I checked my trail camera this morning after having it set over my bait barrel for a week. I was pleased to find that I had 95 pictures. Once I got back to the top of the ridge, I checked the pics on my computer. There are a minimum of 7 different bears in the pics, with 4 of them being cubs. There are 2 nice bears that were pictured alone and 2 mommas, one of those with a radio collar on it. I'd like to see this one come next Saturday.
(http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0092.JPG)
My date/time stamp was wacked, so I got that adjusted... at least the date, I don't think I adjusted the time...grrr. The time is 12 hours off, so when it shows AM, it is PM.
Here are links to a few more.
http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0090.JPG (http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0090.JPG)
http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0040.JPG (http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0040.JPG)
http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0028.JPG (http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/images/PICT0028.JPG)
The bear in the front on the last picture is the momma with the radio collar. When I got there this AM, my barrel, which was full of cookies, pizza crust and peaches. From the ridge above my barrel, I saw that the barrel was face down and only attached with one ratchet strap. I had put it against the tree using 2 ratchet straps. The first thing I saw as I got near the site was my sterno can from a honey burn. The can was dented in with a tooth hole through the bottom. I got to the barrel and found the ground around it wallowed to a smooth, leafless, rockless pad with a pile of peach pits laying in front of the barrel. The missing ratchet strap was nowhere in sight. About 6' behind my camera were 4 piles of scat within about 6' of each other. Behind my stand (23 yards from the barrel) was another big pile of scat. There were a couple of other piles of scat on the back side of the barrel. I refilled the barrel with pizza crust topped with jelly, chocolate syrup and coffee creamer, pears and cookies. I poured 2 gallons of used fryer grease in front of and around the barrel. I nailed another can of sardines to a tree at about 7' high. The can of sardines I nailed up last week was torn down with a tooth hole through it. I sprayed used fryer grease into the trees and leaves around as high as my super soaker would squirt. Before I left, I put on a sterno bacon burn. I'll be headed back to freshen/reload Thursday and into the stand Saturday AM. I can't wait!
Good luck Wendell.
Sounds promising! good luck!
Good luck, hope you geet him.
Good luck next week !! Hope you nail him !! :newmascot:
Goodluck..I want to see you next to him in a picture next week..
good luck i hope you get a nice one, be carefull and fill us in on your hunt. :anim_25:
Hope you bust a biggun! Good luck buddy!
I added some more pics on a page on my website:
http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/available.html (http://www.lightsoutcalls.com/available.html)
The one in the 3rd pic on the top row is a confirmed boar. The 2 yellow ear tags were done by the Arkansas Game and Fish when he was a cub. He is at the top of the list!!
I hope you are able to score this weekend Wendell!!! Do you have a plan for getting one out of the woods yet? They are a big animal and you will need a couple of hands to get him in the truck! :icon_thumright: One bit of advice I would offer is to shoot the first mature bear that you see, as long as it is not a momma with cubs). Holding out for a specific bear can cause you to feast all winter on tag soup (I know from experience :begging:)
My buddy that owns the property will be home and is within a few hundred yards of my bait site. I do have a good rope and come-along that may come into play for getting one onto the 4 wheeler.
I have given a lot of thought to what you said about taking the first mature bear that comes in (not being a momma w/cubs). That is pretty much my game plan. I'd love to see this bruiser come first light, but will likely draw on anything sizable without cubs. I'm going tomorrow to re-bait and increase the "yummy factor". ;D I'm looking forward to getting in the stand, but would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about it at the same time. :icon_thumright:
Cool pics and good luck to you on getting that monster to come in first
SHAZAAAM! That is one hot bait dude. That phase bear is awesome. Go gittem Wendell.
Good luck! I can tell you if you put a razor sharp broadhead through both lungs he will not run far!! Get your knife sharp! Be safe and have FUN!!!! I am a little jealous, this will be the first year since 2004 that I haven't gone bear hunting. We have had an annual bear camp since 2006, I am really going to miss all the good eating that we used to do!