Hi All, I have hunted for many years with a rifle, but this is my first year hunting with a crossbow. I've already learned so many differences between the two types of hunting. I've seen this nice fella pretty regularly on my trail cameras, but he seems to only be out at night except the one day photo. We have a good sized group of deer that always have fawns in the area, so I think that may be what he's after. You're not allowed to bait bears in PA, so I'm wondering if there's a way to change his habits and make him more likely to be active during the day. Or do I just have to be lucky? Thanks! Dizzy
I've heard of some methods on a bait site, but it would be hard to do on a bear that doesn't go to the same place all the time, a place where you plan to hunt him. For a bait site and a target bear that only shows up past shooting hours, I've heard of people putting up a battery operated radio with a timer, they set it to come on during no light hours and turn back off just before shooting light again. The bear only feels "safe" to go to the area when the sound is off. Perhaps could be done at a waterhole, but then you'd be affecting all the other critters that water at night too. Perhaps some fawn distress might work though, if he's lurking there for the reason you think. I would set up as if coyote hunting...assume that it will circle downwind before coming in. Either put another person on the call 80-100 yards upwind from your (shooter's) position, or set up that way with an electronic call if legal. If you have to use a hand-call and hunt by yourself, then you would want to find a good opening and sit at the very center of the upstream side. Try to get your scent going straight down the middle of the opening, then hope the bear comes in from one of the sides and you can shoot it before it hits your scent stream. If using a fawn distress call, be aware that often does will run in as well, to try to "save" the fawn they hear.
