Hi Guys

Were from Michigan
My 18 year old daughter drew her first permit after trying for the last 3 years.
I have located some big bear sign in a couple of areas around home.
I started collecting bait (Bakery and Meat scraps) as soon as I found out that she was picked.
I'm allowed to start the bait piles the 3rd week of August, and I can set out the tree stands September 1st.
The plan is;
At the start of baiting I will carry out 150 lbs of bait to each of three stations, at first I will bait twice a week, and pick it up to 4 times a week and slowly reduce the amounts to about 2 gal by opening day.
Each time that I bait I plan on spraying liquid smoke / vanella scent, then after the stands are out, spray the scent, climb 1/2 way up the stand, and ring a bell and then leave.
The thought is, get the bears into a routine.
Then I'll go out with her and do the routine but leave her and I'll go back and wait in the truck.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Joshua

[ghostdoghunter]

I assume you plan to ring the bell as a sign to the bears that food is ready?

[blackbear]

This will work great ,however remember that when spraying your cover scent that you do not get it on your hands and feet and then go over and climb up the tree your stand is in as now you would have a trail to where the hunter will be sitting and they will look up the tree.
Blackbear

Originally Posted by Joshua

Hi Guys

Were from Michigan
My 18 year old daughter drew her first permit after trying for the last 3 years.
I have located some big bear sign in a couple of areas around home.
I started collecting bait (Bakery and Meat scraps) as soon as I found out that she was picked.
I'm allowed to start the bait piles the 3rd week of August, and I can set out the tree stands September 1st.
The plan is;
At the start of baiting I will carry out 150 lbs of bait to each of three stations, at first I will bait twice a week, and pick it up to 4 times a week and slowly reduce the amounts to about 2 gal by opening day.
Each time that I bait I plan on spraying liquid smoke / vanella scent, then after the stands are out, spray the scent, climb 1/2 way up the stand, and ring a bell and then leave.
The thought is, get the bears into a routine.
Then I'll go out with her and do the routine but leave her and I'll go back and wait in the truck.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Joshua

[DrakeHunter]

I've never heard of anyone trying this! My deer feeder makes a loud noise when it spins out the corn. The deer come in within minutes of this happening. The only problem I have seemed to have had with this is that some of the deer will bed down next to the feeder in the afternoon and wait for it to go off in the evening. This makes it hard to reach the stand for an afternoon hunt.

[birdman]

Interesting to note that you have observed a "conditioned response" to deer around your feeder. There are documented cases of this with many different species. Now you need to figure out how to make this work to your advantage. Maybee try hooking up a train horn to your feeder and let em all know when feeding time is ....

[D Winkler]

Or, maybe you will just have to camp out for a few days