Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Black Bear hunts

I am thinking about booking a bear hunt for 2021 or 2022 in either Alaska, Maine or Saskatchewan. Any recommendations as to outfitters? I would like the opportunity for a Cinnamon phase but wouldn’t hold out if a big black one shows up. If there is a better place I am all ears.

IMO, cinnamon means a trip to Canada. Maine has blacks, not many real smashers but a white chest can be a great trophy.

Kinda what my research has shown. The outfitter I am looking at in Canada has some huge bears and color phase bears. They are booked up until 2022. I loved Alaska and a combo hunt could be possible there. I threw in Maine because I have grown up on stories about Wayne Bosowicz and Foggy Mountain Guide Service

Canada might not be possible next Spring. The borders are still closed. I doubt that the Saskatchewan outfitter is booked until 2022 any longer unless he pushed all of his 2020 clients out. With the U.S. leading the world in deaths and smashing new Covid-19 case record highs, the Prime Minister and the average Canadian doesn't seem to be interested in reopening the borders any time soon.

If Color phase, Western states might be a better bet. I have seen huge color phase bears in Montana and Idaho, even Colorado. Be selective.

What others said...color phase bears are more rare to non-existent the closer you get to each coast. Saskatchewan would be a good bet, as would Alberta...but with slightly less color. Other Canadian provinces dont offer as much color or size as Sask. and Alberta. Check out Kisslinger Outfitting in Sask.
Alberta offers two bear hunts, which Sask. doesn't.....lots of bears in both places.

As far as I know Maine and AK are out for any reasonable chance at a color phases. This one is SW Montana.

Areas in the interior of AK produce colored bears but odds would seem to be much better in the Rocky Mountain states.

Interesting that the further you go from the coasts the better the chance of color phase bears. Pretty rare in Wisconsin.
Pure genetic chance or wonder if there is a evolutionary cause? I guess in mountain areas a lighter phase may blend in better and a black phase would blend in heavy forested areas.

I’d do Alberta or Saskatchewan,

In thirty years of guiding I have only seen one brown black bear in Wisconsin. Try Idaho in the states or Alberta in Canada...

We’ve got quite a few in Washington, pretty much I-5 is the border, very few color phase west of I5, just a mile or 2 east of i5 you get into color phase. SE wa and ne Oregon in the blues have lotsa color phase. Idaho has lots too, but if you want a biggun go to Alberta or Saskatchewan

Sounds like Canada is the place.

Yeah, Idaho, Montana, western Wy (?), and if I’m not mistaken, AZ too.

Yes Arizona too

+1

AK has priced itself out of the black bear market for non-residents at 450 for the tag and almost 200 for the license. Aside from some select areas our black bears are on the small side.

Heres a Saskatchewan Blonde...

Washington has about 30,000 black bears. Color phase bears: cinnamon, chocolate, even blonde, are pretty common east of the Cascade crest. Here's a photo of my son's first Washington bear. Quite a few more in that area. Spot and stalk in Washington (or calling them) but that hasn't been a problem for us.



His next one was more of a dark chocolate color. In the sunshine, it looks reddish:



And one of mine:



Idaho, Washington, Oregon, western Montana - all have quite a few "color phase" black bears, and some great hunt options.

Regards, Guy

About 1/3 of the bears I've seen here in Montana in the wild have been color-phase bears. Never any blonds, but usually cinnamon reds and light browns when I see them. Pretty bears.

This is the SW Mt bear from above, just under 6’. I only ever wanted one “cinnamon-blond-strawberry” black bear. I saw one other years earlier in the Bob Marshal and missed it.

Probably won’t hunt them again.

Here's my 2 cents worth. Color phase bear would be the Western US. Just getting a black bear would be Ontario---in the US--Maine Big black bear would be coastal AK or Prince of Wales AK. Alberta or Sask for big baited black bear.