2026 GUIDED ONTARIO BLACK BEAR HUNT REPORT
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2026 Spring Bear Hunt Report-more pictures to come.
Preparation for the 2026 bear season started a little earlier than usual. I was eager to get back into the woods just after Easter to see how everything had held up over the winter and determine how much cleanup the trail system would need.
In the weeks leading up to the season, snow stuck around much longer than normal in the shaded areas of the woods, but everything looked excellent, and expectations were high for another successful year.
During the spring of 2026, we hosted three weeks of Ontario black bear hunts—two weeks on our American Plan and one week providing accommodations and hunting opportunities for a smaller group.
Week One
Our first week welcomed 11 hunters to camp. About half were returning guests, while the other half were experiencing Wild North Outfitters for the first time.
We finished the week with 8 bears harvested, one wounded bear that we spent countless hours searching for but were unfortunately unable to recover, and two hunters who went home without filling their tags. One of those hunters had bears visiting throughout the week but chose to hold out for a mature boar that always seemed to appear when he wasn't in the stand.
One unexpected challenge that week had nothing to do with hunting. A powerful windstorm knocked trees onto power lines, causing a wildfire that left us without electricity for three days. Thankfully, the outage happened on Friday afternoon as one group was leaving on Saturday, and our next group wasn't arriving until Sunday afternoon. It certainly made preparing camp more challenging, but everything was ready in time for our new guests.
Week Two
Our second week brought another great group of 10 hunters to camp, with half returning guests and half first-time visitors.
By the end of the week, 6 hunters had successfully harvested bears. Of the remaining hunters, one had to leave early for work, one unfortunately never saw a bear during the entire hunt, and another filled his tag on the very last evening.
Heavy rain had been forecast for that afternoon, but we kept hoping it would clear before dark. Fortunately, it did, and patience paid off with a successful hunt during the final hours of the season.
Week Three
Our final group consisted of five first-time guests who were celebrating a buddy's stag.
Four hunters successfully harvested bears, while one hunter wounded a bear with his bow. We spent many hours tracking it that evening and continued the search the following morning, but despite our best efforts, we were unable to recover the animal.
Looking Back on the Season
Overall, 2026 was one of the most challenging and unusual bear seasons I've experienced in quite a while. I guess you get spoiled after so many great years.
One pattern we noticed throughout all three weeks was how quickly bears adjusted to hunting pressure. Once hunters began sitting a particular area, daytime and early evening activity often disappeared, with bears not arriving until just before dark. When we moved hunters into fresh areas, the exact same thing happened, while activity returned to normal in the areas they had previously hunted. I can't remember seeing that happen before.
A friend who helped throughout the season witnessed it firsthand and couldn't believe how consistently it happened.
The weather also presented its own challenges. Periods of cold temperatures and frequent rain slowed bear movement, and overall, the bears we harvested were lighter than I had expected.
At the end of the day, though, everyone was happy with their experience. Hunting is about so much more than the size of the bear. It's about the memories made, the friendships built, and the time spent in the woods—and I'm more than okay with that.
Every season presents new challenges, and while this isn't a bear season I'll remember for the harvest numbers, it reminded me once again that hunting is never predictable. We finished the season 20 for 26, including the two wounded bears in that total because we did our part by providing the opportunities. Sometimes hunting simply doesn't go as planned, and that's why it's called hunting.
What I'll remember most, however, are the people.
We were fortunate to host an outstanding group of hunters over the three weeks. There were plenty of laughs, great conversations, new friendships, and memories that made all the hard work worthwhile. Best of all, many of them will be back again, and that's something I always look forward to.
As we look ahead to the fall bear season, I'm feeling very optimistic. The number of large bears I've been seeing has been extremely encouraging, and I hope to get my hands on a few of them when the season opens in September.
Only a few more weeks, and it'll be time to head back into the woods once again.
Thanks for reading,
Nick