I just got back from a one week bear hunt (over-bait) with North Country Lodge in Maine.

I had never been on a baited bear hunt before, so it was a new experience.

After checking the zero on my rifle (they have a small range, complete with ear muffs, targets, and rifle rests), I met with my guide and he explained the drill to me.

Breakfast was at 7:00 am. It consisted of eggs to order, home fries, juice, and french toast and/or pancakes.

The guides would then go out and freshen the baits.

We could either ride with the guides or hang around the lodge. Most of us hung around the lodge.

At noon, we would have the big meal. The food was absolutely fantastic. On Wednesday, we had a fresh steamed lobster and prime rib!.

At 12:30 we loaded up (about 8 hunters to a van) and the guide would put us on our stands.

The ladder stands (there were over a hundred of them) were spread out over miles and miles of heavily wooded forests. The stands were homemade, and in my opinion, were a vast improvement over most commercial tree stands. They were easy to get into, and had a padded bar for using as a rifle rest. Due to their design, no safety harness was needed or used.

It took over an hour to get everyone on stand. Then it was a matter of waiting quietly, with little or no movement. After the first night, I learned to drink very little liquids at lunch!

I spent the first two evenings on an unproductive stand, so the guide switched me to a different stand on Wednesday.

Still no luck, so on Thursday he moved me to yet another stand. On this stand a big black bear came in at about 25 yards and started feeding in the bait bucket. He was only about 25 yards away, and although I got him on video, I couldn't get a shot off.

I hunted the same stand Friday without any luck.

Due to an early flight, I was not able to hunt Saturday night, but found out later, that another hunter killed a nice black bear from that same stand! So goes hunting.

I did not get a bear, but I plan on going back next year.

Hank and Holly Goodman run a first-rate operation. As I stated before the food was fantastic and the Lodge and rooms were as clean and comfortable as a 4-star hotel (cleaner actually).

Most of the hunters at the lodge did fill their tags and even those who didn't were eager to sign up for next years hunt.

Certainly a good introduction to black bear over bait hunting for me.

BH63

Sounds like a really relaxed trip. Glad you enjoyed it.

Was there any fishing to be had for the mornings?

Jeremy

^
I think there was fishing available, but I didn't bother to check into it.

Time goes by rather quickly after breakfast and by the time you get your stuff ready for the afternoon hunt it is time to go.

If I had killed one early I am sure I would have visited Baxter State Park. It has a rather large lake I believe.

Maybe next year.

BH63

I hunted with them 2 years ago and I wholeheartedly AGREE. This is a first class operation. My experience with them was also excellent.

Hank and his crew do a fantastic job. Definitely the best hunting camp I have ever been in..

I didn't get a bear, but enjoyed the trip just the same.. My guide was Don (Trapper) Dudley and he was terrific.

I'd go back for moose or deer, but not for bear... Staring at a bucket of donuts for 5-7 hours a day waiting for a bear to show up is not my idea of fun..

I actually booked another hunt with them for this year.

Sitting motionless in a blind for hours at a time, is just another skill set as far as I am concerned. LOL

With my arthritis, sitting is easier than traipsing through thick brush all day long.

BH63

I just came back from my second hunt with North Country Lodge, Patten, ME.

This time I had a big bear come in on the first evening of the hunt.

It was skittish, and rather than wait for it to put it's head in the bait bucket, I risked a quartering shot to the bear's right shoulder.

The bear flipped over and went down hard. It rolled around growling for a bit, and then lurched to its feet.

I had plenty of time to pump in another couple of rounds, but I didn't. My mistake.

The bear went into some thick stuff, and though the guide and I tried to find it, we lost the blood trail after about 150 feet.

Losing the bear was totally my fault.

Of the 7 friends, whom I hunted with last year, 3 killed bears (one with a fantastic head shot at about 60 yds using a S&W .460 pistol), one with a .450 Marlin, and one with a 45-70.

In 6 days of hunting 17 bears were taken, with another five hit and lost, and one miss (bowhunter).

The largest bear weighed 301 lbs and another was just a tad lighter.

Had a fantastic time. The food was great and the guides were knowledgeable and hardworking.

Definitely going back!

BH63

My question is are outfitters allowed to use dogs to trail game.Is there a hound season in maine?

.

Sounds like a fun week. Sorry you didn't get a bear but then that's a reason to do it again!

Cheers

.

Charlie64,

Thanks. I had a great time with some friends from last years hunt. We are all planning on doing it again.

hvrhunter,

According to the outfitter, there are so many bear in the tracts he hunts, that a dog probably wouldn't stay on the right track very long.

Two different bears came into my bait the evening I shot one.

I think Maine does have a hound season, as well.

BH63

quote:

According to the outfitter, there are so many bear in the tracts he hunts, that a dog probably wouldn't stay on the right track very long.

That's why a trained blood tracker is used they only track wounded game.

I use one on deer all the time. A lodge that runs a hundred baits and lost 5 wounded bears.

