ULTIMATE Bear Bait Thread!

[wildwoods]

Well folks it’s that time again. Might be a good distraction from all the craziness of our planet these days. I am unsure of my sources this year due to this pandemic. I will follow up and update as I know more.

With more and more folks feeing the financial pinch, let’s try and help each other source cheap and free bait sources.

Feel free to post what you have.

As always, there will be new baiters this year. Let’s add tips for those inexperienced so they can be successful. We are a fraternity and always looking to help people get in on a really fun time. It’s great to start the hunting season early and kick the cabin fever.

I’ll add a few tips: don’t be discouraged when you fire up a new bait. It may take a couple years to get it established. When it does, it should start producing nicely. Google maps satellite is your friend. Spring bears like water sources for a nice drink after they feed. Find water in a low “traffic” area where re-baiting access is relatively easy (bears can eat a lot).

Stay safe and have fun. I’ll start another thread for target bear trail cam photos.

[Bigjohn87]

Picked up my first bait barrel yesterday and a 50 lb bag of Purina dog chow for free of Kijiji last night from a guy name Braedon, so if he is on here thank you.

Then today I picked up 100 lbs of cookie dough pellets in Red deer off of a Jim from Kijiji, so if he is here thank you

I figure I willl pick up a a Turkey fryer from the Canadian tire outdoor store and fill the rest in with popcorn and strawberry jello powder.

Should I chain the barrel to the tree tight so it can’t be moved? Or should I do it loose so he can roll it back and forth a bit?

Should I put logs all around it and on top or not even bother?

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Bigjohn87

Picked up my first bait barrel yesterday and a 50 lb bag of Purina dog chow for free of Kijiji last night from a guy name Braedon, so if he is on here thank you.

Then today I picked up 100 lbs of cookie dough pellets in Red deer off of a Jim from Kijiji, so if he is here thank you

I figure I willl pick up a a Turkey fryer from the Canadian tire outdoor store and fill the rest in with popcorn and strawberry jello powder.

Should I chain the barrel to the tree tight so it can’t be moved? Or should I do it loose so he can roll it back and forth a bit?

Should I put logs all around it and on top or not even bother?

You're on the right track.
For barrels with popcorn, being able to roll it around with one small hole is a bait saver. Most of my barrels get ratchet strapped to a thick tree with a small hole cut for access.
Restaurants will typically be more than willing to give you waste grease. Pour that all over your bait and on the ground by the barrels. It will leave a "scent trail" for other bears to follow- straight to your bait site.
Another barrel trick is to suspend a drum from above with a rope at a height that only a mature bear could reach. Again a small hole with popcorn is key here. They have to bat the barrel from below to release their prize. Again, just a good way to save bait.

[Jays toyz]

I made like 50 pounds of popcorn and candy popcorn last year and everything went to crap and I couldn't get out to bait. I'm gonna try and feed it to the bears. Year old popcorn still likely to bring in bears?

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Bigjohn87

Picked up my first bait barrel yesterday and a 50 lb bag of Purina dog chow for free of Kijiji last night from a guy name Braedon, so if he is on here thank you.

Then today I picked up 100 lbs of cookie dough pellets in Red deer off of a Jim from Kijiji, so if he is here thank you

I figure I willl pick up a a Turkey fryer from the Canadian tire outdoor store and fill the rest in with popcorn and strawberry jello powder.

Should I chain the barrel to the tree tight so it can’t be moved? Or should I do it loose so he can roll it back and forth a bit?

Should I put logs all around it and on top or not even bother?

Might have to put a lock on it to keep out hoarders. Amazing what people are caching away.

Grizz

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Jays toyz

I made like 50 pounds of popcorn and candy popcorn last year and everything went to crap and I couldn't get out to bait. I'm gonna try and feed it to the bears. Year old popcorn still likely to bring in bears?

Yes 100%

[Grizzly Adams]

I've always been a confirmed meat fan. Nothing like a good rotten smell to draw feathered scavengers , which in turn attract bears.

Grizz

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

I've always been a confirmed meat fan. Nothing like a good rotten smell to draw feathered scavengers , which in turn attract bears.

Grizz

Agree.

Recipe:
5 gal pail
Burlap sack
Beaver carcass
Rope
Wire

Throw the beaver into a burlap sack. Tie the end of the sack closed with wire. Cut a slot in the bottom of the bucket and pull the burlap thru the bottom of the cut pail. Tie the end of the burlap that’s coming thru the pail and hang from a limb, out of reach from bears.

What you should have is a beaver carcass in a burlap sack with a 5 gal pail upside down over the beaver to keep the birds from landing on it. This is the ultimate scent bomb. The carcass will absolutely wreak and draw bears in from a long ways. It also will drip castor and blood thru the burlap and accumulate on the ground for added flavour. Very effective.

[Sportsman]

I will have 5 gallon pales (with lids) of fryer grease that I will trade for oats, dog food or something similar.

[Bigjohn87]

I’m heading out this weekend to look for a spot north of fort Mac. Will set it up the following weekend,

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Bigjohn87

I’m heading out this weekend to look for a spot north of fort Mac. Will set it up the following weekend,

Good show. Let google maps help you first. Identify a few areas to maximize time in the field. Find a water source and you’ll find bears.

[Bigjohn87]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

Good show. Let google maps help you first. Identify a few areas to maximize time in the field. Find a water source and you’ll find bears.

I should stay out of open areas right? Like a cut block in the bush would not be the place to go?

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Bigjohn87

I should stay out of open areas right? Like a cut block in the bush would not be the place to go?

I’ve had success on the edge of a cut block. I’m sure some other guys will chime in. I would not be focussing on a cut block but rather in the more secluded areas off the beaten track a little bit. But a set up at the edge wouldn’t hurt. It just wouldn’t be my go-to strategy for every bait. Don’t overthink it too much. I love water sources such as ponds and small lakes as they like to take a drink after a big feeding session. High vehicle traffic on a lease road I would avoid too. Focus more on the little goat trails that spur off the main gravel roads. Sometimes it takes a couple years to establish a site. Bears have good memories and you can watch generations come back year by year to feed at your bait. Don’t get discouraged. Sometimes moving a bait a mere km or 2 will change everything.

Ps Guys: make sure you have good signage and clean up your sites. Don’t leave garbage everywhere as it definitely does not help our cause in the long term. Be respectful and consider we aren’t the only ones tromping through the bush

[Popcan]

Originally Posted by Bigjohn87

I should stay out of open areas right? Like a cut block in the bush would not be the place to go?

I've got a set up an hour south of town. 500 yd walk in. Anything bigger than a back pack you can use a wheelbarrow or a 2 wheeler. Quite a few bears & wolves lurking around. Got 2 nice cinnamon there last trip. The trick to this place is to keep your yap shut & there will be many great memories ahead of you. If your interested I'll send you the coordiinates.

[Bigjohn87]

Originally Posted by Popcan

I've got a set up an hour south of town. 500 yd walk in. Anything bigger than a back pack you can use a wheelbarrow or a 2 wheeler. Quite a few bears & wolves lurking around. Got 2 nice cinnamon there last trip. The trick to this place is to keep your yap shut & there will be many great memories ahead of you. If your interested I'll send you the coordiinates.

PM sent

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Popcan

I've got a set up an hour south of town. 500 yd walk in. Anything bigger than a back pack you can use a wheelbarrow or a 2 wheeler. Quite a few bears & wolves lurking around. Got 2 nice cinnamon there last trip. The trick to this place is to keep your yap shut & there will be many great memories ahead of you. If your interested I'll send you the coordiinates.

Now that's an offer and a half. Good work Popcan! Are you baiting bear this spring?

[Sportsman]

Reviving this thread for spring 2021.

I have lots of 5 gallon pales of KFC grease to trade for oats, jello powder, icing sugar or dog food.

[Rather Be Hunting]

That KFC grease might even have me attracted in
Best of luck to all this season
RBH

[nimrod]

I have 6 or 7 jars like the pasta sauce come in, of beacon grease, free pick up camrose area

[rena0040]

Hopefully by ice out I'll have a few buckets of perch out of Sundance. Anyone willing to pick up are welcome to

[tex92]

I was just about to start a post asking for any leads on cheap bait around Edmonton area, then I saw this one. I haven't baited in a few years. Going to look for a spot this week and clear and set up very soon. I will be using jello powder, cracked corn, dog food and some of that store bought "bear jam" would love to get my hands on some old cooking grease and maybe a bearver or two a little later and closer to season opener. If anyone has a lead on any and is will to share that would be great.

[wildwoods]

Just changed the thread title. Then we can keep it rolling annually and have older resources posted right at our fingertips.
5 deg today. Spring is just around the corner and a lot of is are thinking about bears!

For anyone looking for grease: just about every restaurant will let you ladle it out of their grease traps. All you need to do is ask

[SouthWestRanger]

I’ve got a garbage bag full of dog food just outside Calgary, free if you come pick it up. Have another bag full of scraps from a butchered Steer.

[nimrod]

Id your starting to set up the bait site, start with meat scraps, when they start to decompose the bears need this to remove there butt plug, then they look for the dog food popcorn stuff like that, when Was baiting bears, I bought a truck load of past due bread, add cool aid to it and the bears loved it, and also beavers hung out of reach keeps them coming back to try to get the beaver, this was great to watch when hunting bears.

[TrapperMike]

I have beavers and bait pails for sale. Send me a pm.

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by nimrod

Id your starting to set up the bait site, start with meat scraps, when they start to decompose the bears need this to remove there butt plug, then they look for the dog food popcorn stuff like that, when Was baiting bears, I bought a truck load of past due bread, add cool aid to it and the bears loved it, and also beavers hung out of reach keeps them coming back to try to get the beaver, this was great to watch when hunting bears.

Agree with the beavers. Hang them in a burlap sack in an upside down 5 gal pail (to keep the birds off). Works really good. Just drips those castors to the ground and you also get good photos of bears standing up to try and reach the beaver. Gives you a good look at your target bears height

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by TrapperMike

I have beavers and bait pails for sale. Send me a pm.

Wow do you ever!

[Sportsman]

I have KFC grease in 5 gallon pails with lids. Will trade for Old Roy, oats or beavers.

[gray7mag]

Got the barrels out early! Going to hang stands later this week. There was a lot of snow but it was sure nice to drag the sled through while there was still snow on the ground. Set up one barrel ratchet strapped to a tree and the roller barrel is chained. Everything will be ready to go when its time to add bait.





I have a five gallon bucket of bacon grease if anyone in the Edmonton/Sherwood Park area wants to trade for beavers?

[Trapperdylan]

Beavers and stink pails for sale in Wembley.

PM me