Black Bear Hunts

Black Bear Over Bait, Trapping & Fair Chase Hunts

Boundless Opportunity

Maine’s bear season runs from the last Monday in August through the last Saturday in November. Bears can be hunted with bait during the first four weeks of the season, with hounds for a six-week period that overlaps the last two weeks of the bait season, and by still-hunting and stalking throughout the entire season. [We currently do not offer hound hunts.]

In September and October, trappers can set one cable foot restraint or cage trap for bears. Hunters can take one bear by hunting and one bear by trapping. Bears can be found throughout the state, but bear populations are the highest in the northern and Downeast sections of Maine – Tucker Ridge is centrally located right between these two regions.

Due to the black bear’s secretive nature and the dense forests they inhabit, few hunters are successful still-hunting or stalking black bear. Maine’s bear season coincides with both the archery and firearms deer seasons, and during years with an abundance of natural food, bears are taken by opportunistic deer hunters.

Bait Hunting

We hunt bears over bait during the first four weeks of the season. We focus heavily on bait hunting and not hound hunting because roughly 80 percent of the annual bear harvest is taken by hunters over bait. The statewide success rate among black bear hunters is around 25 percent with success rates highest for non-residents who employ a Registered Maine Guide.

Fair Chase Hunting

After the bait season closes, we continue to hunt bears by fair chase only (no bait, no hounds). This season coincides with the bull moose hunt, upland birds, whitetail archery & whitetail firearm seasons. With a big game hunting license & bear permit, you may take a bear during any other hunt through the last day of deer firearms season – usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving. A combination of an archery deer hunt, wing-shooting for ruffed grouse, a fair chase bear hunt and a bear trapping option can make for an exciting October.

Bear Trapping

We trap bears September 1st through October 31st, providing our clients all necessary equipment, traps and baited sites. The bear trapping option may be added to a hunt for the opportunity to increase your chance of success exponentially – you will in effect be actively engaging bears 24 hours a day. We are certified by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife to supervise bear trapping by our hunting clients, so you do not require a trapping license.

Big Bear Potential

In Maine, there is always the potential to take a very large bear. Each year, hunters annually harvest bears that are over 300 pounds in size. The largest bear taken by a client here dressed at 326 pounds with an estimated live weight of 380 pounds. While most bears taken by hunters weigh less than that, the Maine State Record for black bear is 699 pounds, and was taken in 2012 near Greenville.

Text and descriptions provided above taken from Maine Department Of Inland Fisheries And Wildlife ‘Maine Bear Hunting’ brochure

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We offer American Plan hunts with meals served family style in the Clubhouse dining hall. Camps are limited to 6-8 hunters per week.

You will not find a better opportunity to hunt Maine black bears on a working salary…our motto is “For hunters, by hunters”

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Bear Hunt Brochure – Brochure

Game Processing – Swan’s Custom Meat Cutting

Taxidermist – DeLaites Taxidermy Brochure

References are available. Contact us with questions or to secure a spot..

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