What strategy next?

[Elite]

I have about 1/5th of bait left (55 gal drum of trail mix) and will start baiting every day, starting next Sunday. I’m worried that I’ll run out of bait before the season. I’ve been using about 10 scoops of a medium sized coffee container to fill the 5 gal buckets, and adding corn and sunflower seed as well. The season opens September 7. Should I start cutting back on bait next Sunday? What’s an effective strategy?

[Freelance Bowhunter]

Get more bait and keep pouring it to them.

[Mike Foss]

I’m going to explode…… get more bait, fresh bait, there’s tons of competition out there, get your hands on some nuts. Good luck

[Jess]

This is anecdotal so take it for what it's worth but it always seemed like the sweeter the bait, the better the bears responded. This was in Northern WI.

[Elite]

I’m going to explode…… get more bait, fresh bait, there’s tons of competition out there, get your hands on some nuts. Good luck

I don’t understand your first statement….

[Bearman13]

Get more bait. Dump 5 gallons down every time you bait, about 3-5 days out from opening day cut it back to half a 5 gallon bucket.

This idea of throwing hundreds of pounds down is ridiculous and a waste of money unless your traveling 100s of miles.

[Freelance Bowhunter]

When it comes to bear hunting I have learned in 20 years of doing this that I rarely speak in terms of absolutes, but in terms of generalities. For every rule there is an exception. There are few things that I will really hang my hat on, but one of those is the value of having a bear rewarded with something good to eat EVERY time they come to the bait. You can get away with a lot of sloppy strategy when there aren't other people baiting around you or there aren't a lot of natural foods in the woods. But when things are tough, you start trying to manipulate bears but cutting back and trying to make them come in earlier, you are mostly likely going to be eating tag soup.

If you don't play the game by their rules, you'll lose the game more often than not, forget trying to manipulate them. Give them what they want it will pay off.

[ihookem]

Wisconsin has a 10 gal. limit so put down 10 gal. and bait as often as you can. I bait 10 gal. per week. I drone 486 miles round trip to do it and that is not enough. Not much I can do though. Bobs Bear bait in Tomohawk has good stuff.

[dan]

I have always done my best keeping them fed. Getting the bears to know where the food is, and to give them a variety. It is expensive to keep them fed, but last thing you want is for them to wander off and find other baits or food sources. My best baits have lots of bears coming in and they eat the food fast and compete for it. In a perfect world your looking for a giant boar to bed close to the bait and protect it from other bears. The smaller ones try to slip in during the middle of the day and the bore chases them out.

You might get away with cheap and less bait early, but as season draws this close its not time to conserve bait or use cheap bait and save a couple dollars. There are 11 - 5 gallon buckets in a 55 gallon drum. It goes fast... Unless your planning on only hunting opening week, and depending on the number of baits you have out, you probably need a couple more barrels.

[Elite]

Thanks everyone. This is my first year bear hunting so I'm absorbing as much information as I can. I will be getting more bait Saturday out of chetek.

[Freelance Bowhunter]

I have always done my best keeping them fed. Getting the bears to know where the food is, and to give them a variety. It is expensive to keep them fed, but last thing you want is for them to wander off and find other baits or food sources. My best baits have lots of bears coming in and they eat the food fast and compete for it. In a perfect world your looking for a giant boar to bed close to the bait and protect it from other bears. The smaller ones try to slip in during the middle of the day and the bore chases them out.

You might get away with cheap and less bait early, but as season draws this close its not time to conserve bait or use cheap bait and save a couple dollars. There are 11 - 5 gallon buckets in a 55 gallon drum. It goes fast... Unless your planning on only hunting opening week, and depending on the number of baits you have out, you probably need a couple more barrels.

This is exactly what I am striving for at every bait site. It's hard to pull it off but it's what I'm shooting for.