[gone hunting]

Hey everyone,I have been surfing the net and learning as much as I can about hunting bears.As we know on sites like youtube, there is comment sections, in which I have been noticing a lot of negative comments from fellow hunters, and tree huggers, about how unethical it is to hunt over a food barrel.Now I don't care what the tree huggers have to say, but when I start hearing negative comments from hunters in the west, about how hunters from the east are wrong and unethical about the way we hunt bears, I begin to have an issue.I don't feel hunting over a bait barrel is any more unethical than shooting a Grizzly on one mountain ridge from another, or sitting and waiting for it to come out of its den then blasting it.Wouldn't calling in an animal be considered in the same category, technically we are targeting the animals weakness and using it to draw them in, which is common practice everywhere.It just really bothers me to be put in the unethical crowd by some of our counterparts from the west, because we have an effective way of doing things.Bear baiting works, its not the lazy mans way to hunt, as anyone who has set up a bear bait can attest to, it takes skill in scouting and knowing your prey, and really its the way hunting takes place in almost every species through history, by the art of camouflage, attraction and/or deception.I am only new to bear hunting but have learned a lot and have a lot left to learn, but one thing I don't consider myself is unethical.

 

[Bowtech]

Is bear baiting ethical...Yes

Is it the most rewarding way to harvest a bear...probably not. If we could glass miles of country and see muliple bears everyday like the west we might have a different opinion but as it stands now...I'm glad we can bait.

 

[Mister November]

i agree with bowtech!!!

x2 on that one!

I hunted alot of years in the woods before i seen my first bear....and covered alot of territory
so....yes i do think bear baiting is ethical!

 

[swampthang]

I know there's lot's of night's I would've rather been glassing the sides of mountains and giant cut's from the comfort of the cab of my truck as I've seen in countless show's from out west then listening to the buzz of a millon black flies and mosquito's sitting over my bear bait ,not alway's as easy as it look,s or sounds

 

[Bob LeBlanc]

"Ethics" is more a consideration of the environment a hunter is raised in.
Out west, they don't bait bears because they don't need to bait bears.

Consider The Hanson Buck...the current world-record whitetail.
It was shot on a deer drive...and talk to some southerners about deer drives, and they'll lynch ya.
Also consider that the deer was shot while running flat out, and he emptied his gun at it...pure 'outhouse' luck...an "ethical" hunt???
In most parts, no...but acceptable in Saskatchewan, apparently.

Then there's those who hunt deer with hounds...etc., etc., etc.

Hunting bears over bait is legal...it is ethical...it's our way.
We don't shoot sows at 400 yards, while their cubby(s) is hidden in the underbrush, unseen. We have the necessary time to ensure we don't.

 

[Bradley]

For me it is a personal choice that has to do more with what I'd want to spend my time doing, rather than an ethical question.

I buy my bear license most years, but only to have a piece of paper to show the warden I never see ... To not get in trouble for having a rifle in my truck. Lots of guys love bear hunting I've read and heard lots of great stories, and come to find out they love the meat. I dunno what percentage of bears shot in nb are done so over bait .... But I'd imagine it would approach very close to 100%.

Personally I have zero interest in hunting deer, bear or anything over bait.... Therefore I've never actually hunted bear in NB. That doesn't mean I never occupy a stand, because I certainly do .... But for me the experience I get hunting is something special. I look forward to it all year. My son has started coming with me in the past few seasons and I sincerely he enjoys it as much as I did when my dad and uncles brought me with them. Down the road I hope it turns into an activity that he is able to enjoy his whole life. If he ever wants to change up tactics and start lugging apples, he will have to do that on his own.

Some places run deer, and maybe bear with dogs. Sounds like cheating to me compared to how we do it but it is legal in some places .... The hunt is different and perhaps if I grew up doing it I would feel differently.

Within the hunting community, more and more we seem to be becoming our own worst enemies ..... and maybe it was always like this -- my memory only goes back a smidgen over 40 years. But for me It's hard to imagine a topic that doesn't generate some kind of internal controversy. I therefore have no doubt that if you don't hear someone questioning your ethics regarding baiting ... They or someone else will find something else to fight with you about. There is something about a hunting camp that just produces copious amounts of unsolicited advice. C'est la vie. And like many things in life the guys with the most to say are rarely the guys with the most to teach.

My thoughts would be if it ( bait hunting for bear) is something that you are interested in trying, and there is no law against it, then have at it. Have fun, be careful and take lots of pictures.

 

[chadman]

My thoughts would be if it ( bait hunting for bear) is something that you are interested in trying, and there is no law against it, then have at it. Have fun, be careful and take lots of pictures.

