My idea of a trophy would be either a P&Y or a B&C bear. Where exactly did you guide and what was the name of your outfit (if you don't mind sharing)....Thanks....great info here!

:D Guided for many outfitters over the year a few are still around...PM if you want details...

Outfitter/guides can take on locals for reduced cost...add up gas, bait, food lodging, travel, time etc it can be cheaper to do it this way...

Neil

Thanks Neil. Going NE of Ft McMurray this spring. Ive been outside of Rainbow lake (534) and outside Wood Buffalo on the Peace. My favorite though is North of Fort Mc.

What did the one on the right score?
You have two booner bears? You make me sick.
Hahahaha. Jealous.
Hats off amigo. Booner elk and bears are just what you do eh? Kudos.

For the most part, I call incidentally to spot n' stalk and stand hunting... generally use fawn bleating/distress or cub squawling... I have used dying rabbit calls with limited success. I always have a call of some sort on me, and if a stalk proves to be impractical or impossible due to a bears location I will attempt to call the animal in... I have harvested two bears with my bow by calling randomly in the bush (good bear country), I have had many more close encounters, including almost being bowled over by a large aggressive boar. I have positioned many bears for a successful shot, for clients, using calling when we were stymied from stalking closer, or the bear was out of view in the brush. I enjoy observing the reaction of visible bears to calling... 95% of the time they are curious, most will try to get to a high point to see or smell what that ruckus is about (often opening themselves to a shot), about half will move closer, and half of those will come right in to bow range. Just calling randomly in the woods, without first spotting a bear or having evidence of their close proximity, could prove to be a lonely endeavor... but you will most certainly call in other smaller predators... I have called in ravens, hawks, owls, raccoons, marten, fisher, lynx, wolverine, foxes, coyotes and wolves.

By patterning bears, I am referring to identifying travel routes to and from predictable food sources such as a moose carcass, berry patches, sucker runs, grain/crop fields etc... and then setting up a stand or blind to intercept the animals to and from that particular location... I have made this method work dozens of times... mostly in blueberry thickets. One interesting situation that worked until a spring flood ruined it, was when a large pine toppled across a fast flowing smaller river, I began to see a high volume of tracks and scat in the area and realized that the bears had taken to crossing the river on that tree. We took a couple nice bears at that spot, including one 400 pounder that toppled into the river and took four of us to catch, rope off (with me getting ahead of it and wading/swimming out to get a rope over its head) and struggle it up onto the river bank... a wet 400 pound bear weighs about 600 pounds! Normally bears are extremely difficult to pattern effectively, so to do so, you have to locate something that will cause them to return to that spot with regularity. There is a green field that I have taken a dozen bears off of over the years, it is on a South exposure slope and is protected on the north by a timbered mountain (mole hill for you western folk)... this particular field greens-up before any others around and the post-denning bears are drawn to it like a magnet. I prefer to put bowhunters on it, as the travel routes are so predictable that I can set them up for an under 20 yard shot.

Long story short... it is worth being open to other methods in your quest for a bear.

Frustrated with outfitter
 

I'm not here to bash any outfitter.... but, we all agree there are some who are really good at their trade and some that are...well. I have a story of an experience with a Manitoban outfitter.

Got dropped off at the stand around 3:30, outfitter did a 'honey burn' to renew some early evening interest at the bait. He knew there was a large boar there because the large 1" chain that secured the barrel to the tree had been snapped in several places. Right at dark...I see something black moving slowly through the woods...I didn't think it a bear at first because it was just"too big"...in fact....my first impression was that it was a free ranging cow....but I realized...."there aren't any cows out here....I am deep in the bush".....when I finally got a good look at this guy....I'd easily place him in the 500-600lbs. range...he was so big I started shaking....but, he was hanging up behind the bait and wouldnt offer a shot...it got darker and darker until it was beyond shooting light and he wandered off.

When I climbed into the guides truck at the road I told him what had happened. I said...."who was in this stand last week before my arrival?"....He said a guy who was a cigarette smoker. I thought "there's your answer".

When I saw the outfitter, I asked him to place a hanging tree stand on the back trail where the monster was coming in and just standing....he said "nope, I don't want your scent back there" I responded in dis belief "you had a cigarette smoker ruin this stand for me and I cant sit in a hanging stand 100 feet away to shoot this bear.....? He wouldn't budge. Needless to say....a lazy outfitter can kill your chances to get a trophy. Do your homework and find an outfitter that truly wants happy customers.

Or perhaps he had that bear picked out for someone with some real deep pockets.

That one on the right is a hog, what'd it weigh?

To be honest...that had crossed my mind. A few years ago, I heard of an outfitter that was saving his better baits and bears for a famous hunting couple and film crew. After trophy bears were taken, some of the 'regular' hunters in the camp caught wind of it. Unfortunately...it happens.

