Baiting Bear Help

[idahoblake]

I've hunted Black Bear in Idaho for about 2 years and haven't had any luck so I wanted to try something different and try baiting them. After doing some research it looks like I'll be using oats, bread, donuts, syrup, and marshmallows. Is there anything else I should use? Whats a good attractant? Any other tips and tricks would be apprenticed, thanks.

 

[avid_outdoorsman]

Bear Bait

I've also heard of guys using cheap dog food but have no personal experience doing it............

 

[Joe Hulburt]

I remember Cameron Hanes cooking up what he called Bear Crack on a TV show. He claimed it really brought them in. I'm sure if you google it the recipe will come up.

I used to boil honey to start attracting bears in when we could bait here in Oregon. I never had any great results but did manage to burn the hell out of my face with molten honey once.

 

[Gunner46]

I'm paying attention.....

 

[mixedbag]

All that would work but location of your site is the main key.If you know any trappers get a beaver carcass from them and hang it high in a tree.Kind of a call lure of sorts,plus they love to eat them.Pour ALOT of used cooking oil around.They track that thru the woods and other bears willhit the trail and find your bait

 

[Bill Zent]

All that would work but location of your site is the main key.If you know any trappers get a beaver carcass from them and hang it high in a tree.Kind of a call lure of sorts,plus they love to eat them.Pour ALOT of used cooking oil around.They track that thru the woods and other bears willhit the trail and find your bait

A carcass hanging in a tree to attract bear in Idaho does not go well with local wardens.

 

[troydave]

In Wisconsin I would use dog food and pour cow molasses on it and also would spray liquid smoke on the trees nearby. After a bear would hit this bait for a few days you could follow his scat for 50 yards!

 

[hansontyrel]

Stop by a local train depot or a cattle feed plant. I used to get 55 gallon drums of pure cane molasses that the guys collected from runovers etc. Worked really well for me.

 

[Jimbo]

I've used a lot of different baits and I'm convinced that the bait itself didn't matter as much as an attractant did. As others have said, molasses works great! I like to dump my bait, cover it with logs, and pour molasses all over the logs and ground around it. I believe once a bear hits your bait he gets the molasses on his paws and fur which leaves that scent where ever he walks afterwards. Hopefully that helps to bring more than one bear in.

 

[Foxtrot1]

In Maine, I used to dump used fry oil from restaurants on stale bread. It has a strong odor and the bears loved it. They would eat the soil under the bait pile.

A friend used to take shelled corn, add water and sugar in buckets to let it ferment. He used it to attract raccoons for live trapping later. I have always thought that would make a good bear bait.

 

[maineiac]

Anise is a great long distance call too...always had great results with it.Used cooking oil is even better when used to deep fry seafood