Recently, owner and operator of Tucker Ridge Outdoors, John Floyd experienced a series of serious and life-threatening medical events. He is currently receiving treatment and ongoing testing. His prognosis is positive but will take time. At this time all future operations, to include DIY activities and lodging, are suspended until John completes recovery and receivesContinue reading “Important 2026 Season Update”
Tag Archives: bear hunting
Uncle Tom’s Gun
A few days later at camp, I was chatting with Danny after breakfast. I wanted to know more about his uncle’s gun and the significance behind his choice to use it on his first ever bear hunt. I have always found the stories behind client’s firearms intriguing and Danny’s was one of the most inspiring I’ve ever been told.
Debunking Bear Hunting Myths
As a professional bear hunting guide, I answer a lot of questions about bear behavior from prospective clients as well as non-hunters who are just simply curious. Quite often, I find myself answering the same questions frequently. Most of these are based on old wives’ tales and hunting fallacies passed down from generation to generation.Continue reading “Debunking Bear Hunting Myths”
Field Dress for Success
Bear meat gets a bad rap. In my experience, this happens because hunters don’t realize how vitally important it is to get a downed bear field dressed, skinned and cooling in a timely fashion. I believe most hunters learn about field care early in their hunting career as deer hunters. And while the basic fieldContinue reading “Field Dress for Success”
The Redemption Bear
There is nothing more disheartening than when a client misses a bear. The time invested in setup, the anticipation and expectations on a bear stand with good bears coming in suddenly crashes in flames with the missed opportunity. It happens. On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, there isn’t a much more exhilarating momentContinue reading “The Redemption Bear”
Colonel Jim
The freezing rain and sleet pelted the window next to my desk in the Tucker Ridge clubhouse. It was the morning of March 9, 2022 and with the temperature hovering around 30 degrees, damp and raw. The wood stove ticked away as I sat at my desk, ironically fleshing out the details for my MayContinue reading “Colonel Jim”
The Bucket List Bear
“Range is hot!” I bellowed and instructed the hunter in front of me to load and make ready. The big Dutchman settled into a solid isosceles shooting stance, nose over toes as he brought the massive revolver up. We were standing 40 yards from the target board with the rest of the hunters in campContinue reading “The Bucket List Bear”
Fair Chase Bears
When most folks think of November in Maine the season that comes to mind is firearms season for deer. These four weeks are what many of us wait for all year long. Sure, spring gobbler is fun and open water fishing is a fine way to spend late spring and early summer, all the whileContinue reading “Fair Chase Bears”
Perseverance Pays Off
During the 2017 fall bear season, I had a client from Pennsylvania that had yet to shoot his first Maine black bear after several trips with different outfitters. He was an experienced hunter and knew exactly what he wanted in terms of the bear he would look to take. I set him up on aContinue reading “Perseverance Pays Off”
The Camp Name Tradition
At long last, September is finally here. With the long wait behind us and the regular schedule of hunting seasons kicking off, bear camp acts as the lead-off hitter. Bear, deer and moose camps all have similarities and differences but all share one thing in common – the time-honored tradition of camp-naming. This hunting campContinue reading “The Camp Name Tradition”