You'll get plenty of suggestions here so try to decide on a budget and some other parameters or you'll just be overwhelmed by choices and info.
It will likely be hard to balance everything and satisfy everyone so I'd suggest that YOU plan it and ket whoever wants to join you book as well.
Good luck.
MANITOBABEAR's Link
Some of the best BIG BEAR GENETICS are in Ontario!!!
PINE ACRES BEAR CAMP
ONTARIO, 2nd largest bear population in Canada, 2nd to British Columbia!!!
PINE ACRES BEAR CAMP, EST 1974.
40 years of bear guiding in Vermilion Bay, ON.
*** Ontario has from 105,000 to 115,000 bears.***
Ontario's bear population has expanded by 35,000 bears since 1999 and still growing!!!
NO OTHER PROVINCE CAN BOAST SUCH AN INCREASE.
PINE ACRES BEAR CAMP
Price out west for his spring hunt was $4000.00, this Ontario bear hunt cost him $1525.00.
He enjoyed both hunts.
I have noticed many western Canadian outfitters giving big discounts on their bear hunts.
Is flying an option?
If you truly believe it will be a once in a lifetime hunt.
Make it an adventure in Manitoba,Saskatchewan or Alberta where you fly into a camp in a wilderness area. You will appreciate it that much more.
Also your chance for a bigger bear will be in the western provinces of Alb,Sask,Man. and to put it lightly the bears out west aren't as "man conscience" A trip out there will be more expensive but well worth every penny. As stated above Mike Ukrainetz in Alb is as good as any.
* hunters must drive from camp to hunting site with his own vehicle.
* hunters must bait their sites once the semi guided outfitter shows the bait site to the hunter. Outfitter supplies bait each day for rebaiting sites.
*** a hunters success ALSO depends on the hunter listening to the outfitter and following through with outfitters suggestions. Outfitter is not with the hunter as much as he is during a fully guided hunt.
* because hunters at a semi guided hunt do much of the maintaining of his bait once he arrives, the guide is free to maintain sites for stand by if needed. Able to also maintain sites for future weeks. There fore outfitter takes more hunters than guided hunts.
* hunters help in depth in the tracking ,retrieval and the guide guts the trophy but so does the hunter sometimes.
**** we have 9 LARGE BEAR MANAGEMENT AREAS!!!**** Baits from 1.5 miles to 55 from camp. In 4 districts!!
**** Ontario DOES have the second LARGEST population in Canada. Second to B.C. A minimum of 105,000 to 115,000 black bears roam Ontario!!!*** An INCREASE of 35,000 since 1999.***
** BIG BEAR GENETICS are rampant in Ontario.
* semi guided can bring a big savings ($1000.00's) to a hunter wanting to have the satisfaction of doing things for himself.
Bear season in Ontario is 9 months away and my semi guided hunt is OVER 80% booked for the season. 75% of these hunters are REPEAT hunters. Many bowsiters hunt with me and make it an annual trip.
A semi guided hunt is not for everyone.
Chris.
If $$ is not a problem, I would look into Alberta with a two bear limit or second bear option...plus color phases!
Facts are facts...both locations have their positives and negatives...even with the best guides like yourself and Rob. But if a guy said I'll be dead in 6 months and he want to go on a bear hunt thats an adventure and have a chance at a truly world class bear where money isn't an option Sask..Man...Alb would and should be at the top of the list. If he insisted on staying east..assuming he's from the east Newfoundland is putting out some great bears as well.
For the record...for convenience and cost I hunt Quebec every year (DIY) but I have hunted bear from Alberta to Quebec.
CJ...good luck wherever you choose...
just know you can't go wrong with Mike...Rob...TSI or any other reputable outfitter that comes highly recommend from everyone especially by the people that didn't get an animal.
I was in your shoes, trying to plan for our (wife and I) "hunt of a lifetime" Spring Hunt 12 years ago - it was 9 'once in a lifetime hunts' ago.
I started planning that hunt doing the same thing you're doing (thinking about friends budgets) and without the aid of Bowsite. Here my 'nickel's worth' of ideas.
Plan your hunt based on your wishes, dreams and budget. If your friends want to join you, believe me, they'll find a way to find the $$$.
Do your Due Diligence - start with visiting the Bowsite Sponsors List.
Develop your 'short list' using the outfitter reviews, and then call the outfitters and actually speak with them rather than exchanging emails back and forth.
Ask questions, as many as you want about camp life, stand set up's, wounding policy, flexibility in rescheduling hunt dates, what to bring, anything you feel a need to know about. The tone of the conversation, the passion or sincerity in their voice as they talk about their operation will let you know if you're on the right track.
As for the age old question - whose got the best, most or biggest bears, that answer is totally subjective.
