# Follow me on my archery bear hunt.



## swbuckmaster

This forum needs a pick me up so I have decided to post my hunt success or failure as I go. Ive never hunted bears for myself so im learning as I go. I do have a few friends that have been giving me help as I go "Silentstalker, broadsideshot, northslope and my friend Phil". Ive also learned a bunch on the internet. So here goes


----------



## longbow

Good luck! Getting a bear with a bow is an exhilarating and awesome experience. I'd love to hear your progress as it unfolds. And..."don't get et up by no bear."


----------



## swbuckmaster

Ive been putting in for 8 years and this is actually the first time I applied for the tag. I didnt think id actually draw. So I took a double take when I read the words "successful". I actually thought about turning it in but im glad I didnt.

After a few phone calls to Chad and Jerry I started getting the ball rolling. Its actually pretty hard to find a good spot where you wont get your bait run by dogs and has all the ingredients to attract bears. It also has to meet forest service and DWR requirements.

I had an area where I found some bear scat last year when my girls and I were grouse hunting so this is where we went first.

My first trip in was a scouting trip to check on snow depths. Its about a mile round trip to the first bait pile. I think its up hill both ways. Having to break trail doesnt make it any easier. The snow depth when you break through the crust was about 3-4 feet in places. I unfortunately dont have any photos of my first trip.

My second trip in I had the proper paper work and help. Here are a few photos













Here is the bait location







And a photo of the bait crib


----------



## swbuckmaster

My girls have helped me un pack hundreds of donuts, twinkies, and bread. We also made candy popcorn, poor mans granola and stuff to make honey burns and bear crack

It actually took several nights to get it ready for the trail.


----------



## swbuckmaster

This whole week my girls and I have been going in packing bait, cutting shooting lanes and setting up trail cameras. 

Every trip I take it reminds me of how its better to have age on your side when it comes to this stuff. I have to take more and more ibuprofen and my kids seem to recover faster and get stronger every trip e take in. My oldest has become quite the pack mule. When im packing in 50 lbs of crap shes packing in 27 lbs and I cant even keep up with her.


----------



## swbuckmaster

On our bushwack trips in we have also located two separate winter kills or lion kills. As far as im aware deer dont winter at this elevation so im not sure how they died. I just know the coyotes some how found them and dug up the bones.


























We also located a few old bear tracks
Watch "Claw marks" on YouTube
Claw marks:


----------



## swbuckmaster

Now that the bait has been set were working on getting the scent out to attract the bears in. We've done bear crack and several honey burns with my propane torch. I even shot a couple of carp for a stink bait.








Watch "Honey burn" on YouTube
Honey burn: 




shooting lane: 




Bear crack: 




Watch "Bear crack number two" on YouTube
Bear crack number two:


----------



## swbuckmaster

Once i get a couple of tree stands set ill have one trap set so to speak. Only time will tell if ive done my homework or not. I think if I get a bear on my bait it will be later in the hunt because of the elevation I set this bait.

I cant set my other bait yet because I simply cant get to it until the snow melts. It won't be to much longer though because its going fast.

So far ive lost about 6 lbs just working the one bait. Im not sure how ill be able to keep up with two locations if they both get hit because it takes me three hours round trip to tend first bait.

On a side note I dusted off my trusty hunting bow tonight and took a few practice shots sitting at the distance ill be shooting at the bear. Looks like its good to go.


----------



## archeryobsession

I Like it buckmaster keep us updated


----------



## N8ON

Really cool post!! Excited to see/read more. That target is kind of freaky.


----------



## swbuckmaster

My daughter won the target at the color country 3d shoot a few weeks ago. She also won $135 for taking third place in the women's pro division.









The day after I got home I found it looking like this lol.







Her sister posed it like that. She also likes to pose it all over the house to scare the crap out of ya when you least expect it. I hate it! Lol


----------



## AF CYN

Thanks for posting this. I'm interested to hear how it goes. I should draw an archery bear tag in the next year or two. I'm particularly interested to see how you're able to keep up with the bait that is such a long hike. I have a similar spot in mind, but I'm worried about the distance. Good luck.

PM sent.


----------



## nateysmith

Thanks for the story. This is very cool


----------



## toppin

Thanks for letting us follow your hunt. Looks like you're off to a good start; hope you get a bruiser!


----------



## dkhntrdstn

this is awesome. it so cool to see your girls out there with you. You got my blood going I cant wait to draw my bear tag in a couple years.Good luck and keep us posted.


----------



## outdoorser

Awesome idea. You're right, the forum did need a pick me up. Keep us posted and good luck!!


----------



## swbuckmaster

No action on the camera today.  I still think im early but still had my hopes up. The carp are starting to stink ever so slightly.

Makenzie and I did a bear crack burn and makenzie put big fruity marsh mellows on sticks all arround the bait site. Here's another clip of the burns were doing.

Watch "Cook it on a volcano" on YouTube
Cook it on a volcano: 




The hike took us 3.5 hours round trip and we were able to do it with only two stops. So were getting in shape.

My next trip in will probably be on thursday. I just dont think I need to kill myself with snow as deep as it still is.


----------



## dkhntrdstn

Are you burning that stuff to get the smell in the air ?


----------



## swbuckmaster

Yes it smells like roasting marsh mellows.

Ill make the crack at home on the stove using

One part cherry coolaid







one part sugar and water. I also add one cube butter.

I boil it hard for 3 minutes and poor it into empty containers







and add the marsh mellows. You will need to keep adding marsh mellows because they dissolve.

I poor that on the bread or popcorn I bring in. I also poor it on the crop and through it up in the surrounding trees scent. It will wash off the trees in the rain. I think if I used jellow it might work better but the jellow may solidify in my containers.

I will poor about a half inch in my pot and cook it till its wont cook any more. It takes about 20 minutes to burn. You can also do honey if you want. If I were going to sit in the stand all day id switch it to a sterno used for warming food. It looks like a small candle. Id place it under the pot and let it slowly cook it all day. 
The stove just does a quick burn and gets the scent out.


----------



## swbuckmaster

You could add anise oil in the concoction just before you through it on the trees if you wanted. This would make a strong scent that last about a day to my nose. Maybe lasts longer to a bears nose.


----------



## Huntoholic

On the mountain, do you burn it till it is "gone" or do you burn it for a little bit then pour it out around your baited area?


----------



## swbuckmaster

Go back and re read my post on my how to I added more to it. Its a couple post back. I dont mix or cook it on the mountain. It would use up too much fuel.


----------



## Huntoholic

swbuckmaster said:


> Go back and re read my post on my how to I added more to it. Its a couple post back. I dont mix or cook it on the mountain. It would take up too much fuel.


Probably didn't say it right, but I am trying to understand how you use it on the mountain. I understood that you had it put together in a can before you go up on the mountain. Do you just put the can on a stove and "Burn" it till no smoke comes out?


