First Bear Hunt

[Brian T]

Well, I got the bug and want to book a hunt in the next year or so.  I live in Va so figure somewhere in Maine or Canada would be the place to go.

I am looking for a package hunt, room, board, hunting, guides, skinning trophy prep etc.

Any recommendations???

thanks!!

[mannyrock]

   Personally, I would look strongly into a bear hunt in New Foundland.  They have an international airport, big bears, and a really really high population and success rate.  You hunt them by stalking along old timber roads and shooting them in the clear cuts.  In my book, this beats the heck out of sitting in a tree stand in Maine, watching a trashcan full of rotten meat, and hoping to catch one sneaking in to eat just before dark.

  Just my opinion.

Mannyrock

[mcwoodduck]

Cabela's or LL bean have hunting catalogs where they have gone to the places and have listed the extras of each camp/ outfitter.
They do cost just a little bit.
When I was looking at them they were $1 to $5.

[drdougrx]

PLEASE contact http://www.oxbowlodge.com/maine_bear_hunting.php

All inclusive and high success rate.   70 hunters / 53 bears killed/ 14 missed, wounded and not found or not shot at (see the huge bear on the site??  The felllow who mshot it in 2007 was there and saw a bear the size of mine and held out for another bruiser.)  This year will cost about $1600 for Sun-Sun, all meals, etc.  Well worth the trip!!  Check out my pics on my site as listed below.

Also...I'm sure Redhawk1 will chime in as well...he's another reliable source!

[Redhawk1]

I say stay in the good old USA, I have hunted Canada, but prefer Maine.

Wild Country Outfitters is who I have used, and will use for any future black bear hunts. I am book again for next year.
In my opinion, I have never had a better experience with black bear hunting. One the ground in a great blind, not some make shift set up eather. A lot of time was put into the set ups by Pete. He will go the extra mile to make sure you have a great hunt. .

http://www.mainewildcountryoutfitters.com/index.html

[drdougrx]

OK Brian....you have 2 great suggestions...deal is if you go...you've got to post!!!!

BTW...1st or second week is usually best to get a bear.

[Redhawk1]

If he goes the first week to Wild Country Outfitters, I will be there with another one of my hunting buddies. I love opening week myself.

[drdougrx]

The only week I'm available is the last week and not in 09.  Will plan on 2010.

[Mack in N.C.]

why not go just a little south where the biggest bears are killed....coastal north carolina........google conmans.......mack

[Redhawk1]

why not go just a little south where the biggest bears are killed....coastal north carolina........google conmans.......mack

Are there outfitters that guide there? Can bait be used?  Give use some information on hunting in North Carolina.

[mcwoodduck]

Mack,
Where are you in NC.  I just got back from Oriental last week.  Was Duck hunting with Dad.

[mcwoodduck]

Oh yea NC has Big bears espacally in Carteret county.
Pamlico county where our farm is makes big bears too. 
Was driving my Jeep around in the farm and saw these keyways cut into the corn that was wide enough for me to drive the Cherokee in and there was a round spot at the end about 30 yards in.  I asked the farmer that rents the land why he did that.  He told me that it was a bear.  They spread their arms gather up as much corn as they can pushing it in front of them and then sit down roll around and pull more corn to them.  I know, stupid story till you think that this bear had an arm span wider than my jeep.  350 -500 pound bears are not uncommon.
Baiting is legal last time I read the regulations, hunting with dogs was not.  Using dogs to push deer is common in eastern NC.  Bear season is usually a week long.  Licenses are easy to get and cheap.  they even have 6 day big game licenses that run about $80 plus the bear tag.  I hunt out of state.  You also get 5 to 6 deer tags, season is the same time as bear.  If you buy the annual license there is also a Turkey tag and a boar tag as well. 
Oh yea the food is great.  I think I gained 7 pounds on the seafood and fried chicken this last trip.

[Mack in N.C.]

"Are there outfitters that guide there? Can bait be used?  Give use some information on hunting in North Carolina."
RH...he only asked for recommendations on where and who...thats what i gave him.....

most bears in nc are shot behind dogs..dogs are legal.....though alot are also being shot on trails that go from the bays or swamps to the cornfields....i have aerial photos of some cornfields and they look like those crop circles that outerspace aleins are supposed to do....they can destroy a field..... .....if you can find a trail and have the time you can kill one.......baiting is not legal for bears in nc.......there is some grey areas though...you can bait and then set the dogs out at the bait...you cannot hunt over the bait ..some clubs i know do this......they have lots of land scatted obver several counties.....early in the morning(real early) they send out guys to all the bait stations.....if they have 10 bait stations usually 10 guys go out...they then call back in and they decide where to take the dogs by how the bait has been hit and how big the tracks are........some seaarch the sand roads for tracks but i would guess that most dogs are let out at bait stations....

