I like the new colors. This is my first year of trying the lil cecils and I am very impressed. The crappies on a lake near my house have been pounding them. I have been doing very well with the blood red color and my brother with the silver. We are not using bait and these fish are coming up 5 feet to meet the lure and just smacking it.
Step 1
We look on line at aerial photos of the area we wish to hunt. Looking for thick wooded areas with creeks and possible beaver ponds. While looking at maps look for best possible way into these areas using old logging roads that are not easily noticed or used by other hunters, hikers or weekenders.
Step 2
When finding an area that seems to look promising this would be where you want to set up a test site. What I mean by a test site is a small burlap bag filled with donuts, candy or even jam as shown in picture 1. We also use 50/50 blend of strawberry extract and water “spray that all over the area.Then hang the bag 6 to 7 ft in a good size tree where claw marks would be visable. Reasons to hang the bag is to show if there is a bear in the area and also in some ways can show the size of the bear. A larger bear is going to tear out the bottom of the bag or leave claw marks 1 to 2ft off the ground as shown in picture 2 and 3, were a smaller bear will leave claw marks all the way up to the bag. In the past we have found that a mature boar will mark his territory with rubs and scent as shown in picture 4.
Step 3
Crib placement
First find the tree you would like to put a stand in. Making sure there is plenty of back cover (such as a pine tree)picture 5 from this point we will place the crib. Bow hunters we like to place the crib between 15 to 20 yrds and a gun hunter 30 to 50 yrds.
Step 4
Building the crib
Find a downed tree and cut it into 6ft sections. Reason for 6 ft sections. This will help you judge the size of the bear when they are at the crib.As shown in picture 6. Clear the area you want to put the crib in. As shown in picture 7. Build a square box out of the short timbers and place the bait in the center as shown in picture 8-11. Cover crib with the 6 ft timbers and build a backer so the bear has to come to the front of the crib and give you a broad side shot. When finished with building the crib pour used fryer oil around both sides and front of the crib.As shown in picture 12 The reason for oil is the bear will wander off and other bears will cross there path and follow the oil back to the crib. Creating at times a multiple bear site. Last we like to use a 50/50 blend of strawberry extract and water. You want to use plenty of this around the crib area as shown in picture 13.
Maxed out on pictures second post coming your way. 
Good post. What do you carry for a side arm?
DT
cool post GMAN 
wheres that bait site those donuts look good 
do you have someone else hang the bag or do you have a ladder ????
Excellent detailed post GMAN.
Great pics and story! 
Step 5
I feel it is very important to place trail cameras up on bait sites , this will also help in finding big bears and what times they are coming in ,as seen in these next pictures this was a big fella we found last year . He was a bear that was coming in early morning at hitting the site . We never did see this guy but a 300 pounder bear was later shot at the site .
Sometimes you will have to go the extra mile if you want one of these big bears as seen in the next pictures , 1st one is Gunner going ummm dad how are we going to cross this ? Beavers made a dam and our bridge floated off so we made another one and will be walking in after that big boy this year ,
On a funny note we told my dad he had a BIG bear or as Lip would say another FREAK picture on trail cam at his site ( picture 9 ) 
Gut you asked how a guy becomes a Master at this well I walked away from my drink one night and I came back and my cup said I was a , well you read it .
Last picture is my motto .
This works well for us and I hope it will help others some how !
<img src="/wp-content/uploads/bbu_images/fishi
Found a picture of my spot from last year ( 410 was shot ) Reason for picking this spot was big area of thick woods,you can see the beaver pond off to the left, not so nice tail on the right and then walk in about 300 yards and put stand/crib in Then just some fun pic’s 
<img src="/wp-content/uploads/bbu_images/fish
Cool posts GMAN. Good luck this year.
A wealth of information GMAN. The photos are really great, super instructive and help clear up some of the questions I had.
Thank you!
Joel
Outstanding post Jason! The step by step directions along with the detailed photos are very beneficial! 
“Be the Bear” is the best advice someone can follow!
Please, please expand on this post.
After you bait, when do you check it the first time? How often after that? What is your strategy once a bear hits it and he’s a shooter as the opening season approaches? Do you start to back down on the bait? Get him hungry so to speak?
Another thing I heard is to hang a T-Shirt (one that you wore a couple of days) around the bait site so that the bear gets used to your smell. What are your thoughts about that?
Since we are 4 1/2 hrs South of our bear camp we only get to check sites every weekend after first baiting , ” baited on the 14 th and 15 th ”
Checked all sites and cameras the next weekend 22 nd and 23 rd , Then again on the 29 th and 30 th . “Bait” We will put at least 3 buckets of bait in each
crib every weekend , this will keep them coming back all week long . Using trail cameras have told us that multiple bears will come back 4 to 5 times a week
checking the crib and cleaning up what is left ! Now this next weekend we will BACK way off on the bait (1 bucket of the best we have ) since we will start hunting on Tuesday . You want them hungry and coming back looking for food everyday . If you give them to much you will end up with what we call bait burn out . They will stop coming in .
When you find that big bear get your stand up and stay away from that tree till the day you hunt it ! Only go in and bait then get out of the area . We call this the IN and OUT.
