"Bear Crack" when Hunting Time is Limited?

[wilkes]

Heading to Idaho with a fellow Rockslider next year for Spring Bear. This will be my first Bear hunt.

I have read quite a bit about baiting. It takes commitment and a good amount of time to setup and needs re-filling/checking for days. We won’t have time to do that from out of state and only 5-6 hunting days. We would prefer to spot and stalk but I have been wondering about the effectiveness of cooking ‘bear crack’ in the time between spotting them. Would it be an effective use of time to carry the items needed and watch over it during a 5-6 day hunt? Could it lure bears into the area, even if we don’t see them coming in? Ditch the idea altogether and just focus on glassing and moving to new areas if no animals show up?

Just a new guy looking for some tips, cheers.

 

[ncstewart]

"Bear Crack" when Hunting Time is Limited?

Never hunted out west for bears but in Arkansas couple days all you need if there are bears around. They have great noses and are glutens. Around here guys bait with about anything but put syrup or vanilla on the ground and on bait so the first bear to it will track scent where he goes and leave a trail for others to follow.
I have had them come into just straight vanilla extract so at the least I would carry that if its legal. Don't put it on you tho or he might think you are a snack. Good luck and I'll be interested to here results from your hunt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KJH]

For early spring black bears- Here's what I do if I hunt a new area where there are no established bait stations and I only have a week to hunt:

Get as many dead beaver carcasses that you can find from trappers. Let them set out in the sun for week and get really rancid and stinky (maggots and all). Chop them into quarters and nail the pieces up into a tree by your stand about 10 feet off the ground. Put one chunk about 6 feet off the ground... the bear will get to this one. The stinkier the better. I've done this many times after moving to a new stand location that hasn't been baited. You can kill a bear there within 24 hours 95% of the time. Might not be the one you want, but lazy bears and small bears come in. Yes its gross. They may get territorial and will stay at the bait until you scare them off when you walk in on days 2+.

One second option is beef livers (cannot use pork for some reason- they don't touch it). Take the livers and put them in a bucket with used cooking oil and lots of concentrated anise or butterscotch oil. Put the lid on and leave them in the sun for 7-10 days. Use the same process as above. Works 70% of the time within 24 hours. Yes, this is gross too... but the smell is rotten butterscotc so thats better.

Using this method my group went 8/8 on a spring hunt a couple of years ago in an area without any established bait stations. Day 1 in the morning we set up stands and baited them with the beavers. The first night we killed 4 bears and I passed on 2 bears. By day 3 everyone had a shooting opportunity. We're all bow hunters for bears. Our stands are all 10-20 miles apart.

If those are not viable options, I would buy every bear attractant you can buy... all the jelly, anise oil, smoke sticks, beaver castor, bacon spray, sweet corn juice, kool-aid powder, honey, etc. If you can find it buy it. Checkout "Bait em' 907's" website... they have good stuff. Go to one stand and absolutely overload it with as much scent as you can. It will smell like row of restaurants to them. Get some bags of popcorn or small marshmallows and sprinkle it sparingly on the ground. The popcorn gives them a taste of something but they won't love it... but they will come back looking every day early in the morning or right before dusk to see what is around. Hunt the one stand and don't give up. Hunt in the morning if you have to...

I do something that everyone says not to do... I scent my stand and tree really well. It covers your scent. They already are overwhelmed with a new scent so it doesn't spook them as much. I have had bears climb the tree to get a better sniff. I have had a bear in my stand when I got there to hunt. I don't leave ANYTHING in my stand when I leave. They will eat/tear up your seat cushion. I will not walk into a stand or bait station without a shotgun or pistol (when not in Canada).

Using any option, use at least 2 trail cameras per bait station so you can always know when they show up and which direction they come from.

If its a full moon and there is a lot of light at night (which sucks), then stay in your stand for at least 45 minutes until after legal shooting time.

If the bear comes in and then hangs up and runs off liked they're spooked but you didn't do anything, just sit tight. They will be back. Guaranteed. They are testing things out.

Finally, calling the bears with a predator call only ever seems to bring small bears out and they are skiddish. Never been able to lure a shooter to a call.

Black bears are flat out dumb 98% of the itme. They save the other 2% for when you're hunting... My experiences are that small bears are really easy to hunt, even without long running bait stations. Big bears are a different story...

Beavers are my "bear crack".

 

[Saylean]

Personally,....I would leave the bear crack at home and bring predator calls (closed reed distress calls). I would predator call, but that is just me. I have called in plenty of bears and spring time is a great time to do it.

 

[Capra]

KJH hit it square on the head.

I would make the tinted bait with the beaver carcas in a new 5 gal bucket. Then seal it up and let it rot.

Think about where you are placing the bucket, wind direction, thermals etc. So that you can draw the bears out of the largest area possible.

 

[LASTINLINE]

had luck with Orange Creamsicle Flavor Concentrate in a spray bottle mixed with vegetable oil so it dont dry out as fast.spray up high and cover everything!

 

[Nick Muche]

Great post by KJH!

I am getting excited thinking about spring bears! I use a little bit of all three of his suggestions at each of my sites. Stink Baits, Beaver, and LOTs of smelly stuff with ample food. SMALL holes in your barrels if you use them, will keep bait there longer, keep bears there longer and keep you away from the site longer. Best of luck!

 

[SLDMTN]

Great post by KJH!

I am getting excited thinking about spring bears! I use a little bit of all three of his suggestions at each of my sites. Stink Baits, Beaver, and LOTs of smelly stuff with ample food. SMALL holes in your barrels if you use them, will keep bait there longer, keep bears there longer and keep you away from the site longer. Best of luck!

That's a dandy black bear. I seem to get small black bears (under 6ft) but my griz keep getting bigger. Can't wait for the bear season to kick off.

And draw results, those too....

 

[wilkes]

Such good info... I am digesting and planning.

 

[IrishnId]

Awesome tips. I'm trying to get my first this year as well. I've had baits that have worked in the past, but I've always been setting so far away there hard to hunt regularly. Taking a week to hunt them this spring. I'll be using your tactics KJH.

 

[Gznokes]

KJH, can you share examples of the States/Provinces where you have used these techniques? Thanks for sharing.