BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[bustbigking]

My suggestion is to not use bait and really put time in on stalking a bear. Anyone can bait a bear and shoot it. Just like anyone can tree a cougar with dog's but they make it illegal in most states cause it's unfair and unethical I believe. Try watching some Bear bow hunting movies and get some tip's on how the real hunter's kill. "with a bow" I'm sure the bear smell's your sent and is avoiding it. Bear really dont like humans and will do anything to stay away, unless your urban hunting. At leased your a bow hunter some times and a muzzle loader other. That's better than riffle hunter baiting. I'm telling you, try and tough it out and spend time stalking and scouting all season with your bow in hand. It will make your kill way more meaningfull. :yes:

[broadhead]

I believe baiting is tooooooooo eassssy ::-k Ive seen alot of bear killed on barrel's of food and the hunter's that made the shot where not that stoked because they thought it would be alot harder than just posting up and waiting for dinner time :](*,) Ive shot 2 bear with my bow calling and spending time scouting. Both bear reached over 6'5" and were 250lbs. You dont have to bait to kill :sad:

[SoCoKHntr]

I don't mean to be offensive to anyone and realize 'to each their own' is a very true statement. That being said I could never sit and watch over a bait pile. Then again I could never sit in a tree stand for hours. Growing up in the great state of Colorado I wasn't brought up in that way. My idea of hunting is covering miles, glassing miles of country and the glorious spot and stalk. To me that is the cats meow so to speak. I will do some still hunting after putting some miles in but that ain't for too long.

When I catch those shows on TV and their hunting over a bait pile sitting their waiting, or sitting by a food plot they planted where they took pictures of bucks all year it just doesn't excite me and seems more like ranching and harvesting then hunting. Give me a challenge where I have to be in top physical condition and my instinctive roots to hunting can be fulfilled.

Again, that's just my cup of tea and though I wouldn't care for the styles, I mentioned I understand others do.

Also, that's why I love the Eastmens Hunting show so much, I respect the hell out of those guys.

[Redhawk1]

You have to consider the area you are hunting in also. There is more to spot and stalking, but you yhave to be in the terrain for it. If you go to Maine and try to spot and stalk, you are in for a hard time. I have hiked in Maine, and in the woods, most of the time you can see for more than 10 yards. No quit the spot and stalk terrain.

Also some people do not live in bear areas, and must travel long distances to hunt black bear. So before you down anyone for using bait for bear, or insinuate they are not really hunting, look at all the conditions before you cast stones.

[.50 cal smoke pole]

Well said Redhawk!

[blackbear]

In many areas baiting is the only way you will ever see a bear. Buy a bear tag and still hunt or stalk Black Bear in Minnesota. You will never see a bear. If you think it is possible give it a shot.

[jfrench]

SoCo, I'm not suprised. ::joker

[Fisher King]

We in our area find bear more of a nusance they take the moose calfs right out of the mother while they are giving birth. I have seen too many cow moose with there hind quarters scarred up from bears doing just that. They also take a lot of white tail fawns in the spring. We also only have about two hundred acers to hunt on so baiting is the only way to bring them in and get rid of some to bring there numbers down.
Since the cancelation of the spring bear hunt in Ontario we have so many nusance bears getting into chicken coops ,garbage ,back yards with kids, that it has become a real problem.
My 2 cents F.K.

[SoCoKHntr]

jfrench wrote: SoCo, I'm not suprised. ::joker

Please clarify jfrench.

As I said everyones got there method I just expressed mine on a thread entitled stalking vs. baiting. Didn't mean to be offensive and apologize if so. I can definitely understand that due to the dense nature of the forest in these areas it's the only practical method of hunting.

[jfrench]

SoCoKHntr,

I wasn't offended or looking for an arguement on this one. Just from reading your posts I can tell your the go-to person, and wouldn't sit in a stand (regardless of density). I just couldn't help but laugh on how you posted. You made it sound so glorious. :lol: Again just jest, no test.

[SoCoKHntr]

jfrench wrote: SoCoKHntr,

I wasn't offended or looking for an arguement on this one. Just from reading your posts I can tell your the go-to person, and wouldn't sit in a stand (regardless of density). I just couldn't help but laugh on how you posted. You made it sound so glorious. :lol: Again just jest, no test.

Yes, that's what I thought and you are right that came off quite full of hubris. May be a little corny, but man that's what I love about hunting and again I must realize everyones got their own way.

Thanks!

[VT Surf-N-Turf]

Here in Vermont its not legal to bait for bear, but I'm not totally against it. The woods are so dense here your lucky to see a flash of black if anything at all. One good reason to bait black bear is to tell if your shooting at a boar or a breeding sow. I've always tried to totally identify what I'm slinging arrows at and i.d.-ing bear is downright tough. I don't have any interest in downing a momma bear trying to feed her cubs. At a bait site you have a better chance to tell if its a female who keeps taking bits of bait to her cubs who are waiting 50 yards away or a boar who wallows all over the barrel. Identifying bear over bait isn't totally foolproof, but at least you get to take a better look and sus out the animals behavior before you decide to take a shot or not.
Just my $0.02.

[bustbigking]

That is a good comment SurfNtruf.
But emagine this. You spend months if not years trying to locate stalk and make a clean shot on a bear and you finnaly get zero down where to go and plan it all out. And you get there after weeks of scouting that specific area and you are shocked to see a barrell torn appart, a blood trail and, a gut pile from some bait hunter that came in and illegaly shwooped your bear you spent so much hard work finding. That's what happend to me a couple years back. I was so mad I wanted to smash the guy that poached the bear that I spent so much hard work tracking. I bet that guy is real happy he could go out two day's, set bait on my trail I cut and, get a bear that I was probably going to shoot that day. It was really dissapointing and aggravaiting that someone would have the ball's to do that. If I walked up on that guy and seen the bear down and he had a bow and he just beat me to it I mouldnt be mad at him. But If I walked up to the scene and saw him with the bear next to the bait pile I would have kicked his A$$. I would have felt so good if none of that happened and I shot that bear.
That is what I'm talking about, earning your kill, not shwooping or baiting your animal.

[.50 cal smoke pole]

Bust-

You really need to get over yourself. I admire the fact that you strictly bowhunt. I myself have been a bowhunter for over 20 years and I LOVE it! But for god sake, if you decide to bowhunt in an area where baiting is legal, then you must face the chance of a bait hunter shooting "Your Bear" Unless you have actually placed a big freakin sign on the bear that states he belongs to you, a bait hunter is going to shoot it. He would mostlikely shoot it even if you HAD put a sign on it just because you were such an A$$ for claiming it as "Yours." Just because you track an animal for days, weeks or even years does not make it yours. THATS WHY IT IS CALLED HUNTING! I admit that you having taken a bear via spot and stalk is impressive. I have done it twice myself and I KNOW it is not easy. I congradulate you! But lay off people who legally bait for bear.

[VT Surf-N-Turf]

If it was a poacher on my posted property here where baiting is illegal, I would kick his A$$ too! But I have to agree with .50 Cal. on this one. If you were hunting unposted land during gun season where baiting is legal, well..., thems the breaks. I hunt whitetail and bear strictly with a recurve and I've spent months patterning and stalking a monster buck only to have a rifle hunter score that 15 pointer with a drop tine the morning I had to go to work. So I can understand your pain and frustration. But, I had to let it go and tell myself "thems the breaks". :sad: But that being said, if he had gotten that buck over an illegal bait pile... :evil: