Bear bait or not?

[geezerbiker]

Baiting is illegal here in Oregon but once before it was an old hunter told me a trick that was supposed to call them out of the woods...   

That way it goes it to heat a small can over a propane stove with some honey in it and heated it just shy of burning then the sent would carry on the wind.  Would this be considered baiting and anybody know if it works?

Tony

[Casull]

I don't see how that could not be considered baiting.  You might try one of those smoking scent sticks.  Don't know if they come in a honey scent, but since there is no food in them, they would not be baiting.

[BUGEYE]

use an entire bottle of anise oil as deodorant before you hit the woods.

[geezerbiker]

use an entire bottle of anise oil as deodorant before you hit the woods.

Does this really work and where would I find some?

Tony

[Thebear_78]

while black bear aren't really that scary I would seriously consider wearing any attractant.    Do you really want to smell like food??   I normally go to great lengths to avoid smelling like food in bear country.


I can tell you from personal experience that one really good way to get a bear to come check you out is to cook a pound or two of bacon for breakfast.  I've had a few wander into camp after doing that.

[BUGEYE]

use an entire bottle of anise oil as deodorant before you hit the woods.

Does this really work and where would I find some?

Tony

I was joking.  it will attract bears but remember, you can be in his grasp before you know he's there.

[geezerbiker]

I'll remember your warning but I don't hunt alone.  I'm a disabled hunter and I always hunt with a partner.

Since anise oil is something that would attract a black bear, perhaps pouring some over an old log would be worth doing.  I've been temped to pour a few ounces of honey over a log or stump but that would be over the line and could end up with me getting a big fine.  It's a good thing I don't do all the things I think of doing... 

Tony

[BUGEYE]

geezer, sorry about your disability but glad you're still out there. I'm in the same boat.
I'm afraid that anything put out to attract a bear is bait.
probably the only thing you could use is a picture of a cute female bear.
however, using a mouth blown predator call is legal almost everywhere.

[Thebear_78]

http://baitem907.com/2.html


this place has some excellent products you could try out.


Another thing I would recommend is to take a trip. There are a lot of good guiding operations around that offer baited black bear hunts.  I have a buddy who is a guide here in alaska that does the HAVA disabled veteran hunt every year and in alaska if you are disabled you can hunt both black and brown bears over bait.    Something to consider.

[geezerbiker]

I'm not so disabled that I can't walk around a bit when hunting.  I normally walk with a cane but I swap that out for a walking stick when hunting.  I normally don't get more than a couple hundred yards from the truck when hunting unlike hiking for hours when I was young...

Anyway I think a few of the things on that sight could be used and gotten away with.  I'm not naming names but I've talked to several bear hunters here that admit to baiting a little.  The days are gone when you can put out boxes of stale donuts to bait bear...

Tony

[Skeeterbaymac]

I have baited bears for decades. While using anise, liquid smoke, vanilla etc., will peak a bears interest those alone are a poor substitute to an established bait running 24/7. You could be burning honey for weeks, even months before you see a bear.  Although I did have my BBQ grill trashed about 30 minutes after I was done using it. Lol!

If you can't bait or use dogs then my suggestion would be to hunt natural food sources.  I see many bears feeding in the edges of oat fields in the evening hours in my area. It would not be hard to take a bear within a couple of days. A little scouting will help increase your odds. Check some oat fields or what ever bear feed on in your area and look for sign. Bear will level oats and leave scat and tracks in the soft earth.  Same goes for old logging roads. I see lots of bear early in the morning and in the evening on logging roads and ATV trails.  Especially in areas were beach nuts are growing.  Look for scat on the roads. Are you seeing a lot of scat in a short distance? Is there wild choke cherries, beach nuts, acorns or wild raspberries growing near by? 

When the choke cherries are in I see bear every year along a logging road near a clear cut. The clear cut is lined with cherry trees and when they are ripe the bear are all over that place. Same for wild raspberries. Every year on a power line I see bear for about a week feeding when the wild raspberries get ripe.  I could take a bear there most every year without ever baiting.

If natural food sources are not helping you and you have plenty of sign you might consider calling them.  I don't know what percentage of bear respond to calls but I have had several come in while I was calling for coyotes. 

Good Luck!

[Sourdough]

When I lived in Tennessee, and Deer and Bear season coninsided, I wore those felt pads on the bottom of my boots.  They are for a cover scent to prevent the Deer from smelling your tracks as you go into your stand.  I saturated them with ANISE oil.  A bear smelling that attractant would follow my tracks right up to the stand.

Luckily here in Alaska we can still bait.  I have a proposal in before the Game Board, to allow us to shoot a Grizzly that becomes a problem over our Black Bear bait stations.