2024 Fall Hunt Summary
The fall of 2024 is going to be a year we won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Everything came together at exactly the right time, beautiful sunny weather over the course of weeks, lack of food in the woods and the woods over flowing with bears. I had seen this coming but didn’t want to talk about it at the time as I didn’t want to jinx it. It’s common to have a combination of 2 of these factors but not always 3. There is normally lots of bears around but when acorns/ beech nuts start falling, bears will seek that food first or if it’s raining, they don’t move around too much.
During the 2-week season we ran, we hosted a total of 23 hunters. 21 of them harvested bears, 1 wounded one that we never recovered and the last 1 had seen bears but was waiting for something bigger that had been coming in but the hunter ended up having to leave a couple days early. I do believe he would have gotten him if he stayed until the end of the week.
During each week, around 50 percent of people hunting the first night got one, followed by almost 50 percent the following night and with most done by the 3rd night of their hunt. Many of the people had watched multiple bears each night and some have some amazing stories and videos from their sits.
We hosted many first-time bear hunters during the two-week hunt and witnessed their excitement getting to notch their tag on their first bears.
We explored some of the new hunting area we recently acquired and were able to harvest 7 bears out of it. This shows lots of promise for the future in the area.
A lot of work gets put in prior to everyone arriving and this really showcased the type of results we expect with all of the effort but that is only half of it. The other half of the job is from my team that makes the rest of it, the ladies that prepare all of the amazing food and the guys that help take out hunters and recover bears. Everyone as a whole makes the whole thing a wonderful experience for our guests that they will never forget!
It’s hard to believe its already done for another year and I am already looking forward to being back out in the woods next spring! There is also a lot of new ground to explore and new sites to set up that will become future go to hot spots!
2024 Spring Hunt Summary
The first week of hunts was a tough week weather wise, lots of rain for a couple days then to cold and frost warnings over night which seemed to negatively affected the bear moment . Even the bugs were not out in full force like usual. Baits that had seen lots of bears activity had slowed down which left us scratching our heads trying to figure out what was going on. 7/9 of the hunters had opportunities, 4/9 got bears and 1 had wounded one that we never found. On the last day of the hunt, a large bear was working its way in just before dark but in the thick brush never made it all the way out into the clearing, the hunter decided it wasn’t worth the risk of wounding it as it continued to get to darker, another had a bear come in just before he got dropped off but never came in the rest of the night.
The second week started with the warm weather coming back and was expecting things to go back to normal and it did. We finished the week with 8/9 hunters having an opportunity and 7/9 harvesting a bear. The weather the last two days seemed to be very unfavourable and the remaining two hunters were unsuccessful in filling their tags
It’s always a sad feeling watching the last car pull away knowing that my time up here has come to an end and it is time to go back to my regular job in the city. We had a lot of fun the last two weeks and the memories will last a lifetime.
A big thank you to my team that helps provide such a wonderful experience to our guests. It would not be possible without their help.
In 6 weeks I will be back here to start preparations for this fall season and I’m already looking forward to it!!
2023 Fall Hunt Summary
It seemed like the spring hunt had just ended and it was time to start getting things ready for the fall hunt.
One thing that really stood out this summer compared to other years was how often it would rain and how wet the woods were, especially the grass in the yard that never stopped growing and stayed green all summer. There was lots of fresh berries around starting with raspberries, blueberries and lastly blackberries. I tired my best to eat as many as possible but there was just so many around, it didn't make much of a dent. Things looked good as there were plenty of bears around and the expectations were high for a very successful season ahead. A few days before the season started, I started to notice some acorns here and there.
The first week started and temps were cool enough that a heater was needed the first night everyone arrived. The weather did a 360 degree flip and it was 90 degrees during the day before the humidity was added. It ended up being that way for pretty much the whole week, the hottest week of hunting I can ever remember having up here in 16 years of running hunts, making it a very unpleasant experience sitting in a ground blind melting.
We got a couple bears and had sightings that first night and considering everything going on I believed it was a good start. The following day, things were just really slow, as a lot of the bears decided to be more active at night or early in the morning right at sunrise. It seemed like playing a game of cat and mouse, moving people around chasing after daytime bears mid week, only to have the bears we were after show themselves during the afternoon at spots that had been hunted the previous days. A father and son team ended up having a wonderful experience watching a smaller bear get chased off under their tree by a much larger bear but with fading light and iron slights, it just wasn't meant to be. On the last night of the hunt, a bear was hit with an arrow but with lots of rain in the forecast, we looked hard that night but had to call it quits as it kept going. The rain never ended up coming and we picked up the trail in the morning. After what felt like many miles of tracking, we called it off as it was still alive and well. What a tough way to end the week.