some seasons range from 5 days to almost 2 months....depends on the countie.....

conmans is the only guide service i know but there are others....

also, why not stay in virgina as almost every countie in virginia has a season.......just wont be as easy but more rewarding than paying someone........mack

[Mack in N.C.]

forgot.....hyde countie is great as is craven and jones though i hunt bladen coutie when i bear hunt........

mcwoodduck.... i live in cary and i think from your post you live near hear??...i am not from cary though.....i grew up on the banks of the haw river duck hunting and deer hunting, and trapping....my family still has 2 tracts on the haw and i lease 1 other tract........i deer hunt mostly, some bear and hog and some duck.....my favorite thing to hunt though is fox squirrels........love those fox squirrels.......mack

[Redhawk1]

I looked into North Carolina for bear hunting, nothing like what I got in Maine as far as the hunting part.. It sure would be a lot shorter drive for me to North Carolina. But I think I will stick with Maine.

There are some big bear up in northern Maine. The Outfitter I went to shot a 600 plus pounder 2 years ago in his back field. He has guied people that took 300  & 400 pounders as well. Other big bear seen in that area as well..

[Brian T]

thanks for the info, I will contact both places and probably book a hunt for August 2010, 2009 is a non-player

[Redhawk1]

Good luck in which ever one you choose.

[dukkillr]

Wisconsin has the most B&C bears in the last 10 years.  Minnesota and Pennsylvania are right behind.  Alaska has the highest population in the US and produces heavy bears because of the rich diet.  Most bear hunters looking for a trophy consider Alaska or Canada for baited bears.  Less pressure = older, heavier bears.  Some tremendous bears come out of the western states every year but baiting rules are tough and populations are sparse. 

Frankly, Maine's reputation is for small, low weight bears. 

I have no dog in this fight, but I'm looking to book a 2010 bear hunt and I wouldn't consider Maine unless I was trying to go on the slimest budget.  From a fun standpoint the spot and stalk SE Alaska costal hunts may get my vote.  I've eyed that hunt for several years.

[Redhawk1]

Wisconsin has the most B&C bears in the last 10 years.  Minnesota and Pennsylvania are right behind.  Alaska has the highest population in the US and produces heavy bears because of the rich diet.  Most bear hunters looking for a trophy consider Alaska or Canada for baited bears.  Less pressure = older, heavier bears.  Some tremendous bears come out of the western states every year but baiting rules are tough and populations are sparse. 

Frankly, Maine's reputation is for small, low weight bears. 

I have no dog in this fight, but I'm looking to book a 2010 bear hunt and I wouldn't consider Maine unless I was trying to go on the slimest budget.  From a fun standpoint the spot and stalk SE Alaska costal hunts may get my vote.  I've eyed that hunt for several years.

Try Northern Maine, they have some big bear there.  Funny how I never heard of Maine having a reputation for small and low weight bears.
Also where do you find the B&C information on State by State?

[dukkillr]

Wisconsin has the most B&C bears in the last 10 years.  Minnesota and Pennsylvania are right behind.  Alaska has the highest population in the US and produces heavy bears because of the rich diet.  Most bear hunters looking for a trophy consider Alaska or Canada for baited bears.  Less pressure = older, heavier bears.  Some tremendous bears come out of the western states every year but baiting rules are tough and populations are sparse. 

Frankly, Maine's reputation is for small, low weight bears. 

I have no dog in this fight, but I'm looking to book a 2010 bear hunt and I wouldn't consider Maine unless I was trying to go on the slimest budget.  From a fun standpoint the spot and stalk SE Alaska costal hunts may get my vote.  I've eyed that hunt for several years.

Try Northern Maine, they have some big bear there.  Funny how I never heard of Maine having a reputation for small and low weight bears.
Also where do you find the B&C information on State by State?

The B&C record book.  The P&Y book has the same type statistics.

I couldn't care less where someone hunts, but based on past history I figured you wouldn't believe me.  Look it up for yourself and post the results here.  The rankings are exactly what I said they were.

[Redhawk1]

Nothing to do with past history, I could care less about past history. I am not the one who brought that up, I don't carry a chip on my shoulders, I just figure other's just ain't worth my time. Now that we got that out of the way.

I was just asking where you found out your information, could you post it up seeing how I can't find it. I see individual States listed but not all the States. I was on the B&C web site and only seen the top 4 listed.

