A good Archery and Bear Guide
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: buckscent
11-Jan-18
I am looking for a high quality Bear and Elk Archery Guide...Knowing that you get what you pay for. Any help appreciated...
From: wildwilderness
11-Jan-18
Need more info:
Budget $$? State? Bonus Points? Archery? What size elk? Trophy only or raghorn? Amount of time to hunt?
Best quality hunt would be for you to buy the AZ statewide gov tag, then hire A3 to find your bull. Probably cost you about $300-400k but will probably get a 400"+... Next I would say go buy a San Carlos Apache hunt for high quality elk! ($40k+) Or are you talking "average" high end hunts for $10-20K?
From: buckscent
11-Jan-18
Was thinking about $6000 to $10,000. Colorado or New Mexico for Elk..Maybe Sasketchewan for Black Bear..
From: Russell
11-Jan-18
I'd consider a spring black bear hunt in BC with Babine Outfitters.
Spot and stalk.
From: wildwilderness
11-Jan-18
For bears, the pics and prices I see for TSI on their posts here, make it look like a great hunt!
From: milnrick
11-Jan-18
Black Bear -- check Dave Cole's TSI, Mike -- Mike's Outfitting and Ron Dare -- Bear Track Outfitters. All will give you 100% effort, all have excellent Bowsiter references.
I've hunted 3 times with Dave and will be there again in June 2018; and wouldn't hesitate to hunt with Mike or Ron.
From: Haole boy
11-Jan-18
Stikine river guide service is a vessel based spot and stalk hunt in SE Alaska. Guide is David Benitz and is top notch!
From: Bear Track
11-Jan-18
Thanks Rick.
From: APauls
11-Jan-18
A lesser known option is Stickflingers in Manitoba. He’s archery only and in fact I think has been booked by trad guys the last number of years. Worth a look but every time I talk to Ryan he’s booked out a couple years.
From: Franklin
11-Jan-18
Most of your bait hunts for bear in Canada are about $3500- $4500. Elk hunts can range on the low end of $4500- $12,000....sounds like your looking for a Elk hunt....a chance at a decent animal and a good adventure....$5000- $8000....better yet DIY.
From: grape
12-Jan-18
If you're goal is to see lots of bears, have and opportunity to shoot a color phase bear, shoot a trophy black bear, and gain ten pounds from the home cooked meals; Desjardins Outfitting is the place to go in Manitoba. The problem you might have is finding an opening in their schedule. If you you want more details, PM me.
From: Ibow
12-Jan-18
I’d second Desjardins for bears for the reasons Grape mentioned above.
From: Skippy
12-Jan-18
Bear track with Ron Dare, been 3 times. Would not hesitate to go back.
From: APauls
12-Jan-18
Ya, the beauty with Bears is there are a LOT of good choices. From New Brunswick, to MB to SK, AB and even BC there are a lot of great choices. If you book a bear hunt and get a bad one, either you're the 1%, or you didn't do any research at all.
From: EliteFan
12-Jan-18
Mike's Outfitting in North Alberta for sure. Mike is an excellent bowhunter in his own right and understands what a guy needs. Great lodge, excellent food and incredible bears. I've hunted with him twice and going for a third time this May and am booked in'19 as well. He is definitely on the lower end of your budget as well.
From: Wv hillbilly
12-Jan-18
Don't forget pine acres in Ontario. Great people! Great price! Bowsite sponsor also.
From: Bigpizzaman
12-Jan-18
Buckscent good place to start are the sponsors on here, good group of Outfitters. I’ve done I’ve a dozen Black Bear hunts, so while not an expert by any means I do know my way around a bait-barrel! Lol Weather has so much to do with Bears and Bear Hunting, as does the amount of time/hours you put on stand. I’ve shot my Bears on the first day and the last, usually the hunting gets better towards the end, you start to figure them out.
Bowsite reviews are a great thing, especially given the fact that the Outfitter can respond! Read them carefully, look at both sides of the argument. When you do book, never never never leave early then complain, that’s like leaving a Restaurant before you eat, and complaining about the food!
Good Luck PM if you want the real breakdown on Bear Hunts!!!!
From: Bou'bound
12-Jan-18
another vote for TSI in new Brunswick. lots of info on here to support the nomination
From: Skippy
12-Jan-18
Good advice from BPM
From: Ambush
12-Jan-18
BC is spot and stalk only. But in the northern half of the province anyway, you will still see thirty plus bears per day. Timing can be a factor for sure. It’s usually no problem for us to shoot a couple of P&Y class bears each in a long weekend of hunting. We try for 19” minimum and that is attainable, but 20” interior bears are tough to come by. The country is beautiful and hunts are a ton of fun.
