NB also has a spring bear season, and there are som BIG ones, in NB. No colour phases, though. If you' re interested, contact me off the board - I am a booking agent, and can provide reputable Outfitters from all over Canada, including Ontario. You are right - check references, including, if available - references from hunters who didn' t fill their tags. They give the best representation of how hard an Outfitter worked, to get their quarry.