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By month
Bears eat what the woods offer, and the woods change every month. Match the spray to what they are keyed on, and keep Anise in the truck as the one that always works.
| When | What bears are on | Spray |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (May, June) | Green shoots, carrion, winter-thin and hungry | Beaver Castor, Anise, Butterscotch |
| Opening baits (July) | Whatever you put down; they are searching | Butterscotch or Gold Mist with Gold Rush in the grease; Anise |
| Baits running (August) | Wild berries are ripe; competition at the barrel | Blueberry, Raspberry, Wild Berry, Loganberry |
| Season (September) | Hard feeding before winter; sweets and fat | Donut, Cotton Candy, Honey, Peanut Butter |
| Late season (October) | Cool, wet weather; fewer bears, bigger ones | Cinnamon, Bacon, Wild Cherry |
By what is in the barrel
- Fryer grease: Butterscotch or Gold Mist on the trees, so the whole site smells like the Gold Rush in the grease.
- Pastries, donuts, candy: Donut, Cotton Candy or Honey. Match the bait.
- Meat or fish scraps: Bacon. It covers you on the stand too.
- Trail mix, granola, nuts: Peanut Butter or Anise.
All sixteen
Natural
- Anise: The classic licorice scent. Carries a long way and opens a site fast.
- Beaver Castor: Musky and natural. A favorite cover scent for spring hunts.
Savory
- Bacon: Savory smoke. Doubles as a cover scent while you sit.
- Peanut Butter: Rich and heavy. Pairs with a bait of pastries and nuts.
Sweet
- Butterscotch: The Gold Rush aroma in a spray.
- Gold Mist: Sweet and strong. Hunters pair it with Gold Rush in the grease.
- Cinnamon: Warm and spicy. Cuts through wet weather.
- Cotton Candy: Pure sugar. Bears follow it to a pastry bait.
- Donut: Fried dough and glaze for a bakery bait.
- Honey: Thick and sweet. A classic bear draw.
Fruit
- Blueberry: Sweet berry. Strong in late summer when wild berries ripen.
- Grape: Bright and sweet.
- Loganberry: A deep berry scent that carries in the cool of the evening.
- Raspberry: Hunters report it working well on August baits in Ontario.
- Wild Berry: A mix of the berries a bear feeds on in the fall.
- Wild Cherry: Tart and sweet. Matches a cherry powder on the pile.
How to spray
- Spray trees and brush in a ring around the bait, chest high, and a streak down the trail bears use. The sprayer throws about 20 feet.
- Mist the ground and brush around your stand before you climb in. The scent covers you as much as it draws bears.
- Refresh every visit. In rain, spray the undersides of branches and the bark on the lee side of trees.
- Never spray your clothing or skin.
Outfitters running several sites go through a gallon a season. The gallon refill pours into your empty 32 oz. sprayer.