The issue of hunting game over bait is volatile...and that's in company of friends. For many biologists and scientists the negative impacts of baiting and hunting game over bait include potential disease transmission, altering wildlife behavior and wildlife management as well as the subjective ethical debate. But as only hunters can understand hunting waterfowl over baited fields is categorically illegal, hunting deer aided by bait is arguable and hunting bear with bait is for most a necessity.

Non-hunters quickly point to using bait for fishing, but baiting is a fluid issue and specifically depends on exact scenario's to better assess if the balance of allowing or prohibiting baiting is out of alignment.  When it comes to baiting for bear hunts  the arguments against baiting seem to shrink when the need to control bear populations through hunting is considered a priority. 

Opponents of the tactic say baiting simply serves urban and out-of-state hunters who want an easy trophy. “It is a lazy form of hunting,” John Toppenberg, executive director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. Maine and Alaska are among about 10 states to allow bear-baiting. Six voted during the 1990s on whether to restrict bear hunting, and the outcome was mixed. Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Massachusetts approved such ballot questions; Michigan and Idaho rejected them. 

Personally I'd prefer to allow individual states to decide with hunting bear with bait is allowed, for those hunters who choose, baiting bear isn't as easy as it sounds. To begin, you  you must  know something about black bears and the places they call home.

-- Black bears may need glasses but they more than compensate for their poor vision by having an awesome sniffer. This may have you thinking that it will all the easier because they will smell the bait site and come running but the truth is if they detect any odors, like you, they will not come near your bait site.

--Keeping the entire bait site area and surrounding area clear of non-natural smells will increase your chances of seeing and bagging a nice black bear. The longer your bait site is around and kept free of human odor the more bears you will likely encounter, from a distance of course.

-- Maybe this should have been first, location is so important. Logically you wouldn’t put a bear bait site in a place bears don’t travel. So you need to take the time to learn where the paths are the black bear in your neck of the woods take to find food.

Know what a black bear eats, follow their trails and see which paths take you to the food bears like.

What to entice your black bears with?

To start with black bears will eat just about anything to survive but they do tend to have a sweet tooth so get out to your local donut shop and get some of those day old donuts, but save them for the bears eh. Talking with other black bear hunting guides  most agree that the stronger smelling the bait the better.
Bears do like cookies. I used to know a farmer that would get waffer cookies by the 45 gallon drum, all the broken ones from a factory that was not far from his farm. He was always willing to give a burlap bag or two each spring. So asking around with other bear hunters may provide an avenue for a working bait

 Be sure to eliminate your odor and don’t forget your boots, even your foot prints have an odor. Ever walked in the house with dog do-do on your boots. Think intentionally when setting up your bait site.

Approoaching the bait

I had not even thought about until I saw baiting wasn’t working and it was the direction the bears would approach the bait station along with the prevailing wind and habitat. If it’s not right you won’t get the best view for your shot. To fix this it was a simple as putting logs and branches around the three sides I didn’t want the bears approaching from.

Most bait sites or stations  use a 45 gallon barrel they cut in half and dock to a tree to keep it there. Otherwise the bears are dragging it all over the area. Effective and efficient baiting is a product of understanding the behavior of bear and the surrounding terratin, the need to harvest bears and manage the population is why many states continue to allow baiting for bear and hunters can serve the needs by following these tips.

In day and age where bear populations need managed hunting, hunters use of baiting is a proven technique which better serves the hunters and management of problematic bear populations.