New bear hunter and bait help

This is my first year bear hunting.* I'm yet to harvest, but loving it so far.* I've tried a few different baits and have 5 different bears on camera, some even in the daytime (of course on the week I was out of town).* I am able to hunt every other day, and I bring a 5 gallon bucket of bait with me every time and pour into logs I've crafted into a broadside "V".
Basically, since the week before the bloodmoon came until now, I haven't seen any bears on camera at all!* What I do have though is deer killing my bait.* I have walked up on deer feeding on it and they scamper like 40 yards away, watch me fill up, and then they are back on the pile by the time I'm in the stand (I only have 2 deer tags and don't want to use them yet).*

Here is a list of my baits...all of which have brought in bears.

- Restaurant grease - the best so far but hard to get consistently.
- Molasses and sweet horse feed - did ok
- Dog food w jello mix and syrup - best results other than grease and easy to get.

My bear spot is about an 800 foot climb from where I park and i dont have a 4wheeler so I can't really bring a 55 gal drum or anything.* Also, I live in grizzly country so that plays into my baiting consideration as well.


A couple questions for anyone with experience.
1.* Is it normal for the bears to disappear for a few weeks?* Should I change my approach or wait it out?* I play the wind very carefully.
2.* Is there a way to keep deer off the feed but won't deter bears?
3.* Do you recommend another type of feed?

Thanks in advance for any help offered!

Josh

Josh, This comes a little late, but hope it helps.
Yes, it is normal for bears to disappear for a few weeks, depending on the size of their territory, food sources, water needs... Changing your approach, that depends on the country your hunting. If your still seeing fresh sigh in the area, I'd say wait it out, if not, you should move to an area with fresh sign. If your not doing so, try a drag behind your car/truck on the dirt roads, and check for tracks the next day.

Hum, a way to keep the deer off the feed; unless you put it inside something that the deer can't access or elevate the feed, I don't think you can keep them away, but having them around isn't exactly a bad thing.

Josh, I'm in California, we can't bait, and we can no longer use dogs. Back in the day, most guys that I knew that baited bears, used whatever was cheap or free. If you can pick up road kill, and legally use it, you may consider it, even if it is spoiled, as bears can consume spoiled meat.

Best of luck on your future hunts!

I think Fall baiting in Idaho is pretty tough, personally. You may have to stick with it for a few years in order to figure out what works best. I do know if I was fall baiting, I'd be using meat scraps instead of sweets but that will likely attract grizzlies. YMMV, good luck though!

For fall bear in MN we would dig a hole and cover the bait with 6 foot logs. Its easier to tell size with 6 foot logs. We covered the bait in logs to keep other critters from digging it up. You got the skinny on grease but we put the grease in a pit in front of the bait pile. That way bears make a scent trail to wherever they go when they leave. Apples work very well but cover them in logs so deer cant get at them. Also, day old pastry works excellent. Cover everything with powdered sugar and or jello powder. We stayed away from dog foot and meat and did much better with apples, day old donuts and grease. Also, honey burns while you are hunting are very effective. We had bears put their snouts in the can while it was still burning. Experiment with that in a safe environment before you go into the woods. It can get flammable if you use to much honey in too small of a can. I can of sterno, sterno stove, 1 medium coffee can and fill it about a third of the way works best. You will see right away why it works so well. That smell of burning honey also covers your scent so its a win win. We have also had luck with marshmallows in tree branches, and some other molasses based grain but for the most part, stick to the above.