Quick Bait Question

[Horn Seeker]

I have decided to start a bait, I have about 30 days of season left up here and haven't collected any bait. I know where I can get fryer grease, I will use that. I am thinking dogfood. Would it be of any benefit to build some sort of cover over the dogfood in case it rains heavily it wont just dissolve?

Where do you guys get all the bread and such? Supermarkets or bakerys or both? Do those markets give out scrap meat and stuff at all?

Thanks for any info, I am pumped. I can get to a decent spot in Idaho in less than 1 hour. I scouted it today and there were big grass poops everywhere I looked! yeeehaa!

 

[supersider34]

Meat you can get from a slaughter house or a custom meat cutting place. Bread you can buy from the day old stores. I dont use dog food but I cover my bait with logs anyways and I would believe that if it had the grease would be kinda a water proof.

 

[ELKCHSR]

Well good luck to you HS!!!

 

[Horn Seeker]

Thanks.

I remembered a connection I have here in town that will likely be able to hook me up with copious amounts of bait. Now I'm pumped!

 

[JoseCuervo]

HornSeeker,

The grease from the French Fry places is good, but is a mess to work with. It gets all over the back of the pick-up, coats everything for the summer, etc.. etc.. etc.. It is a royal Pain in the Ass. But it works great, and the theory also is the bear will step in it, and then track it away from the site, thus advertising your site to other bears.

This late in the year, I think you are good with the 3-Way Sweet Mix at the local Feed store. We can get 50lb bags of 3-Way (Oats-Corn-Barley) with Molasses for $6.50 a bag.

The cheapest Dog Food is Ol' Roy at Wal-Mart, and that is about $10/40lbs. And we are beginning to think the Dog Food is the least favorite.

I once went on a guided (allegedly) bear hunt up on the Lochsa, and the guy used Barley/Grease/Molasses as his only baits. Everybody else in camp had bears. I watched Chipmunks for 5 days in the pouring rain.

To set one up in a hurry, I would go get the Meat scraps tomorrow, put them out in the sun in a bucket, and get some maggots working on them. Then take the smelly stuff along with the Grain mixes (plus Jell-o and Soda pop) and haul them up.

The maggots will get the smell going pretty quick, and the sweet Grain will keep them interested.

Good luck, and that sucks you are closer to the good bear hunting in Idaho than I am....

 

[Moosie]

I'm not sure on the Dog food. I've talked with Guys that Use it Exclusivly. I think they like it better then nothing and it's a Cheap way of getting something going, BUT.... I think bread is Better, and Donuts are even better.

Starting this late I'd use meat too. I put meat in a bucket and in 3 days had Instand MAggots. You won't believe how Quick you turn Meat into Mush by leaving it out this time of year. I would take one bucket of the meat and Hang it in a Tree for Scent. It walso keeps bears busy trying to get it out. And they are smart.

I would use any Fruit/vegies that you can get ahold of. Test and Text again show that the Bears like 'um. We tested Chocolate by the 5 gallon loads against other stuff and The Blue berries worked BY FAR the best !!!

Bread from the Day ol' Bread store, Wonder bread outlet is the way to go. at the Place we go there is a 12-15 person waiting list. Fortunately I know the LAdy and SHe likes me so We usually only have a day or two turn around if she's there. She hooks us up well

Don't listen to Gunner, He's more of a Yuppie hunter, Get all the Grease you can and Dump it. He doesn't like the Mess... But if you want a bear and Want to get scent out there, get the Grease !! We dump it on the Dog food and it works OK. I don't know if they actually like eating it but they sure track the heck out of it around the hillside.

'Gunner came up with the Pop and Jello and I like that Idea, It adds to the Dogfood and Spreads out the Sweet smell.

I would also do a Burn. We typically do a Honey burn but it is Very Limited, It lasts only for a short time. This year I was trying experiments with PAncake surup/honey and Oil and Honey. The Oil and surup seemed to put enough moisture in the Container to last longer... It's like a Viagra Honey burn

Other then That get your Site going so I can Slip up there and Buy my 2nd bear tag Errr... I mean so You can Get a bear

PS< I had mixed feelings about the Oats and Rolled Barley mix but time and Time again the Bears seem to have their POOP filled with that stuff.... Also, you are correct thatthe Dog food swells and Isn't that good once wet. Next year I'm buying the Cheap Food and Also Mixing in at a 1/3 ratio a Gravey train type food so even when It gets wet it has some Flavor and Texture.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Thanks for the ideas guys. Congrats on your bear Oscar...sweet. If they start pounding my bait you would be welcome to come up.

I have a buddy who knows several restraunteers, I think I will be able to get a garbage can or two of dinner/breakfast scraps. They seem like they would be good to me!

