Posco, apparently plastic works fine where it’s only blackies.
JP, surprised you’re so patient. Can you really count on those bears sticking around for a week or so?

Oh man the baits just getting started! There will be more than 20 bears showing up at each of these baits. By the end of May and early June I wouldn’t be surprised if a bigger boar shows up during mating season.

The big old ones like to come in to scent check the sows and see if any are in heat. They won’t eat too much. Just checking.

These bear’s probably aren’t going anywhere till I stop baiting.

Jurassic-

Those are some fine blacks. Do you ever see any other color variants?

Moosetrot

Looking for a great hide..now.

Looking for a big one, wait till late May/ early June.

I hunted Canada for years. Seemed year in/ year out, the best times to shoot a bigger were later although the hides suffered.
And bugs SUCKED later!!!
Best of luck JP.

I’m always hoping a Cinnamon will show up, but that’s pretty rare. I think I’ve gotten pics of 2 in all the years I’ve been bear hunting. And one was a newborn cub, and the other wasn’t even that great.

Some of the blacks will have a nice white blaze on the chest.

But if I wanted a good crack at Cinnamon’s or a blonde, I’d go to Western Manitoba. Very good population of them out there.
One year soon I’m going to start baiting out West to get one.

Yup! The mosquitoes are a serious thing as Bear season goes on. They can really ruin the fun!

For me, fur quality is important. Im looking for a 19”+ bear with good fur. The big ones at my bait right now are good enough for me. Some guys are looking for a 20” bear and some are wanting one much bigger at 21” or even 22”.

Just like deer hunters, some guys are after 160’s, some are after 140’s, and some want anything with a rack.

Weight doesn’t mean much to us up here. We like inches and the Americans like the lbs. That goes for fish as well.

Thanks bucksnbears!

Bucket list. I'm 71 but I figure I still have at least one more bear in me. May as well make it a colored one.

Moosetrot

Moosetrot, any bear season in Wisconsin? Any colored bears there too?

Nice colour on this guy and a black one I would like an in person look at

That’s a nice black Sask hunter!

A guide once said the boars are longer than they are wide. Sows are a square. Length between front and back equals side to side. Talking feet on the ground.
JP, you save the meat?

Keeping the backstraps and hind legs.

We have a Fall season here. State is divided into several Zones. You have to apply for either a kill permit or a Preference Point. It depends on which Zone you want to hunt in how many Preference Points it will take to get a kill permit. I used to keep track of all that but I think it takes around 10-12 Preference Points for some of the more desirable northern Zones. I may be wrong on number of Points but I know it is a lot of Points...and years for those Zones.

Last time I hunted I was about 50 miles NE of me and it only took about 4 Points. I had a guy over there baiting for me. I hunted out of a ground blind. On the 4th day of not seeing anything, as it was getting into evening, I saw a big black blob coming through the brush toward the bait. Got ready and it stepped out in the open broadside about 35 yards away. It was a really nice bear and I said under my breath "That's a shooter." and put the red dot on it. Then I remembered the guy doing the baiting said there was a sow with cubs in the area and it looked like a sow so I held off. Sure as can be three black bowling balls came out of the brush to the bait. Ma was nervous and stomping her feet, then 2 of the cubs started heading toward my blind. I muttered "Let's not do this." and they headed back to the bait. Eventually all three left and the last little guy got up on his hind feet and scratched his back on the way out. It was worth the price of admission to see that. Did not kill a bear that year.

We very rarely see any color variations here. I have heard of some but have never seen one alive.

Moosetrot

We get some dark chocolate colors here. Maybe 1 out of 10.

I'm running about 20% in zone 27.

Color phase bear of a lifetime right here. Saskatchewan.

Following

Beautiful bear, Bernie.

That blonde in my display of the four major color phases. The Cinnamon was also shot in Saskatchewan.

Nice hunting story! Watching the bears are as much fun as shooting one.