Bear hunt recommendations?

[pokeanhope]

Who do you guys recommend for a bear hunting guide that will cater to traditional archery. Thanks 

[Hermon]

https://stickflingers.com/

[Terry Green]

Yes, Stickflingers.  Ryan runs a dandy camp and has some bruisers roaming around and color phase bears as well.

He's been a Sponsor for years, he has a lot of happy Tradgangers that hunted with him.  You should check out his web site, and make sure you view the videos. 

[Bow man]

Where you wanting what is your budget Baited or on the ground?

Stickflingers Great but higher priced  Baited
Bear Creek Outfitters  Ontario Great hunt good priced Baited  http://www.bearcreekoutfitters.com/
On the ground go to Alaska with Homer Ocean Charters

[pokeanhope]

Wanting to do baited, with lodging included, probably about a 2500 budget. I’ve been looking at Maine mostly. I have bears here, I have hunted them on public land for 10 years now. I have trail cam pics, know where they live ect but I just have limited time. And once the dog hunts start you can forget patterning them. I enjoy the dog hunts with my buddies, however my knees won’t let me keep up. Terrain is to steep and rocky. So I’m wanting to do a stand hunt over bait, where I can hopefully see bears, and take one with my recurve, without walking 10 miles haha

[Ray Lyon]

If it were me, I’d save a little more and do Stickflingers. I’ve done the low budget things in person in Ontario and it doesn’t compare to the videos and hunt posts from Tradgangers who have posted their experience her from going to Stickflingers.

[Deertaker]

Timberghost outfitters has a camp in Saskatchewan Canada. He is a trad guy himself and I know there are plenty of crazy big bears up there! You can find him on facebook or instagram, definitely worth looking him up and having a talk with him.

[DNewer]

I hunted with Weitas Creek in Idaho this September. Baits we’re ran daily and most hunting was from the ground.  Gary is a long time trad Bowhunter and understands what trad bow range is.  He also has bear hounds and will run bears which was quite the experience.  I did not get a shot at a bear as they baits went cold after day to be for me. However on day one I had 3 bears hit the bait which was 14 yards. However I failed to notice a couple small furs between my hide and the bears and didn’t feel comfortable trying to thread an arrow through the brush.

The accommodations were fantastic and Gary employee a full time cook.
Of the three bears I had on the bait two were brown color phase. Me a very nice boar just didn’t want to press a shot through those furs.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Sorry,,, but late to the party here.
Lots to consider when hiring a guide or outfitter and figuring out how to spend your hard earned money. I suppose you need to first ask how important getting an opportunity at a mature bear is to you? Some hunters just love bear camp and everything associated and their success comes from just being there. If that’s your category then certainly save some money and go with a lower priced hunt. You may end up killing a nice bear and saving some money.
If seeing numbers of bears and being selective is more what you’re looking for then Id suggest Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta. Another thing to consider on a less priced hunt is how the outfitter is actually affording to offer hunts at that price. Where is the budget being limited? I know for me, there’s not much to spare running a $3000 hunt. 100,000 pounds of quality bait, fuel the price it is, and wages for good guides with reliable maintained atv’s etc make charging less money impossible.
Personally, I’d go on hunts less often but spend more when I go.
Be sure with a stickbow that the outfitter will cater to the shot distance and angle you need. It’s your hunt and an outfitter should do everything he can to make it the adventure you are looking for.
Good luck shopping for the right outfitter.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

[MnFn]

I’ve hunted in Canada four times. Twice in Ontario, twice in Manitoba.  I had a lot of fun in each camp,  but the opportunities to shoot big bear were much better in Manitoba, in my experience.  I averaged around 24 bear coming into bait each week at Manitoba Stickflingers.

A friend of mine hunts further west and sees a lot of bear also, but I don’t have any info about that.

I’ll be making my next bearhunting trip this spring, and going back to Manitoba Stickflingers for the third time.

[MnFn]

My best one.

[JohnV]

I have hunted Stickflingers twice and had a great time and killed a nice bear on each trip.  Ryan shoots and hunts with a traditional bow so he understands the needs of trad bowhunters.  There are less expensive hunts out there but you will likely see fewer and smaller bears.  You get what you pay for.

[frassettor]

 

[Mike Bolin]

If your budget allows, I'd go with Ryan at Stickflingers. I've not been there, but have spoken with several that have and I think that it would be money well spent. The size and the color phases make that hunt a dream hunt for me. I have hunted with a Quebec outfitter several times in years past and had a great hunt and multiple opportunities each time. My first kill with a traditional bow was a big Quebec black bear that dressed over 300# and had a skull just shy of 19 1/2". The outfitters send a tooth to the Ministry of Natural Resources (I think that is the correct title) for aging and my bear was aged at 19 years old. I didn't know they lived that long! His teeth were either broken off or worn to the gum line. He squared at a touch over 7'.

