Despite being only midway through summer, outdoorsmen with an eye toward bagging a black bear this year need to get the process under way. A very generous general hunting season extends from Aug. 27 right through the end of deer season on Nov. 24. During this period bruin can be legally taken randomly while stalking other game or by purposely staking out natural food plots such as wild apple orchards, raspberry and blueberry plots, beechnut ridges, grain fields and clover pastures.

This is a tough way to bag a bruin, proven by the figures that on average only about 125 of more than 3,500 bear tagged each fall are taken over natural bait. Either a lot of luck or extensive preseason scouting is a must for success with this style of black bear hunt.

Hunters intending to set up man-made bait sites and blinds have only a 24-day season, and being on hand at the same time an acceptable-size bear presents itself is often as much good timing and good luck as good planning. Some people think taking a bear over bait is a sure thing, but when a sport refuses to shoot sows with cubs or small bear, and most of the big, wary bruin are visiting and eating after dark, opportunities shrink noticeably. Just as an example, 15, 252 permits were sold in 2002 and only 3, 152 bear were registered for a 23 percent success rate, and on the best of years that number hovers around 33 percent. Any veteran bear- baiter will be quick to admit it’s a lot of work and no sure bet.

Improve your odds

Step one is selecting just the right spot for a blind or tree stand, and like starting any new and successful business there are three important criteria: location, location, location! Most novice bear-baiters think the first step is to locate bear, but in truth, despite the fact that adult bruin aren’t frequently spotted, black bear are pretty much everywhere throughout the state.

To prove my point consider this: I live two miles from a busy main street of a community of roughly 10,000 people, right along a heavily traveled paved secondary road. My house sits on 8 acres of urban-edge land among a number of nearby house lots, a large church and an assortment of farm fields and small woodlots. Just to satisfy my own curiosity three years ago I set up a bait barrel in a small copse of forest less than 500 yards from my house and the steady, noisy road traffic, and only 100 yards from an ATV trail. Within a week my trail camera captured photos of three different bear visiting for a free lunch. Just like the movie “Field of Dreams,” build it and they will come – if the location is right!

The larger, thicker and more secluded the woods are, the more bear are present and the safer they feel about visiting a bait site during daylight hours. Despite my urban experiment, serious hunters need to select a spot away from roads, ATV trails, walking or bike paths, and avoid fields or forest where farm machinery or logging crews are regularly working. Quiet is the key. Another critical point is to pick a site at least two miles from any other bait. When you ask permission to place a bait on private or state land, inquire if and where other hunters are set up to avoid overlapping.

When selecting an exact location for a bait, choose moderately heavy foliage so bear feel comfortable and somewhat shielded along approach and exit trails. Make sure there is a suitable tree at the right shooting distance that will support and partially conceal a tree stand, and that the sun won’t be in your eyes. Also consider the ambient wind and make sure it will be in your favor most days. Those choosing to use a ground blind must clear an open shooting lane among the brush, and for both tree or ground stands a clear field of sight must be opened around the bait.

Ground blinds and tree stands with ladders must be well camouflaged with brush, limbs or fir bows and approach paths need to be opened up and the earth cleared of noisy debris for quiet access and exit during the season. If possible, make a separate access trail to the blind or stand, set it away from the one used to deliver bait and this will help keep human scent farther from the bait barrel on hunting days. Set up tree stands and ground hides at the same time the bait container is put out. If you wait until bear start visiting, the extra activity, changes in appearance of surrounding foliage due to the addition of a stand, and additional human odor will cause them to alter their feeding pattern, perhaps even shy away from the site permanently.

Sportsmen using natural bait sites, need to follow similar rules. Once a bear trail is located or a bruin is spotted feeding in the same location on several occasions, it’s time to build a blind or set up a tree stand within comfortable shooting distance of the travel route. Obviously rifle and muzzleloader hunters can be farther away than handgun and bow hunters, and that’s a great advantage in scent control, but regardless of weapon, for a quick, clean kill it’s better to be too close than too far.

