Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 06:30:22 PM

Title: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 06:30:22 PM: After further discussions with my lady and others, and research online.
Im beginning to think this bait spot we found may have been a bear bait setup.

Big blue barrel, Small cutout on the bottom for the feed to come out... I was kinda curious because how can a bucks or bulls eat from it with racks on they're head, It was setup to where they wouldnt be able to even get they're head in the hole to get anything. :dunno: Found lots of bear tracks scat within a 20 food radius. It was full of little brown pellets.

If I had a picture Id post it but the camera we took it with is with my girls pops. It was almost exactly like this
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmediad.publicbroadcasting.net%2Fp%2Fwhqr%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fcard_wide%2Fpublic%2F201302%2FBEAR%2520BAITING%2520BARREL.JPEG&hash=6d56c2bdceb2c73d64423fc816e3ad2f52b5466d)

Should I report it and let them find out?
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: snowpack on August 25, 2013, 06:37:08 PM: What was the feed in the barrel? Corn or pellets I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. Donuts and bread loaves...probably bear bait.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: KFhunter on August 25, 2013, 06:37:29 PM: wouldn't hurt to email the pics and GPS coords - it may be a permitted site though if on timber ground of some sort.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: snowpack on August 25, 2013, 06:39:12 PM: Any chance that Indians hunt that area?
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 06:44:29 PM: Quote from: KFhunter on August 25, 2013, 06:37:29 PM
wouldn't hurt to email the pics and GPS coords - it may be a permitted site though if on timber ground of some sort.
I could tell that it had been there for quite awhile, The wire that the barrel was secured to the tree with was starting to be covered by the tree growth.. Wire was almost completely inside the tree.
It was on a public access road right out by riffe lake.

Quote from: snowpack on August 25, 2013, 06:37:08 PM
What was the feed in the barrel? Corn or pellets I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. Donuts and bread loaves...probably bear bait.

It was small brown pellets. I googled "Bear Bait Barrel" though most of it is all pellets and corn. I still dont see why it would be setup so only doe/cows could feed on it, there would be no way a buck could get his head in there.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 06:44:44 PM: Quote from: snowpack on August 25, 2013, 06:39:12 PM
Any chance that Indians hunt that area?
Honestly I have no idea.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 07:08:38 PM: Ok how about this, Is there any harm in reporting it even if it MAY not be a bear bait station? Better safe than sorry right? :dunno:
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: bobcat on August 25, 2013, 07:16:59 PM: I'm pretty sure that was want for bear. But legal or illegal, I don't know. Whose land was this? If public land, I'd say illegal for sure.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: bear hunter on August 25, 2013, 07:20:09 PM: If that's the pic it looks like dog food. I would report it.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 07:26:40 PM: Quote from: bobcat on August 25, 2013, 07:16:59 PM
I'm pretty sure that was want for bear. But legal or illegal, I don't know. Whose land was this? If public land, I'd say illegal for sure.
From all the sources Im using it looks like it was public land. Stormking unit.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Smossy on August 25, 2013, 07:27:42 PM: Quote from: bear hunter on August 25, 2013, 07:20:09 PM
If that's the pic it looks like dog food. I would report it.
Thats not the actual pic, but it looks similar.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: buckfvr on August 25, 2013, 07:41:01 PM: If it doesnt look like its been used in some time....Id say its a shed trap.......a buck would nock his horns off trying to get to the feed.......
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: bobcat on August 25, 2013, 08:23:40 PM: I'd say a bear feeding station, which is legal for private timber companies. They do it to help prevent bears from eating their trees.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Mfowl on August 25, 2013, 08:29:50 PM: Report it, try to get some poacher points. If it turns out to be legal, no harm done.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Skyvalhunter on August 25, 2013, 08:30:32 PM: :yeah: Common practice on Private timber companies
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: johnr060 on August 26, 2013, 08:51:18 AM: I have seen those lots of times on weyco and port blakley land. They are for damage control.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: krism83 on August 27, 2013, 01:42:32 AM: Riffe Lake is pretty big. Were you on the Mossyrock end or the Glenoma end of the lake? I know Port Blakely has a big stretch of land on the Mossyrock end of the lake with some public access. I don't know of to much Indian hunting in that area although the reservation is just through Chinook pass.

Also if it were me I would report it just to be cautious.
Title: Re: Bear Baiting...
Post by: Jellymon on August 27, 2013, 02:08:25 AM: Quote from: bobcat on August 25, 2013, 08:23:40 PM
I'd say a bear feeding station, which is legal for private timber companies. They do it to help prevent bears from eating their trees.

:yeah: