First Year Bear Hunting.

[The Bit Runner.]

If You Got Bears Coming To Your Bait,Will They Continue Coming If The Food Does Not Run Out?If It Does Run Out How Many Days Do You Have Before They Wonder Off And Dont Come Back?Are The Big Bores Just Like Big Whiteys,Do They Come Out Just B-4 Dark?Are Bears Easy To Pattern For When They Come To The Grub?How Many Hrs B-4 Dark Should You Be In Your Stand?Any Info Is Greatly Appreciated.I Hope To Get A P&Y The First Year.What Is The Proper Way To Measure The Skull?Thanks Guys!!!!

[zenstalker]

greatest length plus greatest width of cleaned skull....if they smell it they will come, esp. if they have already hit it.

[Albertabowhunter]

what is the P&Y min for bear?

[The Bit Runner.]

Originally Posted by zenstalker

greatest length plus greatest width of cleaned skull....if they smell it they will come, esp. if they have already hit it.

Thanks!!!

[SugarCreek]

P&Y minimum is 18".

Bit Runner, there are lots of thoughts about what happens if your bait runs dry and if big boars come in after dark. There are lots of factors that determine what may happen but I have definately seen big bears (400-500lb) come in to a bait site in the last two hours of the evening hunt. Unless you have a trail timer camera that lets you take photos after dark, you won't know what is coming in after dark. A couple of years ago, I used a trail timer camera for the first time bear hunting and we had bears come in at 5 am, 6 am, 10 am, 12pm, all hours of the afternoon and into the evening. Many were the same bears coming back in for "snacks" throughout a 24 hour period. It was a real eye opener for me as I always believed that you needed to get into your stand in the early evening to do your hunt when in reality, you could spend the full day there and see bears. With respect to patterning bears, it can be done. I've had a big black sow and her two cubs come into a bait a few years back at 8:00pm every night......like clock work. Other bears would come in, it seemed, on their turn. It was pretty neat and fun to take a fella in that night that had never shot a bear and predict when the bear I felt he would like to take would come in. Sure enough, like clock work, the parade started and he took his first bear that night. One of the things that made that situation happen was the fact that we had between 8-10 bears working that bait that we knew of and the competition was pretty stiff. Other baits that don't have much competition, may be sporatic and you may see the same bear come in at different times each night.....nothing is pushing him to "get in line" for some grub. One thing that I found that worked well is to not bait heavily. If there is lots of food in the barrel, the bears can come and go as they please as it is like a buffet. If there is limited food in the barrel, they need to come in to make sure they actually get some food. You will increase the competition amoungst bears that way. It's a good way to have a buddy come in to bait with you.....you go up a tree, he does the baiting and banging of buckets and then leave. The bear thinks that the food has arrived and better get in to get some and quite often will come in shortly after the baiter leaves. On some of our baits, the least amount of noise that we have made has brought the bears in even before we could either get up into the stand or leave the bait site. It certainly makes it exciting.

Good luck on your bear hunting quest.....hope you get a P&Y bear but remember, any bear that you take ethically is a trophy in its own right no matter the size. My first bear was a P&Y bear ( I had no idea what I had shot and I would have been thrilled with a 4 footer) and every bear since has been smaller....but it doesn't matter. My hunt is for the memories, the times with hunting partners and the experience and the thrill of the hunt. Have fun

Marco

[The Bit Runner.]

Originally Posted by SugarCreek

P&Y minimum is 18".

Bit Runner, there are lots of thoughts about what happens if your bait runs dry and if big boars come in after dark. There are lots of factors that determine what may happen but I have definately seen big bears (400-500lb) come in to a bait site in the last two hours of the evening hunt. Unless you have a trail timer camera that lets you take photos after dark, you won't know what is coming in after dark. A couple of years ago, I used a trail timer camera for the first time bear hunting and we had bears come in at 5 am, 6 am, 10 am, 12pm, all hours of the afternoon and into the evening. Many were the same bears coming back in for "snacks" throughout a 24 hour period. It was a real eye opener for me as I always believed that you needed to get into your stand in the early evening to do your hunt when in reality, you could spend the full day there and see bears. With respect to patterning bears, it can be done. I've had a big black sow and her two cubs come into a bait a few years back at 8:00pm every night......like clock work. Other bears would come in, it seemed, on their turn. It was pretty neat and fun to take a fella in that night that had never shot a bear and predict when the bear I felt he would like to take would come in. Sure enough, like clock work, the parade started and he took his first bear that night. One of the things that made that situation happen was the fact that we had between 8-10 bears working that bait that we knew of and the competition was pretty stiff. Other baits that don't have much competition, may be sporatic and you may see the same bear come in at different times each night.....nothing is pushing him to "get in line" for some grub. One thing that I found that worked well is to not bait heavily. If there is lots of food in the barrel, the bears can come and go as they please as it is like a buffet. If there is limited food in the barrel, they need to come in to make sure they actually get some food. You will increase the competition amoungst bears that way. It's a good way to have a buddy come in to bait with you.....you go up a tree, he does the baiting and banging of buckets and then leave. The bear thinks that the food has arrived and better get in to get some and quite often will come in shortly after the baiter leaves. On some of our baits, the least amount of noise that we have made has brought the bears in even before we could either get up into the stand or leave the bait site. It certainly makes it exciting.

Good luck on your bear hunting quest.....hope you get a P&Y bear but remember, any bear that you take ethically is a trophy in its own right no matter the size. My first bear was a P&Y bear ( I had no idea what I had shot and I would have been thrilled with a 4 footer) and every bear since has been smaller....but it doesn't matter. My hunt is for the memories, the times with hunting partners and the experience and the thrill of the hunt. Have fun

Marco

Thank You Very,Very Much For All Your Info And Time,You Have Been Very Helpful.The First One That Comes In And Looks Good Is Going To Get Er.
And That Will Be Memorie Number1.I Will Keep You Posted.

[SugarCreek]

Good luck Bit Runner........you will really enjoy yourself and start to get some bear hunting knowledge and experience from just getting out there and doing it........maybe even making a few mistakes......but you will be the wiser for it next time.

Marco