Do you have any bear hunting stories you would like to share? I’m going to Maine next month for my first bear hunt and I’d like to hear some of your experiences. Any tips for a successful hunt, how not to get eaten, things you wish you did or didn’t do would be great as well.
Attention bear hunters....
- Thread starter Mantis
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salthouse
Member
I've never actually hunted bear in Maine, but I have a camp there and we hunt deer (and this year Moose) in the fall. I've been told that baiting with the cheapest dry dog food and strawberry jello mix is foolproof. Where are you going in Maine? Is it a guided hunt? I wouldn't worry too much about being eaten but I would exercise common sense.
TomFromTheShade
Member
I went on my first Maine bear hunt last year. It really depends on what your lodge is providing as to what to bring.
At the minimum, bring your toiletries, your clothes, your gun, and your ammunition. The place that I went did everything else for you. I packed WAAAAY too much stuff, but it was my first time so I really didn't have any idea what was going on LOL.
You will also want a camera, video camera, plenty of film etc. I made a movie of the week we were at bear camp. The film is just bits and pieces of what we did and funny stories but it is by far the MOST entertaining hunting movie I own.
At the minimum, bring your toiletries, your clothes, your gun, and your ammunition. The place that I went did everything else for you. I packed WAAAAY too much stuff, but it was my first time so I really didn't have any idea what was going on LOL.
You will also want a camera, video camera, plenty of film etc. I made a movie of the week we were at bear camp. The film is just bits and pieces of what we did and funny stories but it is by far the MOST entertaining hunting movie I own.
damascusblade5
Member
You may want to consider letting the guide show you where the bait is and driving there yourself.Let the guide drive me one time and ended sitting in the woods for almost 2 hrs after dark while he retrieved a bear for another hunter.Never hunted in Maine but I have been on several guided Ontario hunts.You will be hooked!!
salthouse
Member
Mantis, Your chances of success are very good in that area. Most guides in the area have a good knowledge of tactics, baiting, bear location etc... I hunt a little further east of Baxter in deer season, lots of bear sign, even that late in the year. When I'm at our camp in the summer, we see plenty of tracks, scat, etc.... I'll be curious to see what they bait with. Here in PA I know of a guy who goes into the woods early and makes himself some breakfast over a small fire. He primarily eats bacon for breakfast. (No baiting allowed in PA) Although its possible to be cold that time of year, its likely to be much warmer than you might expect, make sure you have plenty of light weather gear, and of course rain gear. If you don't like the weather, don't worry, it'll change in 5 min. Good luck- dont forget to post pictures when you return!
bigbore442001
Member
Mantis:
I have shot three black bears in the state of Maine, all with handguns and over bait.
First thing to remember is that the best defense of a black bear is its sense of smell. They have an uncanny olfactory system and it can be hard to beat. So you have to remain as scent free as possible.
So. Wash your hunting clothes in that special hunting detergent that removes scent. Keep your hunting clothes in a plastic bin, scent free bag or some container separate from other clothing. Use that scent killing spray or baking soda in a clean sock. Also, wash your underwear in that scent killing soap as well.
One of the things that I would do is hang my clothes up away from any smoke, vehicle smells,ect and let them air out overnight. Then I would spray them with the scent killer and then I am off to the hunt.
Before you go hunting, shower up with the scent killing soaps and I use that body gel that kills scent. Scent free deodorant. No cologne( you are hunting, not getting a date) and no spicy foods , especially garlic. I'll take clorophyll pills for a couple of weeks before the hunt.
Bear hunting is an afternoon game. You can sleep until noon and then go hunt. Early season can bring out insects so what I do is wear clothing that is a bit baggy and a good head net. I know some will state that insect repellent won't do anything but I don't trust it. What I will do is smear on a thin layer of Vaseline on my face. This acts as a natural fly dope for the infamous no see um midge. They seem to be able to get through most head nets so take a small container with you while hunting. Apply before and touch up while in the stand.
When you do go to the stand, follow your guide very well. The bear knows the scent of the guide and associates it with food. If there is an added scent in that area, the bear may decide something is wrong and never show up or hide in the background and come out after dark. So follow him in his footsteps to the stand. Ask him, as he refreshes the bait, to go to the stand and then to the bait. DO NOT GO NEAR THE BAIT. As he goes to the stand, I will climb into it and he will be off. Also, wear rubber bottomed boots or all rubber boots. Again the scent is the issue.
