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Old 12-14-2008, 11:05 AM
  #4  
DARKSIDE55
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: James Bay Frontier, Ont. Canada
Posts: 337
Default RE: Ontario Black Bear outfitter question

Every outfitter in Ontario that participates in a Bear hunt has to have a BMA (Bear Management Area). These are given out by the provincial government, Ministry of Natural Resources. How big and how many are relevant to your bear hunting and management experience and your ability to manage and take care of the areas. The bigger the BMA, the more it cost. But like in the other thread, the guy said, "a hundred thousand acres", I'd have to see that to believe it. The biggest BMA in this province is around 10,000 acres. And that's a one of a kind deal, mainly because nobody else wanted it. And most BMA's are measured in square miles/km, not acres.

BMA's are issued to an outfitter for the sole use of his guests, whether they be resident or non-resident hunters. Although residents can hunt anywhere in Ontario. But if they hunt through an outfitter, they must be on his BMA. Non-residents do not have a choice. They must go through an outfitter for bear or moose.

As far as getting the information as to who has a BMA and where, they are not going to tell you that. That's private, so they say. They won't even tell me. If you have a specific area that you want to hunt, then I would look for outfitters whose camps are in that particular area and run a bear hunt.

For example...my BMA's border 5 other outfitters. In most cases it would depend on which side of the road, river, lake, etc, you want to hunt as to who has that BMA. In other words, if you're hunting with me, I show you the area and your stands, you have to hunt on the right side of the road. You can't hunt on the left side, even if you see a bear over there. But obviously stands are not put right beside the road...it's just an example.

A little more information for you...Some outfitters have had their BMA's limited to the number of bears that can be taken in that BMA because of over kill. You can't hunt the same stands and the same BMA year after year. When an outfitter does, the province steps in and puts limits on them. I have 4 BMA's and I rotate them every year, which results in more and bigger bears. But by the same token, I still bait and manage the ones I'm not hunting. I hope this information has been a help.

DARKSIDE
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