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Johnny,
Not sure if you got this message on bear hunting.
Location
Near or in heavy cover ***8211; bears are typically cautious and don***8217;t like to cross clearings if they can help it (at least during the daylight). Clear all brush, trigs and set up your stand when you establish your bait. Don***8217;t leave this until just before you hunt or you***8217;ll spook the bears. Also, clear as many twigs, brush etc getting to your stand location so you can set up as quietly as possible
Stand location
You can hunt from the ground, but as with deer getting off the ground is better. Bears don***8217;t have great eyesight, but their hearing is excellent and I personally believe that their sense of smell is better than a deer. I have hunted 40 yards from the bait location, but I think a little closer wouldn***8217;t hurt, esp. if you want a nice clear shot.
Bait
I use a 45 gallon drum with logs propped in the front. The logs will keep the racoons out, but more importantly will let you know that bear has visited the bait (a game camera is handy too). I use oats and old fryer oil. Day-old donuts work very well (if you can get them) as does dairy ration. Apparently there are commercial bear baits available, but I***8217;ve never had the chance to use them.
Burn some honey/pork fat over a stove when you set up the bait. You can also sprinkle some raspberry Jell-O around the bait site or pour some fryer oil on the surrounding trees. Artificial vanilla extract in a spray bottle is also a magnet to bears. This will carry in the breeze and attract bears in the area. Also pour some fryer in front of the bait racoons and the first bear at the site will carry their feet far and wide. You can pour some hog molasses on the trees as well (should be able to get this from a farm supply store).
Put out an 80 lb bag of oats and at least 4 gallons of fryer oil and mix together in the drum. It might sound like too much, but you want plenty of feed to keep a bear or bears in the area. Check the bait weekly during the middle of the day (you don***8217;t want to spook bears in the evening as they feed). If need be reduce or increase the amount of bait as required.
Timing
I find hunting mornings is pointless. On a calm evening the air settles and ***8220;slides***8221; back and forth in the canopy. You***8217;ve likely experienced this deer hunting - little breezes coming from different directions as the air cools. If this happens the bears will pick up your scent; I***8217;d suggest hunting during an evening when there is a slight breeze.
The Bear
If you pop a bear DON***8217;T wait too long to track it. The last thing you want is to be tracking a wounded bear after dark. You***8217;re better off to return in the morning or with a buddy a few hours later and let the bear stiffen up. As a muzzleloader hunter I am certain you are no cowboy; we all pick our shots and don***8217;t fool around ***8220;shooting from the hip***8221; like some center-fire nuts do.
When you shoot a bear it may stand there for one second before bounding off ***8211; this is normal. As it panics you***8217;ll hear lots of breaking branches and you might even hear a death grown as it passes. Keep in mind that bears will head for cover and may try to get under brush or logs as they run out of steam. Track you bear carefully and when you do find it down, come from behind with gun loader and give it a good hard kick (just in case). The furthest I***8217;ve had a bear go is 80 yards after a shot, the shortest was 10 yards.
After the Shot
I was told by hunting guides in Wawa, Ontario, that the reason bear meat tastes badly is because the carcass wasn***8217;t skinned and cooled quickly. Bears are short, stocky and fatty animals with thick skin and fur; you can***8217;t hang them as you would a deer. Gut, skin quarter and cool the meat AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE after the shot. If not, you may find the meat has an off flavour.
We***8217;ve always followed the rule of cooling bear meat quickly before we butcher it ourselves. Bear meat is exceptional and I prefer it to deer any day of the week. When you skin a bear cut off the head, feet and paws with the skin. You can skin these out later yourself or get a taxidermist to do it for you (believe me, its worth the extra money to get them to do it). Put the skin in the freezer ASAP once skinned.
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