MN No Quota Help!!!

[miles]

I haven't hunted bear in 15 years and this is my first year on my own. It all started out when the farmer who owns the land I whitetail hunt on said a bear got her bird feeder. Being in the metro area and an over the counter tag I figured I would give bear hunting on my own a shot. So went out and got 400 lbs of bait, two 45 gal barrels and picked a good spot. In a very steep ravine with my stand in a spot good with wind direction and about 40 feet above the bait. I put the bait out and checked it a week later and it had been hammered. I then put out a trail cam and have re-baited every three days since. I have what appears to be 6 bears in the area. Starting with a sow and two cubs that were in the first set of pics, that haven't been back since. Also a smaller sow with no cubs and what appear to be 2 decent boars. In the last week and a half i have only had pics of the boars and absolutely no activity in the last 4 days. I am wondering what tips you guys had for me to get them back on the bait and how worried should I be about them not coming in. The temps here have gone up into the 90s over the last 4 days and I am hoping that is what shut them down. Also the activity seams to have slowed since I have hunted the stand. I hunted last sat and sun with no sightings. Sunday night I thought one was coming in but it seamed to lock up 50 yards out. I am 5'8" and 200 Lbs. how big do you think the bears are? Well to end a long story... what should I do?????

 

[TLC]

1 - way too much bait out. either go with the barrel, not barrels, or go with the ground bait set up.

2 - guessing the heat has them shut down. they'll be closer to water in the heat.

3 - has the natural fall foods started popping out yet? dandelions, acorns, or whatever you have up there.

4 - try a honey burn the next time you go out. if there is one around, they'll come and check it out.

 

[maceman]

I agree, do a honey or bacon burn and sit really still and spray down good with scent killer. Seems like there is a lot of natural food on the ground up there, Patience might be a big key to get the natural food source used up and then they will be back on your bait.

 

[bobbydean]

Good first post. You did it right.

 

[miles]

Thanks guys right now I am thinking I will do some bear crack for the next time I freshen the bait. Try the super soaker filled with liquid smoke trick at the same time. Then check the bait on Sat and if its getting hammered again sit that night. I am not sure what natural food source would have popped in the last week? Maybe acorns? but I thought it was too early. Any idea on the size? I haven't seen enough of them to be a good judge. The one with the white patch seems to be the best one....

 

[TheShootist.41]

Miles,
Where in the no quota area are you hunting. I am hunting in area51 in the Rum River state forest. From what I have seen here I don't think that natural food are a big part of the problem due to the excessive heat and draught we have had in the part of the state. I have been limiting my bait amount to a 5 gal bucket. I have also been using a lot of liquid smoke and anise extract (the kind the wives use for cooking). My bait has been getting hit regularly, but it is mostly small bears and female w/cubs.
Today the temps are much cooler and I am hoping it will get some of the bigger ones moving. By the way I am also set up about 100yd from a small pond. Dont know if this is an option for you, but it has been where I have found the best sign.
Good luck and I hope this has been of some help for you.

 

[miles]

I am hunting the Scandia area on private prop and 100 yrds off one water source and 300 yrds off another. I am not sure but don't really think I am competing with other bear hunters. I really hope I can get a chance at the one with the white patch.
Thanks 41.

 

[Bambistew]

Nice bears. I don't think any of them are much over 5'. I think all but the second to last one are sows or young bears. The white patch looks like an old sow to me, but I could be wrong; small wrists and small forearms... The second to last one, looks like a boar, but probably the biggest one. about a 5.5 footer or a bit bigger? Don't think he's over 200lbs.

Good luck hunting them. I've never baited bears, looks like a lot of work.

 

[streamer]

I''d say that the bigger one is close to 200, not 300 at all they are deceiving with there hair, the big ones have a belly that will nearly scratch the ground. Big round head and little ears. If you have never taken a bear just shot one, you can always get picky next year.

 

[miles]

I shot one in 95 and one in 98. The one in 98 dressed out at just under 300. I just want to knock one down this year, but not a small one (under 150). I am hoping to use this year to get my skills in order and next year expand to 3 baits and try to get something with a little size...

 

[TheShootist.41]

Miles
Was thinking about you today. Wondering if your luck bhas been better than mine. Cant seem to get them to come in during the day. Am going to take some advice from this forum and do a honey burn tomorrow and see
if it wont stir things up a bit.

 

[TLC]

ah yes. the good ole honey burn.

 

[miles]

41 I haven't even been out since opener. With the heat and the bait not being hit I figured I would let it cool off. I am heading out tomorrow to check again and decide from there on what I do. Let me know how the honey burn works for ya. I am probably going to try the same thing. Good luck.

 

[kansasdad]

Hey boys, please teach this Kansas boy what a "honey burn" is!

 

[TheShootist.41]

I purchased one the small collapsible camping stoves made to use with sterno fuel. I put about 1.5 or 2 inches of honey in a soup can, set it on the stove and let it sit. It will get hot enough and begin to burn. Produces thick white smoke the spreads with the slightest bit of wind.

 

[ida homer]

From my limited experience, your problem is TIME and the amount of bait. The 4 bears we had hitting our bait in Idaho stayed nocturnal until from mid April until about May 7th ish. Eventually they just slowly started trickling in in the late afternoon about 4pm, just for a couple minutes then they would leave and come back at night.

Our problem was that we had too much bait out I think. A few experienced guys told us to put very little (enough for just a few bites) or even no bait in it sometimes, so that they think the other bears are beating them to it and sometimes it will make them come earlier, during shooting light ideally. It seemed to work for us, hard to determine whether our remedy was just waiting for them to become more active during the day or if our smaller bait stash was the solution.

They are a super weird animal, completely unpredictable in our experience and very difficult to pattern. But that's what makes them fun to hunt. Good luck, keep us posted!

 

[TLC]

what shootist said. the way I do it is like the picture. use the bottom of one of the cheapy grills, and build a small fire in it. don't want to have to worry about starting a fire by doing it directly on the ground. once the fire gets going, put green pine tree twigs on it that have been soaked with honey. keep putting them on until the fire goes out. want it to last for 5-10 minutes. have never had to wait more than 20-30 minutes for a bear to show up. can do the same with used grease.

 

[TLC]

tw, sounds like your biggest problem was just the timing of the year. bears were just coming out of their dens at that time of year in Idaho. probably hadn't gotten rid of their "plugs" yet. had that happen on a hunt out there. only bear I saw the whole week, was after doing a honey burn. smallish 2 1/2 year old. out near Kamiah.

and going to be after the bears in Arkansas in about 3 weeks. Minnehaha changed the rules, and didn't get drawn with my 2 points. even after paying the $4.12 for my chance. guess next year?

 

[ida homer]

tw, sounds like your biggest problem was just the timing of the year. bears were just coming out of their dens at that time of year in Idaho. probably hadn't gotten rid of their "plugs" yet. had that happen on a hunt out there. only bear I saw the whole week, was after doing a honey burn. smallish 2 1/2 year old. out near Kamiah.

Yeah, you are probably right. Was weird, they showed up on the opener and every night for 3 straight weeks at night devouring our bait, until we finally got one to come in during the day, around the first week of May.

Good luck on your hunt!

 

[miles]

thanks for all the info guys. i was able to get tomorrow off and convince my wife that going hunting was a good idea. there is going to be a big temp drop, 90 today and a high of 73 tomorrow. I have stayed away from the bait since sat. I think its taking them a day or two to get comfortable and i have re set the bait every time i have hunted so far. so the plan is to sneak in tomorrow leave the bait as is and knock down a monster