Yeah, dogfood last resort, but with grease poured over it has to be edible!

I baited in Washington one year and we would take entire truck bed loads completely full of pears up there. Oh shit, they loved that. I dont have that luxury here, especially since both bait sites I'm looking at will be 10-15 minute walks in.

Well, I'll keep ya posted. Hopefully I at least get some good pics and maybe a chance at a decent bear.

Ernie

 

[ELKCHSR]

Good luck to you Ernie, I sure hope you score on the big one. That area you are going into is a very beutiful place you are chasing critters...

 

[supersider34]

Hornseeker I would recommend if you put the meat in a bucket for maggots for smell. Put it in a gunny sack with rope or wire tied already to it so you can hang it without getting the stuff on you. Works great instead of touching it and being quarantined to the doghouse when you get home.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Well, I"m going to get some out tonight. Initially I am going to have dog food and grease and I'll do a good burn. Then, unfortunately, it will be a week before I can get back to it.

So, I have one more new bait. I remembered that I did some work for a brewery here in town and I can get ALL the spent grain I can haul from him. Its stinky and fermented, I really think it would attract and I think they'll pork out on it too. I'm going to pick up two 35 gallon trash cans of it asap and make several trips into the bait with it. I talked with a guy at our bowhunter assoc meeting and he says hes seen the bears just come in and lay down on the pile of grain and just snarf on it. They just poured grease over regular grain though. I think this spent stuff will be better!!?

Thanks for all the encouragement and info, I'll keep everyone posted.

One question.....are we all sure its legal to put camtrackers over baits? I know in MT its illegal to put any electronic monitoring device out during hunting season.

 

[Ten Bears]

HS, you setting out a buffet or opening a bar? Isn't fermented grain gonna make'em drunk?

You gotta get video of that.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Well, got the bait out yesterday morn. Couldn't get the game cam to work, so brought it home and got it fixed, gonna get it hung up this afternoon!

I ended up taking 10 gallons of grease, about 3 gallons of old canned peaches and cherries and 100 pounds of Purina Pig Feed. I'm gonna take an additional 100 pounds of whole kernal corn up today and burn grease and set the cam up, then I'll be back to check it next Friday night or Saturday morn.

Couldn't get the grain yet, but will have some next week.

Later ya'll

 

[supersider34]

Hornseeker,
I put out some Sardines and oyster juice in Cottonseed oil in a sock and had great success with it this year. Never have done it before and they hit it fast. During the day actually. But I had bears hitting the bait already though. I did it twice and they took the sock before I went back up in the evening to sit it. So from now on I will be sitting the bait all day after putting it out.
Good luck on your bait.

 

[Moosie]

I agree with the Sardines.. But we Also use Tuna... A Nail at the Top of the Can to hold it.. then Another at the Bottom to HAve it Leak down the tree..... Jsut be carefull if 2 weeks later you hang a Camera in the exact same place.. Or you'll get pictures like :

OR ...

 

[Horn Seeker]

hehehe!

Now technically, you cant leave a tuna can there, right?

I am leaving in a half hour to get my game cam up, got some wires sodered back together and its good to go! WoooHooo!

 

[ELKCHSR]

Good luck there Ernie.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Well, the bear hit my bait on the 9th and the roll finished on the 10th. I started the bait on the 5th. I put a new roll and some new bait up yesterday and burnt grease, and this morning the roll was done again (my cam doesn't have a delay, so it takes pics pretty darn fast).

Rockydog and I stocked the bait up big time with meat and some whole kernal corn this morn and replaced the film again. Hopefully it'll be a different bear. I'll post pics asap, but he's just a little guy, maybe 140 dressed dressed out, maybe less. Two 35 gallon trash can mostly full of meat and guts today though, so maybe some more bigger bears will come in! One can had the guts of two sheep in it. Smelly as all get out!

I'll post pics in a few hours and keep ya all posted!

Ernie

 

[Horn Seeker]

Well, here are a few of the pics. I dont have a scanner, so I take a pic of the pic with my dig vid cam, very low pixel, then I have to lighten them on the digidarkroom. Oh well, you get the point. THe paper pics are real good. I have about 15 pics of him in the daylight, 830am or so, eating and such, then I have about 5 pics of a bear at night, but the flash is very ineffective and they are real dark. I "THINK" its the same bear, but it does appear a little bigger and blockier in the head. Hopefully I'll find something out from the new roll of film. It will be several days though, as my wife forbid me to do the 1 hour on them! Waaaaa, waaaaa. Oh well, I can wait.

Enjoy!

 

[Kraven]

Thanks for the pics HS and good luck to ya.

 

[Big Sky]

Hornseeker, methinks that bear would go a little better than 140 lbs. dressed out. No he's not a slammer, but I think you are being a little stingy with his weight.