I just moved up here from the States and, with a friend from the South, would like a go at black bear and/or a black bear/mule deer combo hunt. I searched and searched the web and the number of possibilities is huge. Would like to hear from those that have had good experience with specific outfitters. Thank in advance.

If you are a resident all you have to do is buy a tag and go....no need for an outfitter.

Understand the rules, just don't know where to go, I've been here for 6 weeks...

Two of the best black bear areas are the peace country in the western part of the province and the Fort Mcmurray area where I live.It is common to have several bears feeding on each bait in my area.

There is lots of blackies to be had around this area of Alberta. We saw about 15 different bears last spring while we were hunting. We were looking for cinnamon though so we never took one. Good luck!! Papershredder

Do you have a quad, or are you willing to rent one for a week? Did you want to hunt just a couple days and bang a bear or would you like a week in the bush? What part of the province do you live in? Maybe we can help out a newcomer. Give us your info and we'll help out.....welcome to Alberta

If you are going to hire an outfitter then you have to pay the price and for a blackbear hunt where you will see tons of bears and don't have to sit over a boring bait swatting mosquitoes I would consider a hunt in BC. They have way more bears and it is a much more adventuresome spot and stalk hunt rather than sitting bait stands that most outfitters do in Alberta. You will see way more bears. Prices are comparable.

I believe you have to be here a year before you
can get a resident license. Prior to that you
would have to hunt with a guide. For sure your
friend would have to. Check with your local
fish and wildlife office.

Nope, Alberta has no such requirement. If you live here, you are a resident instantly.

Frans

Can anyone comment on the following for Alberta black bear:

Outdoor Pastimes Unlimited
Silver Fox Outfitters
Fredlund Guide Service

Thanks,

quote:

Originally posted by Frans Diepstraten:
Nope, Alberta has no such requirement. If you live here, you are a resident instantly.

Frans

Only if he is a Canadain resident and his primary resident is in Alberta. Otherwise he must live here for 12 months before being able to buy a resident tag

[/QUOTE]
Only if he is a Canadain resident and his primary resident is in Alberta. Otherwise he must live here for 12 months before being able to buy a resident tag[/QUOTE]

Ah, I probably reflected upon my own situation too much. When I came two years ago I entered the country/Alberta as a permanent resident/landed immigrant, hence I could get resident tags right away...

Frans

Maybe one of you guys can tell me. I've never been out west to hunt. My impression is that your black bears are much larger than those we have in Quebec and New Brunswick. Is this true? What are some average sizes between the two? Thanks and best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

The average mature black bear in northern Alberta will be in the 200lb to 300lb range although 500lb and 600lb bears are not all that uncommon.Occaisionally you do come across even larger bears.

Outfitters tell me 5.5 to 6.5 foot in Alberta is possible, with the occassional 7 footer. One honest outfitter mentioned that in the area he has been hunting for a good number of years now 5.5 foot was all one could expect. Another tells me he regularly produces 6-6.5 foot bears. This is a fly-in hunt to a more remote area.

Frans

quote:

One honest outfitter mentioned that in the area he has been hunting for a good number of years now 5.5 foot was all one could expect.

His area is probably overhunted and the majority of his bears are most likely immature bears.My favorite bait site is only a 20 minute drive from my home in the city and 6' bears in the 200lb to 300lb range are very common.Our largest bear taken from this bait was well over 500lbs and in excess of 7'.We do see several smaller bears but none of us has ever shot one as small as 5-1/2'.

I thought the eastern blacks were bigger. Maybe I'm wrong. Interesting-- my first bear was shot when moose hunting I bought a tag because I wanted a bear skull, unfortunately I shot it in hte head and ruined the shull....they said "nice bear" not huge but a nice one. Long story short I didn't take the skull because the guys said it wasn't big. It was over 6 feet and had a head like a bucket, I probably threw away a record. Moral of the story never leave antlers, skull etc. in the field.

the chef

The average adult blackbear in Alberta weighs in the range of 150-250 pounds, spring weight.
A very few will make the 300-350 pounds, heavier then that becomes quite unusual. This is based on the "Swan Hills" bear trapping work done in the late seventies in which I participated. Bear hunting in that area was rather rare too.
It makes a big difference whether the bear is weighed in spring or fall.
In a well fed fall bear, you may find a 30% weight increase over the spring weight of the same individual.

I hunted northwest Alberta two years ago and was fortunate to get a black bear that squared a little over 7 ft.

Had the opportunity for others over 6 ft.

The skull on the far right just missed the P&Y min of 18", 3 of the skulls scored over 20" and the other two are over 19". 2 nights hunting with Greg from Smoky River The little one was 250lb - 3 of the others exceeded 400 pounds. This is a fair sample of the 29 bear his hunter took last spring.


My wife Sandi shot this beautiful blond because he was so pretty and my black makes the Long Hunter book.

quote:

Originally posted by Omega:
my black makes the Long Hunter book.

OK, OK, we get it, it made the book!