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Old 02-05-2015, 11:17 AM
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Default Time to talk BEAR!!!

With only 54 Sleeps until Spring Bear season its just around the corner and coming quickly!!!
[only 28 days in Feb this year]

Who all is heading out this year...Bait, Stalk?
Who needs a bear hunting partner?
Who needs help?

I am available to help out on bait stations, just for the adventure...by help out I mean if one has an area, I can come up and help establish bear stations...I have an uncanny ability to pick out good stations...have guided and bowhunted for bear forever and have been lucky enough to take several dozen with the bow over the years...
Don't need a bear!...just willing to help out, share some muscle and knowledge for decent camp food and adventure...lol

Neil
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Old 02-05-2015, 12:53 PM
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A Bowhunters Dream!!


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Old 02-05-2015, 03:42 PM
muzzy muzzy is offline
 
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I'm going out and I'm like you Neil I don't need another bear have shot 23 with bow. I owned a bear outfitting business in Manitoba for 7 yrs, Wilderness Bear Guides, that was very successful, and had TV shows and hunting mag editors up hunting. Nowadays I take out a newbie bowhunter or newbie bear hunter each year to intro them to sport. Last five years everyone has gotten a bear. I'm like you I can pick spots that bears just come too in fact every bait Ive put out has been productive. This year I am taking out a young lady ,16yrs and new to bowhunting on her first hunt for bears and also have a couple others that have never gotten a bear on the waiting list. Three of the five bears have been nice cinnamons.

Gord
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Old 02-05-2015, 03:50 PM
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I'm going out and I'm like you Neil I don't need another bear have shot 23 with bow. I owned a bear outfitting business in Manitoba for 7 yrs, Wilderness Bear Guides, that was very successful, and had TV shows and hunting mag editors up hunting. Nowadays I take out a newbie bowhunter or newbie bear hunter each year to intro them to sport. Last five years everyone has gotten a bear. I'm like you I can pick spots that bears just come too in fact every bait Ive put out has been productive. This year I am taking out a young lady ,16yrs and new to bowhunting on her first hunt for bears and also have a couple others that have never gotten a bear on the waiting list. Three of the five bears have been nice cinnamons.

Gord
Outstanding Gord....hats off to ya!!!

Neil
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Old 02-05-2015, 04:01 PM
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Im not a bear hunter although I have shot one with a rifle two years back.

I have stumbled on some high bear densities and seen a few whoppers well elk hunting .......if elk didn't taste so good I would have plugged a huge chocolate that walked down the side of a ravine at about 30 yards but I passed and for good reason I shot a nice bull elk about an hour later.

Maybe you guys can share what you look for in a bear area?
If a newbie would like to set a bait this spring where does one start?


Thanks
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Old 02-05-2015, 04:26 PM
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DIDO
I have yet to shoot any animal with my new prime defy cant wait this will be my first bow season thinking of kicking it off with a bear hunt. Hoping someone I know will get some baiting going if not I will defiantly try some spot and stalk ether way its the thrill of the hunt that I am looking for!!
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Old 02-05-2015, 08:21 PM
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Never hunted bears but plan to give it a crack this spring with the bow
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Old 02-05-2015, 08:26 PM
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I'll be baiting with my buddy and his dad as soon as we can get out, looking for my first bear and first bow kill. In all honesty, Ive been thinking about it everyday since the end of November.
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Old 02-05-2015, 09:19 PM
SWODM3 SWODM3 is offline
 
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Spot and stalk this spring for me. Just an excuse to get out and scout some new country! If I happen to find my new rug while I'm out then so be it.
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Old 02-06-2015, 11:02 AM
Lefty Bryan Lefty Bryan is offline
 
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I set up my first bear bait last year - no hits in the first month. A liberal use of pie filling on all of the trails leading into the bait site fixed that. Got cleaned out by eight bears within 10 hours after that. Unfortunately, due to work, I never got to hunt the bait. There are four bears in the first picture, a cinnamon sow, two blonde cubs and a black cub. Was pretty exciting looking at the trail camera pictures after (ignore the dates, batteries had died and I did not reset the date, these were taken May Long Weekend last year). Hopefully will get a chance to connect on one this year.

