Black Bear
03-18-2004, 07:57 AM
#11
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Norway Maine USA
Posts: 115
RE: Black Bear
This is from an article I wrote years ago. Might help. I run a guide service here in Maine. We took 31 bear last season. I love the hunt.
A look at the past season
According to the Research and Management report, published by the IF&W, last year was another banner year for bear hunting here in the state. The total harvest was 3,951 and that exceeded the previous year (3,483) by 13%. Over the past decade the bear harvest has increased every year, from 1,825 to the present 3,951. The department attributes this success to an ample supply of beechnuts and berry fields. Although it should be noted that even in years that have had scarce food supplies, the bear harvest has still increased. One reason biologist cite for this is a bear’s foraging habits. Most bears are killed during the first two weeks of the baiting season. However, bears do the bulk of their weight gain in October. Meaning that the effects of the mass crops are not felt by the bear population until after the majority of hunting is over.
With the steady increase in the harvest, you might begin to wonder what will the future of bear hunting be? Last year about 10,000 permit were purchased for the fall baiting season. About 35% of those hunters were successful. This is an incredible success rate; second only to Moose and road hunting for grouse. According to IF&W biologists, this success level does not pose a problem to bear management. The desired population level for the state is 21,000 and the current population is estimated at over 23,000 animals. The early season harvest is once again expected to be high. Over the past several year the state has had abundant food supplies in the month of October and this has lead to heavier females higher birth rates. However, this season is expected to yield a low October food source and late season bear numbers are projected to be down. In short, less bears are likely to be taken during the gun season on deer because the bears will den up early if the food becomes short in supply.
Alright, you are now experienced and know the ways of baiting (or you read last year’s column). Now you need to find some bears to feed {and I don’t mean that 400lb color phase down in Grey). The first place you need to start looking is on the map. Get some topo maps of the area you intend on hunting. There are two types of areas you need to concentrate on . The first is mass crops. Bears stay near where the food is. If you have a large area covered with beechnuts, you probably have a bear near by. Look for crops like corn and berry fields. Blue berry field can be a bit tricky. If there are lots of blue berries and they are easily accesible it may be difficult to get a bear to hit your bait. It is like trying to get a tuna to hit my one mackerel down 20 fathoms, when he is busting through a school of 5,000 herring on the surface. If you are in area where some of the field has been recently cleared or burned, set up in the adjacent woods. Your bait is more likely to be the best choice on the menu. The second little tip for mass crops is to, as the fly fisherman say, “match the hatch.” If you are off a blue berry field, don’t use raspberry jelly.
Spread some blue berry jam on the trees of your bait site at different heights. This will do two things. One it will give you and an idea how large the bears are that are coming into your site. Secondly, it may give the hunter a better shot on the animal when the season begins. As the bear stretches for the jam, the shoulder will come forward and expose the vitals.
The second high percentage spot for locating bears is in low lying areas. Look for a stream or bog at the bases of a mountain. These are areas that bear like to live. Mossy areas offer the bear a place to stay cool during the summer and fall. The food sources are not usually as abundant in these areas and baiting has a good chance of luring out larger bears. Find the transition zone where the marsh or thick vegetation changes to hard woods or more open terrain. This is where to set your bait. If the site is too exposed, you are out of the bear’s comfort zone and not likely to have the bait hit during daylight hours. Locating bears in these areas can be a bit more challenging than the food crops. The bear are feeding less and as a result leaving less tell tale scat. I look for dried up puddles that may have a print in them. Also, check the edge of the bog or any wetland area that may leave a print. Tracks are you best indicator of bears in this type of terrain.
Chris Cobbett is a Registered Maine Guide and staff writer. Chris is part owner of the Outdoor Adventure Co. He resides in Norway with his wife Miranda and two-year old son Dylan. [email protected]
A look at the past season
According to the Research and Management report, published by the IF&W, last year was another banner year for bear hunting here in the state. The total harvest was 3,951 and that exceeded the previous year (3,483) by 13%. Over the past decade the bear harvest has increased every year, from 1,825 to the present 3,951. The department attributes this success to an ample supply of beechnuts and berry fields. Although it should be noted that even in years that have had scarce food supplies, the bear harvest has still increased. One reason biologist cite for this is a bear’s foraging habits. Most bears are killed during the first two weeks of the baiting season. However, bears do the bulk of their weight gain in October. Meaning that the effects of the mass crops are not felt by the bear population until after the majority of hunting is over.
With the steady increase in the harvest, you might begin to wonder what will the future of bear hunting be? Last year about 10,000 permit were purchased for the fall baiting season. About 35% of those hunters were successful. This is an incredible success rate; second only to Moose and road hunting for grouse. According to IF&W biologists, this success level does not pose a problem to bear management. The desired population level for the state is 21,000 and the current population is estimated at over 23,000 animals. The early season harvest is once again expected to be high. Over the past several year the state has had abundant food supplies in the month of October and this has lead to heavier females higher birth rates. However, this season is expected to yield a low October food source and late season bear numbers are projected to be down. In short, less bears are likely to be taken during the gun season on deer because the bears will den up early if the food becomes short in supply.
