When I was baiting, I too used metal drums. I drilled the hole only 1 - 1 1/2" in diameter.

One might think that they would get frustrated and leave, but they do not! They know that there is food there and thus they keep coming back and rolling it around. Frequently... You go through a lot less bait (grain, dogfood, popcorn, etc) because it does not fall out as easily.

Also, if you attach the cable around the RIM of the drum (one hole on side, one hole in top of drum) it will last longer. Run the cable around the rim 2 or 3 times and clamp it. Multiple strands of cable will not cut metal as badly as a single turn through there.

Pete

Unfortunately this brown bear baiting has forgotten its purpose. I believe the first place it occurred was in the armpit. It was only suppose to occur under a predator control program as a method to reduce bear populations To increase survival of moose to increase the moose population to objective. Now brown bear baiting is legal in many places where ungulate populations are above objectives. Reducing brown bear populations is against the sustained yeild principle mandated By the Alaska constitution. Reducing bear populations to help ungulate populations makes sense. Harvesting bears at a level that just reduces the bear populations to low levels for no reason makes no sense.

I disagree Dirt. After talking to the bio in Palmer in ref to unit 16, the predatory program they implemented in that unit was only somewhat successful and they did not meet their objective. Hence they continued allowing baiting to at least keep the numbers down and somewhat in check. The area I hunt in that unit sure as heck has not seen a decrease based on the trail cam pic's I have over the past 3 years.

Weird how calf survival went from 8 percent to 40 percent with no change in the bear population. I wish i believed in magic.

What use is the meat from one of these big browns ?

I take it in and get it ground with 10% pork fat and 10% Italian seasoning. Makes for some pretty bomb burgers Oh and chili

I don't automatically believe what I've heard. I go find out for myself. I've heard plenty of guys tell me that they enjoy brown bear meat - especially in sausage; others say it is not their favorite, but it is tolerable. Still others say it is terrible or it tastes like fish, but I wonder how many have actually eaten it?

Personally, I'm not interested in debating. Anyone can think what they want, and I don't really care one way or the other - but I have eaten black bear in all seasons. I've personally shot and eaten black bear that were standing there eating rotten salmon, and they taste and smell fine to me. I haven't found a rank bear yet - but if one is rank, I wouldn't necessarily blame it on fish. The whole thing where you believe that you taste like what you eat seasonally is a pile of crap IMO. Again, believe what you want - but I don't know a biologist who agrees. Yet anyway.

Do you think your meat would taste like sugar, or coffee, or tobacco, or whatever the heck it is that you indulge in all day? If that's the case, I should really be excellent eating cuz I indulge in sugar constantly. I highly doubt it though. Meat is meat. Some is better than others. Ruffed grouse is the bomb! Duck is mediocre. Whitetail deer is excellent. Mule deer not as good. Just my experience.

I shot a big old rutted up rank bull moose once. About the worst wild game I've ever had. If I do it again, I want a young meat bull. Any black bear I've eaten were far superior to the old bull moose - even the "fish bear" haha.

When I shoot my brown, I will salvage the meat - but I am more after the experience, the rug, the skull, the bucket list dream, and so on. The meat is in last place, but I won't waste it. I will grind it up and mix it with some lean beef; perhaps make some sausage. I will butcher it FAST. No dilly-dallying with bears is my motto...

I love bear chilli!

Bear meat care is a lot different then most critters,

1.Never let water touch the meat if you can help it.

2. Get the fat off the meat. It can be tedious, but that is were the fishy taste or what ever they been eating taste comes from.

3. Keep it cold or freeze it, it breaks down quick and can become rancid over night if you just toss it in a cooler without ice.

Sounds pretty standard.

Fyi for pete. Hunting for brown bears over bait is legal in the small list of the following units: 7,11,12,13,14a,14b,15,16,18,19a,19d,20a,20b,20c,20d,20e,20f,21c,21d,23,24c,24d,25d.

I guess they forgot this was suppose to be temporary.

For poor posco your thoughts were common thoughts among decision makers when the bog adopted their bear management policy in 2004.

I can agree with most you write here maybe not all. I have had an incredible amount of bears taken thru my camp here in the bush over the years and eaten more than my fill. A very good friend of mine takes tons of bears in the agricultural area of Minnesota. His bears taste much better to me.
When the MN season opens Sept 1st his bears are on crops and continue to feed even heavier on various crops as the season progresses and different crops ripen. I have been with him at nearly all times in our hunting season and have seen the contents of bears stomachs that were taken. There was virtually no wild foods to speak of, if anything maybe acorns. I liken it to finishing off beef on corn products maybe.
It was mentioned here about bears picking thru bait to get at marshmallows, being choosey. I had access for some years to lasagna from a processor, dated freezer leftover. It was fascinating to lay those out flat and watch each and every bear come directly to those and with incredible precision carefully lift back the layers to lick up a certain cheese they had used. As careful as a surgeon with those claws. Once that cheese was gone they wolfed down those ten pound lasagnes in a heartbeat.

Osky

That sounds reasonable. I have eaten some black bear lasagna that was delicious !!

I've eaten brown bear paw soup.It was good !! Very greasy. Just be sure you cook everything well regardless of species

Don't feel bad for me, I don't. I was just reading an article a friend of mine posted on his hunting blog. A place he once took ten and eleven foot brown bear is now a parking lot replete with beer cans tossed about. That's on the Peninsula. Don't feel bad for me, feel bad for Alaska.