How to Set up a Bait Site For Black Bears

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Ethan Smith
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Black Bear bait site

How you set up your bait site is key in order for you to successfully harvest a black bear. Here’s our top 5 tips on setting up your bear bait site for success.

Baiting bears in Wisconsin vs Canada vs other states can drastically vary depending on regulations. As always make sure you read your state’s regulations through and through before baiting.

1. Location, Location, Location

When choosing a location for a bait site you’ll want to keep an eye out for three these three things.

First, natural foods. Bears like berries, acorns, hazelnuts and other natural foods and if they’re in the area it will naturally keep the bear closer to your bait site.

Secondly, low terrain and water. Bears travel long distances typically using corridors in low lying areas and near waterways.

Lastly, thick brush. As big as they are you’d be shocked at what they crawl through. Thick brush provides security making the bear feel comfortable when going to your bait site.

2. Stand Placement

Now that you’ve found a location that is the ideal setup consider where your stand might go. Will you be hunting with a gun or bow, this could be a big difference in yards. How will you enter your site when you’re hunting, you’ll want to keep this the same as when you’re baiting. Your scent should be your biggest concern when setting a site up, it can easily make or break your season. You’ll want to be down wind from the site to ensure that no bears will wind you while you’re hunting.

See also  .270 Winchester for Moose Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Moose Hunt Hunting Calibers 04 Apr, 2020 Posted By: Foundry Outdoors Is the .270 Winchester a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for moose hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .270 Winchester is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest moose. As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the moose, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the moose in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on. [Click Here to Shop .270 Winchester Ammo]What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a moose in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .270 Winchester within the ideal range of suitable calibers for moose hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the .270 Winchester is A GOOD CHOICE for moose hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Assumption Value Caliber .270 Winchester Animal Species Moose Muzzle Energy 3780 foot-pounds Animal Weight 1200 lbs Shot Distance 200 yardsWhat is the average muzzle energy for a .270 Winchester? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .270 Winchester round is approximately 3780 foot-pounds. What is the average weight of an adult male moose? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male moose is approximately 1200 lbs. [Click Here to Shop .270 Winchester Ammo]What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in moose hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for moose to be approximately 200 yards. What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .270 Winchester. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the moose being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.Various calibersA common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .270 Winchester is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest moose - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .270 Winchester is A GOOD CHOICE for moose hunting. [Click Here to Shop .270 Winchester Ammo]This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting moose to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment

You’ll want to get your stand placement right the first time. Moving your site 10 yards later in the season usually doesn’t result in any implications. However, if you place your site without considering where your stand will go and come to realize a week or two before your season that your site needs to be moved 20 yards away from its original location, could result in bears to become wary and quit visiting in daylight hours.

3. Bait Site Setup

How you enclose your bait is different for every state and Canada so be sure you read your regulations as to what is and isn’t allowed. When baiting bears in Wisconsin you are required to use natural materials to enclose your bait. This could mean digging a hole in the ground and covering it with logs and rocks or using a hollow stump with a log topper. This is to prevent other critters from accessing the bait and trust me you will have deer, birds, fishers, and sooooo many raccoons trying to access the bait.

Make sure to consider what the best setup may be while taking rain and mud into consideration. A site that is too low lying may turn into a pigpen after just a few weeks of baiting which bears do not care to lay in. Also, once your bait gets wet, mold starts to set in turning off bears from coming to your site. To prevent this, I recommend using a strong hollow stump with a log topper on both ends and a few heavy rocks on the top. This method prevents the bait from getting wet while also preventing raccoons and other critters from digging under the stump trying to get to the bait.

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  • image1 4 How to Set up a Bait Site For Black Bears
  • image1 4 How to Set up a Bait Site For Black Bears

4. Choosing Bait

When choosing a bait variety is key as well as basing it off their natural behavior. Spring is the perfect time to put out low quantities and “lighter” baits, like cereals, just enough for a snack without it being over filling, plus it saves you a few extra bucks and a back ache.

Summer is when most hunters start baiting, as the berries start to ripen making it the ideal time to match what you find in the woods. Raspberry, blueberry or any fruit filling are great products to use during this time.

As many of us have experienced, about two weeks before the season opener, your number of bears typically decrease as more of their natural foods ripen. This is the time which can make or break your entire season. In preparation for winter bears start to seek out foods high in protein and fats to help put winter weight on fast. This is typically acorns, and other nuts and seeds. Stay ahead of the game by providing them with high quality bait filled with nuts, seeds and other foods like oils that are high in proteins or fats.

5. Always Use Scent Lures

Of course no matter the season you should always put out scent every time you bait, let me say that again. Always put scent out every time you bait. From sprays to smears, scent is your biggest driver to get more bears into your bait site. Not only that but scent is also an indicator to bears that you baited recently which encourages them to go check it out sooner than later. Check out our top scents here.

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  • image4 1 1 How to Set up a Bait Site For Black Bears
  • image2 How to Set up a Bait Site For Black Bears

Any tips or tricks you’ve learned, drop them in the comments below!

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Ethan Smith
Ethan Smith is a seasoned marine veteran, professional blogger, witty and edgy writer, and an avid hunter. He spent a great deal of his childhood years around the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. Watching active hunters practise their craft initiated him into the world of hunting and rubrics of outdoor life. He also honed his writing skills by sharing his outdoor experiences with fellow schoolmates through their high school’s magazine. Further along the way, the US Marine Corps got wind of his excellent combination of skills and sought to put them into good use by employing him as a combat correspondent. He now shares his income from this prestigious job with his wife and one kid. Read more >>

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