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Tuk 17
Aug 20, 2017 9:47:44 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Aug 20, 2017 9:47:44 GMT -4
This year is proving out to be a real challenge in an attempt to secure enough bait. Our bread source has dried up and the local Timmies is cutting back production which means fewer leftovers of which I have to split with another hunter. Really doesn't make it worth while to get up 4:15 am for a measly small bag of sweets.
A bin of corn will cost me $200 so that's out, and I've never had much luck with grains. Only other possibility is apples which should not be a problem to get around here.
For some reason the fun has gone out of bear hunting ... seems more like a chore, and that's not good.
I've yet to put a barrel in the woods, and at this point I'm not sure I will. Was planning on setting up the site on the 26-27th ... Just have to wait and see I guess.
tuk
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Tuk 17
Aug 20, 2017 17:24:20 GMT -4
Post by losthunter on Aug 20, 2017 17:24:20 GMT -4
This year is proving out to be a real challenge in an attempt to secure enough bait. Our bread source has dried up and the local Timmies is cutting back production which means fewer leftovers of which I have to split with another hunter. Really doesn't make it worth while to get up 4:15 am for a measly small bag of sweets.
A bin of corn will cost me $200 so that's out, and I've never had much luck with grains. Only other possibility is apples which should not be a problem to get around here.
For some reason the fun has gone out of bear hunting ... seems more like a chore, and that's not good.
I've yet to put a barrel in the woods, and at this point I'm not sure I will. Was planning on setting up the site on the 26-27th ... Just have to wait and see I guess.
tuk
d 1 When the going gets tuff.....the tuff get going buddy ! bin of apples 80 bucks....put out one week prior to opener.....go in and get your winters meat rations ! |
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Tuk 17
Aug 22, 2017 15:21:18 GMT -4
Post by Sk33t3r on Aug 22, 2017 15:21:18 GMT -4
This year is proving out to be a real challenge in an attempt to secure enough bait. Our bread source has dried up and the local Timmies is cutting back production which means fewer leftovers of which I have to split with another hunter. Really doesn't make it worth while to get up 4:15 am for a measly small bag of sweets.
A bin of corn will cost me $200 so that's out, and I've never had much luck with grains. Only other possibility is apples which should not be a problem to get around here.
For some reason the fun has gone out of bear hunting ... seems more like a chore, and that's not good.
I've yet to put a barrel in the woods, and at this point I'm not sure I will. Was planning on setting up the site on the 26-27th ... Just have to wait and see I guess.
tuk
d 1 I can't believe I'm reading this! Lost hunter sums it up with the tuff it up response.
I put out my initial 5 baits on Aug 3 .... 18 days later ..Aug 21 I went back ... 3 baits were hit. 2 not. Those 2 are still full requiring nothing but a big bear finding them. 2 of the other baits were just discovered aug 18. Both were down about 3 to 5" from the top. About 1/2 bag in each needed to top them up. The 5th bait was hit real good and was 1/2 empty. took about 1-1/2 bags to fill. NOTE: My bags are the size of a medium Rubbermaid plastic garbage can. 3 bags fill a barrel.
So to refill all the baits was under 3 bags total after 18 days. Could you imagine how much bait would be left if the varmints had their way? I brought up 13 bags because "what if" ... I used 3 ... gave 4 away, to marks son, scotty to take to his place in North Bay and brought home 6.
One bait has a couple smaller 250-275 lb bears. long and lanky. just tall enough to stand in tippy toes and hook a nail on to barrel lip and do a chin-up to bait hole. Then it becomes a real struggle to do the one armed bandit desperation paw to get a miniscule of bait. Bait #2 has a shooter bear on it and he's been there solo multiple times from aug 18 till aug 21. He seems to like the food and sleeps under the set-up. Site #3 was hit the hardest with 1/2 barrel gone. I had an SD card snafu and didn't get any intel ... GGGRRRR! The site was really worn down and I counted at least 20 turds bigger then a coke can scattered about. ... I know enough about bears to be excited and I can't wait to go back next week to retrieve the chips and actually see how much bait is consumed versus the bear size, bear frequency, etc.
My entire goal has always been clear. feed your target bear and only your target bear. Bait management is critical.
Getting to this point has required more work then any bear hunter should have to go through. If this works I'm going to look like a genius.
point being I had to be mentally tuff and physically tough to get through the low times and come out the other side a winner.
So get your azz out there!
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Tuk 17
Aug 22, 2017 15:28:59 GMT -4
Post by sk33t3r on Aug 22, 2017 15:28:59 GMT -4
OOPS forgot to mention that the bears are real heavy on the berries. I suspected that baiting to early would be slow and it appears I was correct. August 18ish seems to be their initial foray for finding a new bait source. Lots of guys have been slow and it all points to a good berry crop. This has been consistent for me for the last 3 yrs. So the intel moving forward points to an Aug 10-12 initial bear baiting.
What is it I phrased? ... I'm getting too old to keep covering up stupidity with effort!
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Tuk 17
Aug 31, 2017 8:13:04 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Aug 31, 2017 8:13:04 GMT -4
Thanks for the Kick in the Arse guys ... guess I needed a little prodding this year to get myself in gear.
Revamped the barrels this year , making the holes smaller to hopefully conserve bait. I have two shakers, one of which (smallest hole) I will use for beef fattener ( my first time using this ) and throw in a bag of Ol Roy dog kibble. The other I "may" set up with apples and some sweets ... maybe... and the third (in middle) is to be an elevated barrel. Not sure if I'll just go fast to the tree or employ the Skeeter Barrel Bracket.
I have also been able to secure the unserved daily leftovers from work so I'm also considering a trough style barrel as the left overs may tend to be a bit soggy when they thaw. Just trying to cover the bases with whatever bait I can secure to get me thru the season.
The Three Amigos
tuk
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Tuk 17
Aug 31, 2017 11:40:12 GMT -4
Post by losthunter on Aug 31, 2017 11:40:12 GMT -4
Webster dictionary ; Tuk. Person. adj; one who takes something simple and makes it difficult.
lol...for those who dont know...I'm always busting Tuks chops.....despite what he says and the angry txts i get...he loves it lol.
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Tuk 17
Aug 31, 2017 22:17:29 GMT -4
Post by skeeter on Aug 31, 2017 22:17:29 GMT -4
Tuk
The middle barrel will work fine for the Skeeter feeder. A friend of mine just put one out last week. He installed his lone feeder about 60" up. attached it right to the tree. used ratchet straps.
he made a 2x4 ladder to get the bait in. And he wrapped the tree with tin. I will get a pic of his set-up.
He hunts about 15 miles from me. His concern is he likes to shoot bears and just wants a good sized male for an eater. 60" should work for him but hopefully he doesn't get a big sow on it. I don't have any sows on my baits and chances are he will inherit the sows from my area. I can't wait to say to him "I told you so!"
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Tuk 17
Sept 10, 2017 20:50:21 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 10, 2017 20:50:21 GMT -4
Talk about the 11th hour ! Season opens Monday and I just went in Saturday to set up. Have 3 separate barrels set out this year but things are a little different with an elevated, a shaker and a slop barrel. The third being used for the variety of unserved meals that the Kitchen at work throws out at the end of the day.
The elevated barrel was a chore to set up solo.In order to get a decent height I had to use the bait buggy and set a barrel on that , then put the second barrel on top of the first. The feeder hole is at about 5'. I used chains and turnbuckles to secure it to the tree. It appears quite solid but we are talking about bears here. I didn't notice at the time but the barrel could have gone a bit higher to rest fast to the tree. I also had to cut a small groove in the tree so I could secure the cover with the locking ring.
Best of Luck to everyone !
Looking forward to some great pics and stories again this season.
tuk
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Tuk 17
Sept 15, 2017 7:19:58 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 15, 2017 7:19:58 GMT -4
So I'm hoping my procrastination is not going to cost me a bear this year. The bait was set up on Saturday , but I put no stink bucket up. I was being a bit cocky thinking that in the past several years the bait site was usually hit within a day or so of set up, so I expected much the same this year.
When I returned on Wednesday to find the site untouched I was a bit surprised but not concerned. I rationalized that this may be a good thing.The lack of numerous smaller bears pilfering the bait may make the site more attractive to a big ole solitary boar or two. I noticed that the stick bucket from last year still hanging in the tree so I took it down and poured out the contents at the top of the hill. Surprisingly the contents had not lost its putrid punch, so away on the currents it drifted. I returned to the site and once again sprayed high in the trees my Vanilla, Anise, Hickory Smoke concoction.
Going back in on Saturday or Sunday (16th-17th) to check the site and Tcams . Hoping to have some better news to report back.
tuk
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Tuk 17
Sept 16, 2017 15:29:38 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 16, 2017 15:29:38 GMT -4
Baiters Log ... 16 Sept 17 ... went in to check the Bait this morning ... It's been hit . Ironically the elevated bait was almost empty but the shaker had been rolled but still pretty much full.
Tcam #1 ... Moultrie ... didn't pick up any activity from about 15 yards - was very disappointed. Tcam #2
had been set on 5 sec video inadvertently and produced 170 videos. The elevated barrel was pretty much empty and the videos showed a bear thats head reached the first ring with the barrel hole set at 5'. This is a whole new way of judging size to me ... I'll have to see the bear on stand to know if it's a shooter.
