# Fall Bear Hunting



## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

I'm thinking of trying to get a fall bear tag this year, and wondered how effective baiting is. I'm thinking that that later in the year, the more scarce food is, thus making baiting a reasonable option. Am I completely off in this assumption? Or is the summer better? I'd really like to do it with a bow, so I'm thinking a bait season is my best bet. Thoughts?


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Exactly opposite of your assumption, my experience is that baiting in the fall is tougher. For years a group of friends and I maintained bait stations from spring through fall in Idaho. In the fall there are a lot more high energy natural food sources available to bear that your bait station has to compete against such as the late summer and fall berry crop, acorns from the oakbrush, and even gut piles from successful hunters. Grass and other new growth vegetation, the primary food source for bear from spring through early summer by comparison, is relatively low calorie and low energy. Thus, it was always easier to pull bear into a bait station earlier in the year.

Once the summer berries start to mature around mid July, we could pretty much count on bear interest in our bait stations start to wane. Of course we'd still see some bear activity, it just wasn't as intense as it was earlier in the year.


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

That is very good info. Thank you! So as far as baiting in Utah goes, with the new changes, there are no real ideal times to bait anymore? How about spring spot and stalk?


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