Tree stand or ground blind???

Hello everyone again, I'm looking for some advise on getting my spring bear hunt planning on crown/public land in case I can't use the private land we normally have access to. Wondering if I would be better off setting up a treestand or using my ground blind. I noticed cabelas has the XTL treestand on sale right now for 150$ and kinda nice to have the extra room since I'm a small guy if I'm gonna be sitting up there for a better part of the day.
I'm currently getting my bait barrel and everything else in my garage so its not all a big purchase when its go time.
Whether I go stand or blind is it best for me to set it up when I put bait out and leave so bear gets use to the sent of that being there? I have a friend that will come help to set up everything to make my life easier than doing the full set up by myself.
Also I'm kinda banking on only being able to set up 1 spot this year since can't afford to have 2 or 3 bait spots. So just trying to try and make all the odds work in my favour as much as possible.
If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated as well as maybe any gear that ppl may be looking to get rid off let me know whatever makes it cheaper in the long run is fine with me lol.

Thank you ahead of time for reading and letting me know/giving me your recommendations.

For me, being a big chicken, a tree stand is the way to go.... Mind you if the only option was a ground blind, I would make sure there was something large (big steep hill or big boulder) at my back.... Bear hunting is cool but for me........... scary as well :)

You can see more from a tree stand , less likely to be detected also.

My two experiments with ground blinds were epic failures. I set them up a week or two before my planned hunt thinking that way the bear would be used to them. Both times the blinds were ripped to shreds and the bears had defecated all over them. In both of those instances I still took a bear but hunted from the ground using natural cover. Going forward from that I have picked all my bait locations so that i can hide behind natural cover typically from an elevated position. Lots of people (probably the majority) use treestands with great success while hunting bear over bait. I am just not a fan of them.

This is one of my sites set up behind the top of a rock rise about 20 yards from the bait. The rise is about 15 feet higher than the bait and from my position if the bear looks up the lane all he would be able to see is my head behind the rifle.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1876/...09461d9c_k.jpg

This is another one looking up the shooting lane from the bait towards the shooting position. The rise is about 10 feet and the shooter hides completely behind a large boulder (which also serves as a very handy rifle rest) under the pine tree about 30 yards from the bait. Four bears have been taken from this "hide" in the last 2 years:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4347/...453d0347_b.jpg

I suggest the third option
Walking the logging roads...
you could meet somewhere with the Bear ...
And get good excise ...

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Originally Posted by Pair88

Hello everyone again, I'm looking for some advise on getting my spring bear hunt planning on crown/public land in case I can't use the private land we normally have access to. Wondering if I would be better off setting up a treestand or using my ground blind. I noticed cabelas has the XTL treestand on sale right now for 150$ and kinda nice to have the extra room since I'm a small guy if I'm gonna be sitting up there for a better part of the day.
I'm currently getting my bait barrel and everything else in my garage so its not all a big purchase when its go time.
Whether I go stand or blind is it best for me to set it up when I put bait out and leave so bear gets use to the sent of that being there? I have a friend that will come help to set up everything to make my life easier than doing the full set up by myself.
Also I'm kinda banking on only being able to set up 1 spot this year since can't afford to have 2 or 3 bait spots. So just trying to try and make all the odds work in my favour as much as possible.
If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated as well as maybe any gear that ppl may be looking to get rid off let me know whatever makes it cheaper in the long run is fine with me lol.

Thank you ahead of time for reading and letting me know/giving me your recommendations.

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Originally Posted by alfoldivandor

I suggest the third option
Walking the logging roads...
you could meet somewhere with the Bear ...
And get good excise ...

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Provided there are logging roads in the area.

Good point ...
Somehow have to get there
at the first place
Or float plane ...

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Originally Posted by jaycee

Provided there are logging roads in the area.

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I own 3 blinds, never used them. Always thought they would be nice on wet days but I don't like the limited viewing. Rather sit on a fence line or in a make shift blind.

Tree stands is how I do my bear hunting. Shooting downwards with a compound is much easier and being able to see the bear coming in from a distance really helps judging the size, if it's got cubs and keep your scent above.


My stand is 18ft off the ground from the base of the tree, About 25 feet above from the bait barrel as it runs down hill. Last two bears I shot was at 7 and 12 yards from base of the tree.

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Tree stand. Gives you far more visibility to spot bears and gets your scent stream up higher which could help it dissipate more. If rifle hunting give yourself some elbow room and don’t crowd the bait site.

Depends if you are are archery or rifle hunting.I recon for archery -tree stand is the way to go.
For rifle-whatever the terrain allows You .As above mentioned, good spot on the ground is as good as a tree stand-if you can handle the "stress".I have a buddy who consistently shoots bears from a pop up blind.But-the blind is always 80-150 y from the bait.At that distance i think anyone can feel pretty safe.
Spot and stalk is an option too-but You want to bait.

New blinds provide 360 view..no blind spots...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=nIIrECX3A_0

[QUOTE=MikePal;1080945]New blinds provide 360 view..no blind spots...

--- ouch - 399 at cabelas.ca for the 180, 549 for the 270. They don't list the 360.


That's nice - I use an Ameristep "doghouse" for turkey. It has small windows maybe 16x12 on 3 sides. I hate it because of the poor visibility.

Just finishing up a plywood box blind with 360 visibility.

When the terrain allows, I've always preferred ground blinds made from natural materials found near the site of the blind. These can be placed well back from your bait pile and in many cases offers better visibility and bears won't tear them apart. My favorite sites were placing a bait on one side of a marsh or any opening and shooting from the opposite side. With this setup there's a ton of warning as to the presence of a bear. Scent issues are a lot less as well.
Tree stands can be uncomfortable and the higher you go the more limited or restricted your sighting becomes. As well, more branches have to be cleared to offer clean shooting lines and these are usually right around the bait pile which warns a bear of human activity. And if you use a self-climber these have to be carted in and out every hunting trip.

I have seen some Bear's by walking on the logging road 's in the morning ...
Hunting Fair chase style , while others steal sleeping in their tents ...

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Originally Posted by gbk

Depends if you are are archery or rifle hunting.I recon for archery -tree stand is the way to go.
For rifle-whatever the terrain allows You .As above mentioned, good spot on the ground is as good as a tree stand-if you can handle the "stress".I have a buddy who consistently shoots bears from a pop up blind.But-the blind is always 80-150 y from the bait.At that distance i think anyone can feel pretty safe.
Spot and stalk is an option too-but You want to bait.

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