Bear Hunting Over Honey Burns

Octang

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Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
17
Location
Wisconsin
I am going bear hunting this week where you can't bait, but honey burns are allowed. Does anyone have advice on how to set these up in regards to the wind?

It would seem hunting with a scent bait would be counterintuative to traditional methods. Normally I try to setup where I don't have to worry about animals smelling me downwind. However, for a honey burn I would assume I would want to set up where the smoke can travel downwind to as many bear as possible. Right?

If so, what about my scent? If the honey burn can be smelled, my scent is going to be carried the same direction.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
489
I am going bear hunting this week where you can't bait, but honey burns are allowed. Does anyone have advice on how to set these up in regards to the wind?

It would seem hunting with a scent bait would be counterintuative to traditional methods. Normally I try to setup where I don't have to worry about animals smelling me downwind. However, for a honey burn I would assume I would want to set up where the smoke can travel downwind to as many bear as possible. Right?

If so, what about my scent? If the honey burn can be smelled, my scent is going to be carried the same direction.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Yes and yes. Are you hunting with bow or gun? I would assume from your question your hunting with a bow.

If hunting with a bow will you be in a ground blind or tree stand? A tree stand is preferable. Bears rarely look up.

You can hang wafers of anise oil around you to help as a cover sent. I took a bear many years ago when I lived in Wyoming using this method.

97ba1e064e9b7b8d9bc08876086ac3a0.png


I Packed deep into the back country, set up a honey burn and a tree stand and took a beautiful blonde bear the first night. Obviously try to be as careful as possible with sent control. I used to pack my hunting clothes in a airtight bag with a piece of sage and pine bow in my back pack and then when I got to my stand I changed clothes. I set up my honey burn in the bottom of a canyon. Bears like the sanctuary of the heavy timber. They also like traveling the bottom of the canyon creek bottoms this time of year. The good part also is that the wind will carry the honey burn both down and up the canyon depending on the time of day.

Now if you're gun hunting it's an entirely different story. Set up your honey burn in the bottom of the canyon and set up on an overlook flanking the burn from a safe distance.

Good luck!!


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OP
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Octang

FNG
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
17
Location
Wisconsin
Yes and yes. Are you hunting with bow or gun? I would assume from your question your hunting with a bow.

If hunting with a bow will you be in a ground blind or tree stand? A tree stand is preferable. Bears rarely look up.

You can hang wafers of anise oil around you to help as a cover sent. I took a bear many years ago when I lived in Wyoming using this method.

97ba1e064e9b7b8d9bc08876086ac3a0.png


I Packed deep into the back country, set up a honey burn and a tree stand and took a beautiful blonde bear the first night. Obviously try to be as careful as possible with sent control. I used to pack my hunting clothes in a airtight bag with a piece of sage and pine bow in my back pack and then when I got to my stand I changed clothes. I set up my honey burn in the bottom of a canyon. Bears like the sanctuary of the heavy timber. They also like traveling the bottom of the canyon creek bottoms this time of year. The good part also is that the wind will carry the honey burn both down and up the canyon depending on the time of day.

Now if you're gun hunting it's an entirely different story. Set up your honey burn in the bottom of the canyon and set up on an overlook flanking the burn from a safe distance.

Good luck!!


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Thanks for the advice. I will be hunting with a rifle, but it will be in really thick forest/swamp in Minnesota's Boundary Waters, so I will likely be setting up just about as close as I would be with a bow. I also plan on bringing my portable stand to get off the ground.

I plan on doing similar scent control with my clothing. I have an airtight bag with a cedar limb stuffed inside with my camo. I like the idea of the anise oil wafers. Are you able to drop a link to some wafers so I can see exactly what they are?

That is a great looking bear, congrats!!!
 
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Octang

FNG
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
17
Location
Wisconsin
Add some raspberry Jello powder to the honey. They love the smell of it, and it puts off more scent.

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Great minds think alike. I am actually using kool aid packets for a similar effect. I also have some sardiens in oil to drop in the burn too.
 
Joined
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Messages
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I just use unscented wafers that you can pick up at any sporting good stores and then douse them with anise oil from the grocery store. Bears love the smell of anise!!! I buy the little spray bottles at the sporting good stores for dispensing elk urine and filled one with anise oil instead. I spray down anything I touch near the honey burn. I've actually watched a bear lick it of a tree branch that I had to cut for a shooting lane! It was pretty comical actually. Like watching a dog after it gets peanut butter on its tongue. Smells good but it must taste like shit 🤣


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Octang

FNG
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
17
Location
Wisconsin
I just use unscented wafers that you can pick up at any sporting good stores and then douse them with anise oil from the grocery store. Bears love the smell of anise!!! I buy the little spray bottles at the sporting good stores for dispensing elk urine and filled one with anise oil instead. I spray down anything I touch near the honey burn. I've actually watched a bear lick it of a tree branch that I had to cut for a shooting lane! It was pretty comical actually. Like watching a dog after it gets peanut butter on its tongue. Smells good but it must taste like shit 🤣


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Thanks for clarifying. I'll pick some up tonight.
 
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