# Bear Hunting Logistics



## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Lets talk Bear Hunting Logistics. Specifically when maintaining a bait site. I would love to hear methods people have used to setup and maintain their sites.

I just picked up a truck load of bread, sat there looking at it wondering how in the crap am I going to get all that into a bait site.

Multiple trips, helpers, horses? what have people used and what has been effective? What kind of gear are you using to haul it; pack frames, garbage bags, packs, etc? 

Lets hear from people who have done it.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Back in the day (1991) I had an archery tag. I had a great bait site. I had an active area where Bear were roaming. (Most important) I laid logs against a big Aspen tree in a V shape pattern. That way the bear can only access the bait from one direction. I dug a 2' deep hole about 2' in diameter next to the Aspen. I would fill the hole with bread, cake, doughnuts, etc. I had obtained from a bakery in town. I would then cover the hole with a truck tire with the rim. Then I found a big flat rock (about 50lb.) and placed it on top of the tire and rim. (covering the tire and rim keeps the squirrels and not targeted critters from "steeling" the bait.) I had a ton of bacon grease that I would "paint" on the tire and rock, and 5 gal. of crystalized Honey I would smear over too. My tree stand was about 20yds. from the station. I had several small bear come into the site, and a huge bear that would only come in at night.:-x I never killed a bear, but I had a great time being out and enjoying the woods! I had to carry every thing into the area by packing with a pack frame. You need to keep it full of bait though! Keep the bruins in the area. The Big Bore was making his rounds about every three days. 

Remember, You have to clean the site up after the hunt. That can be harder packing it out, than bringing it in.


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## muleydeermaniac (Jan 17, 2008)

I used my brother in law and four wheeler. We drove within about a quarter mile of the bait site(legally). I found that heavy logs work the best and I used chicken scraps from Bowman's in Kaysville for the stink bag and they worked fantastic! Funny thing is I tried just about everything for bait where I was at. I found that syrup covering Kibbles and bits worked the best. They basically ignored any bread or pastries I put out. They loved the liquid smoke as well. But the stink bag worked like a charm. I used a big game bag and filled it with the chicken scraps and hung it about twenty feet in the air. Both sights had the bears figure out how to get it down and take everything in it. I filled them four separate times each.....A lot of work but a ton of fun!


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

I am no expert but I am learning from each hunt. More important than anything to me is bait site location. I would be looking for a site that is in fairly thick cover where a bear feels safe. Additionally, you want to be downwind of the bait in your stand with open country or a meadow behind you. This keeps the bears from circling your blind and winding you. 

I have always packed in bait on my back. I like to get a small group of hunting buddies to help me. I think its best to keep it to a small group to minimize the number of different scents at the bait site. Packing in bait is a great way to get in shape and enjoy the process. 

Do your best to always pack in bait mid day. My experience is that if you go early or anytime after about 3, you have a chance to bump bears off your bait. Bumping a big bear off your bait is not good. You often only get one good chance at a big bear.

Also, creating competition with small amounts of bait is ideal. It gets expensive in travel but large amounts of bait allow bears to wait until dark to feed. 

Lastly, don't hunt your bait until your ready to kill your bear. Let them get comfortable and then move in and shoot him. 

Good luck!


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions and advice so far. My biggest problem to figure out is initial access to my bait sites. The gates on the seasonal roads don't open until Memorial day which is the Monday right before the hunt starts. 

If I am hiking it in I would guess a pack frame would be better than a pack?


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## muleydeermaniac (Jan 17, 2008)

I'd check with the forest service if they are going to open the gates sooner. My area opened them three weeks before the listed date that they had. Also I found that my bait site that was closer to water(Beaver dams) got hit a lot more. My trail camera was filled with pictures on that site. But the one that was a ways away from water was hit by a few bigger bears. Both sights were in timber area that really only had two ways into the bait. I was perched at the top of a cliff about 60 yards away and it worked perfectly. It was a lot of fun watching the bears as they fed not knowing I was even there.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

Definitely a frame pack with a shelf. Plan on packing it in early but as mentioned, often times they open the gates a lot sooner if the good weather holds.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

I just talked to the Ranger District and they told me the plan is to have it open for Memorial Day.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

They told me the same thing on my hunt, they opened it about 10 days early that year.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Odds are that the person that you talked to about opening the gate was just a office paper pusher and just told you what the planned gate opening was going to be. 

