BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[billythekidrock]

North Idaho Hunter wrote: I am getting some mixed feed back in regards to my 270 being adequate to kill a bear. My bait site is only about 30 yards from my stand. Any thoughts on if my old 270 will do the trick?


If you can shoot it, it will kill it. Go for the double lung shot and they won't go far.
My .270 has killed 17 black bears at distances of 20 yards to almost 400 yards. They ranged from 100 lbs to over 400 lbs.

[sawbill]

I've always been adamant that the .270 is not efficient for bears. I've ended up tracking for clients too many times whereas most common 30 cals worked fine. Had too many bears lost over the years to ever consider its use, even over baits. I'd take the 30-30 over it anyday.

[expatriate]

I use a two-pronged approach. I fill the barrel with dog food, and soak it down with a whole lot of fry oil, being particular to focus on the front of the barrel and spilling in front of it so the bears get it on their paws and take the scent down the trail with them. But the long-range attractant I use is to hang stink bait in a tree. My hunting buddy saves his salmon carcasses over the winter, and early in the spring fills five gallon buckets about halfway full of them. He seals the lid and lets them sit in the garage for several weeks. Take one of those babies out to a stand, pop it, and run. The smell is enough to make you gag, and even a relatively insensitive human nose can pick up that rotting fish smell well downwind. I just put in a stand this weekend, and even though we didn't touch the stuff or spill any on us, we could still mell that stink bait all the way home -- a 2-1/2 hour ride.

I don't know what it is about the smell of carrion -- whether predator/scavenger noses have developed sensitivity to it over millenia, or whether nature designed the smell to be the most effective at bringing in the clean up crew. But I haven't found anything else that is anywhere near as powerful that doesn't require cooking over a stove.

[rezhunter]

Honey!!! With lots of sugar! :thumbsup1:

[blackbear]

Where can you find honey cheap enough in volume to use for bait?

[jfrench]

Blackbear, ask around. Cultivating bees has become a big thing. You might find someone who has bee hives. I found one such person through a local market. They make chapstick from the wax. Really cool. Anyway, if you have a farmer's market nearby take a look.

[blackbear]

Thanks jfrench. Last year we had a serious bee shortage in Northern Minnesota. I don't know if it will be the same this year.

[hrspwrrcng]

By far the best attractant I have used is Big Bear Scents they are a relatively new company but there products are outstanding. I used the bacon sprays and got my pope and young bear the second evening of my hunt in the 2007 mn bear season. I'm not sure if you can get there stuff in stores but i ordered mine of their site... BigBearScents.com

[atomikall]

As for scents everyones right different scents everytime is better for bringing all the bears in the vecinity into the baitsite. I used to stick to mostly meat scraps but have been learning new tricks every year. But nothing beat last year I seen more bears in the first half hour, then I have seen in weeks some years.
I now start my baits with fish and meat scraps then closer to august move to sweets and a mixture of corn, honey,syrup but always use grease throughout the year becuase it is true about loading all around the bait with grease and all the blacks carry it home now they have a roadmap back to you and all the other bears in the forest around your treestand can also follow the road. :D

[atomikall]

As for the 270 argument common guys you all know a 270 is more then enough punch with the hunter doing his job.
But as you all know if you know me, I suggest the 30 cals, you can't go wrong with a 30 odd.

[Jim Z.]

+ 1 for bacon grease. They love it. We can't use bait here in Oregon. I learned this long ago as a boy.

:evil:

[Mt.Man]

Here in Idaho baiting is a blast in the spring. I don't fall bait much as I am usually chasing Elk. Anyhow 2 things.

1. Moccasin Joe makes a cover scent called "Apple Scent" Buy about 4 of them and spray them around your bait site. It makes your bait site smell like an apple orchard and I have had bears run into my bait the night I spray that stuff.

2. If you hit your spot a .270 is plenty of rifle for even the biggest of Bears. No doubt about it. The bigger guns are great for bone breakage, but a .270 will let the air out of their lungs just as fast. As a side note I bowhunt and the only way to deflate lungs is with a sharp broadhead....LOL.