standman Report post Posted November 18, 2004 Anybody ever had a bear eat their camera. Went and checked mine this weekend and a bear tore it off the tree broke the housing and the tore the cover off the motion sensor. I was lucky he didn't carry it off somewhere. At least my film was ok. Got pictures of the bear before tore it off though. Just wondering if anybody else had a similar experience. Thanks, Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues7 Report post Posted November 18, 2004 Brian, I just sent a private email about bears and cams. I build my own and as of yet have not anything eat it. What unit do you have them in? I would love to know where and how to place a cam to get a bear. I live up in Flagstaff while I go to school and put mine on a watering tank and have gotten tons of elk, some deer, racoon and foxes but NO bear. In the area I put it in I have seen some rolled rocks and downed trees some tracks but have yet to get a bear. What can I do to get bear pics. I mostly put my cams out in 6b scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted November 18, 2004 coues7, could you either post or also send me the email about bears and cams? I've run ito this problem also. Thanks, Bowsniper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues7 Report post Posted November 18, 2004 If you are using 35mm cams bears love FILM!! It is something in it that they like. I have never experienced it myself but have been told by a number of people that bears love film. bowsniper I just asked general questions about camera placement and areas for bears. Hopefully someone will answer our questions and this turns into a good thread. Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAM Report post Posted November 18, 2004 Treestandman and myself had a bear that would turn the camera from one side of the tree to the other. That bear did it every time, but it never damaged the camera. I've heard that there is a chemical used in making film that bears like. I also think they can see/hear the flash and gets them curious. We got dozens of pic's of bears this past year and never had any damage. Coues7, I would try finding a thick over grown canyon with some natural springs if you want to get pic's of bear. All of the locations where we get bear on a regular basis match that description. We have one other location that is a little more open that we had a good bear coming into on and off, but that tank was next to a thick nasty canyon full of manzinita, scrup oak and juniper's. It's probably getting too late in the season to get many pic's now, but come next spring they'll be out again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
standman Report post Posted November 18, 2004 coues7, I'm taking my bear pics in unit 29. I'm using a stealth cam placed on trails through saddles on thick ridges. Seems to be a lot of bears down there. I dont place cams on water because I'm scared of theft. At least it took 21 of the 36 pics before he ripped it off. Thanks for the replies. Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted November 18, 2004 I have used trail cameras alot to get bear photos when I was working for the San Carlos. We had some problem bears up around Senecca and need some info on how many were in the area. So I set up the cameras in thick areas that seemed like they had a trail or corridor, like along the bottom of a drainage. Of course you want to look for sign and put the camera where you are finding fresh sign. When I put out the cameras I always used no-scent spray to wipe down all the cables and camera and everything. I started doing that after I had a few bears from Bear Canyon tear up the cables. Never hurt the cameras, but the cables were a pain to replace. (most trail cam units don't have cables, this was a specialized unit). Anyway, I also took powdered donuts and crumbled them up on the ground where I wanted the bear to stay for a photo. This worked great. Bears love donuts! But I am not sure it would be legal on state land. anyone know for sure? Is it bear baiting if you aren't hunting?? So those are my tips on getting bear photos. If you want to eliminate getting skunks and raccoon photos, just raise the camera so the infrared beam is only tripped by a bear sized animal. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues7 Report post Posted November 18, 2004 I agree with rough in the way of bear country. That's what I have always hunted bear in with good luck. With living up here in Flagstaff, but not hunting bears around flagstaff without dropping down near strawberry I was just hoping to get one up here. I had a spot where I would love to put one of my camera because that is just what it was thick, canyon, oaks, manzanitas, junipers ----everything you would want but it took me 1.5 hours just to drive 4 miles once I got off the "main road". I like to be able to check mine about every 8-9 days. TAM, how long do you guys leave your cams out? I lock all mine to trees so I dont' necessarily like to leave it out long. All it would take is someone to have time to come back with bolt cutters Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted November 18, 2004 The AZ G&F regs say, "No person shall knowingly use any substance as bait at any time to attract or take a bear." So to me that means you can't bait them even when you are not hunting them. Any other opinions? Bowsniper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
galiuro mountain man Report post Posted November 18, 2004 I had a bear look into the lens of one, all I got was a pic. of his eye close up. Then he pointed it into the sky and all I got were pics of the sky when birds flew by. GMM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bryson Bendall Report post Posted November 19, 2004 I went on a hike at a major scout ranch in New Mexico, and they said that film is made of the fat of animals. And bears have sensational smelling and are attracted to it. We had to hang bear bags about 20 ft. in the air every night, and one of the things we had to put in it was any camera film. I thought that was kinda interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel in Ak Report post Posted November 19, 2004 I do have a problem with bears eating..............my dog food out of my barrel hahahaha! And they do that when Im not in the tree.Guess Im going to have to start using cams over my bait stations. Yeah! That would be cool to get a wolf on the cam.....WHy I never thought of that before? I have a co-woker who has problems with bears eating everything they put out.Last year they flew out quite a few times putting out 55 gallon drums full of gear for the up coming baititng season,anyhow they did not go back for three weeks before they could legally start and when they got to there cache the bears ate everything tore everything up,punctured all there gas cans,including the ones hung in the tree's.It was totally wreck as he put it. And then this year the same fella and a friend blazed there own trail in with chain saws and fourwheelers and six wheelers,anyhow after setting up camp the 1st day the next morning the hiked up the ridge to start glassing bears in the open high country,after topping out in the high country on the cam side he looked back at camp and noticed something wrong,put the spotting scope on it and dang! Two hours later back in camp as they left a bear or bears tore the camp up his six wheel polaris was moved thirty yds from where it was parked all thetires on the bikes had flats,and one tire on the polaris had 33 puncture holes.Tent was shredded etc...they where gone three days and the entire time was trying to get there gear back out.No shelter no food.Bears there so fun up here.Daniel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAM Report post Posted November 19, 2004 We usually leave our cameras out for two weeks. Most of the time the pictures have all been taken within the first week though. We had cameras in two different units and one Saturday we'd go into one area to check the cameras, and the next Saturday we'd go to the other area to check the cameras. We couldn't check every camera every week, they were just too far away. On one tank we would get more bear than coues deer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treestandman1 Report post Posted November 19, 2004 "No person shall knowingly use any substance as bait at any time to attract or take a bear." Bowsniper, I agree w/ you on what the regs say. I do find it kind of interesting that Bear Mountain and AZ Sportsman hunting shops sell bear attractant however. I bet this is one of those things where you can ask a G&F officer if using scent for bear attractant is illegal and some of them will tell you it is legal, some that it is not, and some will change the subject. I guess it depends on what is defined as "substance"? Like TAM said, most of our pictures of bears came from springs in thick nasty country "full of bear grub". I took my boar this year over a spring at 17 yds. Not a very big one but since it was my first I decided to take him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treestandman1 Report post Posted November 19, 2004 Just to clarify, when I say bear grub I am referring to manzanita berries,acorns,juniper berries,squawberries. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
