Bait Barrels

[Machias]

I'm getting things set up for my trip out to Idaho for my spring bear hunt.  I have a friend picking up two steel barrels for me, the kind where the lids come off.  What does everyone recommend as far as the size and location of the holes.  4 inches or 6 inches and in the middle of the barrel or just above or just below the lower ring?  Anything else you like to do to your barrels?  Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.  Can't wait!!  I'll also be bringing 4 beaver carcasses with me to get the baits started.

[BULLBLASTER]

I made one a few years ago with a 6-8 inch hole between the 2 middle rings. I also welded a piece of pipe on the back to chain it to a tree and welded a heavy hinge amd bolt latch on the lid. I think alwinearcher still uses that barrel. I want to make another this year.
Im excited too!

[coop2424]

I don't think where the hole is really matters but I have two one with hole in the middle and another in the bottom 6-8"..  I also drilled a bunch of 1" holes in the barrel to carry the smell easier.  At least that is what I told myself after some adult beverages..   I also put a eye bolt in it and welded that so that I could chain it to the tree and has worked good.. 

[idaho guy]

Good thinking on the beaver carcasses Machias! thats my favorite starter bait for sure-I hang them by the tail high up in the trees-You probably do that too. I actually put my holes above the middle ring and below the lid just so I can fill it up without much bait falling out. I am not sure it matters either   

[Machias]

Thanks guys!  Idaho Guy, quick question for you.  I'll be getting my baiting permit at the office in Coeur d'Alene, my 2 boys will be getting non-resident bear permits.  Does each person that hunts a bait site need a baiting permit or just one baiting permit per site?

[BULLBLASTER]

Im pretty sure they can hunt your sites machias... ive let people hunt mine. All i could find in the rules is its illegal to hunt over an illegal site. Let me know if you find out for sure.

[Machias]

I think you are right but I want to make sure.

[idaho guy]

Only you need the bait permit machias. Your boys can hunt over your bait no problem the permit is just giving you the right to place the bait. So the only one that needs permit is the hunter placing the bait 

[coop2424]

That is right guys they can hunt over it I confirmed that last year and have not seen any changes..

[BULLBLASTER]

Another question. Could i have a friend place bait at my permitted site if i wont make it back for a while? Say he and i take turns refilling the bait? Kind of offtopic but maybe fits.   

[alwinearcher]

Chris, I think I do still have that barrel. I also have a bunch more if you ever need some...

As far as other guys baiting your site, I believe it is allowed as long as they have a  bait permit also...

Machias - your boys are allowed to hunt over your bait without a bait permit but they are not allowed to pack or touch any bait if they don't have a permit themselves...

[BULLBLASTER]

Chris, I think I do still have that barrel. I also have a bunch more if you ever need some...

As far as other guys baiting your site, I believe it is allowed as long as they have a  bait permit also...

Machias - your boys are allowed to hunt over your bait without a bait permit but they are not allowed to pack or touch any bait if they don't have a permit themselves...

i may take you up on getting that one or another from you! Ill be in touch.

[Machias]

Chris, I think I do still have that barrel. I also have a bunch more if you ever need some...

As far as other guys baiting your site, I believe it is allowed as long as they have a  bait permit also...

Machias - your boys are allowed to hunt over your bait without a bait permit but they are not allowed to pack or touch any bait if they don't have a permit themselves...

Thanks Matt!

[coop2424]

Machias,  I take it you don't need my spare barrel now since your getting one setup for yourself?  Where are you getting the beaver carcusas?  I have heard that is the best for getting it started.  I have just done some nasty stink pots and tie them up in the tree.  I swear the stuff is toxic and you really don't want to get it on you or it will be a long ride home. 

[BULLBLASTER]

If you have extra beavers id take one!   

[BULLBLASTER]

Machias,  I take it you don't need my spare barrel now since your getting one setup for yourself?  Where are you getting the beaver carcusas?  I have heard that is the best for getting it started.  I have just done some nasty stink pots and tie them up in the tree.  I swear the stuff is toxic and you really don't want to get it on you or it will be a long ride home.

hey coop we should join forces this spring and make some stink baits! Pm me your number again because i lost it...

