# Bear Baiting Location - What to look for?



## trclements (Jan 17, 2012)

So I am headed up to Currant Creek this weekend to get GPS coordinates for my bait spots, but I had a few questions as to what to look for. This is my first time bear hunting. I have one area that I am going to put a bait spot because I know that there are bears in the area but I am not sure what type of terrain I should use for the baiting spot.

1. What type of terrain do you look for when setting up a bait location? Near water, on a ridge, down in draw, etc.

2. How far apart should you put your baiting locations? I am allowed to have two. I will mainly focus on one, but I want to have a second one picked out and ready just in case.

3. Which direction from the bait do you set up your blind? (downwind, upwind, crosswind, etc?

4. What steps do you take when setting up a new bait location? What can I do to try and get bears to come in sooner than later?

5. Stink bait, is it worth it to try? I have a pretty good source for lots of big carp, but the area I hunting, fish probably aren't part of a bear's diet. 


Thanks for any help. I will probably have some follow up questions and I plan to do what highcountryfever did this year and post along the way what is happening.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

I have some suggestions and a few things I learned. I will put it together AFTER I get my hunt thread finished up. I might get lynched if I do anything else before I finish it up.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I like to set them up on a slight hill or point where two different drainages come together. I alway like to be above them. They can pick up scent in about any direction but I try to have the wind in my favor. 

As important as anything is the trails of scent that you leave. Pee in a bottle and pack it out with you when you go. Scent cover for bears is critical. There are several posts on here about bait. I have posted my time tested secrets more than once and they work. Sweet feed, pancake syrup and molasses. Flavorburst syrup from Arctic circle in bottles along with fryer grease in bottles and squirt it on pine bows and leaves.

Keep the sweet feed stocked up and the Bears will never stray too far once they find it.

As far the flavor burst goes.....apple and banana works wonders. You can smell it from 100 yards and the Bears can smell it for miles. Best stuff ever.


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## trclements (Jan 17, 2012)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> I like to set them up on a slight hill or point where two different drainages come together. I alway like to be above them. They can pick up scent in about any direction but I try to have the wind in my favor.
> 
> As important as anything is the trails of scent that you leave. Pee in a bottle and pack it out with you when you go. Scent cover for bears is critical. There are several posts on here about bait. I have posted my time tested secrets more than once and they work. Sweet feed, pancake syrup and molasses. Flavorburst syrup from Arctic circle in bottles along with fryer grease in bottles and squirt it on pine bows and leaves.
> 
> ...


Where can you buy the flavor burst?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I forgot the name of the place but it is downtown. Contact a manager at an Arctic Circle. They have sold it to me before. If not they will give you the contact.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

The fryer grease and chocolate ice cream from Arctic Circle is like liquid gold too. I don't know if I can ever eat there again!


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I agree with much of the advice given:

1. Put your bait high on a ridge. Down drafts at night will spread the scent down into the drainage when bears are most active. 
2. Close to water if possible (but not too close, the DWR and FS have regs on legal limits). 
3. Bears will hit both baits if they are within a couple of miles. I'd recommend 5 miles apart at least (unless you're OK having the same bears on both baits). 
4. Thick cover--bears like it thick and shady. However, it is nice to have some visibility approaching your bait. 

The bears I hunted loved bananas. A friend of mine used them and they weren't interested. Try lots of different stuff. As long as it smells strong, they'll come.


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## elkantlers (Feb 27, 2014)

So this is my take on baiting bear. This year was my first time baiting and I learned a ton of stuff that will make it easier next time. 
1. Don't over think it. if there are bears in the area they will find your bait. 
2. You don't have to kill your self, put the bait where it is easy to get to. We had baits within 200yds of a road and the bears didn't care if there was traffic or not. they just ate.
3. Location. I mean location of your stand or blind. Put your stand or blind where it will be in the shade. you want to be comfortable so you can stay as long as needed. also, you want to be down wind as much as possible. I like my bait to be above me so that the morning and evening thermals move your scent away from the bait.
4. Bait. they will eat about anything so get what is free or cheap. I gathered bread and donuts and fry grease. I bought Horse mix with molasses. I would put a mixture of everything out. The donuts went first but the horse mix is what kept them around the bait site. Scatter it out to where they have to work for it. they will stay much longer at the bait that way. the fry grease on their paws leaves good trails for more bears to follow. 
5. Water. you want a water source in the area. Nuff said. 
6. Bears. after you get bears hitting your bait you want to keep the bait stocked. Make sure they don't go too long without bait. It is unreal how much they can eat and how fast they can eat it. I also made some bear suckers and they would sit and lick and bite on it for hours after the bait was gone. 
7. Enjoy. Enjoy being that close to such an amazing animal. It really is a rush when a bear shows up. 

Good luck on your hunt.


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## kstorrs (Oct 29, 2012)

elkantlers said:


> So this is my take on baiting bear. This year was my first time baiting and I learned a ton of stuff that will make it easier next time.
> 1. Don't over think it. if there are bears in the area they will find your bait.
> 2. You don't have to kill your self, put the bait where it is easy to get to. We had baits within 200yds of a road and the bears didn't care if there was traffic or not. they just ate.
> 3. Location. I mean location of your stand or blind. Put your stand or blind where it will be in the shade. you want to be comfortable so you can stay as long as needed. also, you want to be down wind as much as possible. I like my bait to be above me so that the morning and evening thermals move your scent away from the bait.
> ...


Did your kid tag a bear?


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## trclements (Jan 17, 2012)

I have been stocking up my bait now for about a week. I can go set up my bait sites this Saturday. The DWR approved my bait sites and now I should be ready to go. I have the following bait ready:

1. A truckload of bread, hamburger buns, and hotdog buns.
2. 4 gallons of honey
3. Bear lollipops
4. Some fryer grease

Any suggestions on what I am missing to get the bears to start hitting my bait sites? I am thinking about buying a couple 50 lb bags of Sweet Feed from IFA to throw on top of all the bread.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Ok here is a few things that I learned on my hunt. First are you using a ground blind or a tree stand? I was using a ground blind. If you are using a stand it is not as critical, but if using a blind I would put the blind 20-30 yards away, whatever you are comfortable shooting. This was my biggest flaw. My blind was too close to the bait. I think it made it so the bears hung back until after we left. 

During my hunt the bears loved the grease. My secondary site ran dry of bread but they still came in because of the grease. In my opinion, running out of bait isn't the end of the world. In fact, once the bears start hitting I wouldn't leave a big pile out. 

I would create a routine, and stick to it. Create a "dinner bell." Go to the bait at the same time every time. Make some noise, set out the pile and do a burn with some of the honey you have. The best option would be to have someone hike out while you get in the blind or stand. by doing that you might fool the bears into thinking you left the area and hopefully come in.


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