Ask 10 bear hunters (and I'm one of them) where they the best chances of killing a big bear is, and you'll get 10 answers. I've been in camps with 8 hunters, 7 have killed big bears while the 8th person ate 'tag soup' (I'm that guy). I've been in camps where everyone tagged a 'nice specimen' and other camps where the bears were a 'mix' of sizes.
My personal experience base is limited to hunting in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. I can say without hesitation that both provinces have HUGE BEARS. My point is you won't know until you get there.
Good luck, I hope you have a great hunt, wherever you go.
I am not a bear outfitter. I am not a sponsor of bowsite. I do love hunting bears and have taken several P & Y bears in a few of the Provinces. I do reside in Ontario in the south. I have gone on many outfitted bow hunts in all of the Western Provinces and Ontario and Quebec. I still want to hunt the eastern provinces and the rock as there are great Outfitters east as well. I now bait my own bears 2 hours north of Toronto but still go on the odd guided hunt over bait and spot and stalk. Several of the comments on this forum are very good and it all depends on what you want! There are bad, good and great outfitters in every Province and some of those great outfitters advertise on this site.
Do you want to see the Mountains and do a Spot and Stalk?....if yes...then B.C. or Alberta. Just my opinion.
Do you want an area that has a high percentage of color phase bears? ...then I would say the Western Provinces...sorry Ontario....yes...they do have color phase but....just my opinion.
Do you want to hunt the Spring? Ontario politicians are not there yet and non-residents cannot hunt the spring in Ontario. Only residents in a few areas.
If you get a quality bear or you going to rug it, shoulder mount, half mount or full mount? You have to watch for no rubs but Spring Bears in my experience have thicker, nicer coats than fall bears.
Is price an option? Prices vary greatly.
Milnrick has some very good advise....Do your homework! I have hunted with high volume outfitters and guys that only take 6-10 hunters a season and had fabulous hunts. I have also had bad experiences with both. Whoever makes up a camp to me makes a big difference in overall satisfaction. An outfitter who has good guides and works his ass of for his hunters (successful or not) usually equates to a great hunt.
To me some outfitters have out priced themselves. Vancouver Island for example...again...just my opinion. With the right outfitter on Vancouver Island (Spot & Stalk) you are going to see many, many bears and you should take a very nice black color phase that should make book....but they are at a very high price point!
Whatever you decide I hope you have a great experience and are successful.
I didn't want a semi-guided hunt. I wanted a relaxing, stay in a cabin, good food, and enjoy good times with some friends kind of hunt. We went with Bear Track and got everything I'd hoped for. We all got nice bears within 3 days, had fun running the baits during the day, caught some fish right off the dock, outstanding bowfishing for huge spawning carp, and the cooking....I'm a foodie and can't say enough about Jeannine's cooking...off the charts!
Y'all bash an Outfitter for stating he's an outfitter and directing someone to the Bowsite outfitter reports? Really? No wonder a lot of guys leave the site. Price isn't everything with the attitudes of some here I wouldn't share a camp with them if it were FREE!
Merry Christmas!!
I have ZERO problem with you guys being PROUD of your Outfit, Providence, skills and track-record. In fact I'd be worried if you weren't. So tell me about it and not beat up your competition. I've been very successful in a dog eat dog industry by taking the high road, give it a try, it works. We are all entitled to our own opinions, I think my Pizza is the best in the world, you may not but that's life.
Merry Christmas
received; December 13 2014
Fr;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Even though im not a member of Bowsite,I still lurk once and awhile.I seen your thread and here is my response.First off i did quite a bit of professional videos for different entities and most of it was bear hunts with bow.I also have taken 30 bears with compound and a few others with xbow.I have been in over 60 or more different bear camps in my travels.If you are considering bear on bait and are willing to pay 3 or 4 k then i would recommend Mikes Ukrainetz in Alberta.Now if you want to get it done for under $1800 in the east and still have a chance for a second bear then i highly recommend Dave Cole TSI outfitters.I have known Dave for years and we finally hooked up last year.All i can say, is out of all the camps i have been in,there is nobody that puts the time,effort and amount of bait,and i am talking tons of bait like TSI.I trophy hunted with Dave in the spring and fall.I couldnt believe my eyes,here we are at my bait site and Dave comes up with his tractor with 1 ton tote bag full of donuts,then another ton with powdered sugar.I set up 2 game cams and we counted at least 16 different bears.Now keep in mind between Dave and myself there is quite a bit of bear experience there.We marked each bear by different markings and the like.Also one of the biggest gripes i have with some bear outfitters is they over exaggerate the sise and squaring of their bears.Not so with Dave.We had footage of a bear that left both our mouths wide open,we both said 550 to 600lbs early fall bear,I finally got to see that bear in daylight but no shot availability,and he was a solid 550 to 600lb early fall bear.On top of that we had footage of at least 4 others that came close to the big boy sise.Am i saying that your going to positively connect with a monster like that?No,I didnt,but to no fault of Dave..I am picky,very picky,and after seeing the freaks of nature over at TSI in New Brunswick i am going to stay very selective.I hope this helps your decision.Sincerely Mark Tedesco
CJ, no matter what sponsor you pick, you will have a great hunt.
