How to hunt black bears with bait. Bear hunting over bear baits: Hunting big bears is different! Here's my opinion after years of observing bear behavior. Do you agree or disagree?
i've really appreciated your videos, they've helped me confirm the site i plan on setting up my bait for my first year hunting black bear is correct. it's near a river, there's already bear activity there because of the mature apple and oak trees, lots of cover for the bears to approach bait, and it's near the top of a hill. a couple weeks of placing bait and checking my cameras will tell the full story, thanks for your great videos
Hi Bernie, I just ended my UP MI hunt very frustrated. With three baits all were hit at 8 pm or midnight sporadically. Two larger males, two smaller bear and a sow with three cubs were on multiple baits about a mile apart. Scat piles had lots of corn. Only pattern was time. One exception was a all day rain he came in at 5:40 pm. The area has very little people pressure. This was a very frustrating hunt. Thanks for the great videos.
Last bear in wis I took, I was able to watch him approach with the wind but did hook sideways to cut my baiting trail! He sat there for some before approaching to a position he could see the bait.
Reading the book out on a limb it was said that bears expect to share surplus food but there's complex rules around the process. This might explain the careful behavior of bears around baits other than getting shot at
Very interesting. I'll probably get that book and read it, although I would be very cautious about comparing the behavior of bears that were so acclimated to a person to wild bears who have never had a close interaction with a person that had a positive outcome. Might be some good info from his experiences though.
I have been running baits in Michigan for 12 seasons now for people who draw tags and have been on and guided many Canadian and Maine outfitted hunts. I have come to many of the same conclusions and theories on mature bears approaching baits and behavior in general. Thanks for confirming and sharing with your 20 + years of experience Bernie.
I continue to learn every time I watch a video of yours Thank you. I am so grateful I found your channel. I was like a sponge trying to retain all of the information you put out. In preparation for my hunt. I didn’t harvest a monster but I did manage to fill my first Wisconsin black bear tag. In zone c no less which has a less than stellar success rates as it is So thank you for taking the time to give us and myself this information. I used it and managed to get lucky
Great information I can relate this information to the way I whitetail hunt, same tactics different animal. Looking forward to your next hunting video. Hammer Down Bernie
Ive only harvested 1 bear it was a 13 year old sow dnr told me. She came straight from behind the bait sat down about 30 yards and was sucking air through her mouth for about 5 mins then came into the bait and bang went 10 yards and died.
This explains so much! My husband's always the one who goes out baiting and when he sits in the stand the bears come in for him like normal, and completely ignore him, sometimes look right at him and go back to the bait. I never do the baiting and when I go out and sit the bears won't come in or if they do they just peak their head out then leave
I had a 3 year old boar circle the bait this fall at around 7:15 in the morning, but I think he was more worried about getting his butt kicked by a sow with a cub that was using it. He was definitely downwind of me at times, but he kept looking at the bait pretty much the whole time. He never stopped moving to give me a shot and never entered the bait site. Just circled it and left.
good stuff again Bernie. Here's a question/scenario for you. In Manitoba right now, most of the leaves have fallen and are quite crunchy. Daytime sightings have dropped significantly, which makes sense what you said in another video, is they can't sneak in easily because it's too noisy. I'm getting them circling downwind just before sunset now, and then walking off. I'm guessing they're smelling me. Have you ever thought of setting a stand up farther up a trail that they come in on? Say 40-50 yards back, maybe you wouldn't even able to see the bait at that point, but I'm thinking they wouldn't be looking for someone that far off the bait.
That can work, if you know where they are coming from. Certainly worth a try at this point. They are definitely more cautious when the leaves are off the trees and they can see farther.
We fill with bottom of 5 gallon bucket cut out with pc of 2” pvc sticking down 2”. Set bucket on drum an pvc down in bung an pour whole corn in barrel for gravity feed for Deer!
i've really appreciated your videos, they've helped me confirm the site i plan on setting up my bait for my first year hunting black bear is correct. it's near a river, there's already bear activity there because of the mature apple and oak trees, lots of cover for the bears to approach bait, and it's near the top of a hill. a couple weeks of placing bait and checking my cameras will tell the full story, thanks for your great videos
As a first time bear hunter this year thank you sir for explain certain aspects of what I need to expect when I go out. Thank you.
Glad to help
Very helpful video, thanks Bernie!!!!
My pleasure!
Another great video, thanks 👍
Thanks for everything and yeah I’m learning so much from your your videos
Glad to hear it!