[Bowguy67]

My first recommendation would be Dale McKinnon in Alberta. One of the main advantages is you get 2 bears. They’re huge, lots of color phases and it’s crazy vast. It’s not a trad camp but most the stands are low and close. Everyone I’ve ever been to was super active, you see numerous bears a night, we typically tell guys to look a couple days before shooting cause you want to see what’s actually available. Too many guys shoot big bears right off when jumbos are available.
That being said I’ve worked for 2 bear camps in Maine, hunted bears all over and shot a bunch with a bow. I kinda have a sense of what actually happens. I watched that stickfingers promo. So hard to actually tell what’s only marketing but everything he said was spot on. Seems like a cool place. Bowhunting only would mean a brotherhood of guys instead of being the only guy in camp with a bow. If the 2 bear thing doesn’t bother you I’d actually consider this camp and being I’ve taken my share I may one day do exactly that.

[JakeD]

I hunted with Clark Fork outfitters in Idaho a couple springs ago. Affordable hunt, great accommodations, and super nice people. They will work with you on the trad bow aspect of the hunt as well. I ended up taking my lock on and steps and set up slightly closer to the bait on some of the hunts. I saw bears every hunt, although it was not big bears. I ended up getting a nice dry sow (160ish lbs) on the last evening of my hunt. And I shot that bear from one of their stands, so some of their setups are in good position for trad bows. My wife did not get a bear, but she got an opportunity and that’s all one can ask for. We had a great time and I highly recommend them if you’re looking to just get a bear. If you want a really big bear I’d go to Canada.

[Bowguy67]

I hunted with Clark Fork outfitters in Idaho a couple springs ago. Affordable hunt, great accommodations, and super nice people. They will work with you on the trad bow aspect of the hunt as well. I ended up taking my lock on and steps and set up slightly closer to the bait on some of the hunts. I saw bears every hunt, although it was not big bears. I ended up getting a nice dry sow (160ish lbs) on the last evening of my hunt. And I shot that bear from one of their stands, so some of their setups are in good position for trad bows. My wife did not get a bear, but she got an opportunity and that’s all one can ask for. We had a great time and I highly recommend them if you’re looking to just get a bear. If you want a really big bear I’d go to Canada.

Jake if I could give you some personal insight or opinion. In some of the Canadian providences it’s not getting one opportunity. I’m telling you you’re mind will be in overload at all the bears some of these places. Not one big bear a week either. Super giants are fewer between given the limited time you have but a really respectable bear might be at least a couple opportunities during a week. I’ve even seen them in days it was lightning and thunder storming. One break and there they were.  Guess it all depends what you mean respectable but as stated I’ve hunted em quite a bit and have lots to draw off. I’ll never try any US type hunt ever again except maybe a dog hunt. I don’t even care bout shooting than. Just being there is awesome but size and number can’t compare to Alberta I’d think. I’ve never been to the camp you’re recommending but I thought I knew something til the first hunt in Alberta. Sounds the Manitoba deal could be similar. You’ve gotta try one of the northern hunts, you’ll be amazed. I’ll also add Alberta might be slightly more but with two bears in essentially one hunt it’s lots cheaper than 2 single bear hunts if that makes sense. Take none of that as refuting your opinion or experiences. I wasn’t 

[fmscan]

Seems like you can see more bear and bigger bear in Western Canada, however if you are from the East and do not want to travel so far, you can't go wrong with Russell Outdoor Guides, he's a sponsor here and he got me 6 yds from a bear. Jerry has a fun camp and he and his staff work hard for you. His bear hunts are in Quebec.... I could drive there in 3 hours....

[JakeD]

I hunted with Clark Fork outfitters in Idaho a couple springs ago. Affordable hunt, great accommodations, and super nice people. They will work with you on the trad bow aspect of the hunt as well. I ended up taking my lock on and steps and set up slightly closer to the bait on some of the hunts. I saw bears every hunt, although it was not big bears. I ended up getting a nice dry sow (160ish lbs) on the last evening of my hunt. And I shot that bear from one of their stands, so some of their setups are in good position for trad bows. My wife did not get a bear, but she got an opportunity and that’s all one can ask for. We had a great time and I highly recommend them if you’re looking to just get a bear. If you want a really big bear I’d go to Canada.

Jake if I could give you some personal insight or opinion. In some of the Canadian providences it’s not getting one opportunity. I’m telling you you’re mind will be in overload at all the bears some of these places. Not one big bear a week either. Super giants are fewer between given the limited time you have but a really respectable bear might be at least a couple opportunities during a week. I’ve even seen them in days it was lightning and thunder storming. One break and there they were.  Guess it all depends what you mean respectable but as stated I’ve hunted em quite a bit and have lots to draw off. I’ll never try any US type hunt ever again except maybe a dog hunt. I don’t even care bout shooting than. Just being there is awesome but size and number can’t compare to Alberta I’d think. I’ve never been to the camp you’re recommending but I thought I knew something til the first hunt in Alberta. Sounds the Manitoba deal could be similar. You’ve gotta try one of the northern hunts, you’ll be amazed. I’ll also add Alberta might be slightly more but with two bears in essentially one hunt it’s lots cheaper than 2 single bear hunts if that makes sense. Take none of that as refuting your opinion or experiences. I wasn’t

I don’t doubt it one bit about Canada. If I go on another bear hunt it will be somewhere up there.

That was the only bear hunt I’ve ever been on, so that’s the only experience I could relay. If my wife and I would’ve had passports in time and the money would’ve  allowed, we wanted to go somewhere in Canada for our first bear hunt. Just didn’t work out like that for us.