I typed into the search engine yahoo "bear bait" and got 39,400 results. Here is one of the links

http://www.bearsbait.com/prices.html#itemheader

We get free day old donuts by the bag fulls from the local coffee shops, try adding molasis to your bait setup also.

Most resturants will be happy to give you buckets of old deep fryer grease for free, as they likely have to pay to have it disposed of. Take a bucket of grease and pour it in front of your bait setup, bears coming into your bait will track that grease all over the place, this helps lure in more bears...

Good luck...

If you can find a source of fryer grease, go to a place like Fleet Farm or your local feed store and buy the cheapest dog food you can find. Fleet Farm sells a brand that costs less than $10 for 50 lbs. A 50 lb bag should last for 3-4 batings. Pour the fryer grease ontop of the dog food and the bears will eat it. One problem with dog food though is that if the weather gets wet, it doesn't hold up too well in the rain....it swells up and turns to mush. In that case, just shovel it out and start over the next time you bait.

As far as meat scraps go, you must have a butcher shop or meat processor somewhere in your area. The demand for scraps goes way up this time of year though. Next year talk to a local buther early about getting some of his trimmings and freeze them until bear season comes along. This year by mid-May I had 500 lbs of meat scraps in my freezer and family freezers. The meat processors are glad to get rid of it when there is no demand for it. My family is glad to get their freezer space back too.

I use whole corn,chocolate frosting,the white stuff from a salted nut roll molassas donuts and table scraps, I have a large chest freezer clean plates into a 5 gal pail I also have friends save thier scraps too. The latest Thing I bought for bait is a 1gal garden sprayer I put veg oil and vanilla extract in it and spray all over the place it sprays about 25' so I can get it way up in and on the trees Ive tried water mix before but it evaprates fast the oil tends to hang on for quite a while. I have to get some grease to throw around the bait pile so the other visitors (racoons,fox,martens,etc.) will leave a trail all over the woods to the goodies. Ive also tried dog food before but if it gets wet it is a nasty mess

I also get donuts from local coffee shops.Cracked corn with grease over it works great too.

I trick I learned for keeping small "robbers" out is I use plastic milk crates over my baits.I put a couple heavy rocks over the crates.Raccoons and such can reach in and get some,buy only a bear can get at the main pile.

any body know how to compete with the natural food source? mostly acorns.Not getting hit as much as i used to!!

Can you get 2nd or drop apples.Fill a 5 gallon pail about half full.Take a round mouth shovel and chop them up a few times.Add a half a bag of sugar and mix it up.This drives them crazy here.

ever try bear sense baits? i'ts like incense for bears it comes in 3 scents , dead fish for twelve miles, wild berry, and somethin else

Never heard of that stuff.
Have you used it?

Regarding the bear scents.... we have used them. They are okay but not exceptional. I don't think they keep the scent real long, if you dont' have acces to any thing sweet it might help.

Our bait stations are doing good. Although have one that is not hitting on a regular basis. We go out every two to three days to bait. One time we go out and its hit and then the next time its not. Not sure what is going on there.

other ones seem to be doing good. Just hope they are coming during shooting hours.

We found a supply of honey this year and we have access to pudding so we have been coating oats and what bread we can find fof the sweet stuff.

Hoping opener will be good!

good luck to everyone!