Bears are omnivores and will eat all kinds of fruit, vegetables, meats and breads. This allows for hunters to use all types of attractants to lure in a bear. Attractants can be edible and sprayed on brush and stumps that will not only attract the bears but they will devour it as well. Some Attractants act soley as an attractant but have little or value to the bear. The smell either tricks their mind into a feeding frenzy or arouses curiosity and drives them to check it out, but when the bear finds the source he won’t tear into the attractant itself but it will bring him to the bait pile or in close enough to provide a shot opportunity.
Urine acts as a very powerful curiosity scent and at the right time it can trick even the most weary bears. Bear Urine is available in both Boar and Sow forms. During the rut which in most areas takes place in June to July the Boars will be out traveling looking for sows. Both forms work great this time of year. Bears are competitive and will patrol areas not only looking for sows but also looking for younger boars trying to invade in on a sow or a bait site. Boar urine works great to create a frustration in the bigger boars, but it can also cause the smaller or less aggressive bears to become nocturnal or lay low. This is usually normal during the rut periods. Other periods spring or fall the Boar urine will act as a social urine and works well. Sow Urine is very effective in the spring approaching the rut. All boars big or small will be tempted to check out the smell, but it also don’t seem to alarm the other sows in the area. This is a great time to have a chance at luring in a real giant boar. Apply the scent to scent wiks and hang 3-6’ off the ground. One or 2 wiks per hunting area will work. Re-apply a few drops each time you enter the area. DO NOT APPLY TO PERSON OR CLOTHING!
Flavor Scented Bear Attractants
Flavor scented attractants work well year around. There are many types of flavors that drives bears crazy! A Bears diet changes constantly throughout the year and different areas in the country grow different types of vegetation. Bears can also be very picky eaters. I’ve seen instances bears will walk right past the apple tree and forage on brush or grass. It all depends on their nutritional needs and cravings that time of year. Spray attractants, concentrated flavor powders, pourable attractants, and gels all work excellent in attracting bears. For example, These attractants come in flavors or scents such as, anise, doughnut, raw meat, fish, apple, and musk gland flavors. The concentrated scents use very little to flavor your own pile of breads, corn, dog food or meats. The spray attractants, gels and pourable attractants can be poured on stumps, logs, sprayed on brush or on the ground to create a mass smell that travels through the air or sticks to the bears paws and is tracked all over the areas. Other bears will follow the scent trails or wind into the hunting areas to investigate the area. Try all kinds of scents and attractants and see what works best in your hunting areas. Bears are very smart! Attractants are a great tool to help aid in your success. Keep a can of bear spray deterant with you at all times. Never apply scents to you or your hunting equipment. Stay scent free as possible and HUNT SMART!
Written by Nick Hopkins of BoarMasters. All content is for the use of BoarMasters only.
SHOT PLACEMENT of a Black Bear
Shot placement on a black bear is extremely important in order to get a quick kill. This is mainly due to the black bears having heavier bones and hides compared to other big game animals. Another factor is black bears have long thick fur and layers of fat that can inhibit a good blood trail. So good shot placement results in a quick kill.When using a bow to hunt black bear it is imperative that the hunter knows how that arrow is designed to kill. Broadheads are designed to cut arteries and veins which results in blood loss. If the arrow hits both lungs this causes the lungs to collapse, which results in a fairly rapid death by suffocation.
When using a firearm to hunt black bear it is imperative that the hunter knows what that bullet will do. Bullets are designed to cause shock, tissue destruction and can even shatter bone. Again, good shot placement will result a quick kill especially when vital organs, such as the heart or lungs, are hit.
WHERE TO AIM
When using a bow the best shot is when a bear is standing broadside. To find the best aiming spot wait until the bear moves the nearest leg forward. This opens up the chest area and the best opportunity to take out the lungs and heart. You want to concentrate on a spot behind the shoulder. The arrow will penetrate the rip area, but you want to avoid the shoulder area completely.When using a firearm the best shot is when a bear is standing broadside. With a firearm you can take a shoulder shot, but waiting until the bear moves the nearest leg forward will guarantee a good chest shot.
Head, spine, and neck shots can be effective in bringing down a black bear. With a head shot a firearm is the only way and the hunter needs to be very proficient with his/her firearm since this is a very small target protected by heavy bone. Spine shots are again shots that need to be taken by those who are very proficient and precise with his/her shot. With neck shots you are dealing with a very short area and the only artery of any size in the neck is the carotid, which is the size of a pencil.