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Black Bear Hunting: Is Baiting Fair?

By: Mark Kayser
23 comments On the Trail with Mark Kayser

Mar 01

Shooting fish in a barrel. Shooting ducks on a pond. Easy as pie. Slam dunk.

Do you see where I'm going with this? As spring starts to blossom across North America, hunters get antsy for turkey hunts and the even more controversial spring bear pursuits. The controversy springs from the fact many black bear hunts occur over bait, and a portion of the public, including some hunters, believe it's too easy to shoot a bear over bait.

Sure certain areas of the country have opportunities for spot and stalk, and even calling action, but the majority of black bears are dispersed in dense forests, requiring some incentive for them to appear. As a native of the Great Plains I enjoy a good spot-and-stalk hunt as well as the next guy, but I also try to hunt smart when dropped into new environments.

There's no doubt some bait hunts fit the definition of a slam dunk, but don't bank on it. My first black bear hunt ever was a daily hair-pulling event of ghost bears raiding bait stations in the middle of the night. A last-light encounter in the final minutes of my hunt ended successfully with a big bear, but it was the only bear I saw the entire trip. It also led to my less-than-full mop of hair. Another trip to Saskatchewan ended similarly with a giant bear dodging me daily, and on the last day a gorgeous 300-pounder took the giant's place at the table, giving me a perfect Mathews-made opportunity. I took the shot, but still anguish over the monster that got away.

Just in the past couple weeks I've had conversations with two friends who had 2011 fall tags and monster bears patterned with scouting cameras. Both appeared to be slam dunks for bruisers tipping the scales at well over 400 pounds. Both friends hunted nearly every day for 30 days and both were unsuccessful. Like shooting fish in a barrel, right?

Slam dunks occur on pheasant hunts, whitetail hunts and other critters depending on management schemes, population densities and terrain. But just because bait is involved in bear hunting doesn't mean you should prepare a spot in front of the fireplace for a bear-skin rug.
 

What's your stance on baiting black bears? 

23 comments

# npaul
Thursday, March 01, 2012 2:30 PM
I live in Washington and it is illegal to bait anything. (I’m actually surprised that they let you use fish bait.) I think I’ll stick with that example. Baiting a bear is like baiting a fish. You have to know how and when to set the hook, where to fish, what bait to use and of course (if you do all of that right) you might end up with a dink that you have to through back.
Some say that baiting is too easy so they hunt the edge of a food plot (natures bait) instead. To me, baiting bear is like calling predators. You are giving them a reason to come to you. If you think it’s too easy don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunity to blow it when the big one shows up.
I wish I could use bait but I will have to do things the old fashioned way… get lucky.
# Crouch Jr
Thursday, March 01, 2012 5:47 PM
jboone52
Thursday, March 01, 2012 4:40 PM
I live in Wyoming and baiting is legal here, if you can get an area permit from the WGFD. I went on my first spring bear hunt last year in Idaho. It was fun but anything but a slam dunk. You must endure the elements, bugs and above all maintain your vigilance for long hours on stand. Even if you are lucky enough to see a bear it does not always mean you'll get a shot, mature bears are anything but stupid. I was 1 of the 3 hunters out of 6 in camp who harvested a bear.
# RAbear51
Thursday, March 01, 2012 10:42 PM
While I myself don't hunt bear or have a desire to kill a bear it is a part of the hunting world and I don't have a problem with that. I agree w/ npaul and his fish hook anology per baiting also. What DOES frost my nads are the hardcore bear "hunters" that believe it is their right to carry all their trash and barrels out into OUR wilderness to set up bait stations and then leave it there..ever come across any of that sorry shameful mess?? Or the ones that think it is their right to turn loose their radioed dogs and follow them wherever they go to kill "their" bear. Like the SLOBS that cut the lock on my gate..MY GATE... and proceeded up MY PRIVATE ROAD to kill a bear that had retreated to it's denning area on MY LAND.. was that "their" bear then? If you bait it is no guarantee of a kill so no real problem with baiting per se but the law should mandate removal of ALL remnants of said bait station at the close of every season on "OUR" land.
# fgrantham
Friday, March 02, 2012 9:30 AM
I live in Oklahoma and just the past few years we have had season
on black bear. Haven't tried it yet , but I sure am interested.
# TSTICE
Saturday, March 03, 2012 10:57 PM
@RAbear51- go the Alaska State Dept. of Natural Resources and search the bear baiting regulations up here. Bait stations are all GPS located or grid map reference and are required to be registered. All bait stations are required to be cleaned up (including any un-natural food you trucked in i.e. dog food) when the station is taken down.

There is a required baiting course to pass and be registered before you are allowed to put in for a permit to bait.

