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Post by mack11 on Aug 10, 2016 16:18:32 GMT -4
So I was getting lots of action at my bait then the last 2-3 weeks it has been dead quite. Couple raccoons and some crows thats it. Is this due to the heat and how dry it is or is there more natural food sources for them now.
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Post by tuketu on Aug 10, 2016 20:56:32 GMT -4
Hey Mack !
It's not uncommon for the bait to go cold this time of year , especially if there is a good berry crop around. Having said that ... there doesn't seem to be much of a berry crop this year down around "The Burg". I"m only guessing but I'd say the heat might make them nocturnal, coming out at night when things cool down. I expect they would just lay in the swamps and shade to try and stay cool during the day.I'd say 85% of my first pictures were after dark.
Is it possible there may be some other baiters near you?
Just keep freshening the bait and scent every time you go in to your site.There is a good chance they will come back, and you never know when a new bear(s) will happen upon your site. Bears are opportunistic creatures they won't pass up a free mealand they know where to find you.
Keep the faith Lil Brother !
Keep us in the loop !
tuk
d 1
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Post by skeeter on Aug 10, 2016 22:55:08 GMT -4
mack
you've been baiting quite a while now.
what's the bait in your barrel like? I know from previous posts you were adding grease and other stuff.
with the summer heat in those barrels - grease - molasses - meats - soft food types - can/will go rancid.
if you've only been topping off on your rebaits you may have some bad bait in there.
bears will eat anything BUT if someone else or a fresh natural bait shows up they'll drop you like a hot potato.
I don't mind losing bears if a natural food source comes on because they'll be back - but if your bait is bad then you're pushing them off.
check your bait quality! one question? will you eat it? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2016 11:01:11 GMT -4
Having never hunted in a place where bear baiting was allowed I have 0 experience & even less knowledge of it. I must confess that, in my ignorance, I have greatly underestimated the art of baiting. I am finding this subject fascinating & must add this to my hunting experience someday soon. The Quinault reservation over on the Olympic Peninsula does have a successful bear hunting program centered around baiting which is legal within their reservation boundaries.
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Post by mack11 on Aug 11, 2016 14:02:33 GMT -4
OK I will answer these in order,
Tuk, no others baiters near me that I am aware of or know of. I am 99.9% sure I am the only one in the area. The land I am on is a friends and the land around I know all owners and no one on there. Closest person to me would be someone deer hunting and that would be a 15 minute drive down the highway.
Skeeter, no oil was poured on the bait or in the barrel. Everything was put around the barrel on the ground and rotten stumps beside the bait, nothing in it has gone rancid, all the breads and pastries are gone not long after putting them in and the popcorn doesnt seem to go bad. Has a small amount of popcorn left but they seem to be REALLY enjoying it.
Will be going in tomorrow after work to put out another barrel and try another bait, and set up my stand. I will wait a bit for it to cool down a bit and see what I get coming in before moving locations.
Also have a new stink bucket brewing which I will put out in a few weeks time, surely with this heat and the concoction I have in this will bring something in.
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Post by skeeter on Aug 11, 2016 14:43:30 GMT -4
well that's good to hear. I must concur with tuk then .. a natural food source has come on so you should be good to go when that source begins to dry up. They know where you are! Patience is all you need now! HAH! hard to do until you understand why. Just keep it fresh. If in doubt dump it out and feed the ravens etc. noisy raven activity is sometimes the best call lure out there.
this is the best explanation ever told to me.
The bear knows where your bait is and has every intention of visiting but along the way he encounters all this other natural food. He eats while he's heading your way but is full before he gets there. So he turns around and heads back to his loafing/sleeping/digesting/cool hangout. The next day the same thing happens. You're on the other end and can't figure out why he left.
It's like trying to sell ice to an eskimo during the winter. Easier to sell during the summer.
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Post by mack11 on Aug 28, 2016 18:32:07 GMT -4
Just an update. Bait is getting hit regularly and bears of all sizes coming in around the clock. No monsters, yet, but still waiting patiently for that big old boy to show up. There are a couple decent size bears in I would gladly take. Working 4pm-12am this week at shipyards in Halifax travelling from Pictou everyday so This week I dont think to much will be done. Went in today and stocked the barrels up really really full in case I dont get to make it out this week. Saturday will be building a stand in at the bait. Building a fairly large stand in at the site just not to sure height for it. Maybe 16-20 feet up. Will be a good size so I am thinking the higher the better. Will get some photos of the stand once completed and post on here as well. Getting pretty excited cant wait to harvest my first bear.
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