Bear bait site

[Martin]

Does anyone have a proven method to get rid of 3 skunks that keep raiding my bait and filling my trail timer camera full of black & white rodents? I use a 55 gal barrel with a 10 x 12 hole cut in the center and it is chained to the tree. I am tired of wasting film. The bears are hitting the bait hard. We are working to get my brother a bear this fall since I scored in the spring on the same bait. A sow & 2 cubs have been cleaning me out on a regular basis. The sow is huge, her belly seems like inches from the ground. Sure wish the boars would come around more in the day. Anyone know of a method to bring them in the daylight. They really like to come in around dusk and right after dark. I have hung a Bacon scent ball hoping that would do the trick. Now if I could keep those 2 cubs off my tree and out of the stand! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Derick

 

[Oregon Fishing Guide]

Hey Derick,

Before the law was passed that made baiting illegal here in Oregon I did a lot of it and did alright. For what you have written and not knowing anymore of the details here is what I would do to tweek your bait a little. If you have bear coming in I would quit using bacon and things like that and start using goodies. Once you get a bears sweet tooth you own him and the other critters won't hit it as hard as things like bacon. There are a lot of different ways to getting those pasties. GO to donut shops, grocery stores, bakeries and places like that for their stuff they are throwing out. Another way is dog food and molasses. Also, spray vanilla extract on the tree limbs, ferns and brush around the bait. And don't forget to take grease and pour in front of the bait station and as the bear are stepping in it while they leave they will also leave a nice trail for every other bear to follow.

Now to get them to come in before dark. This is always the tough one. I know of a few methods. Sometimes they work sometimes they don't. First, When I start a station and I get bear coming in I will leave a T-shirt of mine on a tree by the bait and I will do this for quite a while so they are used to my scent and it also tells them that this bait station is being refilled with food. So, when they are coming in I use a door on the opening on my barrel and close it when I leave at night so they cannot get any food at that time. They will still smell it and then when I come in at 2:00 in the afternoon I open it back up and a lot of time they will learn the schedule. This will only work if you go to the bait everyday. If you miss a few days this wil probably not work because a bear is always looking for food and if a source of food is no longer there the bear will look else where. Another way to get them to come in before dark is when you leave at dark tie up a bright flood style flash light and shine it on the bait. The batteries will last just about until light the next day. You have to spend a bit on batteries but this will work. I have also heard to use a boom box with music. Put it on when you are leaving and then in the afternoon get in and be quiet.

I miss baiting bear a lot. My youngest son has never seen a bear come into one but as many bear and cat as we have been seeing I think we are going to fire one up and do videos. This is a great opportunity with all these predators to make some good tapes.

Good luck and please let me know how you do. Jon

 

[pymulies]

Martin

Living in wyo i get to bait bears and do it very regularly. One thing that you might try is some sort of latch on the barrel. Bears are quite smart and if the latch isn't too hard they will figue it out. Try something like a heavy expanded metal door, the smell still excapes but the barrel is shut. Plus, the skunks won't be strong enough to open the latch.