Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game ANYONE HUNT WITH JIM SHOCKEY FOR BLACK BEARS?

I'm thinking of going black bear hunting with Jim Shockey's outfit this May.

Does anyone here at the Fire have any experience with this hunt?

Would appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks,

Steve

No, but I'd love to be in camp with his father and father-in-law. Those two crack me up! Oh, and Eva wouldn't be bad either...

I have not hunted with Jim, but I have a close friend that hunted bears with him a couple of times. The hunting is relatively easy phyisically as spot and stalk bear hunting goes. He said everything was professionally run and there weren't any issues.

havent hunted with him but he is one of the few with a hunting show that i would give a try.....from his columns ive read and his two shows he doesnt take himself to seriously but takes his guiding of other people very seriously.....ild go especially if he was gonna be around but dont know how likely that is with all the traveling he does to hunts and with what im sure he has to do in promotional stuff at various shows around the US and Canada....

I presume you're talking about his concession on Vancouver Island, B.C.?

I've seen some of his shows from there are they seem to have decent bears.

I'm quite surprised that he has openings 1 month out. Must of had some cancellations? Doubt you'll run into him on your hunt.

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the info, and the hunt is on Vancouver Island.

There was a last minute change of someone's plans, and I got lucky.

Steve

About 15 years ago I sent him a letter inquiring about his hunts and prices. He personally responded with all pertinent information and some humor!

Not surprisingly it was priced out of my league and I ended up booking a hunt via Cabela's service with Pierceland Outfitters in Saskatchewan. Certainly not the same quality of bear and a completely different type of hunt but we had a blast regardless!

Good luck.....

Steve,

I hunted with Jim's outfit a while back, maybe 10 years ago. Jim was in camp, and guided some of the other hunters, but I hunted with his cousin Guy, also a very good hunter and bear guide.

We hunted around June 1 (can look up the dates exactly if you'd like) and the rut was on. All six of us in our party got bears that squared 6 feet to over 7 feet. Mine squared right at seven feet with a 20-inch skull, and at least one other bear was in that class, but Ron Spomer killed the biggest one on the last night of the hunt that was slightly bigger.

The hunting was all spot and stalk along logging roads and clearcuts. You can't see 30 feet into the thick timber unless it's been logged. My particular bear was following a sow across a big clearcut one morning, and it took close to two hours to get in range after Guy determined it was a good boar.

I have heard the accomodations have been upgraded since then, but they weren't bad, several travel trailers with power, showers, etc., and a log building where we ate and hung out.

Anybody who got their bear had the option of going fishing in a nearby bay, and the fishing was pretty good. We also did some crabbing and picked some mussels, all of which added to the dinners.

I have never hunted with Jim Shockey on Vancouver Island but two guys (father and son) in my gun club have hunted spring bear with him, they said it was the best hunt they were ever on. This guy is loaded and they have been on many high dollar hunts. Both bears made the book, I think the hunts are very expensive. I hope this helps!

John,

Many thanks for the info. I'll be hunting there starting 10 May, which will probably be before the rut.

Everything I've heard about Jim's outfitting has been very impressive. Met him some years ago at the SHOT and my sense was that he was a perfectionist when it came to hunting, but a decent, easy going guy as a person.

Have wanted to hunt Vancouver Island with Jim for quite a while. And for some reason, I'm crazy nuts about black bear hunting. Just hit 73 and figured it was now or never. Now felt a lot better than never, so I'm off to Vancouver Island next month..

I'll post the results of the hunt when I return.

On the way back, I'll be stopping in Buffalo Wy for PD's, so I won't be wasting my time. Now I have to load a bunch of ammo.

Steve

GS[814,

Thanks for the info. Your report of your friends hunt with Jim is very reassuring, and I appreciate your taking the time to post it.

Steve

I've met Jim a couple of times & he is a super nice guy! Wish I could afford to go with his outfit for Black Bears. Maybe when I hit the Powerball Lotto

You could also do what I'm going to do to make the hunt affordable.

I'll be holding up some banks and churches.

It's the American way!!

Actually, I've told my children that my will states very clearly, that being of sound mind and body, I spent it all before I died. So that's my plan.

Steve

7x57--your welcome, good luck!

I hunted with Mr. Shockeys outfit in 2009. It was first class all the way. His father Hal came to the airport with the guide to pick me up, I got a big boar the first night.
I would HIGHLY recomend this trip.
Good Luck,
W:)

Thanks W and to all the others who replied.

My deposit money goes in the mail today, so I'm committed and looking forward to the hunt like a child looks forward to Christmas. Or even more so!

Steve

I think you'll have a great trip.

Looking forward to your return, seeing some pictures and reading a nice hunting story.

Excellent, Steve! Really looking forward to seeing the photos and reading the story when you get back.

I'll take the pictures, but I have to depend on Pugs to post them for a very good reason. I'm an idiot when it comes to doing almost anything on the internet outside of turning it off or on.

My hope is that I have something worth posting. I have been known not to shoot if I did not see something I thought I should shoot.

And thanks for the kind wishes.

Steve

One of my favorite places to visit,Try and get out there a couple times a year and will be there this July. Have shot a bunch of PDogs around there as well!!!