Spring Bear Update #1

Crossbow Hunting

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Species8472
Posts: 652
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:16 pm
Location: WMU 82a, Ontario

Spring Bear Update #1

Post by Species8472 »

So my bait has been out for a week. It was hit next day and than every day until Wednesday. In that time they cleaned out about 2/3s or over 200 lbs. Wednesday night the action dried up. To top it off at the cottage we got 5 inches of snow Thursday night and than another 2 inches Friday night. This pic was taken Friday afternoon before the next 2 inches fell:

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Headed off to check the site Saturday mid morning. Oddly enough at the put in (15 mile from the cottage) there was only an inch or two of snow:

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On the way:

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Three miles down the lake from the put in at the bait it was more like 2 or 3 inches of snow. Pic was taken about half way down the shooting lane to the bait:

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So the action dried up Wednesday night but i figured I would sit out anyway as i know for sure if I'm on the couch it ain't gonna happen. Refreshed the bait and setup about 1 pm. Stayed out 8 hours until the end of legal. The hide makes use of a windfall root mass that i carved a U shaped rest into for a shooting rest. I was #$%^ cold by the time I finished up the boat trip back to the truck.

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Hillcountry
Posts: 516
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:21 pm
Location: New Hampshire Lakes Region

Re: Spring Bear Update #1

Post by Hillcountry »

Looks great! I’ll bet the flies are nonexistent with the damned cold...almost rather have flies in MAY!
I wish NH had a Spring bear season...
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SEW
Posts: 1745
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:55 am
Location: NE Arkansas

Re: Spring Bear Update #1

Post by SEW »

Beautiful pictures. Our season in Arkansas is Fall only. After over 30 years of Fall bear hunting, I’ve still yet to figure out a good, consistently predictable , productive, baiting system. Sometimes after consistent hits, the bait station just goes cold.

My best responses have seemed to be, bait with a lot of everything - corn, dog food, molasses, lots of sweets, wait 3 days do it again, and hunt, starting that very day. However, this is in Arkansas with a comparatively low bear population and with the season starting just as the White Oak acorns start falling . Temps average 90 F. Likely, quite a bit of difference.

Good luck/skill.
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