----------



## swbuckmaster

Yes I poor the good stuff on everything. I cook a half inch in that pot slowly while I do other things. It looks like steam coming off instead of smoke. Thats the smelly stuff coming off. As it dries out it gets more and more smoke. The first part of the smoke smells like roasting marsh mellows. The last part which is seen in the clip smells like burning marsh mellows and has a thick smoke.

I still think my mixture is wrong because it can wash off in the rain. The stuff ive heard about will ruin your stove, pots and wont wash off in rain. Its like hard candy. Mine still smells good and makes the bread taste sweet though. Next time I go in ill do syrup, marsh mellows, sugar, cherry jellow, vanilla extract and cook it down more and see what happens.


----------



## Huntoholic

swbuckmaster said:


> Yes I poor the good stuff on everything. I cook a half inch in that pot slowly while I do other things. It looks like steam coming off instead of smoke. Thats the smelly stuff coming off. As it dries out it gets more and more smoke. The first part of the smoke smells like roasting marsh mellows. The last part which is seen in the clip smells like burning marsh mellows and has a thick smoke.
> 
> I still think my mixture is wrong because it can wash off in the rain. The stuff ive heard about will ruin your stove, pots and wont wash off in rain. Its like hard candy. Mine still smells good and makes the bread taste sweet though. Next time I go in ill do syrup, marsh mellows, sugar, cherry jellow, vanilla extract and cook it down more and see what happens.


Try more sugar. I know when I've screwed up at home the sugar is tough to get off. Almost like a tar.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Will do thanks. 

Maybe I need two parts sugar? I also thought maybe I needed to cook it down more or boil the liquid out more before I put it on the pile. So ill bring in a gallon of peaches in a can and use an actual can opener instead of my shovel lol. Use that and cook it on the hill next time I go in. 

Before im done with this hunt i hope to have figured it out.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Next up date will be Thursday


----------



## swbuckmaster

I have camofires app on my phone and it always has good deals. It doesnt help its next door to my office. Since my sitka gear is falling apart and is too expensive to replace I picked this up today for 60 bucks. Ive always liked predator camo and thought it was a good deal.






its a light jacket and pant. Ill probably use it to hike in with or use it on my archery mule deer hunts because its light and flexible. When I get in the stand Ill spray myself down with the scent loc crap and change into wool pants and wool shirt. My plan is to stink up the place with our scent so any bears get used to it when baiting and then try and make my scent signature smaller or as small as I can while sitting in the stand.


----------



## Elkoholic8

I missed out on those clothes today. My computer froze up right after I saw what was on the page.

I don't know anything about bear hunting, but I ran into a guy a few years ago that used rotting fruit like strawberries and raspberries for his bait. He said he had bears on his bait almost every day. 
I also had a camp host down on the Manti tell me that the bears there like bacon. He said almost every time someone sets up the camp chef griddle to cook bacon, the bears come running in. Maybe they are just accustomed to the camp grounds over there. 

Good luck, I can't wait to see what happens.


----------



## swbuckmaster

If you go to camofires store you can still get the clothes. 

Bears love any kind of fruit especially early season. They will eat that before donuts. Bacon or other meat will get consumed later in the hunt.


----------



## horn hunter

Take a boyscout uniform and pin it to the tree above your bait pile. I've heard bears love em and will come from miles! 

Just a little tip &#55357;&#56379;


----------



## swbuckmaster

I had bear on my mind






so I hiked in today and re did my bear crack the correct way.

Put the syrup in first and add the sugar and JELLOW instead of coolaid like I was doing. Heat it up to a boil and let it boil until all the sugar and jellow is liquefied. Turn the heat down and add the marsh mellows slowly. If you pot isn't big enough it is going to boil over. Just keep adding the marsh mellows until it fills your pot. Then poor it the pile, logs ect. It makes a very tough candy when it cools.

Still no bears on the camera. However the birds have found it.


----------



## swbuckmaster

I caught a marsh-mellow thief on my trail camera.
























and a photo of my cute little packer.






I also tested the new camo. It fits a bit big but I bought it so I could layer under it so it might still work.


----------



## martymcfly73

That's funny her backpack is bigger.


----------



## swbuckmaster

She and her sister hike better than I do. I have a hard time keeping up with them. Lindsay goes in with 25 lbs of crap and I go in with 30-35 and she blows me away. I then spend the next day tired at work or sore on the couch at home and she getting up early for school and comes home and jumps on the tramp or rides her bike all over the place. The good news for me is its getting easier for me and im loosing weight.


----------



## Fowlmouth

This is pretty cool! Can't wait to see some trail camera photos with bears.


----------



## swbuckmaster

No bears on the camera tonight but I did manage to find some ticks. 

Next time I check the camera will be on monday.


----------



## gdog

swbuckmaster said:


> Next time I check the camera will be on monday.


Hey...its Tues....we need an update.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Ok
Makenzie and I went and checked. I only had 7 photos 3 when I changed the card and 3 when I checked the card. Only 1 while I was away and it was at night.

We left some popcorn and we set up a blind and blocked off all access to it except for the side we come in on. I dont want a bear to cut our tracks if one ever comes to the bait while were in the blind.

























I brought my bow because I was at cabelas and was trying out chairs and I noticed i wouldn't be able to use my bow in one of their blinds they had because it was to small. It made me worried the blind I bought would also be to small. So a trial run was needed. I left it up and put a tee shirt inside hoping a bear wont shred the blind. I however think the wind we are having today might rip it apart. So will see in a few days.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Everything looks good except bears!

The snow is almost gone arround the elevation my bait is at its now and melting fast. When I left it was 3 feet deep everywhere except arround my bait. When I arrived it was 1.5 to 2 feet only on the north facing slopes. The rest of the snow is gone. The ground is still brown and dead looking but will start to green up this week. Im hoping this will bring the bears.


----------



## svmoose

Cool thread SW! Once you know the bears are out try doing a honey burn on site. I've done this in the past and it has worked to bring them around. You'll want to do it when there is a slight breeze so you can cover a larger area and get that scent moving to pull the bears in. 

I'd also look at Bearmaster's stuff. The guys behind it are serious bear hunters and get it done often. I've only heard GOOD things about their products.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Ive been doing a different burn every time im at the bait. I feel fresh scent is the key. Its also one of the things that's the biggest pain in the butt. It takes alot of time and requires more crap to bring in. 

Last night I did a sugar burn. One cup sugar, one table spoon water and a one table spoon anise oil. I burned it the whole time we made the blind. It burps small puffs of white licorice smelling smoke for about an hour and then puts out a heavy smoke for about 5 minutes. 

I have one last trick up my sleeve when the snow finally melts. I will hike to the top of the draw and drag a rotton bag of fish or meat scraps back to my bait. If that doesnt get a bear on this bait there isn't a bear in the area. 

Ill give it one more week and ill start working my another bait location. I however still think ill get a bear on this location.


----------



## robiland

I still think its early for bears. I would definitely wait atleast til the first of May before I made any drastic changes.


----------



## swbuckmaster

My bait in this thread will be left until the hunt is over. I need to still find another spot for my other one though. 

