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”

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”

Tips for Bear Hunters

Black bear season in Maine is right around the corner. If the pattern holds true this year, we may be in for a tough start to the bear over bait season. Last year, the shortage of natural food sources resulted in some of the hottest bait season action we have seen in years. This yearContinue reading “Tips for Bear Hunters”