I don't "hunt" bears, but before I got old enough to qualify for a lifetime Senior license, I bought a Damage Stamp every year in case I saw one while deer hunting. Now the bear hunting privilege is included with my license (also stinky, slimy hatchery trout).
Like the other guy said; they're edible and have pretty hides, so I want one. There's also a notion I have that largish predatory animals have to be kept somewhat in fear of us lest they get too pushy, which is another good reason to keep after coyotes in rural and suburban areas, besides the obvious one that it's fun.
From your narrative, it sounds like what you really want to know is why people hunt bears over bait. The other kids answered that I think. I don't want to hunt that way myself, but there's a reason why it's allowed in some places, and I trust the professionals to know where that's an appropriate method, and where it's not. Here, two bears can be taken on your stamp, if one of them is from certain counties where there are too many. Dogs are legal in some places (another method I'll pass on), but not all. I suspect that many if not most are taken incidently by deer hunters. Now that I have a crossbow, bears are on the menu for me from the end of September through the end of December, plus four more days of sidelock ML season.
