Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Bear hunts?

Where can I find a "pretty much guaranteed" bear hunt near an international airport in Canada? I don't want to drive more than 2 or three hours or so. I will be flying from Texas. It will be my first and only bear hunt, so I'm not interested in a huge trophy, just a decent rug.It would be best for me to hunt the first of june. thanks, capt david

A doughnut bear sounds like really fun time. Send me half what you'd pay for the hunt and I'll send you a 'decent' size bear rug.

David, call Wade & Angela Maynard in SK.

http://www.lostcreekoutfitters.biz/lcolostcreekmain.html

Let Wade know your interested in killing a bear around his farm and I Betcha he will accommodate you. It would be a 3hr drive from Saskatoon and he's got some big azz bears.

There good people also.

Vancouver Island would be another good bet. Monashee

For sheer numbers of bears and a better random chance at a BIG one, Vancouver Island is a better bet. I've hunted both Sask and Vancouver Island for bears. Good odds in both places. Lots of colors in Sask.: browns, cinnamons, blondes, etc. Black colored black bears on the Island.

Spring 2009, a group of 4 resident hunters I was with who were camping, fishing and doing some easy going bear hunting saw 26 bears in three days. (I know it was 26 bears, can't remember for sure if only 4 men had tags and hunted). One bowhunter killed two, both small, both spot ans stalk.

This spring 2010 a couple more young guys showed up, and we saw so many bears I will not risk my credibility to say how many. A bowhunter in the group killed one pushing Pope & Young, and a young man killed his first bear, with others either missing bow shots or passing up shots at medium and small bears. I fished and glassed bears, did not hunt.

Dave Fyfe would put you on to bears, North Island Guide Outfitters. You can fly commerical to Campbell River, and can drive to bears within minutes.

I've never hunted as a client of a guide, though have hunted and fished with guides as resident friends.

While the Vancouver bears are large, they are very very expensive. Non residents must be guided.

Try Slipp Brothers LTD, in Hoyt, New Brunswick, Tel. No. for Ron Slipp (506)-687-4625. Camp is close to Fredricton and Ron or Duane will pick you up at the airport for a small fee. 100% successful Spring bear hunt last spring, nice accomodations, good food and great guys. Cost about $1700.00 U.S. for week hunt, includes bear license. If you go, you will see bear.

Silver Bear

I doubt any Outfitter will give you the Guarenteed Bear Harvest. Oportunity YES. Within 3 hrs of an Internaitional Airport. Edmonton go west (Edson area- 1.5hrs. /Drayton Valley Area about 1) Cant comment of Calgary.

Vancouver, BC might have some ones too.

If no, go into northern Alberta. My bro-in-law is an Outfitter in the Peace River country. (5hrs north of Edmonton)

PM me if your interested.

From Calgary I would head north-west towards Rocky Mountain House/Nordegg. Lots of Foothills and bush country. We see lots of bears in that area esp around the confluence of the North Sask and Ram Rivers. Not sure about south of Calgary, things get pretty mountain-like fast. I saw lots of bears, both black and several griz, in there in Sept while on a fishing trip from the K Country boundary(Highwood Junction) south right to the Pass. Also, it sounds like he wants to hunt over bait, no can do in grizz country. As too outfitters in those area I can't say.

This magazine is full of outfitters - start calling around...

Bear Hunting Magazine

captdavid;
You've received some very good information already as far as my experience goes.

You may or may not know that there is no baiting allowed in BC for bears. Because of that, I'm not aware of any BC guides who tree stand hunt. Should you choose a BC hunt it would most probably be either running behind hounds or spending a lot of time glassing from a pickup.

Personally, I'd be quite suspect of anyone guaranteeing me a BC bear, but as Okanagan said there are some spots here where bear densities are very high indeed.

Edited to add: If this sounds like I'm discouraging you from killing a BC bear, that is emphatically not the case. Please do come and shoot two while you're at it. We have lots to go around, too many in fact....

Hopefully that was some use to you. Good luck on your hunt whichever way you decide.

Regards,
Dwayne

I know there's no guarentees in hunting, that's why I put it in quotes. capt david

captdavid;
I had indeed inferred from your post that was the case.

My intent was to make you and any other interested folks aware of the differences in bear hunting methods from province to province.

Once one decides which method suits their needs best, then it's a matter of contacting the references from the outfitters that look the most likely to make that hunt a reality.

As mentioned by Okanagan and many other posters, there is a surplus of bears in many areas up here. Here in BC for example, one can shoot two bears a year so it wasn't entirely in jest when I said to take two. Speaking for myself, I know I won't miss them if you do.

All the best luck on your hunt whichever way you decide.

Regards,
Dwayne

Fly into Vancouver, drive 2 hours to Pemberton. Abe Dugan runs Big Boar outfitters there. He seems like a good enough guy, although I have only met him a few times.

As a resident of Pemberton, I can guarantee you will have opportunity for "any" bear (not necessarily a B&C trophy) in a 10 day hunt.

Niut outfitters in the Cariboo also offer good bear hunts, they are not far form the coast, so bears can be big, but you are likely looking at a flight form Vancouver to WIlliams Lake and then a 3 hour drive.

Spot and stalk only in BC, no bait.

Actually, I had sorta planned on hunting over bait, as that is what 90% of our hunting here in Texas is. One mature bear is all I want. I have already decided that I will shoot the first mature one I see. I will spend the rest of the time fishing, or shooting 'gophers' whatever they are, if avaliable. I have a 30-06 shooting 165PTs and a 7x57 shooting 150PTs. I assume either is sufficient? capt david

Captdave; in southern Alberta baiting of bears is prohibited so your choices for hunting over bait would be northern Alberta or northern Saskatchewan. Where you are shooting bears over baits you not will find gophers (Richardson's ground squirrel). I have not hunted with them but have heard good things about their fishing operations http://www.andrewlakelodge.com/

I would agree with your choice of rifle and bullets. GRF

Yep, either rifle and load will do. I'd take the 06 if you shoot it well. Not sure but Ontario might allow bear baiting. Hadn't though of Pemberton but that is excellent bear country. Saw five in an hour one Fall evening not far from town, all on a road from which I was glassing clearcuts.

Not to change your mind, but spot and stalk in BC doesn't have to be so arduous that it is only for hunters in top physical condition. Many spring bears are feeding in clearcuts, and I have seen three recent bear stalks (two of them with bow) where the hunter never left an old logging road as he successfully stalked to within range of the bear.

You are going to enjoy this hunt where ever you go!

Yes bear baiting is allowed in Ontario. However, keep in mind Ontario no longer allows spring hunting thanks to our Conservative provincial government bowing to pressure from a local billionare.

You might try sending a PM to CZ550 here on the campfire. He does a lot of bear hunting and could give you all the information you might want concerning Ontario.

Jim

Capt David....PM SENT

A thought,,,, could fly into Winepeg.. Drive about 3-4 hours to rutting buck outfitters.. Nice color phase bears.. Baited over stands.. Dont forget about Manitoba....

Pm me if got any questions...