I'm going in Monday with the intent to bait and hunt all day and see what shows up. Best time to have a big boy show up is early but I'm not trophy hunting so we'll see what shows !
tuk
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Tuk 17
Sept 22, 2017 18:29:10 GMT -4
Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2017 18:29:10 GMT -4
Well, you have had more action than I have boss! Got back from a 2 wk trip & finally got out this AM for a few hrs. Still hunted the old skid road that I hung a trailcam at the end of in very early Spring. Couldn't believe how much the road has grown over. The berry crop is definitely on the decline now that the weather is changing & we've had some rain which mildews the berries. A lot of scat in the area. None really fresh, some about a wk old that had been rained on & turned into puddles of purple slurry. Signs are that the bear are still accessing the berry patches thru bear tunnels perpendicular to the road (instead of cruising the road). Deer also seem to be active as it is evident w/all the tender shoots on the young cottonwoods, alders, & blackberries being nipped off. It was a little unsettling hunting this strip of overgrown road lined w/smashed down & tunneled berry bushes. Tippy toeing along, red dot turned on, thumb on a half-cocked hammer, gun at the ready. I enjoy still hunt'in bears from the ground but not when I am down to 5 ft before I can see the bear tunnels. I shot one a few years ago at 30 paces & that was exciting, but for the few bruins that may decide to be aggressive, 5 ft don't leave much time to react. Some places the berry vines interlaced across the road waist high, like pushing thru clouds of green barbed wire. Washing the bloodstains out of my clothes as I write this, no it wasn't bear blood darn it. Years previous I have found subtly trimmed trails thru the brush a wk or 2 before bow season starts. Makes it less painful to get thru the brambles & for a nice quite return trip after the season has started, but also makes it pretty obvious to other hunters, especially if you have hung a trail cam or tree stand. Guess it all adds to the sense of accomplishment when you do (or if) you finally score on a bruin. Good luck guys.
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Tuk 17
Sept 24, 2017 9:35:52 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 24, 2017 9:35:52 GMT -4
Hunting that terrain you have Sideswipe is not an easy ..."
Walk in the Woods" ! Anything we have here pales in comparison.... apples and oranges really.
5' ... you'd be surprised at the speed of a bowel movement .. given the right circumstances of course.
Update ... 24 Sept 17 ... By the looks of the Tcams I have maybe 5-6 visitors to the bait site. Unfortunately most is during nighttime hours. I have a few that are right at dusk, but for the most part at night.
Great to see Stubbie back again for his 3 season Cameo Appearance. He disappeared early last season so I thought he may have been dispatched.
I have the "Porker Twins " this year ... fat as can be and all of about 4' long... "Mini Me's" .Here's one of them. As you can see by one of the standing barrel photo it only reaches the second ring for height.
And my " Pic of the Week " ... Kissing the Crow !
tuk
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Tuk 17
Sept 26, 2017 9:03:37 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 26, 2017 9:03:37 GMT -4
Came so close to pulling the trigger on the Micro 335 last night. Long story short just wouldn't stand still long enough to get a double lung shot. There will be a story to follow !
Back to the woods today to bait and wait.
Temps here have been exceptionally warm lately reaching into the 25*-30*c (77*-86*f) range with high humidity. A bear unrecovered until morning will definitely spoil. Calling for record breaking temps again today ...It's going to be another hot sit in stand but at least there's a breeze blowin'.
Another shot of this Low Rider ... Any guesses?
Not a tall bear. I'm going to have to put a mark on the tree that indicates the top height of a 55 gal. barrel ...2'10"
tuk
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Tuk 17
Sept 27, 2017 8:03:51 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 27, 2017 8:03:51 GMT -4
What's the old saying ..." The camera doesn't lie ?" ... altho the time setup may be slow by 10 minutes.
I'm hoping the change in the forecast for cooler weather may trigger them to show up a bit earlier. 25 hours on stand and only one bear sighting is a bit discouraging but at least I know they're there and ya never know when a new bear might cross one of their scent paths to my bait.
A view from the stand ... elevated barrel at about 23 yards.I'm very well concealed for 270 *, and still good break up with trees in foreground for the rest.
This is a shot of him walking over to within 10 yards and looking up at me before going back to nip at an apple. Not what I'd call a huge bear but respectable and just what I'm looking at for table fare.
And Of course the evening wouldn't be complete without a visit from these little Pudge Packers. They first showed up at about 8:20 pm.
tuk
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Tuk 17
Sept 27, 2017 11:45:33 GMT -4
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2017 11:45:33 GMT -4
Thanks for update Podner. Looks like a great setup (but what do I know as a ground pounder?). Your slow night at the stand produced more bear visuals than I sometimes get in a season. Going to try for Friday/Sat although rain & thunder storms forcast...we'll see eh?
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