We have a raging snowstorm happening and again the bear hunting is at a standstill.It has snowed every few days and the bear season has been the slowest in many years.I really feel for the hunters that have travelled great distances at considerable expense to hunt bears.They sure aren't getting much action and must be getting sick of the weather by now.

Hello Stubblejumper:
You have my sympathy. We are suffering with you . A couple of weeks ago we got almost 2 feet, power was out for 2 1/2 days, and two of our mares decided to foal about that time. What self respecting bear would want to be out and about in this crap? I've got limited time and am planning a short hunt this next week end. I'm hoping and praying for some warm weather.
Grizz

Tell me about it. There was still snow in many places in the foothills when I went out last week. I boosts my confidence (at the expense of others) to hear that I'm not the only one suffering. I didn't know what to expect since it's my first time out for bear, and first time out in Alberta.

I'm hoping for a bit of sunshine this week, I hope to get out at the end of the week for a three-day trip.

Frans

The storm has ended and the sun is out.Hopefully a few days of warm weather will get things going.There is still plenty of time for the locals to get a bear or two barring more bad weather, but some of the hunters that are only here for a week will lose out big time..

Have you guys considered trip insurance at about $500 it will cover those acts of nature, along with about everything you can imagine...

Actually some booking agents have a standard no cost insurance(on most hunts) in the event that you don't get a chance at a legal animal.I will never buy a black bear hunt myself as I live in some of the best bear country there is and have killed bears within minutes of my home.I now only buy outfitted hunts for animals that I can't hunt in alberta and even then I buy only cancellation hunts at rock bottom prices.At those prices I wouldn't even consider extra cost insurance.

hey stubblejumper, did you get my email? - Dan

Got it and have replied.

Stubblejumper wrote:

There is still plenty of time for the locals to get a bear or two barring more bad weather, but some of the hunters that are only here for a week will lose out big time..

I already feared my remark would sound selfish. Of course I feel for those guys who paid big bucks for a great trip, to have it killed by the weather. Been there, done that.

In the past I've looked at the booking conditions of some of the major booking agents in Europe, and I can't remember any of them offering paybacks due to weather. In fact weather conditions are usually explictely excluded as an acceptable reason for complaints.

I don't see how a booking agent can offer such a service (redo the hunt at no costs if not at least one legal animal is seen), unless he has a similar deal with the outfitter, or he's found some sort of insurance to cover that. Do you happen to know how this works?

Frans

Frans-The booking agent that I use occaisionally(when a super cheap cancellation comes up on a species that I can't hunt in alberta)has what they call a good will plan.It does not offer a full refund but if the hunter does not see a single legal animal he does get a partial credit that he can apply to future hunts.I don't remember the exact figures but you do get a substantial credit but it can't all be applied to a single hunt.It must be applied over two or three future hunts and again since I have never had to use this plan I am rusty on the details.

Hardly a North American animal out there that cannot be hunted in Albera.

-Republic of Alberta-

Odds are you will never draw a goat tag in alberta and with the way the antihunters are pushing one may never get to hunt grizzlies in alberta either.

Hello:
Ya, this Grizzly thing really sticks in my craw. All this crap about "endangered species". Where I live, we got Griz to spare. Last year, there was a big hullabaloo about some bear that was poached out west. Television coverage, web-site, reward etc. A couple of weeks later, some Indian shot one in downtown Sundre, where he was raiding garbage cans, No big deal. The News Media never even showed up. He was just shooting him for "consumption".
Griz

As close as Sundre, eh? What was the drawing percentage last year, 3%? And since then they reduced the number of tags....I'll be hunting grizz from a wheel chair

Frans

I think there are about 100 tags a year (after the reduction) drawn for grizzly bear. It and mountain goat are the rarest tags here (not the rarest animals by any means). Used to be woodland caribou were rare too, now no one can hunt them except aboriginals (and their numbers {the caribou's, not the aboriginals} are dropping still, go figure). Lot's of politics involved with the grizz, for sure. - Dan