Glenn
Dunning is a member of New England Outdoor Writers Association
(NEOWA) and contributes monthly to Outdoors Magazine
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Outdoors Magazine, July '07 issue, Traveling Outdoorsman col. Submitted by: Glenn Dunning |
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Springtime Bruins Hunting's Second Season |
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| It was not that many years ago that "hunting" was regarded by most as a single season activity. That has certainly changed in the last 20 years due in no small part to the popularity of spring turkey hunting. The doldrums of that April/May/Mud-season stretch have been replaced by anticipation and preparation for what has become Hunting's Second Season. Furthermore, its not just about turkeys or letting the air out of a few woodchucks; big game hunting in the spring of the year is a big event and bears; black, brown and grizzly are the big stars. It's a no-brainer; I mean why would you, unnecessarily, relegate your favorite past-time to a couple of months in the fall? Well every year more and more hunting enthusiasts are discovering how much fun it is to take the gun or bow down off the wall, pack the truck or board a plane and head out big game adventure. Beyond the spring season, there are a couple of other aspects of bear hunting that have helped to fuel its popularity. Proximity and price would be at the top of that list. Quebec and New Brunswick both border New England and offer excellent destinations with very good success. With a disciplined baiting program near 100% shot opportunity is a reality at some of the best outfits and most of these hunts, complete with meals, lodging and guide service are under $2000 US. Although all outfitters vary in the ways they bait and run their operations the basic format is to hunt evenings, from either ground blinds or elevated stands & platforms. Hunters are typically taken to stand around 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon and because of longer days and extended shooting light they are usually not picked back up until after 9 o'clock. Newfoundland also has excellent black bear hunting in both the spring and fall. The logistics are a little more difficult because it's farther away but for serious black bear hunters the island's reputation for big bruins makes the drive or flight expense worthwhile. In the spring bear are hunted over bait but in the fall many are harvested as a secondary animal while the client's primary objective is either moose or woodland caribou. This is less expensive and typically known as a "stumble-on" hunt. Also gaining in popularity are Rocky Mountain hunts where in some areas half or more of the population of black bears aren't black. Color phase bears run from brown to cinnamon to blonde. They are lanky and do not weigh-out as heavy as eastern bear but the rarity of color phase really makes the pursuit of these animals a trophy objective. Western bear hunts generally run in the $2000 range unless they are part of a combo hunt. Among our ranks as sportsmen there are those hunters who do not regard hunting over bait as fair chase and while hunting black bear from a ladder stand, dealing with the bugs and making a killing shot, particularly with an arrow is far from shooting fish in a barrel, for the purest there are other exciting options. In British Columbia baiting is prohibited and bear are typically hunted by walk & stalk. When the bears first emerge from hibernation they are ravaged and will congregate along marshes and the edges of bush roads gorging themselves on the sweet green grasses and legumes that appear as the snow melts away. There are some color phase animals but their percentage are far less than in the US's Rocky Mountain States, they are however, big. In fact, British Columbia's coastal bears are huge. There is some research out there to suggest they may be a separate species that during the last ice age became isolated in the temperate Pacific forests where food, particularly salmon, was plentiful. These big bruins are so plentiful that even without the lure of baiting many established outfitters can still produce near 100% shot opportunity with consistency. These hunts are usually around $5000 and for a trophy fee most destinations can offer you the opportunity for a second bear. Alaska also has big coastal blacks in addition to grizzlies and "biggest of the biggest" salmon fed brown bears. Some outfits actually run their bear hunts from 30 foot or better boats. The mobility of this method of glassing while cruising miles of shoreline and then riding a dingy into the coastal marshes nearly always is successful provided the hunter can shoot straight under the pressure of a precision stalk. Plus, the boats are big, feature extremely comfortable accommodations and fishing over the side is usually part of the package. Clients that have participated in these boat hunts rave about how much fun they are while the unique nature of this trip increases the adventure factor. Alaskan black bear hunts run between $2500 & $3000. When you start looking at browns and grizzly the pricing is proportionate to the size of the beast and you can expect to pay between $14000 & $18000. Travel in small planes is generally an integral part of accessing territory where these bear are in good numbers and seldom are the hunts less than 10 days. The quality of any hunt is consistent with the quality of the outfitter. Coincidentally, now is a perfect time to start shopping that hunt for next spring. |
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