It'll all depend on what the soil and road conditions are past the gate. If they are dry and solid odds are the gate will be opened early.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Lets hope they open the gates early. I am going to try and get up there this weekend if the weather holds and get a few places scouted out. I have several I want to look at and need to narrow it down. 

I only have 1 month, 12 days and 20-ish hours until the hunt starts. (But who's counting :mrgreen


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

good luck. keep us posted. I was wondering the same thing about the gates when applying for my tags. seems like the best places aren't accessible right away.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I used horses on my first trip, but that's also when I packed in my blinds, pruning shears for shooting lanes, etc... I suspended my ground blinds and chairs from trees where bears couldn't get to them while I was away. 

Once the hunt started, I packed in bait to both sites 4-5 times per week. I used 5 gal. buckets and a pack frame. I often had friends pack a bucket in with me. Most loads were about 20 lbs. per bucket + hunting gear. By the end, I had finished off my favorite pair of hunting boots. I was also in great shape. It is a TON of work. Get ready. 

It is the scariest and most enjoyable hunt I've ever done. There were times when I was sitting in my blind listening to the noises in the darkening woods around me--one hand on my bow and the other on my handgun. It wasn't too bad when I had a friend, but it was bad enough when I was alone that I bailed a couple of times before it got dark because I was so freaked out. Just being honest. 8)


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I hated bringing a hand gun because of the extra weight but the one time I did bring it the best bear on my bait was 8 feet behind the blind with my girls right by my side. The only way to the bait would bring him within 2 feet or less away from my blind. I was trying to set up the video out the front of my blind and my girls were looking at it out the back of the blind. Needless to say we screwed that set up with all the movment going on inside the blind. It however was worth the look on my kids face after the bear left. Being on the ground adds another level of excitement!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

I spoke with the FS again on Friday and they said that they have no control over the gate. It is owned by UDOT and they (the FS) don't have any say on when they open it. This was from some maintenance guys, not the pencil pushers in the office. I tend to believe them. I talked to them a little bit about the hunt. From the sounds of it they are frustrated about the gate situation as well.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

highcountryfever said:


> I spoke with the FS again on Friday and they said that they have no control over the gate. It is owned by UDOT and they (the FS) don't have any say on when they open it. This was from some maintenance guys, not the pencil pushers in the office. I tend to believe them. I talked to them a little bit about the hunt. From the sounds of it they are frustrated about the gate situation as well.


That is correct--the opening of that gate is dictated by the date, not the weather or current road conditions.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> That is correct--the opening of that gate is dictated by the date, not the weather or current road conditions.


Which gate?

.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

THE gate.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Was the the gate down the road and around the corner, or was it the one the other direction? -O,-


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## turkinator (May 25, 2008)

Last year on my one and only bear hunt, I had horses to help haul in bait the first time. After that it was all on my back. Usually a 40-50lb bag of dog food with syrup and a few other items. A couple of times I was by myself and other times I family and friends help haul bait. I got lucky on my first bait site and had bears hitting it the day after I got it set up. It was all I could do to keep up with one bait site so I never got my other site set up.

Last year I learned that hunting bears over bait is a lot of work. A lot of great people on this site helped me with my hunt and helped teach me about bear baiting. I'd be happy to help share info or even haul bait when you get to that point. 
Good luck!


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Agreed Turkinator. I have got a lot of help so far from people on here! I hope to have access to horses for the initial load, but if not we will make it happen with packs. One bait is fairly easy access and the other might suck but I know there are bears in the area.

Now if we can get the gate open!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> THE gate.


Oh, THAT gate. thanks

.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

wyogoob said:


> Oh, THAT gate. thanks
> 
> .


I wasn't aware there was another gate...Glad you finally figured it out


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