[Mack in N.C.]

if you want a B&C bear dont head to Nc....yes we have a few.....if you want a bear over 400 lbs head to NC.......400 lbers dont even draw looks......600 are killed every year with the 2 biggest at 720 and 880 lbs.....ask jim zumbo where the heavist bears are ...Eastern .Nc....thats where he killed his heavist bear. ..he has hunted alaska, canada, westenr us problay more than all of us.....he was amazed at the size of the bears he saw in NC..... ..........mature males avg 370 lbs.......mack

[mcwoodduck]

Mack,
I live in Northern CA but the Stepmonster's family has a farm just outside of Oriental in Pamlico County. 
I get out there at least once a year and this year I may go back for Turkey.  Kept hearing them in the morning.
A couple of years ago we had great turkey hunting on the farm.  You could hear and see them all over the place.

[dukkillr]

Nothing to do with past history, I could care less about past history. I am not the one who brought that up, I don't carry a chip on my shoulders, I just figure other's just ain't worth my time. Now that we got that out of the way.

I was just asking where you found out your information, could you post it up seeing how I can't find it. I see individual States listed but not all the States. I was on the B&C web site and only seen the top 4 listed.

The "history" I was referring to had nothing to do with me.  It was from these two threads:
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,145778.0.html
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,124220.0.html
In both of them you became defensive about the size of the bears you killed and the outfitter you worked with.  Based on your response to both threads I figured you wouldn't believe anything that cast doubt on your chosen place and it's quality.  Neither thread had anything to do with me.

But, I dug out my 6th edition P&Y record book just for you.  The B&C numbers I cited yesterday came from a magazine piece but since I don't own the actual book I can't provide you with the level of statistics that will dispel your pre-conceived notions.  I do own the P&Y book and it's accompanying CD.

Maine's best bear is a whopping 134th in the world.  That bear is the only one that appears in the top 300.  Places where there aren't very many bears like Arkansas and Wyoming have more top bears. 

In terms of total entries Maine has less than half the number from Alaska (154 vs 329) and about half the number of Minnesota (300).  Wisconsin has almost 3 times the number of entries (442).  Each of the Canadian provinces are dramatically better.  Alberta 551, Manitoba 433, Saskatchewan 591, Ontario 1120.  Even lowly Quebec which is last among traditional locals still has almost twice as many entries as Maine (287). 

I would imagine any impartial observer would recommend Canada for baited bears if you're looking for a good one.  If you're going to stay in the US you're better with Wisconsin or Minnesota, at least where trophy size is concerned.

[Redhawk1]

I think your biggest problem is, you are so concerned with the size of the bear, not the quality of the hunt.

I don't have to shoot a 400 pound bear every time I go hunting, I already have one. Would it be nice to get a bigger bear, sure it would, can I do it in Maine, sure I can.

So what is your agenda with all your posts here? As far as I am concerned, I liked it better when you and I did not get into any discussions. So lets keep it that way.
And happy New Year to you.
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Brian T, if you want to know anything about bear hunting, I suggest you ask dukkillr, I think he has all the answers you are looking for.  Good luck to you and what ever you choose have a great time.

[Cabin4]

PB Guide Service in Maine. They are deep in the woods 90 miles from anything in the Baker Lake area. Paul is the owner and he runs the best bear hunt operation in the state. Period.

[Redhawk1]

PB Guide Service in Maine. They are deep in the woods 90 miles from anything in the Baker Lake area. Paul is the owner and he runs the best bear hunt operation in the state. Period.

You have hunted every bear camp in Maine?

[Cabin4]

PB Guide Service in Maine. They are deep in the woods 90 miles from anything in the Baker Lake area. Paul is the owner and he runs the best bear hunt operation in the state. Period.

You have hunted every bear camp in Maine?

No and don't need to. There are certain aspects of an overall high quality bear hunt operation. PB operation fits every aspect of which the first is location. There are more but this is critical. It does not mean you won't be successful at other camps nor does it mean you won't enjoy a hunt at another camp. But no one runs an operation as detailed, exspansive, remote or commited as PB and no one else operates in the area he's in nor can they.

[dukkillr]

Uh oh.  Clash of the titans here...  Two guys who haven't been to even a large percentage of the Maine bear camps and each is sure they've got the best...

I'm exicted to see where this goes...

[Skunk]

Wisconsin has the most B&C bears in the last 10 years.

A big problem with hunting in Wisconsin is that obtaining a tag is next to impossible. Many of the locals have been waiting for 7 years or more to get theirs. However, the DNR is supposed to be issuing 50% more tags from now on, so the time it takes to get a tag should be shorter, but we're still probably talking many years.