Two other chores need to be attended to while the location is being rigged, and each will be a great asset to success. A bait bag or scent ball should be hung high in a tree near the bait barrel so the wind can carry the smell for miles. Lobster shells or fish carcasses in a mesh bag work well, or doing a honey burn so the sweet smoke coats the adjacent trees and travels on the wind is also a proven attention-getter for sharp nosed and hungry bruin.

I use a bait ball that emits a strong smell for weeks for air attraction, and a spray bottle of the same scent to douse the trees and leaves around the bait at ground level. When the first bear checks out the bait, it gets the scent on its fur and feet and tracks it around for other bear to smell and backtrack to my bait site. Brad Hering of Bear Scents LLC has created a wide array of strong, long lasting attractants in solid balls and liquid form. I’ve used bacon and anise to attract bear with great success and find both to be a benefit in covering human scent while on stand, too.

Trail cameras and trail timers are another great asset to setting up a productive bait site. Digital or film trail cameras offer photos of visiting bear, showing numbers, size, sex and what time they are chowing down. Less expensive timers will only tell hunters what time various bruin are at the bait and how frequently the site is being used, but that vital information can help establish a pattern. Both units are extremely easy to set up and maintain, and well worth having for both man-made or natural bait locations.

Preseason chores

Since bear baits can actually be set out and started today, some related tasks need to be done soon, while others can be taken care of before hunting actually starts in 30 days. Tree stands need to be thoroughly checked over for structural integrity. Tighten all bolts and use oil or silicone on any movable parts that might make noise and spook game, then set the entire unit outdoors to air out and acquire a natural smell. Make sure you own and use a full body harness, not just a belt. More serious hunting injuries occur from tree stand falls than any other source, so make sure your safety harness is in working order and place it with the stand to become scent free.

Locate and check over bait buckets or barrels and inspect cables and U-bolts used to hang barrels for suspended baits or to attach containers to trees so bear can’t drag them off. Locate and set aside some buckets for transporting bait in the vehicle and carrying it into the woods to fill bait barrels. Be sure a dependable supply of bait, in the form of bread, sweets and pastries is lined up and a storage area set aside. Obtain permission to hunt and set up a bait site from the landowner. These all should have been taken care of by now, but it’s not too late. Many guides save gas money, time and bait by waiting until two weeks before the season to start up. This is also when a lot of natural foods begin to peter out as well, so being out the first day isn’t essential.

As well as a current hunting license, other than during firearms season for deer, bear hunters need a $27 bear permit, so ante up and be prepared. Stock up on scent-neutralizing soap for body and clothes, scent- eliminating sprays and clothing, as well as some type of cover scent. Have a comfortable set of rubber boots, never leather which holds odors, to wear to and in the blind or stand. Have and use a camouflage head net, preferably bug proof, as well as a set of flexible, lightweight camo gloves.

Stock up on ammo and spend several sessions at the archery or gun range. Familiarize yourself with bear anatomy and where the vital organs are located when the bruin is in various stances. Decide on which shots to take and those to pass up; remember it’s usually a one shot deal so make it a good one. Even non-hunters who have set up baits to enjoy bear watching or perhaps to take photographs or videos would be wise to carry a firearm. It’s unlikely that it will be needed, but as a precaution the carrier must be comfortable and proficient with the gun.

Hunters need an inventory of ropes, lights, cutlery and any other miscellaneous gear likely to be of use locating, dragging, cleaning and transporting a good-size bear. Often this part of the outing takes place at dusk or even after dark and is a two- or three-man chore, so it’s crucial to be prepared. There’s a new Luminol type spray by Blue Star available at many sporting goods stores that makes blood drops stand out and glow under artificial light when it’s dark, having a bottle at hand can save a lot of tracking time and trouble.

Whether you’re a hunter, photographer or just a naturalist hoping to watch wildlife in natural habitat, bear season is at hand. With proper preparation, patience, and the ability to stay completely still despite the confining stand and aggravating bugs, there’s a good chance to see Maine’s black ghost. With only 30 days until the black bear season opens there are a lot of preparations to be made, but even if a shot is never fired after all the work, every sportsman will admit that observing these stealthy big-game animals is worth the effort.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com