On a side note I assembled my grim reaper broad heads on my gold tip arrows last night and put them in my newly quieted foam quiver from tight spot. I had tight spot send me a foam insert and it significantly quieted my bow over the rubber insert it came with it. Imho this is the best quiver on the market!

I also tested my bow set up in the wind last night. The drill was drawing back straight while sitting on a bucket or kneeling on the ground and letting down quietly. I used my backtension to make it more difficult. The 70 lb lx and grim reaper practice heads hit everything I aimed at and did it in the 30 mph wind. Which is a big confidence boost. 

Ive watched quite a few bear clips on youtube in the last few weeks and ive noticed in some of the clips how a bear can react to the slightest noise. So two things I noticed with my setup is my arrow has a slight noise as my arrow comes to full draw on my trophy taker rest. Its metal on carbon for about 4" of my draw. Ill fix it with some nail polish or mole skin. The second thing is the click on my back tension release. I want to use this release because im good with it so I may just turn the moon arround and get rid of the click. I might also just use my caliper. However that would mean a slight bow tune.


----------



## wasatchwillie

*suggestion for baiting bears!*

I have taken 6 bears so far 5 on bait. It helps to know that you are in an area that holds bears. South slopes, green grass, water source, near thick cover. Hang a rag soaked in anise on a limb 4 to 5 feet off the ground and burn honey mixed with molasses! Has always worked for me! I seen a nice big bear last year on the turkey hunt, he was out on the hillside eating grass! Hope to pull a tag next year,getting close, have 8 pts. Good luck, hope that helps! Also I have found that they will go for sweets, grains etc. first and then, meat if [legal] and last, fish carry a good smell at the bait, but I have never seen them get touched! smoked meat is good too, strong aroma!


----------



## Groganite

Please kill all the bears around scofield, they are a nuisance.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Still no bears but we did find this old rotton bull


----------



## JuddCT

Great thread. Keep us posted.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Update may 30th
My wife, girls and I finally made it to my second bait location today. It was two dark to really do anything when we arrived so ill start it tomorrow. However things look promising because we actually saw two different bears. One big one and yearling. They were about 20 miles apart but the big one was in the same canyon as my bait so maybe our lack of luck is changing.


----------



## longbow

That's good news. Wouldn't it be cool if that big ol' bugger came in and your girls were right there when you shot it? Keep us posted.


----------



## Thefever

Good stinkin luck!!


----------



## swbuckmaster

I took most of the day off today and went in with silentstalker. He packed in 70 lbs + up a nasty blow down in snow up to our waste. I actually amazed me that he did it! Animal!

Seems every where I go there's snow. Its probably the only area on the whole mountain with snow. Im sick of snow.

We actually made two trips and set up the tree stand, bait pile, and trail camera. It took about 7 hours to complete and I forgot to take any other photos except this before photo. Sorry it sucks lol








Crossing my fingers but I believe ill have a bear on one of my trail cameras this weekend.


----------



## dkhntrdstn

Cant wait to see what happens on this bait. good luck.Silentstalker is a great guy.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Yes he is


----------



## Sawbillslayer

This is great following you step by step and the outing with your kids and family. My oldest will be six this next hunting season and she has duck hunted with me and has called in elk with me. Has also walked in about two miles to set up a tree stand. My daughter is a trooper and loves the outdoors. I am glad to see you have raised your girl to love the outdoors as well. I hope to see more posts and great success for you swbuckmaster.


----------



## silentstalker

Good luck Scott! Im still sore from that day! There is nothing like hunting bears!


----------



## goofy elk

Awesome hard work and effort going into this hunt .:!:.

Now hopefuly a little luck will come along soon..8)..


----------



## swbuckmaster

Unfortunately if I didnt have bad luck i wouldn't have any luck at all. Still no bears on my cameras.

At least bait number 2 with a tree stand is finally out. It should have enough bait to last a week if a few bears hit it. So I wont be back to check it until next weekend.

We found the broken antler at my bait pile location. Hopefully a good luck sign.


----------



## silentstalker

Patience my friend. We have built it, they will come...


----------



## swbuckmaster

I had to hike in today because I forgot I put a bucket of rotton fat meat scraps, and milk on the sunny side of my house. So I packed that in before the neighbors complained. Can you say puke!

I think the bears are mocking me! I found three different trees going to bait number 2 with bear claw marks all over them today.

Watch "Their mocking me" on YouTube
Their mocking me: 




Good thing I went in because a herd of deer found my bait and have been eating my popcorn. So I piled up a bunch of sticks and logs and covered it with bear crack.


----------



## blazingsaddle

Utah starts the bear hunt too early IMO.
Sounds like your doing everything right though. You get what you put into a bear hunt with bait.
I'm going to bet the bears will start showing up in the next week or two.


----------



## 12many

this thread is great, keeping everyone on the edges of our seats, watching your youtube posts and following your story really makes me jealous and wishes you the best of luck.


----------



## swbuckmaster

I could hardly wait at work so I left early. I headed up to bait number 2.
When I arrived I could tell something had eaten my bait. Nothing big ive actually noticed it before. I wasn't going to be able to read what was on the card because I locked my card reader, back packs, and keys in my car. So I grabbed the truck and bought an extra card on the way up. If I was going to see anything that was on the card it wasn't going to be for several hours.
As I was leaving I saw this coyote turd and thought could it be?


----------



## swbuckmaster

When I got home I saw the deer and figured they were what was moving my logs and eating the popcorn. Figured the coyote was just harassing the deer because ive never seen coyotes actually eat bear bait.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Scrolled a few more photos and BOO FRICKEN YA a bear!
Not an ok bear but a trophy bear to me!
Its on like donkey Kong! I will take the next 9 days off. Im all in! 

























So far this hunt I have already taken every monday and a half day off on most fridays in april. I have also hiked in the .5 miles to 1.5 miles one way depending on which bait I visit every other day. Ive watched two friends kill bears and had one tell me about the bears they had to chase off baits. I was depressed thinking I had miscalculated and place my baits in a poor location. To say im excited would be an understatement!


----------



## Huntin8

Awesome! Keep us posted!


----------



## elkmule123

Sweet and good luck!


----------



## silentstalker

No miscalculation there, just needed time. Now its go time! Good luck!


----------



## gdog

You going to be able to video your hunt?

Good work and good luck!


----------



## btsmith

Good luck man! This has been an awesome thread to follow.


----------



## swbuckmaster

I have an he camera but I dont have a way to hold it and shoot at the same time. The trail camera has video. If my daughter is with me ill have her video but im not going to chance doing both. Im a shoot first ask questions later kind of guy


----------



## archerben

> The second thing is the click on my back tension release. I want to use this release because im good with it so I may just turn the moon arround and get rid of the click.


 Scott, it's been a while since I've visited this thread so I may be too late, but it you haven't changed anything with your release, then leave it as is. I've shot several animals (including multiple bears) with my back tension and I have never had a single animal react to the click.