You must be comfortable while hunting bear. You will be sitting and trying not to move for hours on end. I take a nice thick seat cushion for boating that is camoflage for bear hunting. Your butt will be digging into the seat for a long time and it will be painful. The seat cushion helps out a lot. What I will do is sit and try to be as still as possible. I will scan the area around the bait with my eyes and slowly turn my head as if I am a living manequin.
A bear will come in very silently . They have padded feet and rarely will you hear them. I have heard of two bear but one was scratching the tree that I was sitting in, behind me. The other was the largest bear and I sort of hear and saw him in the corner of my eye.
Most of the shots will be under 25 yards so keep that in mind when you hunt so something like a .300 Win mag with a 4-12 x scope will not be needed. My favorite bear gun is a TC Contender with a 16" 45-70 barrel. Pacmayer gripper grips to soften the recoil of that round and a sling. Again, shots will be close. I had a 2x Burris and now have a 1.5-4 x Burris . The 1.5 is probably perfect for the bait set up. You may have bears come in late and it may be dim.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
I have shot three black bears in the state of Maine, all with handguns and over bait.
First thing to remember is that the best defense of a black bear is its sense of smell. They have an uncanny olfactory system and it can be hard to beat. So you have to remain as scent free as possible.
So. Wash your hunting clothes in that special hunting detergent that removes scent. Keep your hunting clothes in a plastic bin, scent free bag or some container separate from other clothing. Use that scent killing spray or baking soda in a clean sock. Also, wash your underwear in that scent killing soap as well.
One of the things that I would do is hang my clothes up away from any smoke, vehicle smells,ect and let them air out overnight. Then I would spray them with the scent killer and then I am off to the hunt.
Before you go hunting, shower up with the scent killing soaps and I use that body gel that kills scent. Scent free deodorant. No cologne( you are hunting, not getting a date) and no spicy foods , especially garlic. I'll take clorophyll pills for a couple of weeks before the hunt.
Bear hunting is an afternoon game. You can sleep until noon and then go hunt. Early season can bring out insects so what I do is wear clothing that is a bit baggy and a good head net. I know some will state that insect repellent won't do anything but I don't trust it. What I will do is smear on a thin layer of Vaseline on my face. This acts as a natural fly dope for the infamous no see um midge. They seem to be able to get through most head nets so take a small container with you while hunting. Apply before and touch up while in the stand.
When you do go to the stand, follow your guide very well. The bear knows the scent of the guide and associates it with food. If there is an added scent in that area, the bear may decide something is wrong and never show up or hide in the background and come out after dark. So follow him in his footsteps to the stand. Ask him, as he refreshes the bait, to go to the stand and then to the bait. DO NOT GO NEAR THE BAIT. As he goes to the stand, I will climb into it and he will be off. Also, wear rubber bottomed boots or all rubber boots. Again the scent is the issue.
You must be comfortable while hunting bear. You will be sitting and trying not to move for hours on end. I take a nice thick seat cushion for boating that is camoflage for bear hunting. Your butt will be digging into the seat for a long time and it will be painful. The seat cushion helps out a lot. What I will do is sit and try to be as still as possible. I will scan the area around the bait with my eyes and slowly turn my head as if I am a living manequin.
A bear will come in very silently . They have padded feet and rarely will you hear them. I have heard of two bear but one was scratching the tree that I was sitting in, behind me. The other was the largest bear and I sort of hear and saw him in the corner of my eye.
Most of the shots will be under 25 yards so keep that in mind when you hunt so something like a .300 Win mag with a 4-12 x scope will not be needed. My favorite bear gun is a TC Contender with a 16" 45-70 barrel. Pacmayer gripper grips to soften the recoil of that round and a sling. Again, shots will be close. I had a 2x Burris and now have a 1.5-4 x Burris . The 1.5 is probably perfect for the bait set up. You may have bears come in late and it may be dim.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Thanks for the replies and the advice. I'll be sure to follow it. I really hope to have some pictures to post when I come back. I'm going on this trip with Birddog (who honestly is a very good hunter. I don't tell him that very often because I don't want his head to swell). I'm sure if I don't get one, he will.
My Daughter asked me to hunt bear with her--
My little girl, "LilSureShot1994" asked if I would take her bear hunting. She was soooo excited about it that it really surprised me. When I asked her why, she replied, "'cuz I can outrun you!" Then she laughed.