I would also add that depending on the season up here you don't really need a bait station. Like the recent article on Prince of Wales/Kodiak Island Sitka Black-tailed Deer hunting amply illustrates: you shoot a rifle up here it is like ringing the dinner bell for bears. Just gut your moose, deer, or whatever and wait a bit by the pile. The bears will be coming a-running and the 'bait' is perfectly legal to hunt over.
# RAbear51
Sunday, March 04, 2012 9:27 AM
TSTICE.. Alaska is way ahead of the crowd on MANY wildlife issues and their pride and respect for their wildlife and wilderness is remarkable. I could not use Alaska as an example of what is NOT right about wildlife issues on many of these issues. I have a great deal of respect for the Alaskan's attitude toward the natural resources of Alaska. Now.. if the discussion was about the devastating destruction to the earth caused by out-of-control gold exploration especially small-scale operations........... another time,MAYBE
# TSTICE
Sunday, March 04, 2012 9:49 PM
@RAbear51, those idiots on GoldRush are truly morons, also should mention that they are the laughingstock of the mining community up here. Probably partly why they had to move to Canada for their new season. Bearing Sea Gold is a little closer to AK style mining. The Pebble project is just a very stupid idea, besides I fish there for my freezer fill each summer, why mess that up?

Most of the mining companies that are currently operating in AK right now are foreign companies. How does that sound? Pogo mine down by Delta Junction is owned by a company in Japan, Ft. Knox is Canadian, Pebble project was purchased by a Canadian company, etc. It seems like everything up here is for sale right now. The people who live here are getting tired of being run over, vote bought, and flat out ignored by our government in its pursuit of more tax revenue and campaign funding.

The really insulting part is when you order something that has to be shipped up here. All we get from a lot of lower 48 companies is "We don't ship to Alaska because it is not part of the USA." What geography class did they flunk?

Sorry, getting off of my soapbox now.

Looking at purchasing a blackpowder rifle for the next season and don't want one of those fake muzzleloaders. Any ideas anyone? Traditional flintlock or percussion cap actions?
# RAbear51
Sunday, March 04, 2012 10:53 PM
TSTICE..If it's true traditonal you're after then flint is just that..but they are rugged,unpredictable tempermental and sometimes just plain unreliable. Perc. cap is not that far from traditional and still fairly "primitive" for that old time effect. Just keep fresh, new caps in a sealed container while out and make certain it is seated completely on the nipple. My cousin hand makes very fine guns and was trained by a guy named Chambers.He produces very high end guns both flint and percussion cap and both are highly sought after by pretty wealthy guys. So the choice is yours but for me I like the edge that I get from the percussion cap. Peace ..and good hunting to you !
# rkates
Friday, March 09, 2012 3:45 PM
I live in Northern Lower Michigan and finally drew a bear tag in 2010. I had ten baits in 3 counties and finally had 1 hit 2 days before the archery opener. I continued to monitor ALL baits, regardless. I ended up taking my first bear over that bait. Trail camera's don't lie, it was the ONLY bear I saw. It was a ton of work, and expense, but the 220 lb female was worth every ounce. If the game is scarce, bait away, if legal, I say!
# chasewaldorf
Friday, March 09, 2012 8:01 PM
i live in oklahoma and i think baiting should be regulated but legal "must pick up trash and take down the actual station". but i would love to go on a bear hunt.
# TSTICE
Saturday, March 10, 2012 12:49 AM
@RABear51- thanks for the info. Percussion cap seems to be the smarter option. Given the necessity to responsibly harvest our game the more certain ignition provided by the caps makes more sense.

The AK Board of Game recently voted to allow brown bears to be harvested over bait in certain areas. The area picked must meet certain management goal criteria to qualify for the harvest. This is a good thing in my area as there have been several brown bears hitting the bait stations and before this you had to wait them out to depart your stand safely. Black bears won't come around the bait if there is a brown nearby.
# rhackey
Saturday, March 10, 2012 9:10 AM
Hunt: to pursue With intent to capture. To traverse in search for prey. That being said I've never been a fan of using bait for any wild game. To me it takes the sport out of it but when it comes to hunting certain hard to find controlled species such as black bear I tend to lean in favor of the dnr laws regarding such issues. Hunting should be hard work and take a lot of preparation and patience.
Safe hunting.
# kalwood
Saturday, March 10, 2012 6:35 PM
I don't have a problem with baiting, in general. We need to get more people hunting and increasing the success rate will help. I like the idea of having the bait sight cleaned up after the season. But having to haul out uneaten bait seems like a bit much. Stuff that is biodegradable should be okay to leave.
# mud rat
Sunday, March 11, 2012 4:47 PM
I live in Montana; and I think baiting, tree stand hunting is not hunting by any means, I call it ambushing ( a cowards way ). True hunting is getting out and matching your wits with the quarry that you are hunting !!
# rhelmey
Sunday, March 11, 2012 9:25 PM
Ive hunted deer all my hunting life which is about 42years and Ive harvested a lot of deer and Ive harvested some nice bucks with gun and bow and we are allowed to hunt over corn piles and in all these years I only have one on the wall that was taken on a corn pile and he wasnt there to eat but checking for does he stood on the corn pile and urinated I arrowed him as he started to leave these animals know these corn piles and bait stations are out of place and they know that its safe to eat at them when its dark
# roots
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 2:22 PM
#roots