[IMG][/IMG]


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Old 02-06-2015, 08:30 PM
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So being my first time hunting bears where would be a good place to start. I Live in Canmore but willing to travel a few hours for decent public land with good bear numbers. Would be happy to tag along with someone else if someone is interested.
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Old 02-06-2015, 09:08 PM
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Bonescreek Bonescreek is offline
 
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Neil, Gord,
If there was any way I could I'ld be there this spring I'd be knockin at the
door right now.

What a great offer you guys made. Hope all gos well and you all bring in
some heavy weight bears this spring. Best of luck to you all in Alberta.

Man I'm green.
I got bears down here and no help.

Dang ugly thing there looks kind of like the grinch ^
It's not me really.
I comb my hair.

Last edited by Bonescreek; 02-06-2015 at 09:17 PM.
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Old 02-06-2015, 10:03 PM
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Never opened this thread as i assumed it was about bear achery...
Glad i finally did!
Im going out this year with a new(er) member and bowhunter.
Planning on hunting over bait at a few of my pre-scouted areas.
If that fails us, spot and stalk it is!
Looking forward to it!
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Old 02-07-2015, 06:20 AM
Ultimate Predator Ultimate Predator is offline
 
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Out there every spring nice to be out when it starts to warm up chaseing bears seen lots last few yrs but won't arrow one unless it's a hog now I like taking out new bowhunters reminds me of my first bear hunt
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Old 02-08-2015, 04:46 PM
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Default bear baits

Okay some were asking so I'll share a few things. These will not , by any means be the only things that work and I'm going to assume that there are bears in the area, putting a bait out in the prairie region likely isn;t going to work
First off spring bears coming out of hibernation need to get the digestive system fired up again They have had no food intake for likely 6 months so their first food intake is likely a lot of water and succulent greens. That can be first grasses, skunk cabbage,and poplar buds. So with that in mind when I set up I am looking for these things. Creeks, beaver ponds, lakes etc that have that. I also have my own quirky thing about the forest mix. Heavy 100% poplar growth is great and harbours tons of bears but I really like having a mix of poplar and spruce ,maybe weighted 70%-30% poplars Bears climb the poplars to get the buds and leaves when they first break out. If you look carefully on poplars it is very common the see the scarring the claws
have made on the poplar bark as they climb.

I like to put my stands up in the spruce as they camo me well and I look for a tight clump either V or U shaped and have stand in middle.

I like setting up on the higher ground/ridges as these are the drier travel routes but that water source will be nearby ( funny story here, years ago while in thompson Man A hunter approached me and asked for help as he had heard I was getting lots of bears and he had tried for 7 yrs without a hit( thompson is loaded with bears) He said "I dont know what Im doing wrong I have my bait in the middle of a thick swamp just like what I read." So I asked to see his setup Yup it was in middle of a swamp alright a muskeg with a foot of water in all directions for a mile!! Yipes) So yes you want it in the thick stuff but dry!!
Once I find a nice high spot near water I look for a small natural opening within the thick cover I believe the bears especially big one as more comfortable coming out in daylight if its back into the heavy stuff
When you set a stand and bait barrel take into account the prevailing winds. Bears have a habit of circling a bait just out of sight to try and catch your scent. Same goes for approach trails. I try to find natural barriers if at all possible that would obstruct the bear from scenting my position ie lake or swamp shores, steep drops etc where he cant circle completely
Hint: listen to the squirrels if you start hearing several sounding off in different spots a minute or so apart they may well be scolding a circling bear.
I bow hunt my quirky thing is having the bait about 12-13 yds from stand I build a large V shaped crib behind barrel so that bear must circle and come into barrel from stand side giving my a perfect broadside or quartering shot. I can spend an hour just looking for the perfect stand/bait location once Im in the picked area. If you dont build a crib the bear could come in behind the barrel/tree its attached to settle down and eat behind there and leave without giving you a shot, force them to come around to front with crib