:D Actually just scored another older skulls last night so took three confirmed booners with the bow at least I guess...the one on the right was closer to 22 than 21 P&Y
He weighed 550 plus...

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...psz03c36qq.jpg

Interesting pic with bear sitting on his butt...not sure why I got this pose lol but shows how big he would get standing...

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...pszxbsqsmh.jpg

Neil

:D This is what your looking for...if looking for book bear avoid the long eared short snout/nose bears...they may look big body wise but are just young bears...look for very short ears, wide head with a crease in middle like J-lo's butt..lol ...and a long snout/nose to match

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...psgerpjxz7.jpg

Neil

Neil...Absolutely fabulous pics...thanks for sharing

I think poor pics but beauty bears

Naw...these are great pics. And- great bears!

:D Bears seen out and bear sign reported already...most likely flooded dens..

Neil

I would like to try a bear hunt this spring. You guys that spot and stalk,any tips? do you concentrate on cutlines when the new grass is coming up? Seems like it would be a fun day out with the bow!

:D Exactly...follow creeks, rivers etc with south facing slopes and lines where the first greenery will come up...large pipelines that have been seeded are very good....when popular buds are sprouting watch poplar tree patches...the buds are a treat to them...

My favorite bear tree...bears will feed in the same poplar tree year after year...

pic doesnt do justice...the entite tree 40 ft up is completely scarred from use of more than one bear year after year...would love to have this in my shop from floor to ceiling...I know of dozens of these trees...even have one here in rural Wainwright area

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...ps98jfmq0l.jpg

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...psgd89tbpb.jpg

Neil

:D Those were just for making a point ...did have the standard politically correct hunter quaility poses...

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...pssqulnofe.jpg

Neil

Thanks, that's a cool pic!

Wow! That's a nice bear!

love bear spring bear hunting
 

Spring bear hunting is sooo much fun and it breaks up the seasons. But it a lot of work, wish I had the time.

What broadhead is that? Nice fixed, looks like a VPA, however I know its not that.
Good job bud.

I was wondering what it was too

Jesus man that is an absolute tank!!!

Got a buddy up by grims haw that's goin to set some baits n I'm
Comen up from south to come help an see what we can find live hunting them over baits with the stick an string

:D I was a PRO shooter for ABC ...American Broadhead Company...they were on of the first with the small low profile heads that sweep the bowhunting industy in the 90's....It was a proto type Sonic made by ABC now called the Super Sonic...

The head passed thru the bear and buried a foot into the earth...bear went down in seconds in sight...

Also shot a 54" moose with original Sonic proto type..moose went down in ten steps...[see that moose is still on their webpage] a 400+ Elk that didnt go 30yds

Harvested a book Caribou with proto type of the Sonic PRO..went down in 30 steps..

When tightened firmly the head was industructable... meaning the blades pushed into the ferrule instead of apart...

It was amzing what these heads did...

Shot a muley 6x6 buck and I never saw so much blood in ten yards where it dopped before or since...makes me think now talking about it!!

The only con was if the head wasnt tight on ferrule or arrow and loosened at all on quad or vehicle the head would blow up on contact...we worked out the concept of the PRO double tighten on ferrule and arrow...

I suggested a design with a Muzzy like tip on ferrule that blades would fit into to prevent blowing out...their R&D worked with G5 and that head is now the "Striker"

Still have them in stock and there are still a lot of dedicated shooters with them...

http://www.americanbroadhead.com/
http://www.americanbroadhead.com/liberty_heads.shtml

Neil

How do they fly? Hard to tune ? Or close to a field point?

:D One of the best heads for flight to field point I have ever shot, with the original Sonic and the PRO...the Liberty and Super were like most that need good tune...

Neil

Hmm I've been looking for a good fixed for blind hunting since they say you shouldn't shoot expandables through the netting. Be nice to have one that flies close enough at 40 yrds and under so I don't have to keep moving pins

:D Good point ....Which brings up a question...

Over the years I have seen some quaility field pictures ...some that were scary to say the least...
I always try to take some good field pics...for a few years we went fthru a phase to be more politically correct we didnt show our bow, rifle, etc...deciided I didnt hit it with a truck and bows were back in pictures...

Always tried to clean up any blood...no tougue...no stratttling animal...etc

And recently with bear for field pictures there is new trend with a lot of the guide/outfitters for a lot of bear on quad pictures...

what is your opinion...

Field pic...[ first good bear early 80's]

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3phjxmge.jpg

Or Outfitter pic...

http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...psammbcytt.jpg

May be guiding bear again in future so your opinion means a lot as to what you prefer...both or only one ...

Neil