Looking for recommendations for spring 2018 based on the experiences you guys have this year. I know spring season was closed for a while, but that is when I can go. Any feedback from you guy's experiences this Spring are appreciated. Already set on Ontario, so can't change that part because some of the guys I am going with went there years ago, and they are set on that being the right province.

Thank you!

[email protected]

Bowmania

Bear Creek Outfitters, Armstrong. I hunted in the fall with a recurve but I don't know why'd they'd be any less friendly in the spring. Lots of bears...even though I didn't get one!

Isn't Jerry Russell there also. I thought so and I wouldn't go with anyone else.

Thank you, I'm getting a good list!

Sorry cant help...I have went to Saskatchewan on both my bear hunts and VERY trad bow friendly.... Good luck.

keep em sharp,

ron herman

Following...looking for a spring hunt myself.

Chris at Pine Acres is a Bow Site sponsor and will have a post over there on his spring hunts. Jerry Russell is in Quebec. Personally I'd (and will be) just start make calls till I find an outfit with will let me go on my own and S&S. I won't ever sit a spring time bait pile for bear again that's for sure. I've fall hunted out of the Bears Den in Caramat for years but the timber companies pulled out of that area a few years ago. The spring clear cuts are where the bears are and you're more likely to have a chance at bigger bears by driving the roads and putting your binoculars on a few bears anyway.

I work for a bear outfitter at times and it is hard to imagine a bear outfitter who would not be trad friendly. When I shot my bear in 2012 I simply put an empty grease jug at 10 yards. Bears are curious creatures and both the bears that came in to the regular bait also came to look at the jug. The second one offered a good shot and became a rug. I probably could have made a good shot at the regular 20 yd. bait distance but just felt a lot more confident at 10.

DDave

x2 for Dusty at Bear Creek. Great guy. Some Michigan Trad guys go almost every year, and do great. He is also donating a hunt to Comptons that will be Auctioned next March, at their Banquet in Pittsburgh.

www.bearcreekoutfitters.com/

Hunted other province years ago sorry,can't help.

Define trad-friendly. I would think that these days most reputable outfitters would be aware of all hunting styles and try to best accommodate them. Traditional can do anything others can do.

That's not 100% true George. Most of the outfits in Ontario that bait bear have been using the same stand in the same location and placing the bait in the same spot for years. 40 or 50 years for some spots. They might be 10 yard shots or they might be 30 yard shots. You never know. But what a guy can do is dump a little bait closer to their stand to get the bears closer. You can troll for some bears too with a bag of marshmallows tossed from the stand. Works best with bears that haven't been hunted a lot.

I hunted at Pine Acres a week ago. Saw 4 adult bears, all sows, and the only big one had a cub. I feel they were trad friendly. Only small bears were shot that I saw. Years ago hunt at Highwind Lake Camp, which was also trad friendly. I took a very nice bear there. It is probably true that some bait sites have longer shots than you would want, but the guide can certainly give you one with shorter shots once you tell them what you want.

Hey Steve, so what do you think about the option of driving roads and glassing clear cuts looking for bears with Pine Acres?

I saw mostly thick forest, the kind that you can't see beyond 20' or so. Occassionally a creek bottom was open for a ways. I can't see how you could see much. If serious, ask Chris, as he would know where and if you could find a recent clearcut. My gut feeling is the spot and stalk would be very tough.

You need to specify east or west Ontario. Been up there many times but never on the eastern half.

Oak, If you wanted to plan ahead and deal with the preference point crap, the best hunt I've ever been on is a WI black bear hunt. I've been on a few guided hunts and killed a lot of animals that were more 'exotic' than a black bear. The second last permit I had I killed the 53rd bear I saw and tried not to count doubles.

I've been to the area that I mention in the second post and was 4 for 4 twice, but that was years ago. Probably better now with the spring hunt closed for so long.

PM me for more info if your interested.

THis was cool, but the WI bear hunt was better. I killed this on the first day and the bear on the last. That probably had a lot to do with it.

Bowmania

Anybody have any new Ontario spring hunts to share?

Look on Bow site you should be able to come up with sponsors and references.

I was up at pine acres with Chris, lots of bears seen 18 bears, color phase and some pretty nice ones, several around 300 lbs seen 1 monster I was set on but not lucky enough to get a clear shot.

Stickflingers in Manitoba is the best there is for traditional bowhunting.

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