Good luck to all outfitters during your booking season!!
Ok...I can take some lies but not when it comes to pizza...
It was a long process and literally took several weeks to pick an outfitter but in the end I think we made a good choice and had A lot of good information.
Definitely some hissy fits going on here but I think these guys are proud and will probably hunt with most any of them. Just read between the lines here.
Why is it that there are some bears of ridiculous weights (700-800+ pounds) in places like NJ and PA? Is it age? Diet? Genetics? The Fact that they have a longer growing season? Easier life and The fact that other than cars nothing messes with them? And a follow up question, it doesn't seem like these monsters always have huge pumpkin heads, Why? is that age? Genetics?
Your thoughts?
Because this so called Ontario outfitter (fishing camp) does not sit down with his hunter and explain things to look for in big bears or telling a male from a female, little guys (bears) get taken.
A few Ontario outfitters do not know how to put clients on big bears. Season starts August 15th.
It's not that he doesn't have big bears in his bma but that the outfitter doesn't educate his client. *** He's too busy dealing with his many more fishermen in camp***
Some camps in Ontario starts their baits 1 or 2 weeks before the hunt. Yes they will get an active bait for their hunters, but no competition by other bears. Not because no bears in his areas but because the bears didn't have time to wonder from the berry patches.
Because the outfitter never did his job the hunter shoots the only bear at the bait, no matter what size it is. On the other hand, a bait site could have many bears and the hunter still shoots the first bear he see's. Watching bears at baits will teach a hunter a lot.
I start baiting in early July. I bait each site every other day from the day the bait is first set out. I also bait early to create competition and to get them accustomed to hitting baits before the berries come ripe.
I GUARANTEE you, that me and my help work VERY HARD with my baits. Everyone says I'm obsessed with bears when July comes along. I spread my baits out to keep bears from going from bait to bait etc.
It's a fall hunt. You have to pick an outfitter in Ontario that is willing to do the work and knows how to compete with natural foods.
Most of the time the hard work pays off. Nothing makes me happier than a satisfied hunter.
I use all sweets, cookies, gummy bears, cookie dough and of course my favorite, POPCORN.
My family bought the camp in 74' and I went on my first guiding trip with my dad at age 12. I've been working with bears ever since.
Sorry for being long winded!! Chris, Sponsor, Pine Acres Bear Camp. Western Ontario
lastly the bears are hunted right before hibernating so they are at their heaviest.
I'm sure if Canadian bears were killed in December we would be even more amazed at their size.
650# 21 6/16
These are outfitters I know, have hunted with or know people who’ve hunted with them and I recommend ANY of them without reservation. While they all post occasionally, rarely do you see any of them on the Bowsite beating their own drum – none of them have to. Their records and reputations speak for themselves and they conduct themselves with dignity and integrity not only here but in their outfitting businesses as well.
Ontario –
Pine Acres Bear Camp http://www.pineacresbearcamp.ca/bear.html
North River Outfitters http://www.northriveroutfitters.com/
Manitoba –
Manitoba Stickflingers http://stickflingers.com/
Desjardins Outfitting http://www.desjardinsoutfitting.com/
Bear Track Outfitters http://www.beartrackoutfitters.com/
Outland Outfitting http://outlandoutfitting.com/
Saskatchewan –
Rob Nye http://www.bowsite.com/robnye/
Alberta –
Alberta Bear Busters http://www.albertabearbusters.com/
Mike’s Outfitting http://www.mikesoutfitting.com/alberta_black-bear_bowhunting.asp
Eagle Eye Outfitting http://www.mikesoutfitting.com/alberta_bear_hunts_eagle_eye.asp
Garrett Bros Outfitting http://www.garrettbrosoutfitting.com/
Are there other outfitters out there in each province that are good? Of course, hundreds of them. But above are a few who you can count on to deliver – they do it year after year. Good luck in your search!
In agreement with BigPizzaMan, take a long look at outfitters who take the high road, it's indicative of their integrity and the way the run their outfit.
From what I hear the residents just weren't interested in this years spring hunt like the mnr thought they would be. Yes, some hunted, but, just not enough of them.
I have not hunted with "Bear Track" from here on Bowsite but I've emailed and PM'ed with him and I have a good feeling about his operation.
Ibow's Link
http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=6&threadid=438539&MESSAGES=29&FF=6