I smiled and said, and what?
She laughed and said, "I've read that when you hunt bears, you should always take someone who you can outrun. That way, the bear catches them--not you".
Some day, I'll go bear hunting. By the way, how fast do you do the 1/4 mile?
Psych!
Doc2005
My little girl, "LilSureShot1994" asked if I would take her bear hunting. She was soooo excited about it that it really surprised me. When I asked her why, she replied, "'cuz I can outrun you!" Then she laughed.
I smiled and said, and what?
She laughed and said, "I've read that when you hunt bears, you should always take someone who you can outrun. That way, the bear catches them--not you".
Some day, I'll go bear hunting. By the way, how fast do you do the 1/4 mile?
Psych!
Doc2005
birddog
Member
You might be able to outrun me, but I'll bet I can outclimb you.
Harve Curry
Member
Don't go anywhere without your gun. I did that once to retreive 2 dogs I thought was sulking about and not doing their job . I knew better about leaving the rifle and didn't carry a sixgun that day. I was tired, so I left it in the saddle scabbard and hobbled the horse, and went to get the 2 dogs so I could catch up with the main group. Big surprise the bear was right over my head, his head down and one front leg ready to swing. So always be prepared.
JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone
Member
Here's script about a couple of my bear hunts.
I've never hunted back east, so I don't know what it's like. I'm sure the forests are much the same. Not sure if the mountains are as tall though. They don't allow hunting over bait here in Washington. Can't hunt Bear with dogs either. We have to do it the old fashioned way. On foot or hoof. In the mountains. Sometimes you've got to take a shot that's at distance that you had better be practiced at.
Other times, you're in dense forest and could possibly shoot at hand gun distances.
http://www.cnw.com/~hotrod/Adventures/AndersonBear.htm
http://www.cnw.com/~hotrod/Adventures/BearSuccess.htm
-Steve
I've never hunted back east, so I don't know what it's like. I'm sure the forests are much the same. Not sure if the mountains are as tall though. They don't allow hunting over bait here in Washington. Can't hunt Bear with dogs either. We have to do it the old fashioned way. On foot or hoof. In the mountains. Sometimes you've got to take a shot that's at distance that you had better be practiced at.
Other times, you're in dense forest and could possibly shoot at hand gun distances.
http://www.cnw.com/~hotrod/Adventures/AndersonBear.htm
http://www.cnw.com/~hotrod/Adventures/BearSuccess.htm
-Steve
Anthony T.
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- Aug 1, 2006
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no hunting stories, but...
I was deer hunting a little ways from a cliff in my treestand. This cliff is over 100ft and it was a great funnel for deer, Well, I was sitting there waiting and I hear a hear something, at first i thought it was a rock slide, but then I looked up and seen a bear falling off the cliff, it was a huge bear, well about 300lbs but it looked huge. And it did'nt kill him!!! I shot the bear and I had the hide made to a rug. It did'nt really even tear him up but it was definetly wild to see. He was just bouncing down that cliff. He couldnt run but he was trying to get up, it had broke his back. I hate to see that happen to an animal like that. It just shows how tough those ole bears are though. Try falling down a 100+ ft cliff and see what happens to you!
I was deer hunting a little ways from a cliff in my treestand. This cliff is over 100ft and it was a great funnel for deer, Well, I was sitting there waiting and I hear a hear something, at first i thought it was a rock slide, but then I looked up and seen a bear falling off the cliff, it was a huge bear, well about 300lbs but it looked huge. And it did'nt kill him!!! I shot the bear and I had the hide made to a rug. It did'nt really even tear him up but it was definetly wild to see. He was just bouncing down that cliff. He couldnt run but he was trying to get up, it had broke his back. I hate to see that happen to an animal like that. It just shows how tough those ole bears are though. Try falling down a 100+ ft cliff and see what happens to you!
Big Bore said it ALL . Being scent free is critical, and being quite and sitting still is second. Showering with scent free soap/shampoo before going out every afternoon really is important. Some laugh, but it does make a difference. If you use a lever action rifle be sure to cock the hammer as quitely as possible. That 'click' can be heard and WILL spook the bear.
I've taken one black bear in New Brunswick....quite a 'rush', at least for me.
Good luck!
NYHunter
I've taken one black bear in New Brunswick....quite a 'rush', at least for me.
Good luck!
NYHunter
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