X2

 

[Big Bore]

What's the diference ? Shoot them over food you brought in or over food that is already there ; grain feild, apple tree whatever . No different than sitting in a feild waiting for the ducks or geese to come to eat , no one seems to mind that to much ? I view bears like crows and coyotes , kill them however you can / and they need to look seriously at increasing the bag limit given the surging population in many areas.

 

[archerynutNB]

"Ethics" is more a consideration of the environment a hunter is raised in.
Out west, they don't bait bears because they don't need to bait bears.

Consider The Hanson Buck...the current world-record whitetail.
It was shot on a deer drive...and talk to some southerners about deer drives, and they'll lynch ya.
Also consider that the deer was shot while running flat out, and he emptied his gun at it...pure 'outhouse' luck...an "ethical" hunt???
In most parts, no...but acceptable in Saskatchewan, apparently.

Then there's those who hunt deer with hounds...etc., etc., etc.

Hunting bears over bait is legal...it is ethical...it's our way.
We don't shoot sows at 400 yards, while their cubby(s) is hidden in the underbrush, unseen. We have the necessary time to ensure we don't.

"Good points"..especially the last one about identifying sows with cubs.

 

[archerynutNB]

For me it is a personal choice that has to do more with what I'd want to spend my time doing, rather than an ethical question.

I buy my bear license most years, but only to have a piece of paper to show the warden I never see ... To not get in trouble for having a rifle in my truck. Lots of guys love bear hunting I've read and heard lots of great stories, and come to find out they love the meat. I dunno what percentage of bears shot in nb are done so over bait .... But I'd imagine it would approach very close to 100%.

Personally I have zero interest in hunting deer, bear or anything over bait.... Therefore I've never actually hunted bear in NB. That doesn't mean I never occupy a stand, because I certainly do .... But for me the experience I get hunting is something special. I look forward to it all year. My son has started coming with me in the past few seasons and I sincerely he enjoys it as much as I did when my dad and uncles brought me with them. Down the road I hope it turns into an activity that he is able to enjoy his whole life. If he ever wants to change up tactics and start lugging apples, he will have to do that on his own.

Some places run deer, and maybe bear with dogs. Sounds like cheating to me compared to how we do it but it is legal in some places .... The hunt is different and perhaps if I grew up doing it I would feel differently.

Within the hunting community, more and more we seem to be becoming our own worst enemies ..... and maybe it was always like this -- my memory only goes back a smidgen over 40 years. But for me It's hard to imagine a topic that doesn't generate some kind of internal controversy. I therefore have no doubt that if you don't hear someone questioning your ethics regarding baiting ... They or someone else will find something else to fight with you about. There is something about a hunting camp that just produces copious amounts of unsolicited advice. C'est la vie. And like many things in life the guys with the most to say are rarely the guys with the most to teach.

My thoughts would be if it ( bait hunting for bear) is something that you are interested in trying, and there is no law against it, then have at it. Have fun, be careful and take lots of pictures.

Good points as well.

I myself have only shot one bear in my life, and it was in an oat field with rifle.

I have often thought of taking up bear baiting with bow, to add another hunting season to my year.
I have no problem with the baiting bear issue, and would certainly do it if I wanted to. But for me it is more of an issue of "why" do I start hunting them? I know it would be "fun" and "exciting" to get a shot at a big brute of a bear with my bow at ten yards. But "What do I do with the bear then? I have a few deer heads scattered around my house. But I have no real trophy room. And am not interested in a bear rug either. And I am not hungry enough just yet to add bear to my menu. So it doesn't make much sense to me to take up bear baiting, and shoot a bear and just discard it.
Now if I were allowed to "sell" my bear to some rich "NON" hunter who wanted a mount. Or maybe sell the fur to a dealer. Then I would start hunting them for sure.
Everyone here knows that I bait deer for bow. And it is pretty much the same thing as bears. But I think the thing that gets the antis riled up more is the bait "Barrel" thing. If I had a video of a deer walking up and sticking its head in a barrel, then it would look a lot worse than it eating at a pile of apples or some corn scattered around my stand.
Like in Texas where they shoot the deer right under the Moultrie broadcast spreader Tripod.

Just my 2 cts

 

[lovemylab]

Good points as well.

I myself have only shot one bear in my life, and it was in an oat field with rifle.