BTW, that's a great looking bear! If you're interested in videoing it, I've got a camera arm that I'd be willing to let you use (shoot me a PM or give me a call). Definitely start hunting that bear ASAP before he starts to wander.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Pm me your number id like to talk to you


----------



## 10yearquest

Cool thread sw. Hey check out solvidfiy.com. pretty cool camera system. Inexpensive too. They have a bunch of YouTube vids that are fun to watch also.hope you get a bear.


----------



## dkhntrdstn

that a big o bear. good luck


----------



## outdoorser

Oh my heck! Thats so awesome. Good luck!!

p.s This has been a great thread. keep it up


----------



## Westernhunter

This is getting good!


----------



## elkhunterUT

Awesome Scott! That looks like a great bear and a definite shooter. Best of luck and if you need any help packing him out or packing in bait the rest of the month, let me know. 

Cory


----------



## JuddCT

Sweet


----------



## longbow

I saw the first pictures of the deer and coyote freeloading your bait and I thought, dang, SW has a bunch of democrat deer and coyotes glomming off his bait. Then I saw the bear pics and I thought "that's an awesome bear!" Shoot that bear SWBM!

I'm guessing close to 6', maybe a bit under. I'll officially guess 5'10".
Now you have to arrow this bear so we can verify. Any other guesses.....guys?


----------



## Elkoholic8

Scott, Good luck with this bear! He looks lice a nice chunky one.

Is this a LE tag or Harvest Objective area? Just curious because I have been considering getting into bear hunting, and the area I elk hunt is a HO area. Just wondering if those areas are really worth the time.


----------



## gdog

You can't bait with HO tags.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Le tag

I dont know anything about bear hunting. This is my first attempt. The thing that sucks is it will be awhile until I get another chance in utah and knowing now what I know I would have done a few things different.


----------



## Bears Butt

This is exciting! Go git that bad boy!


----------



## Elkoholic8

What's the reason you can't use bait on a HO unit? How else are you supposed to get them? I don't have or know anyone who has dogs, so does that mean I would have to hire a guide to hunt them?


----------



## swbuckmaster

Spot and stalk. If you know where to look you can find bears. Ive seen three bears this spring already. With the leaves coming on it will get harder though.


----------



## AF CYN

Looks like a big bear and he's hitting the bait during daylight! Good luck keeping your cool when that thing is 25 yards away and there's nothing between you and him, but a nylon ground blind!


----------



## swbuckmaster

I just hope I see any bear during legal hours 40 or less yards away. The rest will be on auto pilot if it does. Im seriously giving myself anxiety trying to figure out which bait to check what to bring, how much time I can take off work ect. 

Its the hardest hunt ive ever been on! At least with elk and deer I can find them and go after them. Bears are like hunting bigfoot. 

By the way the bear in my photo hasn't been back for four days. He sat on my pile for three days then left what gives.


----------



## elkmule123

Suck ... But that has been our luck as well. The bear that was coming into ours came for a week and a half, like clock work. Just after shootable hours and just before. Except for the last day when he came in at 6pm. Haven't seen anything since.


----------



## Critter

Someone has set up a better buffet down the hill from you. :EAT:


----------



## elkmule123

Yeah I'm starting to wonder that.


----------



## Sliverslinger

Haven't done it myself, but I have heard that if a bear runs out of bait that they will quickly loose interest and abandon the bait site. Really important to keep bait on the ground. Not sure if this is the case or not, but best of luck either way. It will happen.


----------



## elkmule123

This was the intent of the sucker, something that couldn't be consumed quickly or ran off with. We'll have to find something else to attache to the sucker so it doesn't walk off. I guess a hemp rope would work


----------



## Broadside_Shot

Sliverslinger said:


> Haven't done it myself, but I have heard that if a bear runs out of bait that they will quickly loose interest and abandon the bait site. Really important to keep bait on the ground. Not sure if this is the case or not, but best of luck either way. It will happen.


I found this to not be the case on my Bear Hunt in 2012. I think it cost me in my opinion a chance at the bear I wanted.

I had heard the same thing and hike in to stock my bait for fear of it running out and came around the corner and there he was sitting on my bait waiting for me to feed him. He ran off and I never saw him again once he new I was after him.

I left the trail camera up and from the day the bait went dry every other bear that was hitting it (4 different bears) all came back to check daily for 10 days to see if more food was coming.

This is what happened on my hunt on two different baits but doesn't mean it the norm.


----------



## swbuckmaster

I have 300lbs of all different kinds of bait at my piles. Oats with honey and syrup, donuts, choclate donuts, bread with grease, bread with molasses, bear crack, list goes on. It didnt run out of bait. 

Only thing I can figure is he went looking for sows at lower elevations. 

My baits are at 7,200-7600 ft. If I had to start over id never do a bait over 7,000 ft.


----------



## north slope

I have had many bears hit my bait and leave and never be seen again. However if this guy stayed for three days porking down I think he will be back. They never forget where they got a free meal. He just has other things on his mind. But after that... he will get hungry and be back.


----------



## Sliverslinger

Broadside_Shot said:


> I found this to not be the case on my Bear Hunt in 2012. I think it cost me in my opinion a chance at the bear I wanted.
> 
> I had heard the same thing and hike in to stock my bait for fear of it running out and came around the corner and there he was sitting on my bait waiting for me to feed him. He ran off and I never saw him again once he new I was after him.
> 
> I left the trail camera up and from the day the bait went dry every other bear that was hitting it (4 different bears) all came back to check daily for 10 days to see if more food was coming.
> 
> This is what happened on my hunt on two different baits but doesn't mean it the norm.


Broadshideshot, thanks for the good info. That is the pits that he did not come back! It is pretty obvious that the bruisers have been down this road before. Hope I can do it sometime soon! I'll have 7 pts next year so I'm hoping that I'm getting closer!!

SWBuckmaster-you have done the work and having spoken to you personally I'm confident that you will get it done. Thanks for the thread!


----------



## swbuckmaster

Hes back



















Hes been camped on the bait for 2 days now but he's only coming in at night


----------



## swbuckmaster

After changing the batteries in the camera and seeing that hes back I decided to sit in the stand till dark. About 15 minutes after I got in the stand I heard a stick snap. Im on full alert and can feel my heart beating. What is it?





I apologize for forgetting my hd camera. I left it home to charge what a mistake!


----------



## sagebrush

looks like a buck deer


----------



## swbuckmaster

Good eye! There were actually three little buck deer that stayed arround under my stand for 45 minutes. When they were about 20 yards south of my stand I heard another snap to the north and saw a hind leg of a bear sneaking in about 40 yards out. He was already down wind and was quieter than the deer. He smelled and saw the deer and it calmed him down. As he circled me he snuck up on the deer. They finally saw him at about 15 yards and ran off.


----------



## sagebrush

how come you're not sitting in your stand with your bow now.


----------



## swbuckmaster

After his blown stalk he focused his attention on my stand and circled closer.
First bear ive seen with tag in hand
This could get interesting.