Hi Bernie,
I just ended my UP MI hunt very frustrated. With three baits all were hit at 8 pm or midnight sporadically. Two larger males, two smaller bear and a sow with three cubs were on multiple baits about a mile apart. Scat piles had lots of corn. Only pattern was time. One exception was a all day rain he came in at 5:40 pm. The area has very little people pressure. This was a very frustrating hunt. Thanks for the great videos.
Tough deal hope it goes better next time. Did he come in at 5:40 during the rain or at the end of the rain?
Last bear in wis I took, I was able to watch him approach with the wind but did hook sideways to cut my baiting trail! He sat there for some before approaching to a position he could see the bait.
Best bear channel on the World Wide Web!
Great video! I learn something everytime
Awesome! Thank you!
Reading the book out on a limb it was said that bears expect to share surplus food but there's complex rules around the process. This might explain the careful behavior of bears around baits other than getting shot at
Very interesting. I'll probably get that book and read it, although I would be very cautious about comparing the behavior of bears that were so acclimated to a person to wild bears who have never had a close interaction with a person that had a positive outcome. Might be some good info from his experiences though.
I have been running baits in Michigan for 12 seasons now for people who draw tags and have been on and guided many Canadian and Maine outfitted hunts. I have come to many of the same conclusions and theories on mature bears approaching baits and behavior in general. Thanks for confirming and sharing with your 20 + years of experience Bernie.
I continue to learn every time I watch a video of yours Thank you.
I am so grateful I found your channel. I was like a sponge trying to retain all of the information you put out. In preparation for my hunt.
I didn’t harvest a monster but I did manage to fill my first Wisconsin black bear tag. In zone c no less which has a less than stellar success rates as it is
So thank you for taking the time to give us and myself this information. I used it and managed to get lucky
My fellow sponge. I too just soak up his knowledge. I just wish I knew what little I know now, 30 years ago.
Great information
I can relate this information to the way I whitetail hunt, same tactics different animal.
Looking forward to your next hunting video.
Hammer Down Bernie
Everyone thinks hunting over bait is easy....Only the seasoned veterans who have seen it first hand know better! Great content, Bernie!
Another great video Bernie! Thank you for always putting out great content!
Glad you enjoy it!
One minute in and listening intently. Thanks Bernie. Keep the videos going.
Another great watch thank you for taking time to teach your knowledge
Thanks for watching
Thank you Bernie
Ive only harvested 1 bear it was a 13 year old sow dnr told me.
She came straight from behind the bait sat down about 30 yards and was sucking air through her mouth for about 5 mins then came into the bait and bang went 10 yards and died.
That sipping of air you saw was her pulling the air across her Jacobsen's organ on the roof of her mouth which they use to smell.
This explains so much! My husband's always the one who goes out baiting and when he sits in the stand the bears come in for him like normal, and completely ignore him, sometimes look right at him and go back to the bait. I never do the baiting and when I go out and sit the bears won't come in or if they do they just peak their head out then leave
They know who the Huntress is !
☆
never been bear hunting, really enjoy your videos learning stuff.
Great educational video Bernie!!! I've seen bears staging when I bait about 25% of the time.
This makes more sense as time goes on. Bears just won't tolerate the differences in scent. It seems I relearn this every year!
I had a 3 year old boar circle the bait this fall at around 7:15 in the morning, but I think he was more worried about getting his butt kicked by a sow with a cub that was using it. He was definitely downwind of me at times, but he kept looking at the bait pretty much the whole time. He never stopped moving to give me a shot and never entered the bait site. Just circled it and left.
good stuff again Bernie. Here's a question/scenario for you. In Manitoba right now, most of the leaves have fallen and are quite crunchy. Daytime sightings have dropped significantly, which makes sense what you said in another video, is they can't sneak in easily because it's too noisy. I'm getting them circling downwind just before sunset now, and then walking off. I'm guessing they're smelling me. Have you ever thought of setting a stand up farther up a trail that they come in on? Say 40-50 yards back, maybe you wouldn't even able to see the bait at that point, but I'm thinking they wouldn't be looking for someone that far off the bait.
That can work, if you know where they are coming from. Certainly worth a try at this point. They are definitely more cautious when the leaves are off the trees and they can see farther.
Shhh...the bears can't hear this..nooo
4:50
Who in their right mind would pour from a 5 gallon bucket to a 55 gallon bung hole WithOut a Funnel !
Credibility : Shot .
☆
We fill with bottom of 5 gallon bucket cut out with pc of 2” pvc sticking down 2”. Set bucket on drum an pvc down in bung an pour whole corn in barrel for gravity feed for Deer!