Doesn't have a blood trailer available doesn't seem right.

Losing a game animal is tough. Sorry to hear it. Obviously you'll know what to do next time.

Thanks bluefish.

In 40 years of hunting big game, I have only lost 4 animals.

A whitetail deer that I knocked down with a slug. I walked up to within 6 feet and was getting ready to shoot it in the head, but decided not to mess up the head so as to upset my wife. Dang thing jumped up and is still running to my knowledge.

A mule deer that was shoulder shot and managed to make it over a ridge where I had no access.

An elk that I shot at dark. I had a good blood trail and decided to come back the next morning. Unfortunately 6 inches of snow that night covered up everything.

And the bear that I knocked down. The first and the last lost animals were totally my fault for not shooting followups quickly enough.

I hate to lose wounded animals, but it happens.

BH63

There are licensed tracking dog handlers in Maine for locating wounded bear, deer, moose, etc.

^
I did not know that. I 'll keep that in mind.
Thanks.

BH63

Best part about North Country Lodge is the meals other than that I can not say anything great about them. They sell too many hunts each week, they have too many "guides" whom think all you must do is dump bait in the buckets and stick a hand out for a tip, they allow way too many small bears to be killed each year. I was there 2 times both would not kill a bear as they were small under 200# but the bears that got shot and wounded that guides made excuses for not finding or even following up on was a sin. I saw this first hand....buddy hit a bear thru the lungs with his arrow it ran off and he heard what he thought was a death moan...guide shows up to bring him back to camp and takes a look around the area with his flashlight for a total of 10 minutes and proclaims bear was just flesh wounded.... the next day buddy and I insist on looking for bear further...guess what we found him 63 paces from the bait bucket double lunged..and it only took us 15 minutes to find him...."guide" claimed it must have been someone else's hit bear that ran there and expired!!! THEN WAS MIFFED AT NO TIP.

Update - Maine is part of the USA. Not “The Rest of the World”

I'm originally from Maine and us Mainiacs whose families have lived in Maine for generations think living there can be a special experience. Having said that I hate hearing how hunters from "Away" get screwed and these bear hunting factories are a prime example. Some of these outfits run 30-50 hunters per week and 9 hunters to a "Guide". People keep coming back because it's cheap. They just don't get it they're being hosed.

Mark

There are a few good bear outfits here in Maine, but for the most I agree with Mark’s assessment. Very high percentage of greedy morons

Groundtender,

Agreed! The guy I dealt with in Maine who is almost out of the business now used to only hunt three weeks, never take more than 9 hunters per week and have one guide per three hunters. He was more expensive at $2,500 but you got so much more. He also has a unique way of doing the bait so it is very apparent how big the bear is. Heck this guy got my blind client a nice bear.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by groundtender:
Update - Maine is part of the USA. Not “The Rest of the World”

I found only two categories for "Hunting Reports", Africa and The Rest Of The World.

Maine certainly isn't in Africa.

BH63

North Country Lodge generally has about a 50% success rate on bears.

Their rate of bears seen is higher.

The owner, Hank Goodman, briefs every hunter about being careful not to shoot cubs, yearlings, or sows with cubs.

If you shoot a small bear, it is frowned upon by Hank and his staff, and he will not hang it and take a picture.

But people, do what they do.

In my two back-to-back hunts I have had adult bears come into my stand both times.

The first time, I screwed around with videotaping a feeding bear, and he spooked before I could get the crosshairs where I wanted them.

On my second hunt (this year), I had two bears come in within minutes of each other.

The first bear, a really large one, spotted me at about the same time I spotted him. He was behind the bait in some thick stuff, and just faded back when we locked eyes.

After a few minutes, another bear, slightly smaller, hung up at the bait, and after a tense 3 or 4 minutes of sniffing and licking, finally stepped out enough for me to take a shot on the near shoulder.

At the shot, the bear went down and I had ample time to make a follow-up shot, but I was over confident of the bullet (Swift A-frame) and my shot placement.

My screw up completely.

Some of the hunters have been coming back every year for 10 or more years and have taken a lot of bears.

I think his return rate for hunters is about 72%.

He must be doing something right.

BH63

Bummer about losing him. Those must be some highly pressured bears to be so spooky!

^
Yep this was the 2nd week of bear hunting and they did seem a little spooky.

Hank has a 600 square mile area in which he hunts and tries to rotate the stands he uses so that a stand is only used once every season.

For hunters who aren't seeing any bears he moves them to another stand.

All of his baits are being hit on stands where he places hunters, but some bears come in after legal shooting hours or are spooked by the hunter.

Bottom line, I should have followed up on the initial shot and then I would have had my bear.

Next year I am taking a GPS so I can do a search for any wounded bears by myself. Those North Woods are huge and you don' won't to get lost for sure.


Such is hunting.

BH63

About thirty years ago I started hunting bears, and have hunted them almost every year since with the exception of a couple.

