well here I go again, I hope this does not Jinx me but I have a clearer year to hunt than the past.
Bait went out on April 8, checked it today in a snow storm...nothing yet.. too early I guess.. lol.
I have had a bait in the Archery Zone here for 4 years (since it open to bear hunting).
This special season ends earlier than anywhere else (May 31st). So you really get the last two to three weeks of May to hunt.
Over the years I have been not able to connect on a bear, due to my own preference or the bears not coming until the season's end.
I have learned several things about these bears; they usually are active in the morning or noon, they have a preference to beaver over anything else, they are especially big, are somewhat a custom to humans and they are late to become active in the spring.
Well here we go.....hope the ride is fun and you guys and gals enjoy the follow along.
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_093939_zpsgtoah9zo.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_093939_zpsgtoah9zo.jpg.html)
first signs of spring
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_093933_zps0s2x7phl.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_093933_zps0s2x7phl.jpg.html)
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=137408#000000
a little history
trail in
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091800_zpscuc5y9ty.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091800_zpscuc5y9ty.jpg.html)
Nasty piece of Dwarf Mistletoe Pine forest that got hit by a heavy early snow and tornado over the last 7 years.
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091822_zpseq1tjsbu.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091822_zpseq1tjsbu.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091623_zpsrychdw8q.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091623_zpsrychdw8q.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_085547_zpspouc7zgy.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_085547_zpspouc7zgy.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_085554_zpsme13vdzs.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_085554_zpsme13vdzs.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091506_zps9ngiqhon.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091506_zps9ngiqhon.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091502_zpsueu41a0h.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091502_zpsueu41a0h.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091520_zpsgtqdbtti.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091520_zpsgtqdbtti.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091535_zpsgkv6dhsx.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091535_zpsgkv6dhsx.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_091455_zpsccqq4ouo.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_091455_zpsccqq4ouo.jpg.html)
kuiufied my bow with help from Onestringer
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170422_085642_zpsexfxflx6.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170422_085642_zpsexfxflx6.jpg.html)
was able to get some stump shooting practice in today
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/2015-08-16%2019.27.21_zpseox22vpd.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/2015-08-16%2019.27.21_zpseox22vpd.jpg.html)
getting prep done!
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/bf88a62e-b8c7-4c58-8985-0040a4e53f2a_zpsqyqyehhu.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/bf88a62e-b8c7-4c58-8985-0040a4e53f2a_zpsqyqyehhu.jpg.html)
Good luck and thanks for doing this thread again. I always look forward to it.
Good hunting! Thanks for taking the time do this. I really enjoy them.
Gary
Thanks, look forward to the story unfolding... nice truck!
Let the fun begin. So how high is your tree stand above the barrel?
I'll be following this one seeing as I had to cancel my spring bear hunt in BC this year...
QuoteOriginally posted by habujohn:
Let the fun begin. So how high is your tree stand above the barrel?
Its about 12 off the ground and slope of the earth may be another 4.
Yes thanks love a good hunting thread. I can't get enough of them! Beautiful country
:campfire:
I hope you score a big one, stay on it
Good luck and shoot 'em straight!!
:campfire:
A little update
April 24, 2017
2 inches of snow on the ground and -6'C
I think I'll be waiting for activity a little bit longer.
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170424_064155_zps9v7g4mit.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170424_064155_zps9v7g4mit.jpg.html)
I don't envy your new snowfall
I'm in, hopefully the weather (and Bears) will cooperate.
Good luck.. :coffee:
Good luck! Send some of that snow this way. :D
Best of luck to ya. Love me some Black Bear huntin'.
Nothing coming yet, still very cool here
Gettin' excited Tim!!! I'm in. Good hunt :thumbsup:
Deno
:coffee: Good stuff
I enjoy your thread every year - I'm pulling for you!
I will be following. Good Luck!
This is going to be good.
I'm only cheking the bait site once a week, once it starts getting hit I will increase this likely 2 to 3 times a week. At present I'm baiting with old table scraps, a corn, oat and dry dog food mix with bacon grease, vanilla syrup and/or choke cherry syrup as pour on and one big (80 lbs beaver).
My stand is about 12 feet up and about twelve yards off to the north of the bait.
This area sits on a ridge between a blow down diseased area of pine to the north, a creek system to the SE and East and a black spruce bog to the south/SW.
The ridge travels along the creek and then between the transistion zone between the Bog and the open pine.
This is a urban area of Provincial forest with industrial and rural residences around the small island forest.
By this week end we are going to be in the 20's so I'm hoping this should start the bears.
TTT
:campfire:
My experience with early baiting is that they find the bait and hit it extremely hard the first time. With their stomach's unprepared for it, they go off and get sick and then slowly eat a little more every day until they get on a normal routine again.
I once had a bear eat 2 5 gallon buckets of doughnuts and a 50 lb box of rotten meat in one sitting. He ate a lot less every day after. Lol
We never killed him either. Wouldnt come in during daylight.
TTT any updates?
Still snow on the ground?
The word from my neighbors is the bears are out and about! I haven't seen any on game cameras yet .
With the way my dog acted yesterday when out stumping they are around.
