Are bears particularly susceptible to baiting?
Yes. In the fall, bears feed for up to 15 hours a day a feeding phase known as hyperphagia in order to build fat reserves for a long period of dormancy. Baiting exploits their need to feed almost constantly by providing a ready source of food. In Maine, bait piles are set out a month before the actual hunting season starts. • So, is baiting a tradition in Maine? No. Guides and outfitters took up baiting in earnest about 25 years ago to attract out-of-state hunters. By baiting bears, the guide could all but guarantee the out-of-state hunter a trophy bear. Prior to that, baiting was uncommon, and the bear population did fine in the absence of a large baiting program. • What does hound hunting of bears entail? In hound hunting a pack of hounds is fitted with radio transmitters on their collars and set loose at a bait site. The dogs pick up the scent of bears that have recently visited the bait site and chase them, with the hunter following the dogs and tracking the chase with a handheld d