First bear: 




As you can see hes close enough but on the wrong side of my stand for a shot. He walked all the way up to my tree and took a big sniff where my bear crack candy smelling back pack had laid earlier in the day while I crawled into the stand. The only problem now is my pack was hanging in the tree above my head and he wanted it.

Too close for comfort: 




Now im strapped to the tree with a harness. I cant turn to the south and do anything to protect myself. The bear is going to come up my tree and get my pack if I allow it. The last thing I want is for the bear to come into my stand with me tied to my tree with no way to defend myself so I move enough for him to see me and off he walks.


----------



## Critter

I'm surprised that he didn't come up and sit in your lap.


----------



## Dunkem

Wow is right!


----------



## gdog

So this was a bear you haven't seen on your trail cams prior?


----------



## martymcfly73

Pretty cool!!


----------



## Huntoholic

Thanks for sharing the adventure. I really look forward to this thread.

Best of luck filling that tag, you have earned it.......


----------



## archerben

Scott,

That's awesome that you finally saw a bear from the stand! Now that you've got multiple bears hitting, you can start to work on training them to get that big boar to come in during daylight. The weather is getting good and your baits are going to start heating up.

Also, a couple observations...I would highly suggest ditching the blue jeans for some camo pants, and also get a face mask on your face. I do everything I can to conceal myself on a bear stand.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Gdog he was a different bear. The big one has a hundred or more lbs on the one in the video


----------



## silentstalker

Keep at it Scott. Its just about to get good!


----------



## AF CYN

That was a beautiful bear on the video. Were you tempted to shoot or are you committed to the bigger one?


----------



## longbow

THAT was a cool bear! Blonde body with chocolate head and socks! It wasn't a big bear but what a neat color! Hold out for the big one for a while but if things don't pan out you can always shoot Blondie. Bears are so **** fun to hunt with a bow.

Where were your girls? Wouldn't that be cool if they were there to see that!


----------



## swbuckmaster

AF Tempted

Longbow this bait only has one stand. I can get another stand but lindsay surprised me with poor grades at school. I cant allow her to hunt with me until her grades come up. Makenzie is still young and hasn't been getting up for school on time when she stays out late with me. I may allow makenzie to come with on the weekends. Sucks to be me in this situation.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Smaller bears tracks in the snow


----------



## gdog

archerben said:


> Now that you've got multiple bears hitting, you can start to work on training them to get that big boar to come in during daylight.


How do you go about doing that?


----------



## Mr Muleskinner

that was a real nice bear SW. I have a smaller bear that is blonde and cinnamon on my wall and passed up bigger bears to take it. Whatever floats a persons boat. The next bear that I take will be primarily for meat. Since we already have a rug as well. Good luck.

Another note. My brother drew the San Juan bear tag at the expo and started his hunt this morning. He had planned on baiting but time has not allowed so they are after it with hounds right now. Last I had heard is that they had a big one treed a couple of hours ago. One of the first times that either of us has hunted without the other being there. Watching him drive off last night about killed me. To top it off the "must be present to bid" prebid meeting was cancelled this morning. I should have gone.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Gdod

Ben may have a few tricks but ive learned you can hope a sow comes into heat and brings it in early.

Or you start getting a few bears hitting your bait. The smaller bears will come in first. If there isn't much left to eat it will force the bigger bear to come in earlier. They know food was their even if another bear ate it. 

This is when packing bait gets hard.


----------



## archerben

> Or you start getting a few bears hitting your bait. The smaller bears will come in first. If there isn't much left to eat it will force the bigger bear to come in earlier.


 This


----------



## longbow

swbuckmaster said:


> AF Tempted
> 
> Longbow this bait only has one stand. I can get another stand but lindsay surprised me with poor grades at school. I cant allow her to hunt with me until her grades come up. Makenzie is still young and hasn't been getting up for school on time when she stays out late with me. I may allow makenzie to come with on the weekends. Sucks to be me in this situation.


As tough as it is for you, you're being a good parent. Good luck on your hunt.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Does anyone know what its like feeding 5 bears? I do now! It sucks!!! Good thing I got good friends with strong backs to help out. Im going to owe big time when its all said and done!

Both baits are getting hit so the work load just tripled. The first bait went through 200 plus pounds of bait in 4 days. The good news is I answered my own question if bears will eat wet soggy moldy bread "YUP"! Will they eat carp? Why yes they will! The bad news is its a sow and cubs doing the damage.


----------



## swbuckmaster




----------



## JuddCT

Cool


----------



## martymcfly73

Quite the herd.


----------



## Critter

You just need to stick a arrow into one of them and then you won't have to worry about the baits anymore.


----------



## Huntin8

That's awesome. Hopefully you will get one soon!


----------



## silentstalker

Wait a week or so and those adolescent bears will get run off and she will bring in a great big boar for ya!


----------



## swbuckmaster

time lapse of that bait for the last five days


----------



## ridgetop

swbuckmaster said:


> time lapse of that bait for the last five days


Pretty cool video.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Four hours of popping 50lbs popcorn and several miles of packing ahead. Hopefully it will be low calorie filler food compaired to what hes used to and force him to camp on the pile longer.


----------



## Bears Butt

This is the best series of posts in a very long time! Thanks for sharing the experience and Good Luck putting a stick into the big boy!


----------



## swbuckmaster

Ive been sitting on the stand about every other day. He is playing me pretty good right now. The wind is perfect every night because those bucks always come in and play arround under my stand. I think he is using the full moon to his advantage.

5/14 he came in at 9:05-10:00pm

5/15 he came in at 5:51 am and left 5:57 am

I was on the bait on 5/16 and left at 9:18. He came in at 12:18pm

I was on the bait tonight 5/18 and left at 9:10 pm

I may go pick up a bunch of sow poop from the other bait and place it arround his bait pile. Maybe that will make him check it earlier or more frequent.

He looks like hes gaining weight. I photo shopped the color so he stands out better

My kids and wife helped me pack in the popcorn today. I then changed clothes got in the stand and they hiked the .6 miles out and rode the 9 miles back to the truck by themselves and waited in the truck for me to finish hunting. The pop corn pile is about 3 feet thick.


----------



## longbow

Good Lord it's a popcorn-fest at the Buckmaster baitpile! "Folks, getcher popcorn! Getcher popcorn here! Don't forget to bring yer bear friends!" I bet your girls had a blast with popping all that bait.

Would ya kill a bear all ready?! You've got all of Utah Wildlife on the edge of our seats.


----------



## swbuckmaster

I thought I posted this last night. The big one is a night bear.


----------



## Huntoholic

I like your idea of getting poop from the other bait. Maybe if you could find a pee spot and bring that dirt, it might also help?


----------



## swbuckmaster

I decided to sit the ground blind tonight with my girls so they could possibly see the cubs. Turns out it was a good thing. When we arriaved at the bait it was destroyed. 200 lbs gone in two and a half days. I thought no way could those three eat that much. So we went through the card and some how I never turned it on from the last time we were there so no photos. So we climbed in the blind "blind". Half hour later I hear what sounds like an elk or moose snapping sticks behind my blind and I can hear it breathing. I cant turn arround because there's not enough room and its all closed up. Its about 6 feet away. When I heard it walk off I asked my daughter to take a peek out the blind. Im seriously thinking its a moose.

