It all started innocently enough. I’d been a whitetail bowhunter for many years, but I’d also been fascinated by black bear. I really wanted to arrow a bear, hang a bear rug on my wall, and then move on to other pursuits. It didn’t quite work out that way. I booked a northern Minnesota bear hunt, shot a bear, and quickly became hopelessly addicted.

Now I have hunted bears from Idaho to Maine in the United States, most of the Canadian provinces, and killed all four major color phases of black bears with a bow and arrow. I’ve written dozens of magazine articles, plus a book and a video, and killed 37 bears, yet the passion burns stronger than ever. I say all this partially as a warning to anyone who might be considering their first bear hunt in the near future. I also say it to help you understand just how appealing it can be.

You’re probably a deer hunter, so think of it this way: You see a buck coming across a field and your excitement level starts to ramp up. Or maybe you hear a deer coming toward your stand, its hooves crunching in the leaves. Your heart beats a little faster. Now contrast that to bear hunting over bait, which takes place in thick cover so you don’t know he’s coming. Bears typically don’t make a sound when approaching. POOF! There’s a bear right there. No warning. And he’s close. And he could kill you. Probably won’t, but he could. Your adrenaline glands open the floodgates and dump their magic potion into your system. There’s nothing quite like it.

Canadian Black Bear Destinations

If this interests you, let’s talk about your options. There are many states that offer black bear hunting, but the provinces of Canada are without question the mecca for bear hunting. All provinces except British Columbia use baiting as their bear management tool. In fact, the odds of tagging a black bear in the boreal forests without bait are so dismal that few people even attempt it. A few western states offer spring bear hunting, but Canada has cornered the market on that as well. I’ve done spring bear hunts in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and my pulse quickens when I think about going again, it’s just so compelling to be in close proximity to numbers of black bears.

My British Columbia adventure was a spot and stalk hunt in the Cariboo Mountains, quite a challenge with archery equipment. On the final day of the 6-day trip, I finally made good on a 35-yard shot and killed my bear. It was the 43rd bear I had seen on that adventure. If that appeals to you, BC is the place to go.

Baited black bear hunts in most provinces, assuming you’re with a reliable outfitter who is working hard for you, feature close to 100% success rates. Shots are close — almost always under 25 yards — and generally from treestands. The great thing about hunting over bait, other than the high odds of success, is the opportunity to look over multiple bears; you can avoid shooting a small bear, as well as a sow with cubs. If a bait site is set up well, a patient bowhunter can wait for an ideal broadside shot that will ensure a quick, clean kill.

Canadian provinces use outfitters to control the number of bears harvested by issuing the permits to the outfitter in most cases. This means to get a tag, you will need to hire a guide who has the tag, and most include the cost of the tag in the guiding fee. Outfitters have designated areas they can hunt, exclusive of other outfitters, and are provided with a certain number of tags for the bear management goals of their area. Ontario is an exception in that you can purchase your tag over the counter, but you still must hunt in a designated outfitter area. I was fortunate for several years that I found an outfitter in northwest Ontario who would allow me to hunt in his concession; in exchange for a fee, he would sign off on my tag and I did the work and reaped the rewards myself.

But for all practical purposes, if you’re going on a spring black bear hunt in Canada, you’re going with an outfitter. Since you’re planning a guided hunt, you’ll have a lot of options. Here’s some help sorting it out.

What to Expect

First of all, I love a spring bear hunt in May or early June. The northern forests are coming alive, the bears are hungry, and it’s a great time to be in the woods.

Pick your outfitter wisely, call his references, and ask good questions about the quality of his stands, what kind of bait he’s using, and what the meal plan and lodging are like. Do not underestimate the value of finding out what bait he is using and how often he is baiting. An outfitter who is willing to spend the extra funds on large quantities of good bait, such as grains, trail mix, pastries and other sweets will likely provide you with a better hunt than one who’s tossing out a pile of scraps every few days.

Good Canadian black bear hunts that include meals and lodging will cost $3,000 to $4,500 depending on location and accommodations. This is true across most of Canada, with the eastern provinces being more toward the lower end of that price range, and the bear-rich areas of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta toward the higher end.

