Bear Bums – Bear Hunting

The choice of your outfitter is too important to goof up. Here are a few of the criteria, and helps, to consider when deciding where and when to use your hard earned dollars on an outfitter.

Criteria for categorizing outfitters:

1-COST OR VALUE (cost of hunt, cost of travel, hidden costs)
2-AVAILABILITY of OWNER (hard or easy to track down and visit with)
3-REFERENCES (the outfitter’s years of experience and their ability to satisfy the client is important to know)
4-COMFORT (accommodations and food are very important)
5-SPECIES HUNTED (what game and when. we’ll encourage you to chase your goal not a basket of different animals)
6-TROPHY QUALITY (what type of trophies are available)
7-HUNTING AREA (size of area in miles, public vs private, broken up areas, access to native resident hunting, weather, rough terrain, tundra, mountains, prairie etc.)
8-HUNTING SUCCESS (harvest rate) (we realize this is only part of success but nice to know)
9-HUNTING STYLE (bow, gun, muzzle loader, horse, backpack, bait, spot and stock)

When I was about 11 years old our family went down to the local high school and watched an Eastman family film production on hunting the Plains of Abraham of northern Canada for multiple animals including Dall sheep. More than 30 years later I started calling the list of outfitters in the North West Territory Guide association, settling on one and “poof” my first guided hunt. This hunt was for Dall sheep and mountain caribou. The hunt was like nothing I had ever done! I worked hard, helping the guide(owner) and the horse wrangler, but enjoyed the freedom of not having the full responsibility of the animals and outfit. Even on this first hunt I perceived the pressure, I held, of hitting the animal, if found, and in keeping up with the guide. The convenience of a guided hunt made up for that pressure, plus.

I’ve hunted perhaps 30 or so guided hunts, and learned tons, mostly good, since.

1. COST or VALUE

Money restraints are perhaps the greatest and first consideration. Most of my guided hunts have been for spring and fall bear hunts because of this criteria. These hunts can be spot and stock, baited stand hunts, or the most common around here, the dog hunt. An exception of these hunts being quite relaxing, is the grizzly bear hunt.

Most of my bear hunts have been in the spring when, to me, the hunt interrupts little else, except the occasional high school graduation. The guided black bear hunt ranges from $2,000 to $6,500 with the bait hunts at the bottom and the island coast hunt the more pricey. (Doubling up, with another hunter, saves a substantial amount of money) These hunts have turned out to be some of my very favorite for staying close to my kids and good friends.

Be sure to include travel in your costs. A hunt to northern North West Territories for muskox is an inexpensive hunt but the cost of travel can be staggering.

2. AVAILABILITY

If too many roadblocks need to be jumped to get back to your outfitter–take the hint. Most are great about talking to you about hunting. I try and respect their seasons but demand my questions answered especially the BIG question. “CAN I HAVE A LIST OF YOUR PAST HUNTERS”.

3. REFERENCES

Every one asks,”how can I prevent or avoid the wrong outfitter?”. This can be done, but not by accident. First priority is GET AND USE REFERENCES!

Last spring my neighbor booked a very pricey brown/black bear hunt, off the coast of Alaska. Because of a wrong outfitter choice he lost his money, and worse, it messed up the time he had taken off. Shouldn’t happen.

Using a booking agent or real people (hunters) who have hunted your future area is a must. You must also talk to the outfitter/owner with a pre-made list of questions, and be satisfied with the answers. If you have concerns ask the outfitter early or better yet ask the references about your concerns. Most past hunters love to talk about their hunting, so use them.

4. COMFORT (Accommodations/Food/Ease of hunt)

Obtaining the conveniences while hunting sounds a little demanding for a hunter to say to his future outfitter. It’s not! A good outfitter will want you to get a huge trophy, not starve to death, or sweat to death, and still make you comfortable.

Word of mouth will always be the outfitters best and cheapest advertising so he works hard for you, if he’s worth his salt.

Food and accommodations vary with each hunt. I’ve slept in dirt dug-outs to lodges. Better outfitters will treat you right.

5. SPECIES

The choice of which species to hunt is a huge one. It is likely that you’ll build lifetime relationships with your outfitters and return multiple times. Ideally, they’ll have a lot of the big game you want to hunt.

6. TROPHY QUALITY

Like most I enjoy big trophies. My advice is to hunt what you want. Don’t go on a hunt because it offers multiple species, but rather the hunt that will likely get you your trophy.

Remember this–the chance to go on a hunt and hunt 2 or 3 different animals is a big order to bite off and should require more time and many more dollars. Moose are a good example. There are 60-70 inch moose out there! Not a lot of them. There are a lot of moose however and most are WAY bigger than anything most of us have killed. Be sure you are happy with your trophy even if it’s a good old honest hard hunt.

7.HUNTING AREA

You will want to find out A LOT about the hunting area: terrain, weather, resident hunting, animal pressure, etc. Find an outfitter that has what you are comfortable with then follow his advice on what to bring.

I’ve hunted Vancouver Island, British Columbia(east), British Columbia(north), Alberta, the Alaskan peninsula, and Kodiak Island. Northern Alberta, NWT, the Yukon and that’s just Canada. Go close or more exotic. I guess looking back I’d just say go!!!! Baiting in dense bog lands along the Athabasca river for black bear is a rush, but so is leopard on the Limpopo River in South Africa. Just GO!!!

8. HUNTING SUCCESS

How many hunts or hunters does it take to get one trophy? Hopefully one. Past hunters and outfitter will know, and it’s important for you to find out. There are dozens of factors that change a hunter’s success, talk to the outfitter about what it takes to be successful. The outfitter reviews will help a lot in answering these questions.

9. HUNTING STYLE

Your choice of weapon can dictate your hunt. Archery is very accepted by outfitters but success rate will be down. Be sure to ask the outfitter about this. It’s very possible to have an outfitter not willing to take archery hunters. I respect that and I like the outfitters with strong opinions, but you need to know the rules for the hunt you’re choosing.

What’s next?….

Once you’ve decided on the hunt and outfitter, get their suggested list of what to bring and enjoy getting it all. Preparing for the hunt, to me, is part of the hunt and should be fun but taken as seriously as the actual hunt.

We know a lot of outfitters…. You’re welcome to send us a question and pick our brains any old time.

Bearbums ranks and categorizes outfitters and will help you choose one if you want the help. These are some of the criteria we use to grade the outfitters. If you think we can help you take the next hunting step in choosing the right hunt and/or outfitter for you then here we are to help. Get your PASSPORT now and get looking for that hunt and outfitter. If you need a kick in the bum to get going, please let us know.

email us at contact@bearbums.net
Call us at 801-613-2327(BEAR)

Do good with your choices. Have a great hunt.