My bear hunt thread

[hunter_mike]

I just decided to start this thread to try and get myself and other bear hunters all jacked up for bear season. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I am having a hard time getting myself jacked up for it. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I have never bear hunted before.

Was talking to an old high school buddy back home about it and he said that he thinks I will start getting all jacked up as soon as I start baiting and finding tracks. So i decided that I just need to get myself out there and get started.

I'm also somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have done zero bear scouting this spring. I think that had a lot to do with the really short scouting window and also the fact that I was so extremely obsessed with whitetail scouting this past spring. Not to mention the amount traveling it will take to get to where I will be hunting (I know pretty much all bear hunters can relate to that).

I plan on doing my first scouting trip on the 29th and 30th of June. The area in WI I chose to hunt holds some really large parcels (137,000 acres) of county forest land consisting of a lot of atv trails, logging roads and also some low lying swamps. My strategy for my late start to a scouting season is to drive/walk logging roads around low lying wet areas and try to find bear. I imagine its going to be thick , buggy and wet in there with low visibility so I may not venture too far off the logging roads and just focus on covering lots of ground and marking waypoints on gps where I am finding the most and biggest tracks. From there, I will put try to choose my bait sites based on aerial maps and topos and go to set baits and cameras on a separate trip.

Does this sound like a decent plan? Something I'm missing? If I find big tracks do you think I should try to track him? I am a beginner for sure.

[Schultzy]

I think your on the right path. Finding tracks, sign (berries pulled down, ant hills dug up, padded trails) Is a for sure sign that It was done by bear. Good luck.

[djl]

I would pick out some likely looking areas and run test baits as soon as legal.

The other day I filled my Honda with bread/some donuts. Trunk was full, back seat full. I did manage to freeze some and packed 7 five gallon buckets full topped off with grease. This has preserved the bread nicely in the past. My wife thought I was crazy.

I bought some anise oil and plan to have bacon for breakfast many times in the next month or two. I'll mix the anise with the bacon grease for a nice smelling paste. Thinking of ordering some caramel extract. I heard this works.

I'm pumped. Been shooting the bow getting ready for that nice 15 yard shot. Oh boy can hardly wait.

[hunter_mike]

I would pick out some likely looking areas and run test baits as soon as legal.

The other day I filled my Honda with bread/some donuts. Trunk was full, back seat full. I did manage to freeze some and packed 7 five gallon buckets full topped off with grease. This has preserved the bread nicely in the past. My wife thought I was crazy.

I bought some anise oil and plan to have bacon for breakfast many times in the next month or two. I'll mix the anise with the bacon grease for a nice smelling paste. Thinking of ordering some caramel extract. I heard this works.

I'm pumped. Been shooting the bow getting ready for that nice 15 yard shot. Oh boy can hardly wait.

I kind of like the idea of test baits. Might be a lot of extra effort for nothing, but it could just as easily end up being well worth it. I need to look at the aerials and topos again to narrow down spots. I really wish iwould have scouted this spring

[hunter_mike]

Well I finally got out and scouted on the 29th of June. I spent a couple hours the night before studying maps and aerials and marked out 3 spots in particular that I wanted to scout within a 5 sq mile block of forest land. Ended up walking a little over 6 miles that day through thick brush and hot weather but was able to pick a decent spot and dump some bait and place a camera. The spot I chose was mainly based off of things that I picked up on from the Beast forum. It is a cut-over area on higher ground right on the transition edge of a huge dark tamarack swamp, similar to what Dan and Schultzy were describing where the ground is covered with moss and the temperature is cooler. Unfortunately a large thunderstorm came through the night before so I couldn't find squat for tracks however I did cross a bunch of wet grass that appeared as though a bear trudged right through and I was pretty sure cuz I think this is a bear track punched into the moss.



Another reason I chose the spot I did, is because there was a little Island of oak trees there, and there was actually still acorns on the ground from last year, and there was tons of deer sign. I know there are tons of oaks all over the place in that block of forest land, but at least I did find an acorn concentration. There were also lots of these berries in surrounding the area I chose to bait. Anyone know if bears eat these? and if so, what kind of berry it is?



Seems like there was a decent amount of food souces around for the bears to pick from but time will tell if I can get any to stick around for hunting season. I also did find another hunter's bait while scouting and also talked to a guy on a logging road who was out bear baiting and he said he had 14 baits out in that particular forest block and I couldn't tell if he was just blowing smoke or if he was serious. Obviously he would have motive to try and keep me away from where he is obviously baiting.

Well I went back this past saturday to refresh my bait and hopefully get some pictures of a huge bear. Upon walking in about a quarter mile I found some fresh tracks which from all I could tell were a sow with cubs...



When I finally got within 50 yards of my bait, I heard something really quick get up and take off, and I thought wow, would be cool if that was a bear. Sure enough, I checked my cam and it had snapped a picture of a bear only 2 hours earlier...



There ended up being half a dozen pictures. From what I could tell there were two different bears. This was the most promising looking picture I got:



I know these are not monster bears but I think I got some decent preliminary results for only having a week and a half invested so far. I am hoping I get some better bears coming in but I am also going to put out a secondary bait and camera. I am getting really excited to say the least. Thanks to all who have helped on here. Hopefully I get to slay a big bear out of this tree and get it on film with my buddy videotaping me:

[dan]

Awesome.

[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

very cool.......hope you get the one your looking for

[Black Squirrel]

Pretty cool, how your doing your first bear hunt by yourself. looks like you are going to have some oppurtunities.

[dan]

When I finally got within 50 yards of my bait, I heard something really quick get up and take off, and I thought wow, would be cool if that was a bear. Sure enough, I checked my cam and it had snapped a picture of a bear only 2 hours earlier...

One word of advice... While baiting, try not to spook bears off the baits. I have seen boars that come in every day never come back after being spooked. Sometimes making a little noise coming to the bait and giving them time to wander off is a good thing

[Stanley]

Cool for sure.

[hunter_mike]

When I finally got within 50 yards of my bait, I heard something really quick get up and take off, and I thought wow, would be cool if that was a bear. Sure enough, I checked my cam and it had snapped a picture of a bear only 2 hours earlier...

One word of advice... While baiting, try not to spook bears off the baits. I have seen boars that come in every day never come back after being spooked. Sometimes making a little noise coming to the bait and giving them time to wander off is a good thing

I will take that into consideration Dan, its interesting that they will keep coming to a bait despite all of the human scent we leave behind, but after being spooked they will not. Definitely unique behavior. I might consider making a bit more noise when I come in to bait so that they can hear me coming from a ways off and have time to move away. I think your advice might make me want to consider baiting only in the morning that way they don't learn to avoid the bait in the afternoon?

I will continue to make observations on this. Sucks I can only bait once a week.

[hunter_mike]

Pretty cool, how your doing your first bear hunt by yourself. looks like you are going to have some oppurtunities.

Not totally by myself, I have my own personal bear hunting consultants on here

[PLB]

I would bait early mornings. I would also try to bait at the same general time each trip. Bears get used of a schedule and routine. I have snuck in on dozens of bears while baiting. Especially by myself when I tiptoe in quietly. I do agree with making some noise on the way in instead of startling a bigger bear.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

Mornings are best for baiting IMHO as PLB stated.

[hunter_mike]

I would bait early mornings. I would also try to bait at the same general time each trip. Bears get used of a schedule and routine. I have snuck in on dozens of bears while baiting. Especially by myself when I tiptoe in quietly. I do agree with making some noise on the way in instead of startling a bigger bear.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Advice taken