Bear Baiting Questions

[fair-chase]

Just a couple of random thoughts and questions I had while looking a pictures of peoples bait sites...

1. Do bears that consistently eat at bait stations taste like garbage bears? Not trying to be derogatory. Maybe I should rephrase. Does the type of bait you use have an effect (either positive or negative) on the taste of the meat. If so what types of bait have the strongest effect, and what types of changes to the meat are noticed?

2. Are bears that frequent bait sites more prone to become nuisance bears? Do they grow more accustomed to human food and seek it out even after the bait is pulled? Also, would this be dependant on the type of bait used?

I hope that came out right. Not trying to be derogatory at all. I've never baited for bears before and am genuinely curious as to the effects it has on both the bears behavior and the quality of the meat.

[johnnyaustin44]

Good question. I was thinking the same as I am headed to Idaho to hunt this weekend over bait and hounds and am hoping the meat will still taste fine

[fair-chase]

Bait and Hounds, sounds like an exciting weekend. Good luck to you.

[JLS]

I have no idea on the taste.  The last spring bear I killed was in an area where he had probably been feeding on winterkill, although I don't know for sure.  The meat was awful, and I don't know whether it was from 1) diet, 2) age (older boar), 3) spring bear fresh out of hibernation, or 4) a combination of some/all the above.  I would think that a bait high in rotten meats/fish would definitely contribute to lesser quality of meat.  To what degree I don't know.

I think your second question is much more dependent on proximity to humans than the type of bait.  If there are houses/cabins nearby that offered a similar and accessible food source there would probably be a much higher likelihood of creating a nuisance bear (i.e. dogfood, horsefeed, etc.).  If they are not rewarded with an accessible food source from those areas they aren't likely to become a nuisance bear.