As a Maine bear hunter of 40 years, I use bait to get bears out of the thick growth during daylight hours so that I can ensure my target is not accompanied by cubs and I can have an unobstructed shot with my bow.
Bears are nocturnal, are predators and are unpredictable when surprised. Deer hunting methods are not suitable for bear hunting. It is unsafe. I suspect many bears that are hunted that way are wounded and not found.
It is very ethical and sportsmanlike to manage a bait site and safely harvest the bear of your choice. It is not as easy as people think, or the success rate would be higher than 30 percent. If there were a less rugged, expensive way to harvest a bear, I would do it, but there isn’t.
Chris Mizner
Cumberland
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