The weather cooled down to normal seasonal temps to start the second week, but more acorns had fallen as it was becoming a normal occurrence to hear acorns raining down on the blinds as people sat patiently waiting. There was also beech nuts around now (bears will climb up the trees to get them, there are scars all over the bark of the beech trees in some areas). As I was in the process of getting everyone out on their first sit. I had received a text saying, “I got one”. I literally just dropped off a father and son and within 7 minutes of me driving away they had filled their tag. They also set the new camp record for the shortest hunt. The previous record has been set years ago for just over 20 minutes. It was a pleasant surprised as I thought things were off to a great start and going to fall into place as things do in a normal year but that wasn't the case. As with the first week, it turned out to be very difficult as well with more games of cat and mouse being played, misses, and long sits with a few to no sightings. There was a range of daytime trail camera pictures throughout day but just could not been in the right place at the right time as again with the first week, we moved some people only to have the same thing happen again.
This season ended up being the toughest in a very long time. We finished the season at a 50 percent success rate with the bears ultimately winning the battle this year. To say I was happy to be done with it, was a huge understatement. Tons of work and time were put in prior to everyone’s arrival only to have poor results was extremely frustrating.
I am grateful to my team that can save my butt with fantastic meals and company when the times are tough that at the very least can make it a great experience for our guest.
Looking forward to next years spring hunt and see all the past guest and meeting new future friends.
2023 Spring Bear Hunt Summary
It seemed like yesterday that the fall hunt ended and with a blink of an eye I was back up here again to start the preparations for this years spring hunt. A lot of time was spent up here in the off season catching up on many tasks that had been put on the back burner over the last couple of covid years. As in the past, no two years are alike. It started with very warm spells followed by cold spells, wet and completely dry. The strangest was not having any bugs around till the Thursday before the first grouparrived on the Saturday. Normally the bear hunting doesn't get good until the bugs get bad, so I was a little worried to be out in the woods during the third week of May with little to no bugs around. In the past, you would have been attacked by clouds of black flies and mosquitoes. Baits were also not as active as they normal were up until that time. As guests started to arrive, thousands of hungry bugs came out to welcome our new guests which brought me some hope we were going to have a great hunt.
We hosted nine hunters the first week. Mark had came a few days early because of prior commitments and had filled his tag the first afternoon out. The rest of the group arrived the next day and everyone was ready to get started the following day. Unfortunately no bears were harvested on their first day. On the second day one was harvested and by the third day things started to pick up and four were tagged that night. We finished the week with six of the nine filling their tag. All of the remaining hunters had seen bears during the week. Life is tough for bow hunters as some really unfortunate things happened to them. Henry watched a nice bear one day for a very long time but was never able to get a shot off. The next day a 300 plus bear came in, he rushed the shot because of the day before and accidentally hit the trigger on the release as he was getting ready and shot under it. The bear had stepped on the arrow as it walked away unsure of what just happened. When he got back to camp, he played the footage he had recorded in front of everyone. It will probably sting for a while and has the bent arrow as a reminder. Todd had a tough week of hunting with his opportunity coming at the end of a week on a very nice bear. Unfortunately he wasn't ready when the bear presented a shot opportunity and when he was ready, the bear sensed something was wrong and left. Alan did not fill his tag but was probably the luckiest hunter of the week due to multiple bear activity on just about everyday he experienced and recorded. Unfortunately the bear we were targeting never showed himself while he was there.
We hosted eight hunters the second week and as the week before, things started slow again with no bears harvested the first day. Manny was first to filled his tag on the second day and unfortunately Gino missed. On the third day, four were tagged. We spent the next day looking for one and after about almost three hours, we finally found it. Mark was up next the day. We finished the week six out of eight tagged filled. Chris had seen bears but choose to wait it out for a bigger one and said if he shoots one now he cant come back in the fall.
Through and through it was great couple of weeks filled with many fantastic long lasting memories. We are very blessed to have amazing customers who in just a short time with us that become like family that turn into life long friendships. The weather was also very nice but was extremely hot the first week and sunny to cold the second week. We were lucky to make it without having to deal with any rain days because it pouring for 4 days after we finished hunting.
I’m happy to see that things are finally back to how it was before covid. This fall is completely booked as well as spring of 2024. So, if you are looking to hunt with us you will have to wait till fall of 2024.
Lastly, I would like to thank Tina, Stephanie, Jim and Randy for all the help. You guys all add to the amazing experience that take us to the next level!!
2022 Fall Bear Hunt Summary
After two years of waiting impatiently due to the covid mess, we were finally back at it for a fall bear hunt. Baits were very active during the month of August, so expectations were very high to have a very success fall hunt. Many that had booked hunts back in 2019, expecting to be up in 2020, excitement was very high to finally be back up.
