Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
06-09-2003, 01:25 PM
#11
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pa USA
Posts: 287
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
Have I ever hunted Maine?? Many times and for the past 4 consecutive years, or is it 5??. I will also be headed back up again this year. In fact, I' ll stop and get gas in Portage before I head back into the NMW. 20+ miles back in and I am at camp. I have seen plenty of bear shot in Maine. I have seen some nice bear, 360#ers taken as well. I have hunted them with rifle, flintlock and bow and have passed up bear looking for larger ones. Maine does have some good bear hunting but I still say you are going overboard with your descriptions.
If you really want a big bear come to PA. Maine can' t touch what PA has to offer for big bears. That' s a fact!!
Portage, I might have to hook up with you this September when I come up. Stop by and say hi. Always nice to meet members of an Intenet discussion board.
If you really want a big bear come to PA. Maine can' t touch what PA has to offer for big bears. That' s a fact!!
Portage, I might have to hook up with you this September when I come up. Stop by and say hi. Always nice to meet members of an Intenet discussion board.
06-09-2003, 05:36 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location:
Posts: 70
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
I know all about the bears in PA, I have friends from the area that have killed some good one' s, but as a State you guys kill very few. If you are coming to Maine each year and have not killed a 300 to 400 lb bear, you probably should find another spot to hunt unless you are happy with what you are killing.
And you know as well as I do that Maine is the place to hunt Black Bear or you would be hunting Canada.
Have you ever hunted behind Hounds??
Portage is right, that is the way to kill big bear, but it is a tough hunt depending on the terrain.
Good luck this season!!
And you know as well as I do that Maine is the place to hunt Black Bear or you would be hunting Canada.
Have you ever hunted behind Hounds??
Portage is right, that is the way to kill big bear, but it is a tough hunt depending on the terrain.
Good luck this season!!
06-10-2003, 07:03 AM
#13
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pa USA
Posts: 287
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
We also only have a 3 day season, less habitat to support bear and a lower population. I guess we would kill very few in comparison.
2002 bear harvest was 2,686 bears with a dozen bears exceeding 600 pounds and the largest being 760 pounds.
Heck, in 2001 the bear harvest in Maine was 3,900 with a much longer season. 2,800 of them were taken by nonresidents which shows the impact outsiders have for the sporting camps.
2002 bear harvest was 2,686 bears with a dozen bears exceeding 600 pounds and the largest being 760 pounds.
Heck, in 2001 the bear harvest in Maine was 3,900 with a much longer season. 2,800 of them were taken by nonresidents which shows the impact outsiders have for the sporting camps.
06-10-2003, 07:08 AM
#14
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hamilton Square NJ USA
Posts: 557
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
I get to ME every year, not always bear hutning, but get up there every year. If anyone go' s to ME expecting a 300-400 bear every year, they' re a little overly optimistic, to put it mildly.
06-10-2003, 04:38 PM
#15
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location:
Posts: 70
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
T-in-Pa2, you guys do have some huge bear and with it only being a 3 day season(correct me if I am wrong) I would say that those are some huge numbers. I here that PA bear hunters rely mostly on drives and hunting around cherry trees.
Non-residents do contribute to the highest number of kills for sure and guides have the state pretty much sewn up as far as baits are concerned. If you ever want to try a new spot, give me a holler and I will set you up with some great hunting!!
take care,
Marlin
Non-residents do contribute to the highest number of kills for sure and guides have the state pretty much sewn up as far as baits are concerned. If you ever want to try a new spot, give me a holler and I will set you up with some great hunting!!
take care,
Marlin
06-10-2003, 05:22 PM
#16
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location:
Posts: 70
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
6ptsika, you know as well as I do that a 300 to 400 pound bear does not come easy. A hunter really has to sit super still, control scent and make very little noise, then pass up all the little guys to boot. The problem most hunters have is they loose confidence with their spot and start to move around a lot trying to get a glimpse of movement while on stand. Bear have limited eyesight, but any movement can spook them off a bait in a heartbeat. I rely mostly on sounds they make before coming to the bait. They are very vocal animals, but you have to know the sounds and then you can focus on being statue still until they appear. I had a stand a few years back that had a big bear coming to it, but he would not show until after dark, so I set up some trail timers 100 yards back from the bait and found that he was coming in and laying down just within site of the bait until dark. This is a good time to set up a pop up blind or climber on the outskirts and whack him when he least expects it, so I did and he walked past the climber at 10 yards after 6 other bear had passed me by and headed into the bait. His body was as big as a 55 gallon drum and I had him dead to rights until he spotted me moving to take the shot and turned to leave quickly. I fired one shot at his spine and missed him clean. I have not seen him again, but have seen what I believe to be his track in the area. I tried to get him with hounds, but he would not tree after a 7 hour jaunt, so he is safe again until next year. I have seen a lot of 400 lb. bear and this guy made them look small.
I know that most guides give a cookie cutter style hunt where they hunt you on the same bait over and over and never change the routine much, but with a little extra effort, those big bear are possible to kill every year. The problem with a lot of guides is they have too many hunters and cant spend the extra time with an individual hunter, that is why hunters need to find a hungry guide with a small amount of hunters and the success can be very rewarding.
We do have plenty of big bear here in Maine, you just need to find the right area to hunt and the right people to hunt with.
I know that most guides give a cookie cutter style hunt where they hunt you on the same bait over and over and never change the routine much, but with a little extra effort, those big bear are possible to kill every year. The problem with a lot of guides is they have too many hunters and cant spend the extra time with an individual hunter, that is why hunters need to find a hungry guide with a small amount of hunters and the success can be very rewarding.
We do have plenty of big bear here in Maine, you just need to find the right area to hunt and the right people to hunt with.
06-11-2003, 01:50 PM
#18
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location:
Posts: 70
RE: Is Maine the silent giant for Black Bear Hunting??
T-in-Pa, yeah I heard that if you can find wild cherry trees, the bear really tear them up. They climb the trees and bust limbs off to feed on the cherry' s. Here in Maine, Mountain Ash Trees get the same treatment by bear.
Last year has to be the worst hunting I have ever had and I think it had a lot to do with a bumber crop of berries, beechnuts and Mountain ash in my area, not to mention the wicked heat that averaged 80 degrees during baiting season.
Last year has to be the worst hunting I have ever had and I think it had a lot to do with a bumber crop of berries, beechnuts and Mountain ash in my area, not to mention the wicked heat that averaged 80 degrees during baiting season.