Ken
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/20170517_091643_zpsjm5mnf77.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/20170517_091643_zpsjm5mnf77.jpg.html)
well it got hit in the last week, refreshed it today for the weekend. it has been unseasonally cool here. supposed to warm up for the long weekend here. so keep your fingers crossed. Two times now my new trail camera has failed....likely a ID10T error...lol.
So sorry no pictures for a while. put out an older camera today two more weeks left in the season so hopely clear sailing from here.
:campfire:
Gotta love spring bear hunting...best wishes
at least three bears, three different size scats in the area, one looks like it came from a decent bear.
I will hunt bait for the first time tomorrow.
Good luck.
Sat for the first time of the year. 3 hours and nothing came in, made some small adjustments to the tree stand and hanging vegitation (looks all clear for a good shot and now my elbow misses the tree). fine tunes are always expected and important. Going to the farm for a couple days to plant the garden and maybe do some S&S in the hay fields.
nothing hit the bait since last restock...
Ill make it out on sunday night and monday.
QuoteOriginally posted by Etter:
My experience with early baiting is that they find the bait and hit it extremely hard the first time. With their stomach's unprepared for it, they go off and get sick and then slowly eat a little more every day until they get on a normal routine again.
I once had a bear eat 2 5 gallon buckets of doughnuts and a 50 lb box of rotten meat in one sitting. He ate a lot less every day after. Lol
We never killed him either. Wouldnt come in during daylight.
I think this theory is a good one, and likely happened...they will be back..then...
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/Mobile%20Uploads/20170519_204020_zps7antsemd.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170519_204020_zps7antsemd.jpg.html)
I'm ready, diner is on, come and get it.
:thumbsup:
Next sit, you will see something
May 23-update
sat for three hours in evening, no bear has hit bait since the one time a week ago, two skunks came in. hoping it picks up this last week - which has traditionally happened i years past.
well it is on.
bait was hit when I arrived, I topped it up and sat for the evening.
a small 200 lbser came in for most of the evening, he would not leave so I had to get down from the stand with him at the bait.
there is at least 2 bears coming maybe three.
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0092_zpsknxjfmbb.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0092_zpsknxjfmbb.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0099_zpsx2ab3itt.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0099_zpsx2ab3itt.jpg.html)
either a little fight over the bait or love making?
smaller bear that came in sure had lots af hair missing.
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0093_zps5bvquda3.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0093_zps5bvquda3.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0100_zpsi55siqqa.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0100_zpsi55siqqa.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/SUNP0023_zpsr6el2eo9.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/SUNP0023_zpsr6el2eo9.jpg.html)
Dates on simmons are not right, time is ok. these are the pictures I thought I lost but only showed up once I used the card in the u-way????
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/SUNP0016_zpsun7yehpe.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/SUNP0016_zpsun7yehpe.jpg.html)
they mostly looks like small ones, hope it gets the big ones coming.
unfortunately to windy to be in a tree stand tonight. I'll maybe go out to check on stand, but wont sit unless wind calms down.
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/Mobile%20Uploads/20170526_195344_zpsliu6kopf.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170526_195344_zpsliu6kopf.jpg.html)
Good luck!
Looking good..... :campfire:
restocking bait with two days to go...
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0063_zps47hgzfhx.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0063_zps47hgzfhx.jpg.html)
a couple tracks in the area, looks like a bigger bear than the two cubs from a couple years ago.
size 10 and back foot is as long
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/Mobile%20Uploads/20170530_090329_zpsxutkccys.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170530_090329_zpsxutkccys.jpg.html)
6-7 inch front pad
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/Mobile%20Uploads/20170530_090340_002_zpsfga97pyl.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170530_090340_002_zpsfga97pyl.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0148_zpsa2dukszz.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0148_zpsa2dukszz.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0144_zps6izprbxo.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0144_zps6izprbxo.jpg.html)
wolfy
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0145_zpsimzdiisa.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0145_zpsimzdiisa.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0137_zpsmmfjzrr1.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0137_zpsmmfjzrr1.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0136_zpsuz1hindr.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0136_zpsuz1hindr.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0132_zpszzqeqyzp.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0132_zpszzqeqyzp.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0123_zpsurp1wpec.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0123_zpsurp1wpec.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0124_zpsevutgo9z.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0124_zpsevutgo9z.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0089_zpsokc9lbmp.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0089_zpsokc9lbmp.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0087_zpsdlgrkgmm.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0087_zpsdlgrkgmm.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0073_zpsbro7tyif.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0073_zpsbro7tyif.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0070_zpswmrjtlmh.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0070_zpswmrjtlmh.jpg.html)
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/PICT0069_zpsm15l22xl.jpg) (http://s1085.photobucket.com/user/Tloran/media/PICT0069_zpsm15l22xl.jpg.html)
:campfire:
Well I went for the morning today, nothing came in, I may go later tonight and tomorrow around 8:30 to 11.
still hoping for a big guy. have only seen small ones to date.
no bears today nor anything hit the bait since yesterday morning.
went out this morning for a good long sit in the stand, very hot almost 27 by lunch. a white wolf came in shortly after 10 am, I tried to photograph him, but he saw me move and took off.
The unexpected?
a duck coming into flooded timber came through the forest, he was at full speed (40 km) and his wing actually ran into my bow in hand. If he would have hit me I'm sure I would have been knocked out of the tree (at least into harness).
Cool to see the wolf.