Hey guys. I posted a topic similar to this a while back about hunting Black Bear in Maine as kind of a feeler for what it takes. This year, although I may be running a bit behind schedule, I think I'd like to get out there and do a DIY bear hunt. I'd like to hunt Oxford or Franklin Counties in Maine so I will be contacting Maine DNR on their regulations regarding bait on public land. I'd like to camp up there at a wilderness site, if possible. I have several questions, though, perhaps you guys could answer. -I would likely be baiting so do I leave the bait out at night or take it back to camp? -How far from camp do you set up bait? -Can you set up bait anywhere and they just sniff it out and appear? (If you build it they will come theory?) -Will they show up any time of day or is it like deer where mornings and evenings are more productive? -Do you drag the whole bear back to camp like deer or do you quarter it and bring it back in pieces? I'm a little weary about walking into the stand in the dark and finding a group of bears already at the bait site waiting for me. Any info is a huge help.
Me and a couple of other guys have went to Maine the last couple of years and plan to go back again in about a month up in the Allagash area. We generally go with an outfitter that already has bait sites set up. My understanding is that hunt areas to leased to the outfitters and bait sites are licensed with the DNR. There are specific regulations about being so far off of any roads, etc. Generally you can bait 30 days before the season begins and all through the season. You do not have to take your bait up at night nor would that be preferable as you want the bears to find it and be comfortable coming to it. The reason they start baiting early is so the bears will find the bait and start "appearing". If you started a new bait site and only had a week to hunt you may not be as successful as with an established bait site. If you are successful generally you drag the whole bear out, the guides up there use a plastic sled with a rope attached to the front, load the bear in the sled and use the rope to drag the sled out of the woods. Works slick as a whistle. As a sidebar there is a big fight in Maine right now with the Anti hunters successfully getting legislation on the ballot for this Novembers election banning baiting for bear hunting. This was narrowly defeated approx. 10 years ago but the people in northern Maine are very concerned that the liberal southern half of Maine, where the largest percentage of the population lives, will get this voted in this year which would stop a lot of bear hunting in Maine.
Wow that would really hurt a lot of people up there, I would imagine. I'm only going to be able to run a bait site for the week but I'm going just for the experience, really. Thanks for the help. I'm gonna contact DNR to see what info they can give me.
As for public land and baits I'm not 100% positive but I believe your bait has to be clearly labeled with your name and contact information on it. But you may want to find out for the specific area that you are thinking of going. We just put out 16 baits in Oxford county, but they are all on paper company land which we had to "lease" for the season. Definately leave the bait out over night. If you are in an area with a lot of bears it will get hit within a day or so, other times it can take a couple weeks for them to find it. Honestly if you don't really have an area that you know has bears around, it's going to be super tough for you to go for a week and bait and hunt all in the same week and expect to see bears. Not saying it can't be done, but it sure will be tough!
On public land you have to contact the game wardens and inform them of your bait site location. I believe it has to be at least 50 yards off of a marked trail. You better leave it out over night if you want to see some bears. As of a couple of days ago plum creek still had a couple of lease sites available for bait sites in somerset county. Pm me you email address and I will forward you the email if I still have it and you can try and secure a lease in pretty good bear country.
There is currently 6 bait sites left on plum creek land. I tried to attatch the link.Pick Maine and search and they should pop up. Lease Land | Plum Creek
Thanks for the link. I'll check that out now. We messaged a while back about hunting bears up there and you gave me a lot of good info. I just haven't made it happen yet.
