When I first drew out a tag for an archery bear hunt, I didn’t know what to think. I had helped and watched my husband through ten frustrating years of bear hunting. We had learned everything the hard way. I knew that I had a lot of work in front of me.
My favorite hunting places are just east of my house about thirty minutes away. I can hop on my four-wheeler and within a couple of miles; I am in the pines and the slopes that I love. The terrain is steep and there are not too many roads. It is great bear habitat. If Utah ever went to a "spot-and-stock" method, I doubt anyone would ever take a bear. The unit we hunt has about twelve tags annually. Usually only one or two hunters are successful. I have only heard of two hunters ever taking a bear with dogs or hounds on that same unit. The only good way is archery tackle and bait. With that comes a long list of things to do.
When I first drew the tag, I had to start collecting all the bear food I could find. Their favorite is donuts and pastries. I went to all the local bakeries and found all the bread, jelly donuts, pies, cakes and muffins that I could find. I would go back every other day and get more. The food collection is never enough to satisfy a hungry bear. I also collect grease from the deep fryers. My personal favorite (yeah right!) is to rummage through the stinky garbage dumpsters behind the grocery store after they’ve cleaned out the produce section. It’s a big fight between me and the bees and wasps!
At about the same time you start savaging for bear food, you need to build an attractant. I usually put about three or four packages of prime elk steaks into a five-gallon bucket with a seal tight lid. I place it behind the shed in the back yard. As the summer progresses and the temperature heats up, the steaks will turn into a black liquid. Later, we’ll pour it into a feed sack and hoist it high into a tree near our doughnut feast. The hard part is to keep from throwing up from the stinky smell. I always wear clothes that I can throw away if I spill that stuff!
In Utah, the proclamation allows bear baiters to begin baiting on the day of the hunt. As an original member of the Regional Advisory Council, I tried numerous times to change it to a couple weeks before, but I don’t think most people understand the bear baiting process. The motion failed every time.
All the food in the world won’t help much if you put it in the wrong place. Now, it’s time to scout out the perfect spot. Bears aren’t usually as high up on the mountain as we’d like to believe. I try to stay a little lower to the acorns and berry patches. If there are a lot of natural foods, it could be a little more difficult to attract a bear. There are rules governing how far away from any public camp ground and road that baits are allowed, but the farther from people, the more successful you’ll be. One time, we had the perfect bait until the elk hunters rolled in and built a camp fire 200 yards from our bait. The bears disappeared. They like to rummage through careless camper’s camps, but they don’t like the camp fires at all!
I try to find a dark spot in the cooler north facing slopes with lots of timber and cover. I look for bear sign: 1) rolled over rocks and logs as they look for ants and other bugs; 2) feces; 3) scratch marks on the trees; and of course the obvious 4) bear tracks. You’ll find that the tracks are a lot harder to distinguish because of the pads and not sharp hooves. But bears are very habitual. They will walk in their own footsteps to and from a food source!
As soon as I identify a good place, I go to the local forest service office and apply for a bait permit. Then I forward their paperwork to the Division of Wildlife Resources accompanied with the proper fee.
Then I return to the site and place a bunch of dead logs and timber into a "V" with the sharp part of the "V" nearest the tree. For example: If you laced your fingers together just under your fingernails, it would take the shape of a roof top. Picture the big tree nesting at the top of your fingers between both hands. That is how your bait station should be! It forces the bear to enter your bait at the same angle. It also allows you to be in control of the shot presentation. I find a tree that is within 20 yards from the bait that allows you to sit comfortably. For right handed shooters, the hunter should be able to turn their head directly to their left and get a full view of the bait station. It is also very important to have thick cover in the tree stand behind you. Once you picture the shot in your head, you need to practice taking that shot. You’ll only get one chance!
When I get back home, I begin practicing shooting off the roof of my house, out of a tree in the back yard or at our local archery outdoor range with a tree stand on number six! The key is to practice most at daylight and dusk. Accuracy begins with good equipment, practice and confidence!
So the day finally arrives that your hunt should begin. You take one big garbage sack of donuts and grease up the mountain. Don’t forget that stinky stuff in the bucket, a feed sack, and some wire or twine. At the bait site, place the donuts inside the "V" as close to the tree as possible. Then cover it with big logs. The chipmunks and squirrels will eat you out of house and home, but when a bear hits the food, he will tear the logs off the bait pile and you’ll know it was a bear that ate all the food. The grease is also good for getting a sample of the track. Pour the grease in front of the doughnuts, if the track size is bigger than four and half inches, there is 90 percent chance that the bear will be a boar. I try to bait the bear at the same time of day and make a lot of noise. Remember that the bear is habitual. I pretend that I’m ringing the dinner bell for them. If I chose, I would say that 4:00 p.m. is my favorite time to tend my bait station.
I try to place the stinky attractant high in a tree, close enough to bring the bears into the bait station and yet where the wind most likely will carry the scent the farthest. After that, it’s a waiting game. Once a bear begins to hit the bait, do your best to identify the gender. A recent scientific study at Brigham Young University indicates that if the bear’s front pad is more than 4 ½ inches, it is most likely a boar. The size of their ears will also be an indicator. The bigger the ears and close together is a small bear or the smaller the ears and farther apart, the bigger the bear. If more than one bear is entering your bait, the smallest bear will enter first. The bigger bears usually wait until dark to come to the food source. The smaller bears will be nervous is another bear is waiting to eat. The big bears wait in the blanket of darkness to enter the bait. My experience tells me that the bears usually lie in a dark spot on a deep bed of pine cone shreds (I call it their bedroom) and wait. They will leave the area at the first sign of movement from your tree stand or the bait site.
I usually sit an average of 15 to 16 days before I see my first and only bear. Out of the fifteen years, I’ve only had one hunt where the bear gave me two shots (on two different nights.) My best advice is to be patient, quiet, and still. You’ll get a chance! I would study the best angles and shots to take and the shot placement that is the most effective. I forgot about their long hair when I made my first shot. Don’t be afraid to aim higher than you would at a deer. I also wait until they protrude their front paw into the bear bait and expose more vital area.
Bear hunting is the biggest thrill I’ve experienced to date. I recommend it highly to anyone. Happy trails and happy hunting!
