Bait Barrels

[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.