During the first week we hosted seven hunters. The first night started out with a bang with four bears being harvested, and the success continued for the rest of guys in camp with all them harvesting bears as well on different days.
The second week started out even better then first, with five/six hunters filling their tag their first afternoon out. It took some time and some help but we got them out and back at camp. It took a few more days but Kenny filled his tag on a very nice bear to finish off the original group that started the week. We had another hunter join us that was suppose to come the first week but due to personal reasons, had to delay his trip and arrived on day three of the second week. Unfortunately the weather was not favourable and tough for the remaining week of his hunt. He had only seen a bear for a split second that never re-appeared and never filled his tag.
It was wonderful to be able to do another hunt again and almost have a perfect two weeks. A lot of work goes in before everyone arrives and to see that type of success we hope to achieve year after year. The bear population is very strong in the area with many sows with twins and triplets and one with even four cubs and was very glad that we were able to harvest a majority of boars. You will also notice we do not do any type of trick photography in our pictures. No low and sit behind picture, honesty is the number policy here. Even though it is advised a good bear is one that has its back level to a fifty five gallon drum standing up when on all fours, we are very happy for our hunters that choose to harvest whatever animals they choose too.
Now that the hunt is over, we cant wait for the 2023 spring hunt to get here. If you are interested in hunting with us, please contact us.
2022 Spring Bear Summary
After two years of being closed because of covid, we were back at it for the 2022 Spring season. It was a very dry spring so there was not many bugs around like past years. We hosted 8 people during the first week of the hunt. The first day started out with 2 bears being harvested. First time bear hunter Bobby had a pile of action with numerous bears around him even after he had harvested his bear as well a couple moose and a wolf in different places entertaining our guests. The second day was full of lots of action with 4 bears being harvested and 1 bear being wounded. We looked a little that night but decided to come back the following day. With everyone’s help, we continued to look. We followed the blood trail a very long way until it finally stopped and we spread out. Unfortunately after hours of looking, we could not find it. That night Jason had an encounter with a nice bear but had gotten busted moving. He didn’t realize at the time but there was a bear close by. He reached up to readjust him bow and that’s when they locked eyes. The bear made a sound then took off running. The following day we moved Jason to another tree. A smaller bear was working its way into the bait and he had been watching it as it came in, There was flash of black behind the bait and it was the same bear from the previous day coming in as well. The small bear took off running. Jason patiently waited for the boar get settled in on the bait and made a perfect broadside shot with his bow. The bear didn't go very far. The week was filled with many great memories, lots of first for some hunters and fishermen and life long friendships that have been created.
The second week started and exceptions were high that it was going to be a perfect week as the bear activity was very strong with the 2 hunters coming into camp. Unfortunately the weather did a complete 360 from sunny beautiful days to miserable rainy days. It rained during the days and not much at night so the bears become more active at night. With this happening it changed the game plan all together. We were limited to hunting a couple spots that had fully enclosed spots that would keep you dry so you could keep hunting instead of getting completed wet. On the first night one of the guys had seen a bear but being the first night decided to wait. Unfortunately that was the only one seen all week. We had countless trail camera pictures of bears around but we just couldn't be in the right place at the right time. Regardless, we still had a great time with the new friends we made.
Looking forward to getting to it again this fall!!!
2021 Spring Bear Summary
Due to the covid restrictions, we had a small group of 4 hunters up. we we finished the week with 4/4 harvesting bears.
Looking forward to next years hunt!!
2020 Bear Hunt Summary
Today would have been the start of our 13th fall bear hunt.. Unfortunately with everything going on and the border closure, things will be extremely quiet at camp this year. I guess the only positive thing I can say is that it’s hard to believe 13 years have already passed since a young 20 year old took over. It all started in 2007 when I went up to a lodge in the area and heard that Ken was selling his bear hunt. I went home and told my mom that “I wanted to buy the business “ and she said “ Ya that seems like a good idea” And just like that with her help the journey began. Little did I know what I was really getting myself into but with the determination that failing was not an option, we were going to make this work. Like any new business we experienced growing pains with lots of ups and downs but we worked through it and tried to provide the best experience possible. Over the years we grew from only accommodating 8 people a week, to up to 18 comfortably and providing full meals plans. As well as constantly reinvesting into better equipment that would make the job easier and the experience better. One thing we didn’t expect was the relationships we would form and build with customers that turned into friends and then into family over the years. We really are so lucky to host some unbelievable people. Last but most important is to the team that help make this company what it is and has become. My mom Tina for doing an unbelievable job providing amazing home cooked meals (she has saved my butt countless times when the hunting has been tough or the weather was miserable), Stephanie for being the best sous-chef, Jim for everything you do from saving me when I’m broke down in the middle of the woods to making guest laugh with unforgettable stories, Mary, Tony, Charlotte, Luch, Matthew, Lucas, Dalton and everyone else for all the help over the years.
