Skookumchuck illegal baiters

[duckmen1]

Went to a clearcut randomly choosing an area and tried calling when my dad noticed a pile of apples laying in the slashpile. Store bought apples. So got up and headed further up the clearcut and jumped up on the next slashpile and started glassing when i looked down and noticed another pile of apples in a slash pile. Looked up and there were the hunters looking over the slashpiles from the top landing on the cut. I believe they saw me because they soon left. There were two hunters and one was using his scope to look over the area we were calling at. Bunch of morons. Within an hour and a half i found illegal baiters on opening day. If you are on this site doing this you better place your crap a little more carefully.  cant stand these kind of people. Did not see any bears though.

[atfulldraw]

Could it have been for deer?

[Buckmark]

Apples would not be someones first choice i would think for bears, and to have them fairly in the open is not to bright, also how do you know the guys you saw were the guys who put the apples out? Maybe they saw the apples through there scopes and think you are the one who put them out?
Alot of assumptions on your part i think...

[Southpole]

I think I would be hot as hell under the collar being scoped . It would be another "oh I thought he was a bear!?" storey.

[duckmen1]

The way they were acting it seemed like they were the hunters that put out the apples. I never said for certain it was them. I have never heard of people baiting deer or elk by putting apples in between the sticks on the top of slash piles. Have you. It was set up perfect for glassing from where they were to see a bear come out of the thick cover of a growing up cut up onto a slash pile for a shot. You could not see the apples unless you were standing on the pile. Animals would have to reach in to get them. So i can guarantee you it was not for deer or elk. And yes before i realized the hole baiting deal it is a bit scary to have someone pointing there gun down toward you and your call. After we saw this we headed to a new area.

[Bob33]

Trail cam + pictures = ten points.

[southern transplant]

Which clearcut?    I was planning on going out therr tomorrow and would hate to get caught up in some stupid stuff

[BOWHUNTER45]

This is a tough one to call because you can bait deer ..To have anyone busted for baiting bears they would need to be caught in the act ..

[bmccalister]

We can assume that all most hunters know baiting deer and elk isn't illegal and most of us have enough experience to know apples would not make a good bear bait and baiting bears is illegal. With that said, in my opinion the hole scenario seems suspicious and these hunters in question could be new to bear hunting and ignorant of the laws. However, being new and ignorant would not excuse un-sportsman and illegal methods or scoping other people. 

[Dbax129]

Trail cam + pictures = ten points.

[snowpack]

Could they have been tribal?  A lot of tribal deer/elk seasons opened Aug 1. 

[Bob33]

With rifles, in August, hunting deer?

Uh huh.

[bobcat]

Either way, if all they're putting out is apples, and in a clearcut, they're not likely to kill any bears over it. I'd be more concerned about them looking at you through their riflescopes.   .   

[snowpack]

With rifles, in August, hunting deer?

Uh huh.

Is that a reply to my comment?  I know I see a lot of tribal hunting in August.  That way they can get them before the archery seasons start up, and before the good salmon runs start showing up.

[southern transplant]

How good is the skook when it comes to bear hunting anyway?    My buddy has seen a couple but would you reccomend it?

[Mudman]

There is bear there.  Not a hot spot.  Weird.  Seems to me if I was watching a cut an some guy was walking right through the middle of it I would see them and leave shaking my head.   They probably knew nothing of the apples.  If they did then they are obviously uneducated hunters to say the least and wont get busted for poaching as a bear isn't going to feed on apples in daylight in the middle of cut which has probably been sprayed 2 years ago with no berries.  But who knows?  Now if its an old grown-up cut full of berry it could have bear in it.  Oh and aren't ya supposed to have a vail key to be up there?  Do you?  Isnt that likely weyco land?

[duckmen1]

The clearcut is growing up a bit. The hunters snuck up to the clearcut from the backside of the hill to the landing without disturbing it. To glass it over. I have never baited deer or elk by putting apples in the very top of a slashpile have you. And yes i know the unit sucks for bears but i gave it a shot since my areas further south east from there dont open till mid august. The apples were placed to deep under the slashlogs for a deer or elk to climb all the way to the top and dig them out. Which is in a way bear hunters would place a bait to make them work to get it out. May not be your favorite bait if baiting was legal but bait is bait.

[Jellymon]

Yes we have vail keys, no this wasn't in vail.

[Mudman]

I see.

[Kola16]

Either way, if all they're putting out is apples, and in a clearcut, they're not likely to kill any bears over it. I'd be more concerned about them looking at you through their riflescopes.   .   

Bears will eat anything, and ESPECIALLY apples. I tried baiting deer once with solely apples, and I had about every bear in the county on that apple pile. Also, Bear Grylls was in a tent with just one apple, and a bear stormed into his tent just for that one apple.

But you still can't say that this baiting is for bears. Putting apples in the brush pile just makes it so there is always a scent. You would pretty much have to get proof of the guys sitting and watching the bait pile with there rifles.

[bobcat]

Yes of course bears will eat apples. I've got tons of pictures of bears eating apples that I put out for deer. I was just saying that it's not likely they would kill a bear, with it being in a clearcut I'd think if a bear did find the apples, it would be at night.

[Kola16]

Yes of course bears will eat apples. I've got tons of pictures of bears eating apples that I put out for deer. I was just saying that it's not likely they would kill a bear, with it being in a clearcut I'd think if a bear did find the apples, it would be at night.

Oh, got ya. When I put the apples out, all my pics were night pics