# 2017 Bear Hunt



## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

So I drew a LE bear tag and I've been collecting bait for what seems like forever. Finally started getting that bait together to be placed on the mountain. I can start baiting Saturday. I've read a lot of posts on here giving information on what to use. I've got bread soaked with molasses, sweet feed soaked in syrup, grease, popcorn, bear sucker on a rope, went through our pantry and took everything my wife allowed me too . 

Im hoping to get it up on the mountain Saturday but may be unable to due to the road being closed for winter. Anyone know when they start opening mountain pass roads?


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

I am not sure about other areas but I know they usually have the gate up American Fork canyon open by Memorial Day.

What unit did you draw?


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## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

Wasatch. AF canyon is the one. So hopefully open by the 29th.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

There's a good chance that the roads may be closed longer than normal this year from the deep snowpack. To many "Ideates" try to take a vehicle across a road that has deep drifts, or soft dirt and get stuck. The Forest service doesn't want to be calling search and rescue to recover someone, or there vehicles. 
I know they drive the road during the week to assess the conditions. If they cant drive there truck across the roads in two wheel drive, they wont open the road.This last storm didn't help any either.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Molasses soaked bread is THE ticket. Bears love, love, love it. 

They open the Alpine Loop every Memorial Day weekend. UDOT trucks have been up there working on it recently, so I'm guessing it will be ready to go on May 26.


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## elkantlers (Feb 27, 2014)

The sooner you start baiting, the more bait you have to have. My personal opinion is 5 days is plenty enough time to get bears on a bait. The other thing about baiting two weeks early is that the dog hunters can come along a kill the bears you worked hard to pull into your bait area. If your baits are very close to the road, I would be careful starting too early.


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## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

elkantlers said:


> The sooner you start baiting, the more bait you have to have. My personal opinion is 5 days is plenty enough time to get bears on a bait. The other thing about baiting two weeks early is that the dog hunters can come along a kill the bears you worked hard to pull into your bait area. If your baits are very close to the road, I would be careful starting too early.


That's a good thought. I forgot about the harvest objective going on in the unit. Maybe it's not such a bad thing if the road stays closed longer. And yes my bait sites are relatively close to the road albeit both are in completely different areas. Can't wait to get it all started. Im hoping to post up pics of my hunt.


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## mpjeffnorton (May 9, 2017)

You can call the Ranger Station. Just google it. When I called they said the snowpack was 4-5 feet still, which was about 2 weeks about before that last storm came in. I go fishing up in silver lake res and would like it open too. But it looks like not before Memorial to say the earliest.


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## Cowboy145 (Apr 13, 2017)

TheHunted said:


> So I drew a LE bear tag and I've been collecting bait for what seems like forever. Finally started getting that bait together to be placed on the mountain. I can start baiting Saturday. I've read a lot of posts on here giving information on what to use. I've got bread soaked with molasses, sweet feed soaked in syrup, grease, popcorn, bear sucker on a rope, went through our pantry and took everything my wife allowed me too .
> 
> Im hoping to get it up on the mountain Saturday but may be unable to due to the road being closed for winter. Anyone know when they start opening mountain pass roads?


Where did you get your molasses?


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## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

I got mine online, plenty of places online to get it relatively cheap.


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## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

Got a bear. Man what a hard hunt! Hunted the whole month of June waiting for one of the bigger bears to come in while I was there. No luck. On June 28th the little bear standing with her paws in the air came in and I slung an arrow at her. Long story short, bear meat is good! 

One trip in I brought too much bait. Put the buckets high in a tree, apparently not high enough.


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

Great job, did u get any bear fever with your shot, I know i did last year (it was my first bear hunt). But im totally addicted to bear hunting now. Awesome to hear of you success. Now I just need to figure out how to get my wife to let me bear hunt every year, any suggestions?


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## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

Slap That Quack said:


> Great job, did u get any bear fever with your shot, I know i did last year (it was my first bear hunt). But im totally addicted to bear hunting now. Awesome to hear of you success. Now I just need to figure out how to get my wife to let me bear hunt every year, any suggestions?


Ha great question, I'm lucky to have a wife who supports my addiction! The bear hunt was tough for her though, baiting almost every other day then sitting in the stand some of those nights and not getting home until past 11. It doesn't get dark til close to 10 in June. Not to mention all the stinky bear bait I kept in our garage for months, plus I still had to work. Man I need to take her out to dinner.


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

Couldn't hurt!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

TheHunted said:


> Man I need to take her out to dinner.


A spa date for her might not hurt either.


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