Bear

[wilcam47]

People talk about baiting for bears like it is a slam dunk. Not hardly! What is hard to tell is whether they don't like your bait, they aren't in the area, or they are onto you hunting them. Are neighbors baiting them too close by? Maybe your bait lacks drawing power. Have you got cameras monitoring the area? Is the bear circling the bait and your stand ahead of time? It would be interesting to monitor downwind with a camera or set up an ambush. Have you thought of a honey burn? Is there bear sign in the broad area around you?

Perseverance!

There might be other baits around the hill close to mine that I dont know of . I only have bread and some table scraps so maybe its not enticing enough for them right now. Or they just could be out of the area, if they were fenced in I could understand a little more but since they are wild and free I can only assume they are not interested right now. I have one camera on the bait but I dont see much activity near my bait. Theres one bait I know of thats about 3 miles away and they usually hang around that side of the hillside because theres more deep woods...theres a lot of woods here too but theres more houses on the southside of the hill. I still have one bait barrel down hill 1/2 mile or so from this one and its not even getting hit so I know they arent there. Both were getting hit when they were on it. They also may have found a large animal carcass...these are only guesses as I dont know where they are. I still think fall will be better.

 

[outrider58]

Old doughnuts and old ice cream. Time to sweeten the pot.

 

[Blacksmith101]

Nice well stocked bird feeders. The "Delabear" has been hitting them across two states.

 

[Minuteman]

What counties in Maryland have bears anyway?

 

[MeatGrinder]

Well, that's a good puzzle. Sounds like you had some coming in regularly before hunting season started and before their breeding season started. I'm thinking that you need something to pull in the wanderers that are out looking a mate. Another idea is use old fryer oil from restaurants. The bears get it on their feet and track it around for others to follow back. Seriously, you might want to ponder on some more enticing baits that will hold them. It would be interesting to do a honey burn and wait in ambush downwind.

 

[wilcam47]

Well update I had bear hit the bait again--it appears to be one. The friends Im hunting with got a shot on a different one but they dont know what happened. It turned a 360 and ran into the woods but zero blood or hair..we looked for sign of struggle/wounded bear sign but nothing. its like it ran into the woods and disappeared. They were using a 308 so I would assume if it was a good hit it would have at least a little blood. So my best guess is it was a high shot and just clipped the back as there wasnt any hair or bullet trajectory scar in the dirt either so I think it flipped the bullet up and into the brush somewhere. sucks but thats how hunting goes sometimes...

I reloaded the bait barrel yesterday and nothing came in for the evening hunt, which I wasnt surprised because we were making so much noise..., Im going up tonight/afternoon to see if the bait was hit and hunt.

We will get one at some point...
I have been using restaurant grease, and some fish fry oil from the house, some fresh bread so hopefully this will get them going again...I have some good pics/video I have to upload. We also will have the fall hunt.

 

[outrider58]

Well update I had bear hit the bait again--it appears to be one. The friends Im hunting with got a shot on a different one but they dont know what happened. It turned a 360 and ran into the woods but zero blood or hair..we looked for sign of struggle/wounded bear sign but nothing. its like it ran into the woods and disappeared. They were using a 308 so I would assume if it was a good hit it would have at least a little blood. So my best guess is it was a high shot and just clipped the back as there wasnt any hair or bullet trajectory scar in the dirt either so I think it flipped the bullet up and into the brush somewhere. sucks but thats how hunting goes sometimes...

I reloaded the bait barrel yesterday and nothing came in for the evening hunt, which I wasnt surprised because we were making so much noise..., Im going up tonight/afternoon to see if the bait was hit and hunt.

We will get one at some point...
I have been using restaurant grease, and some fish fry oil from the house, some fresh bread so hopefully this will get them going again...I have some good pics/video I have to upload. We also will have the fall hunt.

Good luck Wil.

 

[wilcam47]

Good luck Wil.

Thanks! I'll need it!!
Its definitely been a challenge...Ive had better luck shooting elk and deer than bear.


In other good news my wife put in for a bull moose lotto here in Idaho and she got picked! so shes got a 3month hunt for a bull here!!! Its a once in a lifetime event. Its also a 5% or so chance of getting a tag! Theres been folks that apply for years and never get anything! She lucks out and gets a tag her first year trying! So we will be out scouting soon as the weather clears up.

 

[outrider58]

Thanks! I'll need it!!
Its definitely been a challenge...Ive had better luck shooting elk and deer than bear.


