I would check your states DNR or F&G and find out if scent = baiting. In WA we can not use either.

Ithelm
First off welcomr to the site! Hope to see you posting a photo soon of your bear.

Here in NY you can not bait either. In my experience sents are great if you can bait at the same time but sents alone are kind of a wast of time. The bear has to learn that the smell means food. Your best bet is to find a "ripe" natural food source where there is recent bear activity and hunt that. If you have big agriculture fielsd where the bears are feeding you could try spot and stalk?

First off are you alllowd to use scents? If you are allowed, find out in your state if anyone sells bear bombs(which I am almost certain they would) Like ADKBEAR said find a good natural food source, and lots of fresh sign, and set that off If there is a bear close(withing 1 to 2 miles) it will come, I would almost guarentee if the wind is working in your favour that day it should carry it all over the forest. Or also as ADK stated the spot and stalk method is also a very good way to find good fresh bear sign and also find scouting areas for the years to come, by covering so much ground you are also seeing much more sign then you would if you were stand hunting. I personally find alot of things come into play with Blacks. They have so many food sources and you must associate those food sources with the time of year.It all depends on where you live and what your weather is like becuase where I live the berries have been gone since august and the choke cherrys were gone just as fast. Blacks also find alot of there food in old stumps and moss, Moss beds around here this time of year get hit I would say harder then the berries in July. They find alot of nutrients and bugs under that moss, so If you have alot, I would also check those areas for bear sign. I Love the bush crash method too , You would be surprised what you can walk onto by just simply crashing through very thick areas of the forest.