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I have received alot of info on this site over the past couple years so I figured I would lay out my baiting strategy for you guys who might need a tip or two. I am no expert but I have yet to put out a bait that didn't work. So hopefully there might be something of use here.

First is location. I try to find a spot as close to a creek drainage as legally possible. This does two things. One it covers your sound when your sneaking in to hunt and two which is the most important is it carries the scent trail up and down the creek covering alot of ground for you.
Then I haul in my 55 gallon drum with two holes big enough in the back to chain it to the tree. I have had bears steal my can before. Then I have a square hole cut in the other side of the can that is big enough for them to reach in but not get their head in it. This slows down how fast they can eat. I lay the can on its side so that I can judge the bears size. If he is bigger than the can per say you got a keeper. I leave the edge of the hole I cut rough but not sharp this will allow them to get hair caught and left at the can to see if you have a black or cinnamon bear.
Then I take a rake and clean out all the sticks and stuff in front of my can and make a smooth pad about 10x10 big. I pour sand on half of it and rake it smooth. This lets me see how big of track my bears have. Plus it tells me what other marauding critters are there. Then In front of the can I pour 5 gallons of chicken grease on the dirt. They love that. I also like to pour it on a log nearby. using grease does two things. They carry the scent off with them for other bears and it keeps them at your can longer.
Now I am ready to load my can. I take 2 five gallon cans of bait every time I go. I use only Hostess twinkies, cupcakes etc and bread. I stay away from rotten meat. I get my Hostess from the Hostess store. They usually sell me the old stuff really cheap. I will also try and get day old doughnuts. I put the two cans of food in the drum then I take and turn the hole down to the ground to keep birds out of it. Then I take The biggest logs I can get and cover  my can in a teepee type style. I do this so that at a distance I can see if my can has been hit. Then I take big marshmallows and put them on tree branches and sticks and all over the place. Then I burn honey. I take 1 gallon of honey and an empty coffe can and a single propane burner. I pour a couple cups at a time in the can and burn it. Right at the end of the burn you will get thick black smoke. That is what you are after. That smoke sticks in the trees and every time the wind blows it will blow that sweet smell all over the valley you are in. At the end of the burn you will have a black honey comb in the bottom of the can. with your pliers just turn the can over and knock out the honey comb making sure not to start a fire. And then you burn some more. I do this till I have burnt the gallon up. Then I take a spray bottle and put some liquid smoke in it with water and squirt it all over the place. I spray it as I walk in and every where I walk. This works as a cover scent and they like the smell. Then I find my tree I am going to be in and trim it up so it is comfortable and branches aren't hitting me. I like to be 20 feet up. The last thing I do before I leave is I take about 30 loaves of bread (YES 30 loaves) and I scatter it everywhere to call in the birds. Bears follow ravens and magpies. If you get a ton of birds making noise the bears know something is up and will go check it out. This is what I do to get a bait started up. After I get my first strike I take in 2 fives every time of food. I do this 3 times a week untill I get my bear.. After I dump the food I take the two empty plastic fives and bang them together about 5 times. After awhile you will bang those buckets and within a couple hours the bears will be there. They are smart and will get used to the dinner bell buckets. I always approach cautiosly as the big boars will take up residence there. If you hear them woof at you that means they are alarmed. If you hear them pop their teeth that means they feel threatend and are on edge and can charge you. Usually they will only bluff charge. If your bear that is on the can is acting real jumpy and edgy that means there is another one there that is bigger and more dominant. So don't shoot that one unless you are legal to shoot more than one. Because the big bear will show later. If you have a sow and cubs and a big boar on the can. The sow and cubs usually show during mid day. I find the big ol daddy usually shows late in the day. If I am hinting late hours I will take a 50 pound sack of flour and pour it around my can. This will make the bear stand out alot better in low light conditions.
Hope this helps some of you guys. I beleive that putting as much effort in as possible when you set your can up will determine the outcome of the rest of the hunt. If you start with a bang you will probably end with a bang.
Good Luck
Sam

Message Thread:

• Things I do to bait bears 375ultramag May 29 2005
  • More info AkHunter45 May 31 2005
  • gourmet bear baiting mooseman May 30 2005
  • good stuff TradBow May 30 2005
  • thanks blackcat May 30 2005
  • thanks Sam fullkurl May 29 2005