When she looked out the window I snapped this photo






she says "its a big carmel bear in a quiet non existent voice." Im thinking cubs. So I take a peak. Nope monster bear! As big a bear as the one on my other camera. Well the bear walks about 250 yards down the hill to a pond and jumps in like a fat man doing a cannon ball off the high dive. About thirty minutes later we catch a glimpse of another bear 80 yards in front of the blind pacing. We only got glimpses of it but it looks like a blond bear. Occasionally we would hear bears chasing each other but nothing would commit to the bait. Pretty dang cool! I totally screwed the pooch with being camera man and trail cam man so no other photos.
They are definatly hooked on bear hunting!


----------



## wasatchwillie

once the moon passes, he may come in earlier for you! I would try to place your bait in early morning too! Then go back in the evening! good luck! agreed, great post!


----------



## swbuckmaster

Hes hard to get to twice a day because it cost me $35 bucks in fuel and about 2.5-3 hours round trip. 

Nothing moved last night so I may sit the big guys stand tonight.


----------



## longbow

I love this picture of your daughter. We should have a caption contest. "Daaaaaad, l-l-look, a b-b-b-bear! [c-c-can't blink my eyes].



What kid in this world can go to school this morning and say they saw a couple bears last night? Just the Buckmaster girls. You're a hero Dad in my book.


----------



## swbuckmaster

up date
been hunting my butt off every day with help from too many people to count at this point. Did I say hiking in bait sucks! Ive lost 16-17 lbs so all is not bad news. 

At this point I think the bears have my play book! With a week and a half left I still hope I can pull it off but my number two bait has gone cold for some reason. My number one bait still has bears on it but the trail camera went dead and I kept forgetting to bring in batteries. It now has batteries so ill have an idea whats been going on when im not there. 

Ive got to keep thinking the glass is half full instead of half empty! My Mental game need work!


----------



## silentstalker

The last week is the very best Scott. Keep at it. Good luck!


----------



## wasatchwillie

I spent 7 days in a tree stand in quebec, Canada. my butt was so sore I could hardly walk. On the last day at the last minute just as I was about to climb down, I heard a twig snap! I hadn't seen a thing in 7 days!  Then like magic there he was! Its hard but you can do it! GOOD LUCK!!!


----------



## swbuckmaster

Sat all day in the blind and had a huge black bear show up. He came in behind me and I couldn't get a shot. He circled me for about a half hour sniffing the air. I cant believe how close it was but yet with a bow in hand it felt like a mile away. 

I decided to leave the video camera, stove and bear crack at home on this trip because I was shedding some lbs so I could carry more bait and extra clothes. Im sick of freezing all day. Now im kicking myself because I didnt get any footage. 

Howwver I finally have two cameras on this bait now. I cant go five days and not get a photo again of whats happening when im not there. Sitting at this blind for the last five days blind is torture.


----------



## wasatchwillie

sounds like he is wise to your blind! could you remove the blind and put up a ladder stand ? he would probably think you are gone!


----------



## swbuckmaster

I have a tree stand there but it was raining and I was cold and wet. Ill be sitting in the stand from here on out.


----------



## Bears Butt

I've said it before and I'll say it again...THIS is the best thread on this site...EVER! Keep at it! One more week to go! Don't give up! That bear is as good as hanging on your wall!


----------



## Lonetree

Broadside_Shot said:


> I found this to not be the case on my Bear Hunt in 2012. I think it cost me in my opinion a chance at the bear I wanted.
> 
> I had heard the same thing and hike in to stock my bait for fear of it running out and came around the corner and there he was sitting on my bait waiting for me to feed him. He ran off and I never saw him again once he new I was after him.
> 
> I left the trail camera up and from the day the bait went dry every other bear that was hitting it (4 different bears) all came back to check daily for 10 days to see if more food was coming.
> 
> This is what happened on my hunt on two different baits but doesn't mean it the norm.


We conducted a multi-year trail cam study with black bears several year sago. These were conducted in several locations in Idaho, and Canada. We never used that much bait, lots of odor, and things that stick around like syrup, and suckers, etc. Mostly, do to budget constraints, we used dog food though. One of the sites that got used in Canada, was a viewing area, where they would bait bears, for people to photograph. They put people in blinds, and when they put bait out, they would use a blinded vehicle. They came and went the same way. Granted these bears are accustom to being fed. They would get fed about once a week. But bears would come and go all the time. In Idaho, the biologist only put bait out once a week, and it never lasted, but the bears still came in. We were testing bear deterrents, and when a bear had a negative experience, from a device, they would avoid it, and sometimes leave the area for good. But the couple of times that bears got bounced by people checking cameras, or setting baits, or had the combination of a negative experience with a device, in the presence of a person, they would many times not come back. When they did, it was usually after an extended period of time.

Good luck! SW


----------



## swbuckmaster

These photos were taken today and yesterday

No wonder im having a heck of a time keeping bait at this location. I have three different shooter boars hitting my bait one sow and two full grown cubs. One of the boars is not on the camera but I saw it last night. Its a big coal black bear like the sow but larger. The big brown bear is the one that came in to 6 feet behind my blind when my daughter looked at it through the window. The light one with the brow legs also came in that night with my kids in the blind. 

Its good to have cameras working now. I actually have two at this bait on two different trees. 

wish me luck ill be in the tree stand all day tomorrow


----------



## silentstalker

The action is heating up! Keep at it as one of them is bound to come by as the competition is getting high with all those bears! I will be awaiting the news!


----------



## swbuckmaster

If I actually get a bear it will be icing but its already been a heck of a ride ill never forget. To bad the opportunity only comes once every 20 years in Utah now.


----------



## Mr Muleskinner

Right across the border in Idaho you can go every year and it is not too pricey. We head up there just a couple of days before the hunt and have bears coming in within a day or so. A week bear hunting with the kids is about as good as it gets for sure.


----------



## JuddCT

My Idaho bear hunt with my father and brothers is still one of the best hunts we have done.


----------



## t_boneking

SW, have you gone into your stand and had someone else stay on the ground and bait your station and do a bacon or molasses burn and then leave? I had my dad do this and as he left he mad plenty of noise. The bears thought we had all left and they came running. This can sometimes be a good way to bring the bears in a bit earlier. Just an idea.


----------



## Broadside_Shot

I know somthing about this hunt....


----------



## swbuckmaster

Well it was successful but I need to write it up so I can do it justice.


----------



## JuddCT

Great job! Hopefully your girls were there?


----------



## JuddCT

Great thread. I know whose brain to pick when I finally draw.


----------



## outdoorser

Sweet!! can't wait to see all the pics and the story.


----------



## silentstalker

Show them the money shot Scott!


----------



## swbuckmaster

Its a boar lol


----------



## elkmule123

Congratulations!!!


----------



## Dunkem

Nice:!:Great Post.


----------



## wasatchwillie

awesome!!!!!! cant wait to see the pics and read the story! congrats!


----------



## Finnegan

Atta boy, Scott!


----------



## nateysmith

Nice work!


----------



## longbow

Congrats on a fine bear!!!

I'm going to guess he's about 5'6". I measured the width of my thumbnail at 5/8ths wide. Your thumbnail spans your bear's front pad 6.5 times so 6.5x.625 = 4.06. Add an inch and convert it to feet and your have roughly a 5+ foot bear. How close did I come?



swbuckmaster said:


> Well it was successful but I need to write it up so I can do it justice.
> 
> View attachment 33634


----------



## Huntoholic

Congrats and job well done..............


----------



## ut1031

Well done Scott.....a lifetime of memories for all involved!


----------



## dkhntrdstn

awesome congrats


----------



## Firehawk

Congratulations! It has been fun to come along on your adventure. I look forward to hearing "The Rest of the Story".

FH


----------



## swbuckmaster

I know I've said it at least once before but this was the hardest hunt I've ever been on in my life. It was also the most expensive. I've had every Monday and a half day off on Fridays since the first week of April. I was also getting off work an hour early almost every day. I used up a lot of vacation days! The Mondays I took off were days without pay. So bear hunting the way i did it was very expensive! The fuel on my 2nd bait cost me $35 bucks every trip then throw in Sterno's, pack able propane, honey, syrup, anise oil, liquid smoke ect and it adds up fast. The bulk of my bait was cheep and I could get it for 15 bucks a truck load. I used two full truck loads of bait. My trips to my number one bait site were close to a mile one way and up hill. I hated hiking in to this area and had a name for it but I cant say what I called it because Huge will ban me lol.

When I was finally able to get to my second bait it was much easier and got the first action. It was only about 600 yards up hill from a 4 wheeler trail. The bonus was this bait had a big bear hitting it. But as soon as I started hunting that stand he wised up to my mistakes and became a night bear. He would also disappear for days at a time. All the time I was hunting bait number two I still had to keep bait number one stocked. Bait number one was the bait with the sow and two full grown cubs. That trio nearly killed me trying to feed them. Neither was a bear I wanted to take so I elected to waste an evening and pack food in then hunt the other stand every other day. I hunted or packed bait for nearly a month and a half and ended up loosing 16 lbs.

So what I learned is bears will eat anything the cheaper the better. Pick a canyon to put your baits in and hopefully its down hill. Packing bait up hill sucks! Also put your bait in the canyon as close to the bottom as possible. You want the thermal winds to push your scent up hill or down hill every day. Don't do what I did and put your bait on the top of a hill.. You want to advertise your bait with scent. If its on top of a hill no amount of fancy "scent" advertising will get the bears to your spot until you get lucky with one bear and he tells his friends about it. location is the key to any bait! I would give myself a c+ in this department only because I got a bear if I had a redo Id things way different.

Now after all that introduction I can get on with my hunt. As you know if you've read this thread I had a problem with my trail camera on bait number one. I new the sows were hitting it and actually saw two boars with my kids but the day after that my bait went cold. It took me 6 days to get cameras working. long story but when your already packing piles of bait batteries are the last thing you remember when your flying out the door. I then had a bad set of batteries that were brand new out of the box. So I bought a new camera and extra batteries to run them both.

This brings me to Sunday. I don't hunt on Sundays but felt I still needed to keep them fed so I hiked in with my wife and girls and refreshed the bait and checked both cameras. We saw bears hitting it mostly at night and early in the morning. They were avoiding the evenings because that's when I had been hunting it. Soon as I saw that info I decided to hit the stand before light and possibly risk blowing the bears off the bait. I felt it was a good risk and it did pay off.

I went to bed at 1-1:30 am in the morning and awoke at 3:30 am packed the truck and hit the trail. I was in the stand at first light. I watched a few deer come and go but no bears. I new they'd been there from the night before because my bait was gone but I forgot to bring my trail cam reader so I didn't even look at the camera photos. After a few hours in the stand I actually caught myself falling asleep so I climbed down and got in the blind for a nap. I figured the bears may have heard me come in and could be in for a long day. As I slept I was still aware of my surroundings some how. I could still hear birds chirping ect. I actually woke up to the sound of a small bear eating. Here are two small clips of him. 








Sorry about the footage every night I took in my good hd camera nothing came in and every time I left it home bears came in and I was forced to use my cell phone. It also didn't help I was amped up and was shaking from even thinking about shooting it. I decided to pass knowing it might be the last bear I see on my hunt. Now after the little bear left I decided to go back to bed. As soon as I got comfortable I heard a stick snap. I looked out the crack in the blind and saw hair. It looked like the smaller bear was back. I opened the crack further and this time I could tell it was a big bear. I cant even tell you how I felt at this time except I had buck fever more then I've ever had it shooting at bucks. The bear came in and laid down in the pile but didn't act like he was hungry. He acted like something wasn't right. So I didn't even consider getting any video. I was in kill mode. The only problem was I had to open the window in my blind and set up my seat for the shot. At 15 yards the bear could hear me if I made a mistake. Luckily I had prepared for this over and over on the off days and I raised my bow so I didn't hit my arrow or cam on anything. I put my back tension release on the string and the bear stood up. It was like he could tell something wasn't right. He turned and started walking away and I drew my bow. He heard me draw and heard my back tension release go click. He made his final mistake by turning broadside to me at roughly 16 yards. By the time he new what was up my arrow was already on its way and I watched my vanes completely pass through hes his chest. I new at that moment my hunt was over and all I had to do is get the people that have helped me along the way to help me with one more task. Finding the bear! As i watched the bear run out of sight I shot this video. 




I reluctantly post that video because its personal and I have never felt this way about any hunt I've ever done. I was so caught up in the moment I could hardly talk. I couldn't help but be great full of all the help I had received to this point. I know I couldn't have done this hunt without all the help I had hanging tree stands, packing loads of weight with 4-5 guys on the weekends. I new I couldn't have done this hunt without my wife's total support. She let me and my kids hunt every day for a month and a half. Our house is a complete mess and my yard was a complete mess. In fact my grass was so tall my mother came over and it took her a complete day to mow it 4 or 5 times. She even weeded my bushes. Last but not least I was emotional because I had taken my kids along for the whole ride and they had to be with me for the track job. Everyone that had helped had to be there for the track job. So without looking for my arrow or looking for a blood trail I opened up the blind and ran down the mountain where I could get cell service and started sending texts and calling phones. Next thing I new I had about 20 people coming to help. When I took them to where the bear had stood we started looking for blood. Nothing! We looked for the arrow. Noting! They started questioning if I had hit the bear. I was almost in shock at this point. I couldn't even tell them where the bear had ran off. So we split up and started combing the area for any clues and My youngest daughter yelled out "He's right here dad". The bear had only gone 50 yards or less.


----------



## silentstalker

Right on Scott. Im getting goosebumps reading your story as real and raw as it gets! Congrats again!


