This scene plays out every early fall down here in my neck of the woods...

Many big bear won't climb...Hunters have to go in and try to get a shot in all that commotion....it's a huge adrenaline rush!!

Notice the cave in the pic? That bear came out it at the distance of a couple crew cab pickups parked bumper to bumper from where I was standing. Came as a complete surprise to both of us. It was right at the edge of the saltwater and the bear didn't have many options to retreat. Neither did I.

I've told this story before. My first instinct was to throw my gun at it and run.

Good stuff there Posco!!!

Got a good one at my second bait now too

That’s a Brute!!

Banned in WA State.....

Another vinke

Posco, where was that griz?

Brown bear on the peninsula.

I found out I had a barrel of chicken feed and a barrel of quail feed still at home. So I brought in another barrel to each bait.





Checked the cameras while I was there. This bear is big!







This bear made me laugh! Standing on the log on its tippy toes lol.



This bear getting ready to climb up the barrel.



These smaller bears have some beautiful fur coats!!



More bears are starting to show up at the bait now. Took longer than I thought, but it’s a new bait, so it’s normal.
More than one big one here too! They’ll start coming during daylight as more bears keep showing.









I probably won’t get a chance to hunt till next weekend. By then things should start getting good!

Are those barrels welded together or you using those lid clamps?

You're into 'em, Jurassic! Only a matter of time, patience, and luck now! Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moosetrot

Beautiful Jurassic!! I cheering you on!

They’re welded together.

There is one good bear there. Looks like a good one for the taking.

JP, haven't heard from you in a few days, bears didn't get ya did they?

Got one good one showing up at my bait now, hope he sticks around through the summer.

That’s one I’d give serious attention to. Good luck.

Osky

Asking because I don't know. No judgement or opinions on baiting, etc.

We are not allowed to bait deer in VA. I have NO idea if baiting is legal for bear in the Western part of the state where bear hunting has traditionally been done. Don't think we actually had a season locally (SE VA) until this past 12-15 years. All of the bear that I know of are taken by still hunters during bow, ML and gun season OR by dog hunters. I don't deer hunt with hounds and don't have a big populace of bears in the county that I can hunt.

Is bait utilzed because the bear are not patternable like whitetail? Is their home range so large that this simply concentrates them? Is the density / acreage so small that this is what is required to keep them in the area in numbers?

Once again... no judgement. Other than fishing and duck hunting, I haven't done much outside of VA . Just trying to educate myself on what y'all have probably grown up doing.

In Wisconsin at least, 98% of bears are taken either over bait or with the aid of dogs. I don't know what it would look like if bait and dogs weren't an option, but I'm sure bear haven't would go way down. Last I heard, Wisconsin has the highest bear density per suitable habitat, and we harvest a lot of bears. Wisconsin hunters killed 4,110 bears in 2022. I'm sure that number would go way down without dogs or bait.

Why isn't that bear hanging from the meat pole yet?