I started with an outfitter that accommodated my situation of being able to only hunt for four days of the week, for which I only paid $50 per day for his services, and another $50 per day at a local lodge for meals and a room. I hunted with him for eight straight seasons under the same terms. If I took a bear that was an extra $50 for handling. He had 85 locations scattered throughout one of the largest BMAs in northeast Ontario. I could afford his terms but not much more.

But just like the OP has stated, I did it not because I was a "trophy hunter", but because I love hunting, adventure and the outdoors. Not all of us are looking to score in some record book! I took my largest bear the second year of those hunts -- and it was a trophy for me NOT because it was a good bear but due to some unusual circumstances and challenges, which I'll not get into here. The whole point being that I met a lot of American and some European hunters that I would never have met otherwise. Many of those became annual hunters with "The Bear Man" because of the experience.

Yes, I've missed a few opportunities for a "record book bear" on my own. I started baiting for bear after those experiences with "Norm" my outfitter because of what I learned from him. And, I've taken "my fair share" since.

I'm 82 and will soon be 83. I anticipate walking some trails this fall in the Haliburton Highlands. If I come across the "right bear", or forced to shoot for self protection, I'll pull the trigger. But my goal is not to shoot something but just to "get out there" for fun and adventure. By the way -- my rifle this year will be a Ruger #1 Tropical in .458 Win Mag! No, not an elephant load but a "hot" .45-70 load!

I think the OP has the right idea about hunting bear with an outfitter he can afford.

There is way too much emphasis, in my view, on scores -- not enough on enjoying oneself!


Bob

www.bigbores.ca

Nice post .458. When I lived in northern MN I hunted black bears five times and shot one every time. Four of those were hunts where I baited myself, and therein lies the fun of hunting bears: picking the right area, arranging the logs covering the bait so the bear would stand sideways, putting some honey on a tree to gauge the size, putting some sand around the bait to measure the track, etc. This was all before trail cams came out; it was a lot of fun. Back then I had more time than money...

Glad you had a good time and sorry you lost your bear. IMO (apropos of what you mentioned) the only challenge in hunting over bait is being selective in the animal you take. That said, it's the best way to control the bear population and I'll be going on a bear over bait hunt next fall. NH needs to step up its bear kill or risk losing the entire moose herd.

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:
Glad you had a good time and sorry you lost your bear. IMO (apropos of what you mentioned) the only challenge in hunting over bait is being selective in the animal you take.

The challenge is getting the bear you want to come the bait and have it at a time when your there! There's far more to baiting than throwing some donuts on the ground and waiting.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:
Glad you had a good time and sorry you lost your bear. IMO (apropos of what you mentioned) the only challenge in hunting over bait is being selective in the animal you take.

The challenge is getting the bear you want to come the bait and have it at a time when your there! There's far more to baiting than throwing some donuts on the ground and waiting.

How exactly does one do that? Do you send a meal preference card to "the bear you want"? Not being a dick just curious (and I realize managing multiple bait sites isn't easy).

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:
Glad you had a good time and sorry you lost your bear. IMO (apropos of what you mentioned) the only challenge in hunting over bait is being selective in the animal you take.

The challenge is getting the bear you want to come the bait and have it at a time when your there! There's far more to baiting than throwing some donuts on the ground and waiting.

How exactly does one do that? Do you send a meal preference card to "the bear you want"? Not being a dick just curious (and I realize managing multiple bait sites isn't easy).

By locating multiple baits sights in areas where big bears live. So you must first know where they like to be. Like any animal the most dominate pick the best places.

Once the right bear starts to hit the bait you have to keep him there. Then set up a stand that won't spook him.

I hunt about every other year with a friend who guides in northern Alberta. He has had a particular bear coming into a bait for six years but has been seen only once, the week after I hunted there this year. The hunter missed. It was a long shot through some trees but it was the only possibility to get a chance at this very smart bear. I tried for part of the week. All I saw was a boar & sow I wasn't interested in plus a wolverine. But that's ok, I tried my best and to me that's what hunting is all about.



If you go with a guide all you see is the tip of the iceberg. What you don't see is all the prep work and knowledge that went into it. The same true of any hunt no matter the method or species. A successful guide knows his stuff, if he didn't he wouldn't be in business very long.

quote:

If you go with a guide all you see is the tip of the iceberg. What you don't see is all the prep work and knowledge that went into it. The same true of any hunt no matter the method or species. A successful guide knows his stuff, if he didn't he wouldn't be in business very long.

Cougarz,

You hit the nail on the head. Baiting is a science whether you are hunting bears or big cats in Africa.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:

If you go with a guide all you see is the tip of the iceberg. What you don't see is all the prep work and knowledge that went into it. The same true of any hunt no matter the method or species. A successful guide knows his stuff, if he didn't he wouldn't be in business very long.

Roger that.....I knew it was more than throwing a buncha donuts on the ground. Good guides know their shit and it shows.