----------



## swbuckmaster

This isn't all the photos im going to post its just a few of the good ones I have on my cell phone. I plan on posting the group photo "possy photo" and I plan on posting the final trail camera photos. Im interested in seeing if the arrow was captured in flight.


----------



## Springville Shooter

Frickin Schweeet! Congrats SW! --------SS


----------



## gdog

Outstanding! Thanks for letting us tag along!


----------



## Fowlmouth

Congratulations! Thanks for making the month of May not so boring.


----------



## Huntin8

Congratulations! It has been fun following your hunt!


----------



## martymcfly73

Congrats!!


----------



## archerben

swbuckmaster said:


> I know I've said it at least once before but this was the hardest hunt I've ever been on in my life. It was also the most expensive.


Congratulations Scott! Bear hunting takes lots of hard work and dedication. I like to call bear hunting the hunt that ten dollars you to death. Ten dollars here, ten dollars there, doesn't seem like much til you start adding it up.


----------



## longbow

Outstanding!! Congrats.


----------



## ARCHER11

Big congrats!! I used to think hunting over bait was gay but after following your story and hearing the work that it requires from friends I have major respect for people who are able to make it happen over bait. Congrats on a hard earned bear and thanks for sharing the highs and lows with us!


----------



## Mtnbeer

Outstanding. It definitely has been fun following your hunt and what a great ending. That's a great looking bear. I love his blonde mane.


----------



## Sawbillslayer

Now what am I going to look forward to? Congrats, what a great story.


----------



## AF CYN

Wow! Great story. Thanks for sharing the highs and lows. I've been looking forward to drawing this tag. I'm grateful for the insights and reality check you've provided. I really like the color of the bear. Nice job.


----------



## Westernhunter

Nice, Thanks for taking me along.


----------



## dkhntrdstn

congrats on a very nice bear there man. I cant wait tell i get my tag.


----------



## 2litl2l8

Awesome, I have been following along. I loved following you on this hunt. Love the picture of your daughter looking out the blind, perfect timing on your part!!!


----------



## elkhunterUT

Congrats Scott on a great bear and adventure!! You obviously put the time and work in and you deserved to kill a nice bear. I love the color on him.


----------



## Bears Butt

Way to go! Congratulations! Great end of story video as well! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## 12many

What a cool thread, I have been following since you started what a chore it has been for you and the family, it all paid off big time with the stories that you have told and the memories the family can share for a lifetime. congrats


----------



## adamsoa

Nice


----------



## Elkoholic8

AWESOME!!!

That first picture with the three of you, the bear looks small. But the pics of you and the bear makes him look a lot bigger. I guess that's why it's hard to judge the size of a bear.

He will make a great looking rug, and an excellent lifetime memory.


----------



## NHS

Awesome! It has been fun to follow Scott. Congrats on a well-deserved trophy.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Goob inspired me with his rat recipes. So I had to pack my bear meat off the hill. Glad I did! Its better than deer and elk! Tastes like beef! There is absolutely no strong odor associated with it in fact its almost odor less in the raw form. It smells like a regular beef when cooking. It has a cool color and texture.

The steaks I cooked I cooked longer than I would deer because they say bear meat needs to be thoroughly cooked. The steaks were very good! 

I also packaged and froze roasts, steaks and canned 8 quarts of meat. I even rendered the fat and ate a few of the crispy cooked fat pieces. It tastes kind of like baccon. 

Its a shame people leave the meat to rot imho. Id leave an elk before id leave bear meat. Its that good!


----------



## Mr Muleskinner

swbuckmaster said:


> Goob inspired me with his rat recipes. So I had to pack my bear meat off the hill. Glad I did! Its better than deer and elk! Tastes like beef! There is absolutely no strong odor associated with it in fact its almost odor less in the raw form. It smells like a regular beef when cooking. It has a cool color and texture.
> 
> The steaks I cooked I cooked longer than I would deer because they say bear meat needs to be thoroughly cooked. The steaks were very good!
> 
> I also packaged and froze roasts, steaks and canned 8 quarts of meat. I even rendered the fat and ate a few of the crispy cooked fat pieces. It tastes kind of like baccon.
> 
> Its a shame people leave the meat to rot imho. Id leave an elk before id leave bear meat. Its that good!


Agreed. It is probably my favorite game meat.


----------



## nateysmith

Mr Muleskinner said:


> Agreed. It is probably my favorite game meat.


This is good information to have. I have tried to find out from people how bear tastes. I cannot wait until I have a chance to draw a bear tag. Thanks for the great story for us to follow while waiting for our other hunting season to come around.


----------



## JuddCT

Was there a lot of ticks on the bear? Our 
bears from Idaho had a lot!


----------



## swbuckmaster

No and that surprised me because all the deer I shoot are covered with them


----------



## Packout

Great story and bear. It shows just what can be involved with this kind of hunt. I enjoyed your descriptions and involvement with the family. Well done, Scott.


----------



## BerryNut

What a great thread to follow. It made us all feel like we were a part of the hunt and to see the fruits of your labor pay off was icing on the cake.


----------



## BMCBryce

Thank you for putting this all together. This was in fact the best thread that I have seen in years. I am very happy for you and your success. Well done.

Bryce


----------



## goofy elk

You did well SW !!!


----------



## hawkeye

Scott, congratulations on an awesome bear and the experience of a lifetime. I loved following this thread because it felt like I was along with you for many of your trips. I also enjoyed how you got your wife and daughters involved. Now you are ready to chase deer on the Wasatch since you have shed a few pounds. Congrats!

Hawkeye


----------



## swbuckmaster

Thanks! 
Except this year I dont have a wasatch tag. 
I get to set up my window bow and drive arround on a wheeler chasing deer on the san juan le unit. This is a dream season for me! My wife also has a deseret buck antelope tag.

Im going to try and go big or go home on the san juan. If I cant find anything better than what ive already taken im going to gift the tag to my oldest daughter and let her shoot one.

Ill do the same type of post for my le deer this year.


----------



## swbuckmaster

Here is my clip. Since I failed at the video part Ill let my trail camera tell the story. Hope it plays.






The big black bear on my other bait ended up bring a friend in and was huntable. Silentstalker was correct the hunt gets better with time as long as your body can hold up packing in the bait.

Here are a few photos off that camera.


----------



## elkmule123

Nice video, thanks for sharing. Congrats on the bear again.


----------



## RandomElk16

Wow SW... Pretty cool photo's to show just how many great creatures live in one place. If I was that bear, I would have used the marshmallows as dipping sauce for those turkeys


----------



## silentstalker

Nice Scott. Fun to see all the wildlife up there.


----------



## Dunkem

Thanks SW, havin had a bad back for thelast while(you dont try and dead lift a 650lb Harley)Ihavent been out,so the pictures are nice to see


----------



## 12many

what a cool thread thanks for keeping us all on the edge of our seats and finally with the Video, wow those little bears can eat what a cool hunt, vid, story thanks for sharing


----------

