It is probably the same bear hitting it. About how long have you had this bait site going for? I'am not a baiter as it is illegal in my state, but from what I have heard, it can take a bear weeks to visit a bait site, and the first couple of times he hits it, can be pretty spaced out, just be extremely carefull and quiet when entering your area, chances are that bear might have been hiding in a bush watching you put out bait, a bear will only visit bait when he is good and ready, and everything has to be just right. I think this is due to the fact that they realize how vulnerable and exposed they are to an attack from a bigger and badder bear, seeing as most bait sites are in an opening and a bear cant exactly see behind them or smell too well with their head in a 50 gallon drum full of food So I would continue baiting the same spot, as the bear now knows it is there, moving it will just confuse him, and keep practicing scent control. Try wearing a pair of rubber boots to and from the bait site, as they will not hold odor and leave a scent trail in the area, also try spraying fox or racoon urine around the site.

As for the 10ft fir trees you are seeing that have tops knocked out of them, I couldn't tell you on that one. I know where I live in washington state the bears will peel bark of the young fir trees during the spring time to get at the sap and cambium layer of the trees. I would say, its possible you got a sow with cubs running in the area. The reason I say this is because an 8ft to 10ft tall tree is not big enough to support the weight of a bear over 70lbs climbing on it. The next thing is that you said the tops were broken out, well that would mean that since the tree wouldn't support the weight, the bear would have to stand up, and with the average black bear being 5ft tall standing, even if it was a large bear standing close to 6ft tall, he would have trouble reaching up their and getting enought leverage to break off the top, then again I dont see a 4 month old cub possesing enough strength to top a tree, unless the cubs in your state grow faster and bigger then the ones in mine, so its hard to say if it is ever a bear that actually broke the tops of the trees.

Thanks for the info, an outfitter told me the same as you that this bear may be have been hunted before and is laying back a ways in the bush watching the bait and will be cautious coming in making sure another bear is not around or me before hitting,
He also said a bear will mark its territory by scratching trees and the evergreens he will stand up and sort of walk over them knocking them down and he will bite it off approx a foot or so from the top and leave the top on the ground. The trees are only approx 2 inch in diameter and 8 to 10 feet high.
If cubs were around I would see signs over the trees from climbing and smaller scat in the area. I am going to put a game camera up today to see how big he is.
take care and happy hunting

One other possability is a Big Foot,Sasquatch,they are very tall.

I was going to say that too because I have heard of them doing the same thing, but I didn't want you to think I was crazy.

Meda my opinion is this this.
As for scent control. this is a big issue with some people. I use none. I go in when I go in after work. I do construction so am pretty well stinking after a day at work. Why try and hide your scent. I piss all over my bait site when I am done restocking it. To keep coyotes foxes out of it. I put as much scent of me out there. They will get used to it. I have found that in the beginning when bears are hitting the bait they usually hit at night. As more bears and the more they get used to your bait they will start coming in the day . Then when the dominant bear establishs it being his then he will keep control over it. I dont use barrels just straight on the ground. Cover with logs and then pour 10 gallons of deep fat fryer grease on logs and smear up and down trees. This method has worked for me.
Here are a couple questions.
How many bait sites do you have and how close are they?
Are they in the same drainage?
What kind of trails are they leaving or coming in on? Meaning is it a old deer elk trail or are they making new trails? What does the trail look like. If new they will be leaving just foot steps and will step in the same footprint each time coming and going.
What kind of bait are you using and how much are you putting out?
How often do you check them?

As for the tops of trees have no idea about that. Never seen that in my area as where I bait they are all huge trees.

In my limited experiance with baiting. I found the same as supersider (maybe even learned from him on here ). I did not practice any scent control. In fact I tried my best to leave my scent at the site. I wanted to bears to get used to it and they did. I had several bears hitting my bait every day. I even tied a dirty tee shirt to a tree next to the bait a few days before the season. It was torn to sreads the next day.
After the first hit on the bait they didn't return for 3or4 days and then they hit it for a few days and went away again for a couple days but after that they were there everyday.

Thanks all for the advice, I am running 5 bait sites now and they are about 8 miles apart , i've got 3 hitting every day now, and one that hits off and on,that one is located by a small lake with lots of bear trails in the moss, its dense spruce, No deers way up here I think there is a lot of food source's for that bear , maybe thats why he only comes in so often ( just guessing here) . The last one nothing is happening on it. I have my game cam set up now and will check later today for photo's. I am using tires on the game cam site as a bait station. Really neat to see the tires and cribbing thrown all over the place and all the bait gone.
I am using oats- molassis ,sweets and now some fish and meat and the 3 sites the bears are taking everything ( about 3/4 of a 5 gallon bucket ) Checking everyday now.
Spoke to a guide who's been at this for 35 years he told me a dominate bear will sometimes snap trees and branchs off to mark his food source area as well leave lots of scat around which is what i have.
Thanks for the advice will let you now how I make out

don't be supprised if they don't get hit much in the next two months due to the rut.

Here's one of the Bears that hit my tires, He dragged the tire and rim about 25 yrds in the bush. One of our hunters got a nice 7 foot bear last night.

GREETINGS:
As a newcomer to the forum I must say that I am enjoying the read, and the stories. A quick tidbit that a friend, (experienced guide) showed me, that he in fact learned from another. When I am carrying my buckets into the site I bang and make noise as I arrive. I have therefor never spooked a bear knowingly from my stand area. After re-baiting I remove my t-shirt, as I have worked up a sweat ( hot and intense). I wipe the sweat from my arms, stomach etc.
(Strange now,.... as I am 1/2 naked next to a bait site in the woods). I put on a fresh shirt from my backpack, and leave the sweaty one hanging from a branch about 1/2 way between my stand and the bait. As I leave I bang the empty buckets together, making a hell of a racket. The sweaty shirt gets the bear used to my smell, and the banging lets those bear nearby know that dinner is served. When I come back the next time to bait, my shirt has always been on the ground, dirty, stinky and mashed into the soil. I believe this works as I have been doing other techniques for a couple of years now without any luck. This year with this technique, 2 for 2, both on opening days. The first about an hour and a half after I started in the afternoon and the second about 25 minutes after the bucket banging stopped.Again in the afternoon................... WHO KNOWS?

CANADIANWHITETAIL