In other good news my wife put in for a bull moose lotto here in Idaho and she got picked! so shes got a 3month hunt for a bull here!!! Its a once in a lifetime event. Its also a 5% or so chance of getting a tag! Theres been folks that apply for years and never get anything! She lucks out and gets a tag her first year trying! So we will be out scouting soon as the weather clears up.

That's excellent! She's one lucky lady.

 

[MeatGrinder]

Moose is my favorite meat. Or, one of them!

Obviously, I was not there, but the bear spinning at the shot makes me think he was hit. I don't know what to make of it, though, if you looked carefully. I'd be tempted to do concentric circles in the area with others to be as thorough as possible. But, like I said, I am not there.

You must be doing something right if you had one come in and somebody got a shot!

 

[MeatGrinder]

With bear hunting, one of the important things is to listen carefully after the shot for the death moan. You'll know when you hear it. It's like the bear is giving up his spirit. If you hear it, he's dead but may have run a bit.

Don't forget to study an anatomy or shot placement chart. Different critters have different points of aim.

 

[jtb81100]

What counties in Maryland have bears anyway?

Mostly west of Frederick Co, although there is a yearling male wandering around Ellicott City right now.

 

[Engine4]

The wanderers are what make it fun. I remember one showing up on 695 & security blvd, & another in arbutus.

 

[wilcam47]

Moose is my favorite meat. Or, one of them!

Obviously, I was not there, but the bear spinning at the shot makes me think he was hit. I don't know what to make of it, though, if you looked carefully. I'd be tempted to do concentric circles in the area with others to be as thorough as possible. But, like I said, I am not there.

You must be doing something right if you had one come in and somebody got a shot!

yeah it just one of those down sides of hunting...you do everything right and then you either miss or dont hit exactly where you aim. Hard to say what happened. I think the lady got amped up and she pulled the shot high. Since there was no blood and it was under a 100yd shot. There was absolutely zero blood anywhere and no hair either...usually you will see something.

With bear hunting, one of the important things is to listen carefully after the shot for the death moan. You'll know when you hear it. It's like the bear is giving up his spirit. If you hear it, he's dead but may have run a bit.

Don't forget to study an anatomy or shot placement chart. Different critters have different points of aim.

Yeah thats the other thing it was not windy so they could hear really good and they said that they didnt hear anything. even if it was a ways off the way it ran they would have heard something. I can hear people making noise about 3 miles away like it was a couple hundred yards away so I know they would have been able to hear the death moan.

I went up last night and didnt see anything other than a squirrel running through the woods with a bagel...

 

[outrider58]

yeah it just one of those down sides of hunting...you do everything right and then you either miss or dont hit exactly where you aim. Hard to say what happened. I think the lady got amped up and she pulled the shot high. Since there was no blood and it was under a 100yd shot. There was absolutely zero blood anywhere and no hair either...usually you will see something.

Yeah thats the other thing it was not windy so they could hear really good and they said that they didnt hear anything. even if it was a ways off the way it ran they would have heard something. I can hear people making noise about 3 miles away like it was a couple hundred yards away so I know they would have been able to hear the death moan.

I went up last night and didnt see anything other than a squirrel running through the woods with a bagel...

Plain or poppy seed?

 

[wilcam47]

Plain or poppy seed?

it was plain but I fixed a couple squirrels a lead salad... Still nothing...spring bear ends the 15th so I dont know if we will get a spring bear or not. I feel better for fall bear though.

 

[MeatGrinder]

OK, how did things turn out? I have been checking for updates every day to see if things worked out for you and your crew. I guess your season is over now. Still, you are fortunate to be able to do a spring hunt and to be able to bait.

MG

 

[wilcam47]

Well as things go...I had one day to hunt which was the 13th and the last two days my friends were going to hunt but the 14th there was rain/thunderstorms and cold weather...and go figure a bear shows up! The coldest it got was 25 as evidenced by the game camera! Needless to say they didnt go out that night. The 15th they go out but didnt see any noticeable indications there was bear on it so they sat and didnt see anything but bear did come in that morning!! Even today they came in of course after season!! So Im leaving the camera up and see what comes in...I think the hound hunters were running the bears pretty hard as one of the "new" bears on cam was really skinny. so overall good encounters and hopefully will be good for this fall hunt. heres a few pics... I think there was at least 3 different bears in the last few days..

 

[wilcam47]

 

[wilcam47]

Well we've had some success on bait, My friends have shot 2 bear one old 10+yr old and a 2yr old. I have two more days for spring hunt. I had a chocolate one come in around 130pm yesterday, I sat on the bait last night and nothing came in. Im sticking it out see what happens. I still have the fall hunt though