Any thoughts on how the mild, warm winter will affect spring hunts in New Brunswick and eastern Canada?

Friend of a friend had 5 people back out on this spring's May hunt....and I'm wondering why. I'm not an experienced bear hunter but I spoke to a bud who has been hunting them his whole life; if the bears are out early will the spring coat be shot by early May? Goes without saying that the bugs are going to be insane, no?

Norton,
Out west here warm winters don't seem to effect the hides and when the bears start rubbing. It seems like a warm wet spring will trigger rubbing more then the winter weather.
If your friends are looking for good hides i still have spots to fill. They won't have to sit over a bait barrel either!!

Norton, There are some good points in what you say about the rubbing of the hide.

I used to spring-hunt bruins for several years here in Ontario, until the spring hunt was terminated by Premier Harris.

My first spring hunt here in Ontario was hot and dry with temps in mid-May in the high 70's and low 80's! I've never seen so many black flies! And the grass was shooting up and leaves popping like it was mid-June!

No bears!! The whole camp was seeing nothing! Where had they gone to? They had gone to feed on the grass and rub off their winter coat!

One very good thing about a September hunt is that there are NO black flies! And mosquitoes are few! I'll be baiting in July.

N.B. is great for bl. bear! We owned a property across from an outfitter on a small lake. It was my home province.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

Thanks gents.......food for thought.....maybe the 5 guys that backed out knew something similar to what you mentioned .458.