kansaswiderack

Has anyone used a trail cam on a bear bait to determine what size and what time bears are hiting the bait? I was curious if the bear every went after the camera, especially after a flash in low light. I would hate to have my brand new leaf river tore up by an upset bear. Also if you have used one in this manner, did it help you find that big ole boy and determine what time he was hitting the bait?

muzzyman88

I just recently started using a trail camera and the first time I put it out, it got ripped down by a bear. Surprisingly, he didn't tear it up. Just knocked it down on the ground. I got a pretty funny pic of him leaning over the camera sniffing it. I'll have to dig the pic up.

I once read that bears are attracted to the smell of the film on 35mm style camera's. Don't know how true it is, just what i've read. There are a number of ways to protect your camera from such things. They make cases made from steal that will withstand a bear chewing on it. I also seen a guy who went as far as to weld nails all over the metal case. Kinda looked medieval.

Good luck with your camera, they are almost as fun as hunting.

adams

A guy that visits this fourm and another forum I visit has baited bears for years. He said he's lost a couple of cam but mostly due to his own fault. He had gotten anise on his while setting the bait and then handled to cam. Needless to say the bear decided a cam garnished with anise was a good desert. I attached a pic of a bear he'd baited last year hunters had failed to get a shot at him. He's your standard "bait smart bruin".

Oh how I long to get a crack at this beast with my bow

supaarcher

Hey Adams, thats a nice Bear!

Me and my buddy were baiting up on his land last year. One weekend I put my camera on a tree 8 feet from the bear bait, and we put his off in the middle of the woods on a deer trail hoping to get a picture of a buck. Well, it turns out, mine only got nocked off the tree, but not messed with, and his, which was far away from the bear bait, got torn off the tree by a bear and chewed on for a while. It didn't get ruined, the Photoscouts have a pretty tough case, but it poped the lens out and left alot of teeth marks.

We thought it was pretty funny how that happened. We were sure that if one of them would have gotten wrecked it would have been mine.

My grandpa uses his camera on his bear bait all year around and has never had trouble with the bear's messing with the camera.

MA Jay

We have lost several cameras over the years to bears, both at bait sites and on deer trails. We have found it is better to get the camera up in a tree at a bait site and point it down at the bait. Much less likely to get messed with this way. Not that it will stop them from climbing up and checking it out as that happens .. they just don't tend to mangle them as bad as they do if they are at eye, mouth and claw level.

You know what bear seem to love?? The cheap string trail timers... we've lost dozens of them. Thankfully they are pretty cheap.

Western MA Hunter

I have had 2 Moultrie game cameras get completed destroyed by bears. They tore them off of the tree, broke the case, ate the battery & camera itself! Expensive bears! I now have a case that locks around my new Deercam to protect it.

kansaswiderack

You guys have confirmed my fears. I may not put out that brand new $300 camera and if I do it will be elevated. Thanks for the input.

adams

Good decision. Thats money well saved