interesting. My crew has had many issues. The bigger bears don't stick around. No shutter noise helps, as does video mode. Multi shot red flash has been bad. I think I'm going to do black flash this year. Take it out of the equation.

[ Post made via Android ] Image


Even the black flash has a glow to it, (Cuddeback) its just a darker cover over the IR glow. Have had animals notice the black flash also but with no alarm, but they did see it. Don't like the black flash. Would rather have good quality pics and videos, don't no why they call it black flash or red flash when in reality its a glow of lights.
User avatar
Schultzy
500 Club
Posts: 3138
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:46 pm
Location: Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Bear Warm Up and helpful Secrets

Unread postby Schultzy » Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:27 am

Keep you're stand away from you're walk in trail from the truck. They always look down that trail. Also I don't like to put my stand directly across from the direction the bears are coming from. Get off to the side if you're wind direction will allow it.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Bear Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests