AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Maine wildlife officials say this is the year aspiring bear hunters should take up the hunt this season.

Randy Cross of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says he believes this season that bears will be more likely to visit buckets of bait set up by hunters. The Bangor Daily News reports this is due to a dearth of berries being grown in the forest.

Cross says it’s a lot easier to lure bears on a poor food year, but notes it is difficult to get a handle on whether bears will visit a given bait site.

He also says the lack of a late-season food source may mean bears go back into their dens earlier than last year.