1st time bear hunt

[Shawn Hultquist]

Where to start. Leaning towards an outfitter in a stand. Till I can learn about bears other than they’ll eat you. Any recommendations ? Thanks

Black bear would love a chance at a color phase bear

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[Bucky]

What type of bear you looking at hunting? Blacks I would recommend Ontario or MN both with guides in a stand for affordable. Go archery you won’t regret it

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Baited bears often taste rancid cuz they're eating garbage all the time...a hound hunt is more exciting and you can still pass on any bear you deem substandard. But I prefer "the pursuit of game" as opposed to waiting to ambush em while squatting in a tree.

 

[Nick Muche]

Baited bears often taste rancid cuz they're eating garbage all the time...a hound hunt is more exciting and you can still pass on any bear you deem substandard. But I prefer "the pursuit of game" as opposed to waiting to ambush em while squatting in a tree.

Lol

 

[Kgentry]

I did a baited archery hunt last spring and it was a blast. I was extremely picky and knew this going into my hunt. I didn’t end up filling my tags but my buddies that went with me did. Idaho has a really high percentage of color phase bears and in some areas you have the option of buying a second tag. Canada is in my opinion a lot better option for bigger bears but an Idaho hunt can be had at a much lower price. If you would like to know anything more from my experiences just let me know.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Thoughts.....

Sitting in a northwoods treestand watching a bear bait is definitely HUGE entertainment for most guys who are new to bear hunting. There is simply no better way to see plenty of bears and study them. Shots tend to be very close and easy, if you take your time. I highly recommend a hunt over bait for a first-time bear guy.

That said, I'm not especially enamored by that style of hunting anymore. I think it has less to do with the baiting and more to do with (me) just showing up and getting in a treestand. I like to be more involved than just as a hunter/shooter, but that's what you sign on for with guided and baited hunts. I've done them and probably will again, but it's yet to be seen. I also admittedly don't enjoy looking at steel barrels, poly drums, and piles of man-made goodies. I've seen more than one bait site which seemed to be only lacking a steel dumpster.

My strongest recommendation is to get references and check them. Ask specific questions about how the outfitter conducts the hunt. Get details. Go to a good camp where they emphasize a high quality hunt over just an opportunity to kill any bear.

Bear meat: My last black bear came out of southwest Manitoba in late May. I brought all the meat home and it was some of the finest meat (wild or domestic) I've eaten in the last decade. My friends did the same and all of them raved about the quality and taste of their bears. I'm actually thinking of going back to specifically hunt for a bear to eat.

 

[Shawn Hultquist]

I hear ya Kevin about the learning curve. We think a lot alike. I’d prefer to spot n stalk.

I’m considering a place that some other friends have gone to from here in Florida. The only thing is you don’t keep the meat. So I’m looking elsewhere for a reputable outfitter




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[Kevin Dill]

Manitoba or Saskatchewan are very hard to beat for great bear hunting. The camp I visited is all about bow hunting and taking mature bears. The shots are very close. If you hit a bear, your hunt is concluded. Excellent people and outstanding skills. Color phases like crazy. This camp encourages 100% recovery and consumption of meat. You don't have to keep it for yourself, but someone is going to end up eating it. If you go, I recommend you absolutely trust your accuracy 100% to 20 yards, though most shots are 15 yards and under. Don't shoot until offered a broadside at a completely still bear.

I once had it said to me that (for first timers) bears "put a lot of pressure on a bow hunter". This isn't really true, but having black bears under your stand is far different than deer or hogs. It's unsettling to have a bear (or bears) looking directly at you and walking or stalking around for better angles. Knowing they can be up your tree in 3 seconds is breathtaking. Popping jaws and irate bears make things intense. Shooting accurately under those conditions can be tough and plenty of guys blow it unfortunately. Imagine a bear up the tree beside you about 12' away....3 on the ground circling....and a good one constantly moving around the bait. Heart pounding like crazy. You get the idea.

 

[Steve O]

If you stand hunt for deer, a baited bear hunt will be a great first “trad” hunt for you...same situation as you are use to just a different animal.

I’ve hunted baited black bears in a number of locales in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and here in Michigan. I’ve not had a bad bear table fare wise and one Dutch oven pot roast from my Michigan fall bear was in my top 5 meals all time and I’ve eaten in some primo restaurants all over the world...

I’m not a good enough hunter to tag out on my spot and stalk black bear hunts in Alaska, but the boat based hunt I did with a group of friends a couple years ago out of Homer was fantastic. We all stalked bears, had the most incredible scenery for a week of bear hunting that you could imagine, caught halibut and rockfish till our arms ached, and ate like kings.

Lots of options but I would lean to an outfitter that is experienced with traditional archers and is one themselves. If you frequent any traditional archery forums you will see the same names come up over and over and there is a reason for that.

 

[Kgentry]

I hear ya Kevin about the learning curve. We think a lot alike. I’d prefer to spot n stalk.

I’m considering a place that some other friends have gone to from here in Florida. The only thing is you don’t keep the meat. So I’m looking elsewhere for a reputable outfitter




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We kept meat from our hunt we don’t mind bear meat. A lot of people say it’s greasy but in all reality the bear is a giant pig covered in hair haha but a spot and stock hunt is always fun! In Montana we can’t hunt over bait or with dogs and that’s why we chose to hunt elsewhere because we wanted good archery shot opportunities and wanted to look at multiple bears in hopes of taking a solid trophy.