[coop2424]

Machias,  I take it you don't need my spare barrel now since your getting one setup for yourself?  Where are you getting the beaver carcusas?  I have heard that is the best for getting it started.  I have just done some nasty stink pots and tie them up in the tree.  I swear the stuff is toxic and you really don't want to get it on you or it will be a long ride home.

hey coop we should join forces this spring and make some stink baits! Pm me your number again because i lost it...

Sounds good I am game.  I have a very rotten deer remains from my deer from dec that you don't want to stand down wind from behind my shop that may work.  I will send you a pm..

[Gobble Doc]

Good luck Fred.  Can't wait to see pictures!

[Machias]

Machias,  I take it you don't need my spare barrel now since your getting one setup for yourself?  Where are you getting the beaver carcusas?  I have heard that is the best for getting it started.  I have just done some nasty stink pots and tie them up in the tree.  I swear the stuff is toxic and you really don't want to get it on you or it will be a long ride home. 

I have 4 carcasses in the freezer now.  They should be thawed out by the time I get to ID.    I sure appreciate the offer on the barrel, but I'm going to go ahead and get two set up and then leave them at my place in Cheney when I come back here.  I'll need them anyways when I move back out there for good.

[saylean]

I watched some bear show and they used popcorn in the barrels with holes right near the bottom of the barrels. The guide said popcorn was light and trickled out the holes so they didn't need to replenish it much. I've never baited, but I thought it seemed kind of cool. Best of luck!

[trophyhunt]

I only did it for a couple years with Jackmaster but I sure miss baiting, listening to you guys is really making me jealous and miss it.  People who don't bait or have never baited just don't understand the work involved, good luck guys and kill a biggin!

[Machias]

Last time I baited, in 2012, I popped up about 40 gallons of popcorn and used cherry jello to flavor it.  I had a nice blonde sow walking past my bait with a nice boar with his nose on her butt trying to sweet talk her.  He was all lovey dovey and then spotted the cherry flavored popcorn and left her and walked right in.  It was too funny!!

[Machias]

My last Idaho bear, 2012.

[Machias]

[BULLBLASTER]

   getting me more excited!

[coop2424]

I have done popcorn with jello seems to last pretty good but last year had 7 different Bears hitting my one bait and went through a lot of feed..  Then my wife went in the hospital and never got to hunt over my bait..    I think I am going with the bread and what not from Franz this year along with other goodies I can find cheap..

[idaho guy]

Nice bear machias looks like you were using a pig feeder in one of those pictures? That's actually not a bad idea if a guy didn't have a barrel did the bears tear it up pretty bad?

[Machias]

  They destroyed it!!  They all did a little damage to it, but when the big boar showed up he mangled it!  I'll be sticking to barrels from now on. 

[Skyvalhunter]

I use jello shots on my bait stations. Gets the bears all screwed up then you just walk over and hit them on the head with a hammer.

[Machias]

   Can you videotape that next time!

[saylean]

Nice work machais!

[Huntin Hounds]

I do about an 8" hole on the side near the top. Doing this keeps the bears from getting the stuff in the bottom and coming back often. I like to weld half my lid on and hinge the two halves together. This makes it so I don't have to unchain it from the tree every time. I use popcorn with maple syrup on it for my baits. Lasts a good amount of time and it doesn't kill me carrying it to the bait site like bags of bread does. I put a roast in my barrel one year that was to big to get through the hole. Had about a 300# boar come and dig at it for hours. He finally ripped my barrel out of the chain and I never saw it again. The next picture is priceless though, small bear standing at the tree looking around for the barrel.

This year I am wanting to try something new. You guys tell me what you think about this idea. I want to use sucker fish from the Spokane River. I believe Washington classifies large scale suckers as game fish but Idaho does not. I have never heard of anyone eating them but I don't want to risk be cited for waste of game. Ultimately I will call fish and game of both states to clarify but thought I would get your opinions first.

[Machias]

The only thing that worries me with a 8 inch hole is cubs getting their heads stuck in the hole.  I've heard that can be a problem with bigger holes, but with you placing it higher that might not be an issue.  Why would you unchain each time?  I usually use a barrel with a lid that clamps on with a ring.  I've never unchained when I re-bait. 