Chain barrel to tree I have lost several in early years where bear rolled barrel away and never did find a couple!! I lag bolt it with about 8-10 ft chain.
Barrels: everyone has their preference but because I use oats that have a tendency to "flow" I usually drill 6-8 one inch holes randomly around top half of barrel This helps keep most of the oats inside barrel and away from rain etc and bear has to work a bit for oats. Having 8-10 feet chain allows bear to roll barrel around to get the oats to spill out te small holes. Also you dont have to rebait as much

Baits types: There are tons that work I use oats soaked in used fryer grease and hang two or three scent bags in the surrounding area.

I can't say enough about the scent bags. Bears find your bait by smell so you want to make sure their is lots of scent drifting out. I get burlap sacks from UFA and I fill each with 10-15 pounds of butcher meat scraps or any meat. I then douse the sack full of meat in the used fryer grease, the burlap absorbs it and I hang the bags about head high off ground. These scent bags dont have to be right at the bait They can be 50-80 yds away What I mainly look for are open areas to hang them I want the sun and breezes hitting those bags as much as possible because I want that meat to ripen and the greasy smell to be carried as far as possible so that bears can pick up the scent and hone in. Don't worry if its 80 yds away if a bear finds the scent bag he'll find the bait barrel. I will put some meat scraps under the standing barrel too and I make sure to liberally douse the ground in front of barrel and trees by barrel with the grease ( lots, I use 2-3 5 gal pails at a bait). Hanging a beaver by bait is also excellent
Bears walking into barrel will step in grease get it all over their feet and when they leave they are leaving a great greasy scent trail back into woods for other bears to follow in. Bears hang around with bears so great free advertising
Baits We did a ton of experimenting back when I outfitted bears and we found different bears had different tastes. We would lay out a number of different foods side by side to see what was eaten first etc Interestingly many baits the fish were left untouched but at some they were devoured
Probably the best bait first eaten was butcher meat and fat scraps These were always gone Problem we found was its heavy,messy, hard to get, goes bad real fast when the hot weather hits and if you have a stockpile of meat scraps you better have it out before then ( I won't tell the story of literally shoveling maggots out of my garage with a snow shovel because a real late spring wouldn;t let us get the 200 plus garbage bags of meat scraps out in time. my wife almost killed me for that mishap!)
Oats,beaver carcasses, popcorn,candy,pastries, donuts, molasses, honey etc are all great baits and there are many more
So thats hopefully some tips for anyone new to bear hunting Good luck this spring
One ,more thing if you are topping up or bringing in a few tasty morsels of meat or whatever the day of your hunt, dont just fling them back into bush make sure to place them in front of barrel in a good shooting location.

Gord
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Old 02-11-2015, 10:09 AM
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Good stuff Gord!!

Neil
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Old 02-11-2015, 10:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lefty Bryan View Post
[IMG][/IMG]



Nice color phases...find more of that in that big popular stand areas like in your pics...great chance of colored bears there!!

Neil
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Old 02-11-2015, 11:01 PM
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A Bowhunters Dream!!


Nice photo Neil.
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Old 02-12-2015, 08:00 AM
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Got a bazillion bear pictures ...but this one probably helps the most...showing the shot is not as mid body as many would think...worst from stand...results of many one lung shot Bear from stands...



Neil
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Old 02-13-2015, 05:12 PM
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I'm planning to get out with my bow this spring for sure!! I'll be doing a spot and stalk. I'm so sick of driving so much, so I've got a few spots, nice secluded clearings picked out that hopefully have some sign and I'm just going to hike till i see one. I think I'd rather hike all day in an area with sign, then driving for miles and miles on roads with NOTHING on them except other hunters. Lol.

