i am leaving for maine on saturday morning. any last minute tips?? i have never bear hunted before. i like rifles. we dont get to use them in nj. any one who has been to maine bear hunting, what do i expect?? any places i should go to eat or check out??? LMK

Yes take plenty of bug spray and take mosquito netting like for turkey hunting., take a bleach bottle or something to go to bathroom in . Stop at Kittery trading post at the Maine border to get your license and check it out big big sporting goods store and eat a lobster while in Maine , Have fun, get a 3 day fishing license, where in Maine are you going I went to E. Millinocket near Patton. If you go on the woods and a tree had been cut down across your driveway , it is someone back there harvesting marijuana and dsif the State Police come and cut the tree to gain entrance it warns them and gives them time to escape, so be careful not to walk up on anyone they usually protect their crops with AK' s.

depending upon where you, you may only have a fifty(or less) yard shot, so if you are more used to using a shotgun, you may want to consider taking it instead of a rifle. a good shot with a slug will knock them down just as easy as a bullet. the wild crops are very good in maine this year, blueberries are in, blackberries just starting, lots of apples. i don' t want to disappoint you or get you worried, but you might be competing against the natural foods. my hunt is coming last week of sept., after a lot of the natural food supply has been exhausted. lead weights for your wasit and body to add some weight so that you don' t get carried away would be a good idea. weather has been nice there this summer so far, cooling towards the weekend, bring clothes to range from 70-90f. l.l.beans is an ok tourist trap to visit, be prepared to drop some serious coin if you go in there though.

Hey Ko...You will be sitting over a bait pile waiting for Mr. Blackie to walk on out..It is very thick up there so they will surprise you. You will probably be in a stand.Just sit still and things will happen. Judging the size of bears is the most difficult thing. The guide should help you with this. If a drum is used for the bait and the bear is as big or bigger, SHOOT! Most bears taken by my friends up in Maine average 200-250lbs. A head net and a roll of duct tape(used to tape pant cuffs close) should help control the bugs. Aim just behind the shoulder and squeeze.....

Good luck...I' m in Somerset so let me know how you make out when you get back.
JJ

thanx for all the tips guys. we are going to an outfitter and sitting over bait. the guide we are going with is a good friend of one of my friends, so we keep in constant communication. he says that out of 105 baits, 90 are being hit by atleast one bear. i will be fishing. i am unsure of what part of maine i will be going to, my dad knows. it is a 10 1/2 hour ride there from greenbrook new jersey. i am getting excited. i cant wait.

Above all else, sit still in the stand. Movement is a killer. The bears sit back in the woods and watch the bait area before coming in. They can do this for hours and you will never know they are there. You need to be like a statue in the stand and just move your eyeballs.

Good Luck.
Let us know how you make out.

I' m from the Allagash region, and baiting is in full swing right now. While there don' t seem to be as many bears around as last year, there are always some massive bruins around. I saw two last year that would have been over 400 pounds easily. This year the biggest one I have seen was maybe 250 pounds or so. I am not a bear hunter, but I am friends with a few of the local bear baiters (guide services). One guide I know was running his hounds the other day and had them split up in 4 directions after 4 different bears!

Good luck on your hunt........I am sure you' ll be succesful. Just don' t shoot a cub or sow with cubs......usually the mother bear will send cubs in to the bait first, so if you see cubs hold off and wait for a big boar. JerseyJoe was right-on about using the drum as a reference......most guides will tell you this as well. Hope you bag a monster!

the guide seems pretty optomistic. we are the first week of the season. i will be sure to let you guys know and take a few pics of the bruins with the digi-cam. i am going with my dad, my uncle, and my friend from the NWTF. i am so pumped. i leave saturday 2 am. and it is thursday 853. i am more pumped than deer hunting. plus, i convinced my mom that i needed new camo for bear hunting, so i bought 5 pairs of pants, and 5 long sleeve shirts, and 2 lightweight jackets. i also bought a new pair of lacrosse boots. it is all washed in no scent cleaner, and i am ready to go.

hope you have room for all of the bear meat with all your clothes, lol. if not, i can meet you in portland so that none will go to waste. or you can drop some off at my sisters on your way by her place up there, good luck.