Bear hunting can become a passion
By V. Paul Reynolds
If you are a hunter and have never hunted a Maine black bear, you might want to give it a try this season, or add it to your bucket list for future consideration. Most of those who have experienced the Maine bear hunts – even those who never tagged a bear — come away with a special memory that lingers long. Whether it is the anticipation of a big black bear suddenly appearing at the bait site, or merely the softness of early September and the long, lazy pre-dusk shadows cast in the bear woods, it gets in your blood.
Call it passion for bears. Here are testimonials from those who have been smitten:
“As much as I love the fall deer and spring turkey seasons, it is bear season that I get passionate about. It’s been that way for years after killing my first bear on Coburn Mountain south of Jackman back in the mid-1970s.
– Al Raychard, columnist and Maine Guide
“The entire camp celebrated, toasted the hunt and watched the video. R.J, Ryan and I shared our perspective of how it happened and enjoyed the fact that my tag was punched and we could relax. It will truly be a trip that I will always remember!”
– Erin Merrill, columnist
“The years we hunted bears and baited our own sites will always stand out in my mind as the most exciting outdoor adventures of my life.”
– Diane Reynolds, wife of the author
Bears in Maine are as plentiful as they have ever been. Not only is the estimated bear population figure hovering around 35,000 animals and climbing, there is an excess population that is beyond the bounds of sound wildlife management. Read this excerpt from the fish and wildlife department’s 2017 Big Game Management Plan, which will not be revisited until 2027:
In order to maintain healthy bear populations in suitable habitats, and to minimize conflicts in more urban areas, the growth rate of Maine’s bear population needs to slow down. From 2005 to 2016, the number of hunters and subsequent harvest of black bears declined below 4,000
annually; and during that time, Maine’s bear population grew by 2-4% each year (Linden 2016). To slow population growth and range expansion, harvests need to increase to 15% of the population (McLaughlin 1998), which would require hunter participation, success, or opportunity to expand above current levels. Rates of hunter participation are currently too low to slow bear population growth within the existing season framework.
Game Section Supervisor, Jennifer Vashon, offers this recent interim update: “This model indicated that the bear population in 2020 was relatively stable with 1-2% growth annually. At this point, we are not planning to modify bear hunting regulations as additional harvest is not needed. We will be running the integrated population model with 2020-2023 data this summer/fall to assess how increased interest in bear hunting and trapping and higher annual harvest since the pandemic has impacted bear population’s growth rates..”
Some things you should know: 1) Bear meat, contrary to the myth, is excellent table fare if properly handled and processed. 2) Hunting bear over bait is not a slam dunk as many, who have never tried it, would have you believe. Bears are smart, wary critters and, for the hunter, patience, stealth and cool-headed marksmanship are still prerequisites of a successful hunt.
It’s not too late. You can either contact a Maine bear guide (the Northwoods Sporting Journal is a good source for bear guides) or you can undertake your own unguided bear hunt. Time is of the essence. Get permission from a landowner to set up a bait site and a tree stand. Most bear guides I know won’t tell you where to hunt, but they will give you free advice on how to concoct bear baits from store bought products.
You need to start baiting in early August well before the late August opening of bear season. Put your bait in industrial-size trash bags. Hang the bait from a sapling within shooting distance of your tree stand. A nearby trail camera is a good way to get a feel for the feeding bruin’s habits.
On opening day, climb into your stand well before dark. Be as still, quiet and scent free as you can and wait for the action. Seeing your first black bear suddenly materialize from the shadows of the fir thicket as the sun drops on the horizon is a real heart stopper, however the hunt turns out.
The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books. Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com, Outdoor Books.