Hopes dwindling for my “NJ Crossbow Slam!”😩

[Pathman]

1 hour ago, JHbowhunter said:

I have never seen a more "guaranteed" bear opportunity in my woods than this year.   Every day like clockwork 10 days in  a row, up to the day before bear opener.   POOF!   Gone...  And thankfully all the deer returned, because they were nearly extinct and I was about to start bitching about zone 5 having no deer.  

I do not know what happens to bears every fall on the opener, because they plague me during fall bow, but they always elude anyone I bring in to hunt them for fall bear.   

Next week they will be back and I will be cursing them again

You two eh? Hammer as well, I wonder how many others experienced  the same phenomenon?
puzzling and frustrating as hell!

but at least you didn’t resort to the “zone 5 deer are eradicated” routine!😁

Edited October 16, 2020 by Pathman

[Pathman]

38 minutes ago, nmc02 said:

Are you going to hunt Saturday? If so, PM me....have advice

What’s this private PM advice nonsense?!!! Your on a public forum, sharing is a requirement by the admins!😂

[Nomad]

2 minutes ago, Pathman said:

What’s this private PM advice nonsense?!!! Your on a public forum, sharing is a requirement by the admins!😂

Yeah! I need help also!

[nmc02]

Bears feed on scent...obviously. Change bait types up. Corn, apples, cookies, bacon, candy.....honey burn. Lastly, this keeps them coming....dirty, restaurants fryer oil. Pour into rotten stumps and logs around bait site. Nearly all my spots are being hit. If you need fryer oil....let me know. 

[JHbowhunter]

32 minutes ago, Pathman said:

 

but at least you didn’t resort to the “zone 5 deer are eradicated” routine!😁

Lots of season left and my bitching has barely started. All part of my methodology 

[Pathman]

13 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

Lots of season left and my bitching has barely started. All part of my methodology 

I can’t say that didn’t cross my mind when I started bitching! Figured it’s worked for you in the past...😁

[Pathman]

26 minutes ago, nmc02 said:

Bears feed on scent...obviously. Change bait types up. Corn, apples, cookies, bacon, candy.....honey burn. Lastly, this keeps them coming....dirty, restaurants fryer oil. Pour into rotten stumps and logs around bait site. Nearly all my spots are being hit. If you need fryer oil....let me know. 

Appreciate the insight, I really was half joking when I said that! 

However, I don’t know about the other guys, but I didn’t have trouble attracting bears, just keeping them coming during daylight the very minute the season started. They’d show up 45-60 minutes after I left the blind, but then they’d stay all night and eat the variety of baits I had out. 
so my dilemma was the sudden, and I mean like stop on a dime sudden, nocturnal behavior they began to exhibit that day the season opened.