Or is this a mistake?
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Old 02-13-2015, 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by SonofDixie View Post
I'm planning to get out with my bow this spring for sure!! I'll be doing a spot and stalk. I'm so sick of driving so much, so I've got a few spots, nice secluded clearings picked out that hopefully have some sign and I'm just going to hike till i see one. I think I'd rather hike all day in an area with sign, then driving for miles and miles on roads with NOTHING on them except other hunters. Lol.

Or is this a mistake?
I dont think its a mistake.
I do think you would have better chances if you got out to look for sign beforehand.
Just my. 02cents
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Old 02-14-2015, 01:24 PM
muzzy muzzy is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SonofDixie View Post
I'm planning to get out with my bow this spring for sure!! I'll be doing a spot and stalk. I'm so sick of driving so much, so I've got a few spots, nice secluded clearings picked out that hopefully have some sign and I'm just going to hike till i see one. I think I'd rather hike all day in an area with sign, then driving for miles and miles on roads with NOTHING on them except other hunters. Lol.

Or is this a mistake?
Absolutely not a mistake how can you see any sign sitting in the cab of a truck listening to AC/DC? You might as well be home watching TV You are correcyt to be out in the bush checking things out. I rarely take the main beaten trails in and out I like to strike off into the thick stuff I am very comfortable just cutting out across country and thats when I usually discover those great spots for future hunts that would have been missed
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Old 02-15-2015, 12:43 AM
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Has anyone ever set baits on MArch 15th?
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Old 02-15-2015, 08:57 AM
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Has anyone ever set baits on MArch 15th?
Not unless you have tracked rigs. There a good bunch of snow up north and probably more coming. Unless we have a crazy warm 3 weeks your machines will be stuck within sight of the truck. I've done it twice in April when I got itchy. Waste of gas, time and a lot of shovelling trying to get the quads back to the truck.
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Old 02-15-2015, 12:38 PM
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Default bears /bait

Agree NB I am never in a rush to put the baits out if still deep snow. Im older and carrying heavy bait thru deep snow is a recipe for a heart attack and I have never needed the early baits to have action. The key is the scent bags and scent dispursement Get your bait good and stinky and bears find it quickly when it warms up. Having established bait sites is also good as bears remember them from year to year and check those out first
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Old 02-15-2015, 04:51 PM
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i like that anatomy shot.
i've seen so many times in print to shoot for the middle of the middle on bears. could never figger that one out.
to date, i've arrowed 47-48 bears and have only lost one.
my aim point is the same as on deer. tight behind the shoulder and 1/2 way up.
farthest recovered bear was maybe 65 yards. most go about 25-35 yards and pile up.
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Old 02-15-2015, 05:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.O.S.T.Arrow View Post
With only 54 Sleeps until Spring Bear season its just around the corner and coming quickly!!!
[only 28 days in Feb this year]

I am available to help out on bait stations, just for the adventure...

Neil
What area do you live in. I started baiting last year and had success took my first bear with a bow and had 5 different bears come in to my first year bait. I hear thats not bad for a first year bait station. Would appreciate touching base with you to learn more about this.
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Old 02-15-2015, 05:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by muzzy View Post
Absolutely not a mistake how can you see any sign sitting in the cab of a truck listening to AC/DC? You might as well be home watching TV You are correcyt to be out in the bush checking things out. I rarely take the main beaten trails in and out I like to strike off into the thick stuff I am very comfortable just cutting out across country and thats when I usually discover those great spots for future hunts that would have been missed


When you find these places, do you have any luck by just sitting around trying to call them in?
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Old 02-16-2015, 07:56 AM
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Not an archery bear but my kid with the BB gun has Hoyt for a middle name.
This spring will be a stick and string adventure. Spot and stalk with the kids...could be tricky.
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Old 02-16-2015, 07:58 AM
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Here's a bear from a few falls ago.
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