Alright guys, Basically, me and 4-5 other guys are looking to book a Canada Bear Hunting Trip. Here are some generic things I would like to know since none of us have done this before. Is there a better season i.e. spring or fall, if there is what is the best time to go during that season. Does a guides success rate really mean anything. What is a reasonable rate to pay per person to go. Is tipping a guide for taking you out there and bringing you back and assisting in the hunt expected What is a good average size for a black bear in each season Any tips or suggestions, anything at all helps guys. None of the 5-6 people going have done this before.. so were starting from scratch.
Unfortunately the answer to almost all of your questions is it depends. In regards to price you can find them from 1200 to 5000. The differences are not really in size of bears but in accommodations. From the research I did before the best places to go for big bears is Saskatchewan or Ontario. Ontario now only has a Fall hunt. Alberta you can take two bears however. The coats on a bear are best when they emerge from the den in the spring. In the fall the bears will weigh more but that does not impact the size of the skull which is how they are scored. Price including the hunt and travel for most places I have checked into and visited usually ends up around 4000 per person but you can do cheaper. Tipping is encouraged if you can afford it and you plan on returning to the same outfitter. I usually do a spring hunt to fill in the ago between deer season. I have used to Outfitters Sask Can Outfitters and South Bay Outfitters. I was happy with both but accommodations for Sask Can was better and they seem a little more organized. Bears are hard to judge and I am still figuring that out but a good sized bear is what ever you are happy with at the end of the day. I have not killed any monsters but I have always been happy with the animals I have taken to date. I know its not a lot of help but its some feedback. If you are planning on booking of this Spring start looking now as the process of picking a good outfitter is long. Check Youtube for Videos and always ask for references. If they can not give references step away. Any outfitter that is good will have a consistent customer base. Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing please.
Two years ago I went on a spring hunt in Alberta. The outfitter was Top Notch Outfitters. Frank Martens was the owners name. It was a family operation with many good bait sites. I saw a lot of bears, got a lot of great video footage and ended up taking two good bears. The biggest difference between spring and fall bears is the weight of the bears. I was told that a 300# spring bear can be a 450-500# bear in the fall. I had a blast on this trip ,excluding the time I spent with Canadian customs. It seems they dont understand why a bowhunter heading to the wilds would want to carry two bows!! LOL
I live and hunt in Ontario, to me the spring bear taste better, they are bigger in the fall. I find the coats better in the fall because when they're sleeping in the winter the belly hair or whatever hair is contacting the ground can freeze and stick to the ground. I have a few buddies that guide bear hunts so if your real interested I can get you some info or give you a contact number. I shot me a 300 pounder this spring and it was so tasty. I have a young one hanging around my stands I might have to make room in the freezer for. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Fre
