Tips on baiting techniques, scent strategy, and timing for Michigan black bears

I sat in my treestand in Newberry, Michigan. It was the first time I had a black bear circling my bait at 20 yards and I didn't even hear him coming. No twig snap, no rustle - just a heavy, creeping silence that let me know something was there. He never showed himself that evening, but the little hairs on the back of my neck were standing straight up. That's bear hunting over bait. And when you do it right - really right - it's one of the most intense, deliberate hunts a Michigan woodsman can take on.

Bear baiting in Michigan is often misunderstood. Some folks think it's like feeding fish in a barrel. They haven't tried keeping a bait fresh for three weeks in September, or sit in a stand for days trying to get a mature boar to commit before last light. It's work - dirty, smelly, sweaty work - but it pays off when that shadow steps out and the logs in the bait pile start flying.

Pick the Right Ground

The old-timers always said, "Start where the bears already want to be." That means finding where they travel, feed, and bed - not where it's just convenient to hang a stand. In Michigan, that usually means swamp edges, clearcuts grown over with berry canes, and ridgelines near oak flats. Bears love seclusion, but they're lazy too. Find a spot where they can move undetected with good cover, and you're in business.

The OnX app, a topo map, or an aerial view will show you the terrain, but boots-on-the-ground scouting is non-negotiable. Look for scat, flipped logs, and clawed-up trees. Michigan's DNR has strict rules about baiting - no chocolate, nothing toxic to wildlife, and limits on quantity and location. So, study the bear hunting regs before you haul in your first bucket of pastries.

Build the Site Like You Mean It

You don't just dump a pile of bait and walk away. A good site pulls bears in, gives them a reason to return, and offers you a clean, safe shot.

Most bear hunters I know start by making a "V" shape pile of logs to direct the bear to an appropriate shooting angle. At the inside of the "V" they dig about a 2-gallon size hole and put the bait down in it. A cover goes on with some heavy logs to try and keep the raccoons out. Don't worry about the weight - the bears will move them!

Pile logs or brush in front to force them to position broadside when feeding. This isn't just about helping the bear - it's about giving you a better shot angle.

The Bait That Brings Them Back

If it smells sweet, greasy, or rotten, a bear probably wants it. I've used just about everything over the years - bakery leftovers, meat scraps, old dog food soaked in fryer grease. Bears don't have dignity; they have noses and appetites.

The best combo for me? High-calorie stuff that stinks. Trail mix, frosting buckets, day-old donuts. Bacon grease drizzled over logs will make your bait smell like heaven for a bear. Used fryer oil poured along a drag line leading to your site? It's magic. Just don't forget that every raccoon, possum, and crow in the woods wants in too, so make it hard for the little guys to clean you out.

A friend of mine swears by using popcorn for bait. He pops it in a 30-gallon drum on an open burner. He buys the popcorn, but doesn't buy vegetable oil. He uses rancid grease and fryer oil from his local diner. The popcorn gets dumped into a trailer to cool and then he shovels it into 26-gallon garbage bags.

The full bags, he rightfully claims, are much lighter to carry into the woods than anything else available. The greasy popcorn doesn't look appealing at all, but to a bear, it must be wonderful.

He briefly mentioned to me that he was experimenting with dusting the popped popcorn with dry Kool-Aid powder. I never heard him speak of it again - maybe it was a dud experiment or maybe he's found that it works. His silence on the matter makes me think it works!

He usually passes on multiple bears until the right one comes in. They all love his popcorn.

Keep your bait fresh but consistent. If a bear comes by and your buffet is empty, he might not be back. Check the site often, but don't overdo it. I like to bait in late afternoon, stay quiet, and get out.

Timing: When It All Comes Together

In early September, natural food can compete with your bait - berries, mast, even cornfields. That's when scent is your best friend. As fall rolls in, natural options dry up, and your bait site becomes the five-star restaurant on the ridge.

For me, evenings are usually best, though some bears hit bait mid-morning or just after sunrise. Pay attention to moon phases, weather swings, and wind. A swirling wind will ruin your night before it starts. Bears don't see you if you don't move - but they will smell you.

Here's something most hunters don't think about: moon phase can make or break your hunt. Bears are crepuscular - they move most at dawn and dusk - but moonlight shifts that pattern in predictable ways. During a full moon, bears often go nocturnal. All that extra light means they'll hit your bait site in the middle of the night, long after legal shooting hours. Mature boars especially seem to use bright nights to their advantage.

Dark nights are your friend.

When there's a new moon and the woods are pitch black, bears stick closer to their natural dawn and dusk schedule. They're more likely to show up in that last golden hour of daylight, sometimes even earlier. Throw in a weather front or temperature drop with a new moon, and you better clear your evening - things are about to get good.

The in-between phases - waning and waxing - can make bear activity erratic. They might still show during daylight, but the timing gets unpredictable. That's when keeping your bait site well-stocked and scent-fresh becomes critical.

If you're serious about tagging a mature Michigan black bear, track the moon cycle like you track the weather. Plan your sits around dark nights, cool fronts, and consistent baiting, and you'll tip the odds your way.

Late-season baiting in colder October weather can be dynamite if your tag and zone allow it. There's less competition from natural food and fewer hunters in the woods. But the bears are warier, and you'll be sitting in colder conditions. The payoff? A bear that shows up in October has usually survived a few seasons - and that's the kind of bear worth waiting for.

Tricks from the Old Guard

Some tricks never stop working. Used fryer oil? Spread it with a mop on nearby trees. It holds scent for days. A drag line soaked in bacon grease, pulled from 200 yards out to your bait, will lead a curious bear right to you. Hang scent bags in trees - vanilla extract, anise, or even mint gum. Sounds goofy, but I've seen it work.

I also keep a bait journal. Every sit, I jot down the wind, bait condition, activity, and what time anything happened. Over time, patterns emerge. You learn when that boar's likely to come in - or if he's already left town.

And if a sow with cubs is dominating your bait, pull it and move. A sow bear with cubs will run off most boars. Unless you enjoy just watching bears, there's no reason to feed them for the rest of the season.

When It's Go Time

When a bear finally comes in, it's easy to get tunnel vision. But you've got one job: put the shot where it counts.

Aim behind the front shoulder, not on it. Bears are denser than deer, with thick bones and heavy muscle. You want a double-lung shot, quartering away if you can get it. A shot directly into the shoulder can lodge in the thick bone, significantly reducing its energy before it reaches the vitals, causing a non-fatal wound. This can lead to a wounded animal and a difficult, potentially unsuccessful, recovery.

Caliber matters. I've hunted bears with a .30 - 30 and a .308. Both will work when the shot is placed right. I know guys who swear by their .45 - 70s. If you're hunting thick timber, go with something short and hard-hitting.

After the shot, give it time. Bears don't always leave much blood. Bring a buddy to help track - and drag. Dragging a bear out of the woods is way different than dragging a deer; it's much more difficult.

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Closing Thoughts

Bear baiting in Michigan isn't about luck or handouts. It's about effort, planning, and patience. Do it right, and you'll not only see more bears - you'll understand them better. You'll know how they move, what they like, and when to make your move.

The bear I mentioned earlier? He came back 5 days later, probably with the same silent approach. This time the bait site was all his and my trail camera sent me the pictures as it was happening. Just my luck - but that's why they call it "hunting" and not "getting."