It really feels like a piece of me is missing by not being up there right now but till then, myself, all the machines and equipment will be waiting patiently till the next hunt begins..
2019 Fall Bear Hunt Summary
The whole month of August was different from previous years in the sense that the weather was absolutely beautiful, with calm sunny days as the norm. You could have counted on one hand the amount of rain days and most of the time it happened at night. There was a large mass of berries but with the lack of rain, most were very tiny. As usual with any years, baiting started out almost 100% of baits getting hit and stayed that way even with different food sources (raspberries, blue berries and black berries, etc) coming and going. The week before the hunt started and I noticed acorns starting to fall but it didn't seem to bother any as the bears were still just as active as before. Checking the long-range forecast, rain and colder temperatures were coming and were going to be with us for the 2 weeks we were running our hunt. The hurricane coming up from the Bahamas ended up bringing rain as well. With the way the baits were going, expectations were super high to have a very successful first day. It didn't play out like that at all. A few of the hunters had seen bears on the first day, one was a 300+ boar but didn’t present a shot opportunity so the bow hunter had to pass, but none were harvested. Trail cameras showed that bears become nocturnal right on the first day of the hunt on most baits. The first bear was harvested on the second day and continued to be super slow with a bear here and there but no real day where we harvested a large number of bears like we had in the past. We did do something that had never been done before in 12 years. We harvested 2 bears in the rain!! The first week came to a close and of the 19 hunters we hosted, 15 of them had shot opportunities and 9 had harvested bears.
The second group of 7 arrived and hopes were high as we had a couple nice days before it started to rain again. We did have a full moon and hoped the bears wouldn’t become nocturnal, but some did. One hunter had two bears come in his first night but chose to wait for the much larger boar that was coming in. On the 2nd night and 3rd night one hunter had a sow with 2 cubs come in as well as a different bear. On the 4th night two bears were hit and had to wait until the morning to find them. Unfortunately, both bears were never found. On the last day a bear was harvested and recovered. Of the 7 hunters, 4 had seen bears and 3 had pulled the trigger but we only recovered 1. In 12 years of doing this, this was by far the most difficult year we had ever had. We had tons of day time pictures, but they just did not want to co-operate once we began hunting. The largest bear was 155lbs which was a disappoint due to the march larger bears we had around. In the end, our guest enjoyed themselves and understood things don't always go as planned. I guess that's why they call it hunting and hope for better luck next year.
As Murphy's law would have it, the day everyone left, the weather went back to being calm and sunny and had stayed that way for over a week straight.
Also a big thank you to Tina, Gary, Charlotte, Jim, Mary and Tony for all the help!!
2019 Spring Bear Hunt Summary
This spring started off more difficult then any other with winter hanging on much longer then usual. The snow was very deep, which in turn made it very difficult to get baits out. So instead of being able to drive to most out them, I had to walk the bait in. It’s crazy I know, but I tell people I bait a month before the season starts so I have to stick to my word. Baiting was slow to start with but that was totally expected. Things started to pick up as the hunt neared. As everyone arrived, one thing that was unusual was that the bugs were just starting to come out. Normally they are bad and progressively get worse as the two weeks of the hunt goes on. I have come to learn over the years that the worse the bugs are, the better the bear hunting. It felt like spring was delayed by at least 2 weeks and the leaves were not even out yet. We hosted 9 hunters the 1st week. As with every spring, rain was present, with some days being worse then others, so things were slow as we never have much luck hunting in the rain. The first bear was harvested on the 3rd night and things picked up as the week went on. Of the 9 hunters, 8 had seen bears and 7 had pulled the trigger. Unfortunately 2 were wounded and never found. The biggest bear was 200lb.
Our 2nd group arrived and were greeted with nicer weather. The bugs still weren't as bad as they were supposed to be by this point. Unfortunately the guys arrived much later then expected (got turned around at the border because an ATV was covered in mud, so in the middle of the night, they had to go find a car wash to clean it. The agent said there were possibly bugs in the mud and it had to be cleaned off if it was coming into Canada). So to say they were little tired after being up for24 hours was a bit of an understatement but they were going hunting anyways. The 1st bear of the week was harvested on the second day but the rest of the week was uneventful until the last day. The 2nd bear was harvested at 4.30pm and the 3rd one was with minutes of daylight to spare. It’s never over till its over, so you must never give up. We ended up recovering it in the morning. We finished the week 3/3 with the biggest bear just over 200lbs. At this point the bug were out in full force and we were glad to be finished and out of the woods!!
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