Black Bear Hunting Guide >> Black Bear Hunting Tips

Due to the fact that black bears are considered to be predators, many provinces and states allow baiting. Although some may consider baiting rather unfair because the hunter clearly gets an obvious advantage, it isn’t very easy to do although at a first glance it doesn’t look that way and also, the efficiency isn’t guaranteed. There are numerous cases in which black bears sneaked undetected and grabbed a morsel of meat for example and then suddenly disappeared without leaving any tracks to follow.

Another concrete example of the not so certain efficiency of baiting regards black bears : they can move around the area where the bait is installed without getting closer. And this may take up to a few hours; eventually they will come close, or not; nothing is sure regarding this matter. But if you do get lucky and the black bear comes closer, you now have a big chance of capturing the animal. In order to install an efficient baiting station, you should follow some basic steps so that you will increase your chances for success:

The first thing you should do is find out all there is to know about black bears. For example, black bears have a home range from which they span 2 to 10 miles; another thing you should know is that black bears have a very poor eye sight but very developed auditory and olfactory senses.

The second thing you should do is to think about the best baiting location. The proper location would be along the bear’s area, where he usually roams. You must think of it this way: where there is a lot of food, a bear is there, for example: a heavily timbered forest near agricultural areas; another example would be near rivers or streams and also low grounds because these areas offer darkness and a place to cover; advice: look for signs like claw marks on trees.

3 rd step - timing : the baits should be installed immediately when the black bear season starts. You should stock the baits about two weeks before you will actually hunt the black bears. The more baits you have, the more success ( at least theoretically ) you will have so keep this in mind the next time you plan on going out hunting black bears.

4 th step - what to use : as most of you know black bears are omnivores and they will eat just about everything. It is advisable that what your “offer” has a very strong odor so that the bear will be more attracted to it.

5 th step - about the set up : an example of how to set up a bait station would be: the hunter should use a 50 gallon drum which will be chained to a tree. In order to make the bear approach from the front thus improving your chances for a successful shot, the barrel should be cribbed with branches. At the base of the baiting station, the hunter must cut a six inch diameter hole. Selecting your stand location should be done at no more than 20 yards away, otherwise you won’t have a good shot.

6 th step is about rules and regulations. You must know what laws the state ( in which you are about to do your hunting ) has. For example, you should know when does the season begin or in which places you aren’t allowed to install baiting sites; also you have to know about licensing and others as well.

7 th step – when to sit the baits : in the evening hours bears usually come out but this isn’t a rule because you can stumble upon bears anytime during the day.

8 th step - concerns : be very attentive because scents can be your friend and also they can be your enemy. As I have mentioned, bears will be drawn by the odor of the food but if by any chance they track you down, you can say goodbye to your hunting dreams; with other words, keep your clothing odorless, footwear should also be without any smells. You should approach the stand from the opposite way that you think the black bear will enter the baiting site.

9 th step - be alert : due to the fact that black bears have padded feet, they move around with a swiss-type precision. In most cases, first you will see the bear and afterwards you will hear him.

The final step which any hunter should follow is about shooting the animal. It is advisable to wait until the black bear is paying attention to the bait. As most of you know, bears are very strong animals so a double even triple lung shot is recommended.

As you can see, baiting isn’t very easy; it requires a great amount of work and only a few hunters have success using this method. Although it is difficult, installing bait stations might improve your efficiency if done properly.

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