I have often thought of taking up bear baiting with bow, to add another hunting season to my year.
I have no problem with the baiting bear issue, and would certainly do it if I wanted to. But for me it is more of an issue of "why" do I start hunting them? I know it would be "fun" and "exciting" to get a shot at a big brute of a bear with my bow at ten yards. But "What do I do with the bear then? I have a few deer heads scattered around my house. But I have no real trophy room. And am not interested in a bear rug either. And I am not hungry enough just yet to add bear to my menu. So it doesn't make much sense to me to take up bear baiting, and shoot a bear and just discard it.
Now if I were allowed to "sell" my bear to some rich "NON" hunter who wanted a mount. Or maybe sell the fur to a dealer. Then I would start hunting them for sure.
Everyone here knows that I bait deer for bow. And it is pretty much the same thing as bears. But I think the thing that gets the antis riled up more is the bait "Barrel" thing. If I had a video of a deer walking up and sticking its head in a barrel, then it would look a lot worse than it eating at a pile of apples or some corn scattered around my stand.
Like in Texas where they shoot the deer right under the Moultrie broadcast spreader Tripod.

Just my 2 cts

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe you are allowed to sell your bear hide to a licensed hide dealer.
As for bear meat, man you don't know what you are missing! It is delicious!

 

[Track Soup]

Just had a brain fart. Does anyone know of any "Feed the hungry" programs in the Fredericton area? Where hunters donate meat to soup kitchens, etc...

I am in the same boat as Archery Nut, I know I would love bear hunting, but I wouldn't shoot one unless I was going to do something with it. I have never had the chance to try bear meat, I just think about what they eat...

I would probably try it, given the chance though!

I would be tempted to try a bear hunt if I knew that I could help someone out with some meat...

 

[Axeman]

Just had a brain fart. Does anyone know of any "Feed the hungry" programs in the Fredericton area? Where hunters donate meat to soup kitchens, etc...

I am in the same boat as Archery Nut, I know I would love bear hunting, but I wouldn't shoot one unless I was going to do something with it. I have never had the chance to try bear meat, I just think about what they eat...

I would probably try it, given the chance though!

I would be tempted to try a bear hunt if I knew that I could help someone out with some meat...

Surf the net for FHFH on the feeding the hungry program in NB. There is an advertisement in the hunting summary this year too.

To combat anti's and hunters alike, there is a really good publication available that goes through species by species on baiting and supplemental feeding issues through the Wildlife Society - it's a technical review put together by professionals across NA. It's available at: https://store.wildlife.org/ScriptContent/TechnicalReviews/ or maybe our DNR would have a copy.

It all boils down to where you are at and how it's done. In the southern states some guys go out and dump a half a ton of chocolate in one place. Bears get sick, teeth rot, etc. Obviously, large amounts over a long time is NOT ethical or healthy for bear...especially in open country. However, change the habitat to boreal or acadian forest with balsam fir, spruce and thick underbrush, use a smaller amount of bait and only bait for the season, and pretty hard to argue this....especially when you see how our baiting has BENEFITTED the health of our bears, and how productive our bears here are. Without bait, what would hunter success here be? like 5% or less? We already have way too many bears, and based on the WTF fawn study back in 2006 and 2007 bear are taking 25% of deer fawns here in a province where our deer herd is already low. Stick that in their pipe and let them puff on that a little......hard to argue against methods that help to lower bear numbers.

 

[Big Bore]

Surf the net for FHFH on the feeding the hungry program in NB. There is an advertisement in the hunting summary this year too.

To combat anti's and hunters alike, there is a really good publication available that goes through species by species on baiting and supplemental feeding issues through the Wildlife Society - it's a technical review put together by professionals across NA. It's available at: https://store.wildlife.org/ScriptContent/TechnicalReviews/ or maybe our DNR would have a copy.

It all boils down to where you are at and how it's done. In the southern states some guys go out and dump a half a ton of chocolate in one place. Bears get sick, teeth rot, etc. Obviously, large amounts over a long time is NOT ethical or healthy for bear...especially in open country. However, change the habitat to boreal or acadian forest with balsam fir, spruce and thick underbrush, use a smaller amount of bait and only bait for the season, and pretty hard to argue this....especially when you see how our baiting has BENEFITTED the health of our bears, and how productive our bears here are. Without bait, what would hunter success here be? like 5% or less? We already have way too many bears, and based on the WTF fawn study back in 2006 and 2007 bear are taking 25% of deer fawns here in a province where our deer herd is already low. Stick that in their pipe and let them puff on that a little......hard to argue against methods that help to lower bear numbers.

If the bears were taking 25% of the fawns in 2006-2007 imagine what they are doing now!!! everyone knows there numbers are going up all the time ( see them everywere) . I see bears like crows and coyotes . Everyone should do there part to keep there numbers under control . Remember for everyone you see how many do you think there are around that you can't see?