Just Got Back From Maine!!!

TomFromTheShade · 09-17-2005, 09:03 PM

Let me tell you guys, this trip was not a disappointment!!!

I had no idea what three million acres of unspoiled wilderness looked like, but if you want to find out...go to the North Woods of Maine!

I got my black bear. It was a pretty nice sow weighing in at 248 pounds. What a rush! I should have pictures up as soon as I get my film back from the processing place, and I just watched the video when we got home. UNBELIEVABLE!!!

I am hooked on bear hunting!

Just so you guys know, those 30-06 180 grain failsafes worked again! The shot entered just behind the right shoulder (full broadside shot) and proceeded to demolish the right lung, blow the hear to smithereens, and eviscerate the left lung before leaving and exit wound the size of a silver dollar! There was blood spewing out for the almost ten yards the bear travelled after impact. GOOD HUNT!

Rebel Hog · 09-17-2005, 09:26 PM

Great man!! Like to see the pic's.

DOUBLE-LUNG · 09-17-2005, 10:47 PM

Congradulations on the trophy.
More details? Tree stand or blind. Hopefully I get my first bear this year.

Colorado Bob · 09-18-2005, 10:52 AM

Conglads on the bear. Look forward to seeing the photos. CB

TomFromTheShade · 09-18-2005, 01:26 PM

I was hunting from a "permanent" blind. It looked like the front barricade was made out of old cedar trees wired together and "tied" around two cedar trees. There was a little port hole about the size of a CD case in the wood to shoot through. I made some "fence posts" out of fallen branches to construct a few more walls around the front wall, and then I weaved cedar branches and leaf cover into these new walls to close the blind in.

As far as bait goes we were using peanut butter and doughnuts in a suspended five gallon pail where a few game trails converged and there was lots of good bear sign present. Our guide also put some sort of black licorice smelling crap down there too which he said that the bears liked. I don't know if it's true or not. I also dumped a bottle of mollasses under the bait bucket to help bring up the odor.

There were plenty of moose to be seen, but drawing a moose tag in maine is like winning the lottery, like a one in so many thousands chance. We did however get to blast some coyotes as well, which I gather are considered pests in Maine, with no closed season and no bag limit.

All in all, a great trip, and a fun fun time.

moosehunter21 · 09-18-2005, 01:39 PM

Congrats... lets see some pics.

jamiebuck · 09-19-2005, 05:55 AM

congrats, on your bear trip, what outfitter did you choose, the stuff the guide put down was anise,

TomFromTheShade · 09-19-2005, 12:46 PM

I used Foggy Mountain. I'm not sure that I would go back with them for a few reasons.

1. They didn't tend to the baits every day. Some days hunters would go out and their buckets would be licked clean, and they would just have to sit there all day with no bait.

2. The bedrooms at the lodge were small, and they didn't have any dressers or shelves to put my stuff on, so I was living out of my bag and out from under the bed all week.

3. They didn't drive the hunters to the stands or pick them up, so if you had two hunters in your party and only one vehicle (which was the case for 99%) then you had to drive your partner and yourself up to 20 some miles each way to hunt.

4. There were 38 hunters and only 3 guides. You do the math on that and see if you think that its worth $1800 a man.

5. They were nabbing the gall bladders out of the bears and then suspisciously rushing them off for a fast freeze. I don't want to accuse anyone of doing anything illegal, but I have my suspiscions.

6. Without naming names, one of the guides there was not very good. There was more than one situation where the hunters bait and stand were not set up, and one instance where a blind was "double booked".

On the plus side...

1. The guide I had, Mike, a Maine game warden was excellent. He helped me harvest a nice bear and did everything he could to make my trip successful.

2. The food was excellent. There was always plenty of good food and good deserts. The dining was Grade A all week.

3. The hunting area was very remote and there was bear sign everywhere! You couldn't walk around a bait without seeing tracks and scat.

4. The lodge owners and staff were very nice and very helpful. They always were willing to brew that 11:00pm pot of coffee after you came in from dressing a late bear, and they were quick with fresh towels and toiletries if you needed them and it really seemed like they were happy that you were staying with them.

5. The trout fishing was phenomenal with several 16 plus inch brookies being taken during the week.

If anyone else has any specific questions I would be happy to answer them. In review, I think that your chances of harvesting a nice bear with Foggy Mountain are very good. This however was my first Maine guided bear hunt and I am eager to try a few more places.

andy_o · 09-19-2005, 08:05 PM

Congrats on the bear, Thats a pretty decient size bear. By the sounds of it you really enjoyed it. Im from maine and I just got my second bear. Its my first with a bow. The guide service I use is Breakneck Mt. Guide service. They are in my opion one of the best in the state. They only do bear and they only bring in so many people per yer. There is 3 guides and not usually more than 10 or 12 people at a time. They usually dont take that many but they get a father taking his son out. This year they had 44 active bait sites that were baited everyday. It is a family run guide service with 2 brothers and a good buddy of the family being the guides.

Last year I got my bear my 3rd night out and I got this years on my 2nd night out. The meals are amazing cooked by the head guides wife and him. I can't say enough about them because they treat you like friends out at camp not like clients.

If you want you can pm me and Ill e-mail you more information.

webejonesin2 · 09-20-2005, 08:49 PM

congrats on your hunt, hopefully see pics soon.