Alright, you are now experienced and know the ways of baiting (or you read last year’s column). Now you need to find some bears to feed {and I don’t mean that 400lb color phase down in Grey). The first place you need to start looking is on the map. Get some topo maps of the area you intend on hunting. There are two types of areas you need to concentrate on . The first is mass crops. Bears stay near where the food is. If you have a large area covered with beechnuts, you probably have a bear near by. Look for crops like corn and berry fields. Blue berry field can be a bit tricky. If there are lots of blue berries and they are easily accesible it may be difficult to get a bear to hit your bait. It is like trying to get a tuna to hit my one mackerel down 20 fathoms, when he is busting through a school of 5,000 herring on the surface. If you are in area where some of the field has been recently cleared or burned, set up in the adjacent woods. Your bait is more likely to be the best choice on the menu. The second little tip for mass crops is to, as the fly fisherman say, “match the hatch.” If you are off a blue berry field, don’t use raspberry jelly.
Spread some blue berry jam on the trees of your bait site at different heights. This will do two things. One it will give you and an idea how large the bears are that are coming into your site. Secondly, it may give the hunter a better shot on the animal when the season begins. As the bear stretches for the jam, the shoulder will come forward and expose the vitals.
The second high percentage spot for locating bears is in low lying areas. Look for a stream or bog at the bases of a mountain. These are areas that bear like to live. Mossy areas offer the bear a place to stay cool during the summer and fall. The food sources are not usually as abundant in these areas and baiting has a good chance of luring out larger bears. Find the transition zone where the marsh or thick vegetation changes to hard woods or more open terrain. This is where to set your bait. If the site is too exposed, you are out of the bear’s comfort zone and not likely to have the bait hit during daylight hours. Locating bears in these areas can be a bit more challenging than the food crops. The bear are feeding less and as a result leaving less tell tale scat. I look for dried up puddles that may have a print in them. Also, check the edge of the bog or any wetland area that may leave a print. Tracks are you best indicator of bears in this type of terrain.
Chris Cobbett is a Registered Maine Guide and staff writer. Chris is part owner of the Outdoor Adventure Co. He resides in Norway with his wife Miranda and two-year old son Dylan. [email protected]
04-16-2004, 12:27 PM
#14
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 88
RE: Black Bear
There is a much bigger issue in Maine right now, it is not a question of where you can bait or what the rules are but rather is there any future in it at all. In case hunters reading this are not aware of what is going on in Maine please take a few miuets and read this post.
This November the people of Maine will be faced with a referendum question that will outlaw bear hunting over bait, with dogs and trapping. This referendum is being brought to Maine by the US Human Society anf the Friends of Animals, based out of Falmouth Maine and headed up by a guy named Robert Fisk. This is a huge and serious concern for all hunters in Maine. Here are some of the facts. This referendum is on the ballot during an election year, that is no accident. 91% of the money to fund thier effort is from out of state and they have deep pockets. Here is the real issues. 1) Should public opinion be used to make policy to controll the bear population in Maine. Currently we have the best bear biologist in the country. If they win and bear baiting is banned we will see a serious rise in the bear population in Maine and all the problem associated with it with no way to remedy it. 2) if they win, Maine will loose 10 million in revenue income that come from the hunting season. This is a poor state, the out of state money funding this initiative doen't care who looses a job in this state, they only want to end all hunting and will chip away at it one species at a time. So I don't right a book on this here is what I will ask everyone in the hunting community to do. Please go on line to The Sportsman Alliance of Maine web site and the Dpartment of Inland fisheries and Wildlife and read all the information regarding this upcoming referendum. They update the sites often as new information is available. Finally, try to get organizations to help us in this fight. We need money and support. States can no longer be expected to act alone on these issues, we need to ban together, we are a much stronger group collectivly than when we stand alone. The Sportsman Alliance can give a list of supporters from across the country, and the list is growing. The bottom line is, these anti hunting groups have national support and tend to focus one state at a time and dump everything they have into that one state. We need your help to fight back. If we loose the bear hunt in Maine, they will back to ban someother form of Hunting. Thaks for taking the time to read this, Please check the SAM web site and try to help.
This November the people of Maine will be faced with a referendum question that will outlaw bear hunting over bait, with dogs and trapping. This referendum is being brought to Maine by the US Human Society anf the Friends of Animals, based out of Falmouth Maine and headed up by a guy named Robert Fisk. This is a huge and serious concern for all hunters in Maine. Here are some of the facts. This referendum is on the ballot during an election year, that is no accident. 91% of the money to fund thier effort is from out of state and they have deep pockets. Here is the real issues. 1) Should public opinion be used to make policy to controll the bear population in Maine. Currently we have the best bear biologist in the country. If they win and bear baiting is banned we will see a serious rise in the bear population in Maine and all the problem associated with it with no way to remedy it. 2) if they win, Maine will loose 10 million in revenue income that come from the hunting season. This is a poor state, the out of state money funding this initiative doen't care who looses a job in this state, they only want to end all hunting and will chip away at it one species at a time. So I don't right a book on this here is what I will ask everyone in the hunting community to do. Please go on line to The Sportsman Alliance of Maine web site and the Dpartment of Inland fisheries and Wildlife and read all the information regarding this upcoming referendum. They update the sites often as new information is available. Finally, try to get organizations to help us in this fight. We need money and support. States can no longer be expected to act alone on these issues, we need to ban together, we are a much stronger group collectivly than when we stand alone. The Sportsman Alliance can give a list of supporters from across the country, and the list is growing. The bottom line is, these anti hunting groups have national support and tend to focus one state at a time and dump everything they have into that one state. We need your help to fight back. If we loose the bear hunt in Maine, they will back to ban someother form of Hunting. Thaks for taking the time to read this, Please check the SAM web site and try to help.
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