Now say if you have a bear that is only coming in after shooting hours, This could help you some . Take a bucket of bait with you and place it in the crib, if you don’t see anything take the bucket back out and take it back with you , Sometimes the bear will come in and think HEY another bear came in and ate all the bait and start checking the crib early ! ( don’t always work but it have in the past )
Some bears will have you pegged the min the hear the wheeler , so you can have a guy drop you off , have him bait and drive off this will make the bear think
you have left him food and left the area , well guess what sorry about the bad luck today Mr bear …
If you get a big smart bear , move the crib on him and move your stand ( this is how I killed my big bear last year )
Great question Brad , yes the shirt or towel trick works great , I tell the guys go out a mow then wipe off with a towel , place in zip-lock and hand it over !
We will then place this at the crib they will be hunting . We have had bears run off with them
WOW Great information GMAN!
GMAN:
Great job, both you, Gursky, Johnny, Bearplotts, Steve White and others have provided some excellent info for all to chew on!!! Was also glad to see you and Tom have the bruin fight and get it over with!!! Keep it coming, I am kind of disappointed I am not baiting for someone this year, looking forward to the pics every third day or so was always exciting!!! It also great to see the bear hunters having some great posting in terms of numbers of posts!!!
Mark
A trick that worked for me on a nocturnal bear one year was to reduce the amount of bait as well as carry it out if nothing showed. But the kicker was to scoop up some scat from another distant area and deposit it near the crib. Bear thought some new guy was moving in and showed up way early. Result was a bad case of lead poisoning!
Nice trick kenfred Welcome to IDO
I agree – great tip kenfred and welcome to IDO! 
Great first post!
Quote:
A trick that worked for me on a nocturnal bear one year was to reduce the amount of bait as well as carry it out if nothing showed. But the kicker was to scoop up some scat from another distant area and deposit it near the crib. Bear thought some new guy was moving in and showed up way early. Result was a bad case of lead poisoning!
Welcome Kenfred
Yes that is also a great way to mess with them, I know we had found some the size of a soup can and placed at another site and the bear NEVER came back and hit the crib again , I think the big scat scared the poo out of him 
Welcome to iDoHunting.com kenfred!
Great tip and thanks for signing and and sharing it!
welcome kenfred
GMAN is a master baiter
Right on GMAN-one must be selective with the pooper scooper.
Bigger is not always better……
Another trick for nocturnal bears is to put a cardboard cutout of a man in the stand overnight.
I have yet another trick up my sleeve, but it is untested at this point. Gonna try it out next week up in Manitoba, and also maybe the week after on my hunt with Johnny P. (pending MB report and his approval, of course).
kenfred it sounds like you have a few great hunts lined up in the next few weeks!
Good Luck and make sure you stop back with some pictures and report, we would love to hear how it went!
Quote:
Right on GMAN-one must be selective with the pooper scooper.
Bigger is not always better……Another trick for nocturnal bears is to put a cardboard cutout of a man in the stand overnight.
I have yet another trick up my sleeve, but it is untested at this point. Gonna try it out next week up in Manitoba, and also maybe the week after on my hunt with Johnny P. (pending MB report and his approval, of course).
It was a lesson learned by all 
Did hear the trick of putting a cut out in the tree but have never tried it. I guess I feel if the game is over,it’s over and I have found if you just move crib and stand 50 yards they come in and have no idea what is going on . Just my 2 cents. Good luck on your hunts and give us a report after
Another great tip kenfred! I like the way you think! Always trying to improve your chances of success!
Good luck up in Manitoba! Archery or firearm? Either way I wish you the best and look forward to hearing about your hunt!
Archery-taking both the crossbow and the compound.
So far, one with each as well as 3 with rifle.
Last years bear:
congrats that things huge
Nice!
Kenfred:
Really glad to have you here; can’t believe the amount of bear knowledge on here with guys like yourself contributing!
Maybe I’ll run into you up at Jonny’s, I’ll be hunting with him in the coming weeks for my first black bear.
Your sign-on name is curious. Ken- is a family friend of Jonny’s, and -Fred is the name of Jonny’s dad’s dog; who, despite Jon’s very best efforts is still alive! 
Joel
One other thing I like doing early is getting my stands , pegs , ladders, seats for stands , clothes, boots and extra hunting gear up North
the first weekend of bear baiting , We put all our stuff in a half open wood shed and let all the up north pine smell soak in . Call me crazy
but the smells are way different south than they are up north !
“forgot this one” When I was talking about the spays we use , I like picking up a small spray bottle and will take this in stand with me and spay a nice mist
every hour or so just for some extra sweat smell in the air .
Quote:
I have found if you just move crib and stand 50 yards they come in and have no idea what is going on
That is a std Plan B…sometimes a short relocation of the bait site works wonders. 
We’ve moved baits/stands twice. Batting 500 on that one. Matter of fact the one it didn’t work on was eventually abandoned. Just didn’t produce.
Joel-look forward to meeting you. My son and I will be there second week of Sept. Can’t wait-two bear hunts back to back
Gman’s tip about fresh scent sprayed periodically is a good one to remember as well.
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