Baiting for bear

[DanE]

Beauty. Calling for flurries at my place on Sunday night and Monday morning LOL. Flies and mossies still not out at my place but anytime i'm sure.

last weekend weather was fantastic and zero mosquitoes and minimal black flies
it was really nice being able to hang the bear overnight rather than skinning him out in the dark

[FishHog]

Just home from my place south of Sudbury. Blackflies were way worse than I expected. Especially near the shoreline. Thought I’d get a few days in before they were bad but I was wrong

[Gilroy]

Just got back from the cabin, so every night last week my baits were hit except Tuesday night. I have the big sow from last year and three out of her four cubs survived and are now yearlings.

Couple of problems for me, they are hitting just after dark, I would leave at 9pm and they were in at 9.36pm usually coming down the same path I use. I was really hoping they would not show

up just before dark for the recovery problem. Also I am not to sure if I want to knock of this big old breeding sow as she would be a lot for me to handle. I also don,t really want to take a yearling

with her because there is not much meat on them.

So on the 30th May I got a visit from a boar, he has been in a few times and is a nice animal and he came in at 9.12pm , I had left the stand at 8.55pm.

I suspect that sow will be kicking those yearlings to the curb in the next two weeks or so and will probably get one or two of those yearlings visiting the bait during better hours.

My main problem right now is that they are hanging back until after dark, its almost like they know I am out of the stand.

[cantgetright]

Gilroy you are right about not much meat on a yearling. My brother took one last week, easiest hunt ever. Neighbors asked him to come deal with a nuisance bear so the were on his deck having a glass of wine when the bear came walking in, hunt over. He's hoping his daughter gets some time off so they can head up and get a whack at something better.

[Gilroy]

Gilroy you are right about not much meat on a yearling. My brother took one last week, easiest hunt ever. Neighbors asked him to come deal with a nuisance bear so the were on his deck having a glass of wine when the bear came walking in, hunt over. He's hoping his daughter gets some time off so they can head up and get a whack at something better.

I was told by the butcher in Norwood last year that a bear is the animal that losses most of its weight upon processing, apart from the obvious skin, the bones are heavy on a bear.

[dean.f]

I shot a yearling last year as my first bear, processed myself I ended up with 25lb of meat and that was taking every scrap possible. But I will tell you, it's the most mild and tender meat I've ever eaten.

To the original topic, I've established a new bait site this weekend, not planning to hunt the spring season but I'll update when I get first contact. Popcorn and bread ends were the bait nothing special. Dug a small hole and put heavy logs as a lid.

[Gilroy]

I shot a yearling last year as my first bear, processed myself I ended up with 25lb of meat and that was taking every scrap possible. But I will tell you, it's the most mild and tender meat I've ever eaten.

To the original topic, I've established a new bait site this weekend, not planning to hunt the spring season but I'll update when I get first contact. Popcorn and bread ends were the bait nothing special. Dug a small hole and put heavy logs as a lid.

Same for me as the butcher said it would not yield a whole lot and hard to make steaks or roasts I had it all ground and pork added. But real good meat that is why the wife has kicked my out into the bug infested woods to get another bear. LOL Thank God for Thermacells.