It sounds so easy to bait a bear. For those of you who really know the time and effort involved in presenting the bait and having the bear come to the bait understand "It's not a slam dunk" guaranteed bear rug. The weeks in putting out the bait prior hunting starts and the elements to contend with. Try it then comment on how easy it was.... be truthful and don't have somebody do all the work.
# CALSDREAM054
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 6:17 PM
I Live & hunt in WA state where baiting bear is illegal. However, I won't hunt bear here just because of that. My reasons being that a few years ago while I was hunting Mulies I ran across a black bear cub. Scared to a frenzy and crying. Little tiny thing.. I met him face to face (he was on a knoll above me) and I saw the look in his eyes that only a Momma would recognize. Shear desparate panic, fear and pleading for help. I of course immediately started looking around for his Momma certainly did not want to tangle with an angry Momma.. It was only when I got back to camp that I found her. The group of hunter's next to me had her hanging in camp. I was outraged. They had not taken the time to realize that this was a Momma bear with a little cub. Now Wa Fish & Game "frowns" upon harvesting a Momma bear but it is perfectly legal. I know that little cub suffered horribly. That is my reason for fully approving and supporting bear baiting. You have the opportunity to observe and be sure of what you are harvesting. Responsible hunters should be well aware of the animal that they are harvesting not just randomly taking the first animal that appears. I have been hunting for many years both modern fire arms as well as archery and I can say all my kills have been "good" ones. Yes, I am a woman huntress.
# Swamper
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 8:03 AM
i live in Pa, and i agree with what mud rat had to say, with the exception of a cowards way. i have been hunting for roughly 56 years. have always hunted for my game, i didn't sit and wait for it to come to me. but!!! there does come a time as mud rat will find out. when your old bones wont carry ya very far as they once did, you will find that stand hunting is a blessing. but no to baiting...
# mud rat
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 9:39 AM
I'm right at 70 now, and still go and hunt for the game, and when these old bone say no more I'll sit on the river bank with a fishing pole not in a tree.
# RAbear51
Thursday, March 15, 2012 6:10 AM
kalwood,
Bio-degradable bait would bo fine to leave but if you,ve ever encountered a bait station for bear it includes...5 gal. PLASTIC buckets(not bio-degradable) full of rancid smelly restaurant cooking fat(very, very slowly bio-degradable) donuts and their boxes with PLASTIC viewing windows on the top(not bio-degradable) 55 gal. PLASTIC and Metal drums full of everything from donuts,rancid fat, un-rendered suet and meat trimmings, honey, etc. This stuff can be smelled from dozens of yards away and attract millions of flies and other vector-type pests. This is the stuff I'm referring to. Rarely have I come across a little pile of corn,pumpkins, sugar beets,and/or garden vegatables on a bear bait pile. This stuff is used on deer bait piles and is typically GONE by the time spring hunting/hiking season arrives.There is that element among our ranks that feel that PUBLIC land is their personal landfill and show absolutely no regard for the " take nothing with you,leave nothing but tracks" philosophy that ensures that the overall beauty of the land remains for ALL to enjoy. Can you agree that the above mentioned stuff is unacceptable and to leave it out there is lazy and self-centered??
# mud rat
Thursday, March 15, 2012 8:40 AM
I agree with you on that RABear.
# cawley
Thursday, March 15, 2012 7:09 PM
01rosco
I live in British Columbia Canada. Here we can not bait bears. Also we must remove all edible portions of any Black bvears.
We're not suppose eat something with fur amd paws. Good hunting guys
# unclemoose331
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 1:35 PM
I have never hunted over bait. I've never had the need. I think it has pro's and con's. I think it can offer better target selection and cleaner kills. To me the biggest negative I see is how it is viewed by many. Not just non-hunters, but also by other hunters. That is why I think as hunters we must be careful how we speak out about it. There are already too many people attacking hunting and firearms in general. Our number one focus should be to support all forms of hunting and shooting sports. We need to grow our ranks, and any criticism toward any of us probably won't help the cause.

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