You’ll find that some hunts just naturally appeal to you more than others. For example, does the outfitter use ATVs to access the bait sites, a boat or a truck? Spending time riding an ATV through the northwoods has a lot of draw for some people. Boat-based hunting can be a lot of fun as well if that appeals to you. Will the outfitter allow you to tag along while he runs the baits during the day when you’re not on stand?

Speaking of hunts that involve boating, those are more likely to provide fishing as well. Keep in mind that any hunt can have fishing attached to it in some way if there is water nearby. On a couple spring bear hunts in Manitoba, I was able to combine it with bowfishing for carp. If fishing turns your crank, the right spring black bear hunt can put you on some amazing wilderness fishing for walleyes, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Most hunting is done from mid-afternoon through evening, which leaves the morning to kill time. If fishing is your thing, keep that in mind when choosing an outfitter.

Another important component of spring bear hunting is the choices of lodging. You might be in a wall tent camp equipped with an outdoor shower, or in a lavish lodge with gourmet meals. I’ve done both and each has their appeal.

Most hunts include meals; of course, some are better than others. I’ve been on hunts where the food is just adequate, and on hunts where every meal is a culinary adventure. It depends on how the outfitter prioritizes those aspects of the hunt. This info is usually easy to learn when you call references.

I’m pretty sure I have gained weight on every spring black bear hunt I’ve experienced. That’s not so much about the quantity or quality of food as it is about the timing! Remember, the spring days are long in Canada, and it’s not uncommon for the end of legal shooting light to be at 10:00 p.m. or even later. Then you’re likely to have an extensive trip back to camp, possibly delayed by admiring someone’s bear and even helping get it out of the woods. Many times I have sat down to a big supper near midnight and then headed right off to bed. Not a good diet plan.

Spring black bear hunting in Canada is jam packed with adrenaline and adventure, beautiful scenery, and new experiences. If you’ve never done it, you’re missing out. But be careful if you think you’ll just do one and then check it off your list. It rarely works out that way.

Sidebar: Spring vs. Fall Black Bear Hunts

There are several differences between spring and fall black bear hunts. Here’s a quick list of eight considerations to keep in mind.

You’ll often see more bears during spring because the availability of natural foods is lower. Spring bears have fewer options so they rely on bait sites more than in the fall, when the woods are full of other foods.

Throughout much of Canada, the black bear rut begins the end of May and runs through early July. Big males can cruise through a bait site looking for sows at any time of the day. The chance that a big boy is going to roll through at any moment keeps us on our toes.

Bear hides have longer fur in spring. Fall bears tend to have silkier, shorter pelts.

Bear hides can become rubbed as spring wears on. If you’re looking for a rug or a full-body mount, this is something to take into consideration when planning the timing of a spring hunt.

Bears weigh more in fall. It’s common for a bear to gain 100-150 pounds between the time it comes out of the den in spring and the fall hunting season.

Inclement weather can be a factor in spring. Bears like the same weather we do; when it’s nice out, they move more. Rain and even snow can hinder your spring hunt, and high winds that are more common in spring can put a damper on bear movement.

Bugs can be bad during spring and fall, but in a general sense they’re worse in spring, particularly those biting black flies.

Bear meat is great eating year-round as long as bears haven’t been feeding on carrion or dead fish. This is more common in spring when they relish winter-killed critters. Anytime black bears have been feeding regularly at a bait site containing grains and sweets, you can count on good eating.

 

Sidebar: How to Win the Bug Battle

Because black bear hunts take place in the warmer months of spring and fall, and hunts often takes place in damp, swampy areas, pesky insects can be a horrible annoyance. The lives of many bears have been saved by seeing the motion of a hunter dealing with a mosquito or black fly.

The ThermaCELL has transformed the sport of black bear hunting. This device uses a tiny butane-powered flame to heat a pad containing permethrin. It’s difficult to overstate the value of this device when the bugs are bad. It keeps the mosquitoes at bay, and bears don’t seem to be bothered by the faint odor it produces. A ThermaCELL is mandatory equipment on all bear hunts, along with extra pads and butane canisters.

Photos by Bernie Barringer