Way back in 1994 I used carp at a bait site.  Very quickly the fish rotted and the bears eventually abandoned the site.  It was a stinky mess.  I think a single fish up high can bring them in but when I've had fish at the bait site they always passed it up for whatever else I had at the bait and rarely touched it.

[Huntin Hounds]

I use a chain binder on my barrels and that usually deforms the barrel. I got tired of fighting the clamp rings and lids. I haven't had any cubs get inside yet, I don't think they can reach it. I noticed when I put smaller holes in my barrels the big bears don't stick around long. They have a hard time getting the bait out and just leave. I also noticed on my baits the bigger bears will stay longer and come more often when I use some meat in the bait.

Thanks for the info on the fish. Doesn't sound like they will benefit my situation at all. I put my early spring bait in the same location each year. It usually gets hit within a few days. Have you ever seen how they bait cats in Africa? They run drags with the guts and stuff from their bait animal and drag it towards the bait site. I wonder how that would work, other than attracting wolves? I already dump grease and syrup on the ground so they get it on their paws and track it around.

[Machias]

I did a hunt up in the Peace River area in Northern Alberta one year and the baits were on these long cut lines for gas pipe lines, no pipeline, just the long, miles long, cuts.  My guide would catch a beaver and then tie it on the back of the ATV and drag it in all four directions for a mile and that would fire up the bait every time.

Thanks for your advice and thoughts.

[idaho guy]

Huntin hounds I have used suckers for a stink bait with good success just to help then find the real bait pile. It has worked for me as an attractant it is not a game fish in Idaho and legite to use for bear bait

[RadSav]

Hole and location depends a lot on what bait you are going to use.  Popcorn is great with the holes at the bottom as mentioned.  But if you plan on using a sour mash fermented in the barrel you need to hold liquid in the bottom until it starts to ferment, so holes need to be higher.  I always liked to put flapper doors on the barrels that had side access so the bear needed to lift it to get anything out.  Keeps crows, squirrels, skunk, coyote and other unwanted critters from eating all the food. 

One of my favorite ways to use the barrel is to have the hole in the bottom.  Place the barrel over a hole where you can use the roots of a tree or buried logs to control the shot angle.  I like having my bear angled away slightly so I can hit a good six inches behind the shoulder and have my arrow exit is the opposite arm pit (if from a tree stand).  If from a ground blind I want the arrow to break the opposite shoulder.  With the hole in the bottom the bear has to reach under the barrel to get the food.  That again opens up the shoulder for good shot placement as well as reduces the speed in which they can empty the bait.

My barrel would have a welded funnel shape in the bottom 1/3rd so all the bait could fall out with little if anything left behind.  Sort of like an hour glass you would have a small diameter column of bait regulated by how deep the hole in the ground is and the diameter of the hole in the bottom of the barrel.  Yogurt covered raisins, macaroni and cheese, dogfood and hamburger, popcorn and corn syrup solids, old honey cure ham and noodles, donut holes, and previously prepared sour mash and dried apples with Hershey's syrup all fed well from this type of barrel.  I even got 500# of whole frozen chickens the IGA was throwing out one time.  Those even fed out ok and the bear went crazy for those covered in a little Yoshidas.

Have to get those barrels anchored down extremely well as the bear will want to roll them instead of dig under them.  I would normally bolt them to a tree first if the land owner would allow.  Being sure I used some heavy made large diameter washers so the bolts wouldn't get pulled through the barrel.  Then I would use metal strapping like you use for bundling lumber and put about six tight straps around the outside.  I'd put those straps on as tight as possible without smashing the barrel and re-strap as often as needed after the bear worked them over.

Then the biggest area of importance was to keep the tree stands rather low and no more than 25 yards from the bait.  Again I want the best possible shooting angle to the bear when shooting one with the bow.  I used bacon fat as ground based attractant.  I want every animal that came near that bait to leave a nice smelly trail back to the barrel.  After getting a bait set up the first time I would do a honey and ham burn.  That will leave a sweet smell in the trees around the bait for a week if it doesn't rain!

Good luck.  Can't wait to see the pictures!

[Machias]

Great stuff, thanks guys!!

[Huntin Hounds]

Thanks Idaho Guy. I may give it a try with another bait this year.

RadSav, That barrel design sounds pretty good. May have to give that a try on my next barrel I make.