From: 160andup
12-Jan-18
Like said above give TSI a look. Went last year and shot an all time booner on the first nights sit. Will be back up there in a few months.
From: SBH
13-Jan-18
I'd pm BigPizzaMan!!
From: bigkev42
13-Jan-18
Some of the best bear guides cannot be mentioned on here, or they get pulled since they don't pay to be a sponsor.
From: TSI
14-Jan-18
It’s perfectly ok for a hunter to recommend the best outfitters on here even if they are not Sponsors.The non sponsor cannot solicit that’s all. I’m sure BigKev your ok to go ahead and list the best bear guides.Being a sponsor doesn’t make one better it just means that they were willing to purchase advertising.Offering a balance has benifits to all hunters and the. Best guides shouldn’t be excluded if you wish to list them but yes they should be payed up as Sponsors to sell their services here.
From: Killinstuff
14-Jan-18
What's that old saying, "a bear from the ground is worth ten from a tree"? Something like that. If you're looking for your 1st time bear hunt, cost wise the price is highest starting on the west coast of Canada and gets cheaper until you hit Ontario then it starts to climb back up in cost as you head east. I like BC and AK best for bears cause I like to sneak up on them. I'm not much for sitting in a tree in the woods which is what you do once you get out of western Alberta but if you want to kill a big one and the how don't matter all that much Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba grow a lot of big ones. Ontario and Quebec have smaller bears on average killed IMO, at least in the camps I've been in. Like guys said, lots of good outfitters out there. Just depends on what you want out of your hunt.
From: spike buck
14-Jan-18
Thing about Ontario is, bear hunters do not have to have a guide present at all times ( semi guided = HUGE SAVINGS), as you drive to and from hunt camp to your site with own vehicle and BAIT your own site after arrival. ALL Western Provinces require a guide to transport bear hunters to and from your site. Some require a guide to always be with you.
Ontario is a SEMI GUIDED hunt destination. SEMI GUIDED means much of the success and size of bears tagged, depends on the hunter. Large bears are there in Ontario for those who are able to judge size. ONTARIO has the 2ND largest bear population in Canada ( over 110,000 bears ), 2nd to British Columbia. Check where each province ranks in bear numbers. Ontario has AWESOME GENETICS, when it comes to large bears.
Ontario has an awesome reproduction rate on bears thanks to decades of heavy logging operations (massive clearcuts) all over Ontario forest. The abundance of natural foods,, such as berries etc., allow for healthy, well fed sows, to give birth to sets of up to 4 cubs as I have observed in the field. Healthy sows and spring food sources keeps the natural mortality of cubs very low. Making an abundance of juvenile bears, across ONTARIO for you to have to pick through before you see the big guy.
From: Alexis Desjardins
15-Jan-18
Bucksent just do your home work, if some one is telling u stories that r to good to be true they r probably just stories. Good Luck
From: APauls
15-Jan-18
In Manitoba a guide doesn't need to be present at all times either. They can drop you off and pick you up and leave you "on stand."
From: yeager
16-Jan-18
A 3rd recommendation for Desjardins Outfitting. Great hunting area, service, foood....you name it, they do/have it!
From: TSI
16-Jan-18
I havnt seen anyone yet on this thread I wouldn’t recommend but I did read this person was looking for an elk/bear combo?
From: bigkev42
17-Jan-18
Not true TSI. The few times I have recommended an outfitter, their name was pulled with reason given that they were not a sponsor. A friend on here had sales results. I have been in quite a few bear hunts over the years in most provinces. The best in my experiences have been with smaller operations who do very little advertising as repeat clients are high along with word of mouth. I'm sure others experiences may differ. I can't wait to spring.
From: JL
17-Jan-18
An Alaskan bear hunt out of a boat would be neat. In between bear hunting your fishing or crabbing.
From: TSI
18-Jan-18
BigKev I looked over the posts and didnt see where you were deleted?So I’m not sure what you mean when you say I’m not telling the truth?
From: Windwalker
18-Jan-18
Check out Lone Wolf Camp by TSOV. They take out some giants. In 2014 I took a 20 plus color phase on my first day (see on U-tube under Big Blond Bear Shot down with arrow). If I was looking to go on another bear hunt they would be my pick. The area they hunt in far NW Sak is very remote but can be reached by vehicle.
From: bigkev42
18-Jan-18
I didn't say you weren't telling the truth anywhere in my post. I said it wasn't true that posts won't be removed. A friend and I had multiple posts removed because we mentioned an outfitter who wasn't a sponsor. That's a fact, but doesn't matter at this point. No big deal, I just don't mention outfitters on posts anymore. Ask Zebrakiller.
