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I hope you can post a hunt report, whether it's daily or afterwards. I look forward to reading it! Good luck to both of you! Any mature bear without dependent cubs is a fine trophy for a first bear.

The gear list is an attempt to keep me from overpacking but I would rather go heavy than need something. The amazing thing is having a washer/dryer in bear camp. That's a huge luxury. By the way, we are signed back up for the same week next season and a member of this forum is joining with...

I just picked up my AZ bear taken from 2-3 years ago. I think it's just short of B&C 20" minimum. Still a good bear.

I've yet to meet an experienced PH that doesn't like TSX. Ask your PH of course but if you tell them you want to bring TSX, most of them will respect that choice. Many will tell you that it's one of their favorite bullets.

My experience is the same as Doug's and I primarily shoot 400 TSX in a 416 Rigby. I don't push it to get max velocity but I still routinely get exits. In Moz, there will likely be larger groups and the shots can be a bit further out around 100 yards or even a bit further. I load TSX only...

Art, if you get a chance to hunt deer at Craig's KS farm, you should try to do so. I hunted there last year and wrote a hunt report on it. I ended up taking a 12 point and Craig was genuinely happy to see me do so. One bonus is being so close to his larger collection of taxidermy in town and...

Congrats on your last minute leopard! Many times a successful hunt comes down to the last day or so. It's a mental game but you just can't quit before the buzzer! Nice cat.

I was looking at attending on Sat. If anyone wants to connect that day, let me know.

There is video around here somewhere of a gemsbok on its knees slashing at a rhino. If a honey badger was even the size of a German Shepherd, nothing would be safe. Imagine if they hunted in packs?!?

I haven't read all the replies and don't plan to. These kinds of topics are always polarizing. I know there are topics about Boddington that seem to light people up. I don't have any connections to those subjects one way or another. Having said that, I have hunted with Craig in Africa and on...

Something that often becomes a factor on these hunts is someone's patience level. That might be stressed during the travel or some other part of the trip. It was evident on this trip with 12 hunters as we sat on stands for long periods of time, watching for target bears. Target bears were...

Another bit of travel advice, do NOT route through Toronto to go bear hunting. It's very common to have trouble with your bags and particularly your gun case. A friend coming back yesterday on this trip went through Toronto and the agents opened his case, asked a lot of questions, took photos...

Just got home last night from traveling back from Canada. Started moving at 4am and got back to house in TX at 10pm. Long day...but it gave me several more thoughts on the hunt. I always learn as I look back at things...like an after action review (AAR). One thing that was new on this trip...

Fantastic. Very exciting to see the different stages along the way.

I know bears can be good to eat. I’ve just never had that experience personally. I can also tell you that their carcass will lay out there basically untouched for awhile. Other animals don’t seem to like eating them. Bears will eat them though.

Color phases were VERY prominent the last 2 years with this outfitter. The most prominent were chocolate…then cinnamon…then blonde. Taking a chocolate is very reasonable at this location. I took a huge cinnamon last year. As to tricks at the bait, they like to hang a beaver carcass at or...

Speaking of Shockey, I would love to see his top 5 or 10 black bears. I haven’t checked the record books but I’m sure he’s all over it. Vancouver Island has some awesome genetics. I think they are all black…no color phase there?

The bears in NC and some southern states can grow bigger because they don’t hibernate. They just eat all year long and they don’t have to work for it…so they are bigger.

I’m sure I have a box to spare. PM me your info. Bear hunt was good. I have a hunt report here in the Canada hunt section.

I would be interested to visit with you offline about your research, etc. Are you considering a hunt in Hyde county? It’s kind of a bucket list hunt for me.

For those who have hunted Hyde County in NC…what outfitters did you use? I have reached out to more than one and gotten no responses. I wonder if they are booked solid with repeat business. Still, they could reply to interested parties.

I’m on the way back from bear hunting in Canada. I can check when I get home. How fast do you need them and how many?

There are a handful of stands that can be driven to in a truck. The guides were able to get a truck close and get enough hands on it. That was the irony of the ban yesterday…it forced us to look at stand accessibility. So we picked a different stand and this hunter got a shot at a lifetime...

Table fare is a great subject and somewhat divisive. Yes some of the bears can be excellent eating. If they are on berries and grass…or agriculture of some kind like peanuts, they can be excellent. If they are on fish or carrion, they are inedible. Of course you have to cook them well due to...

Yes it was a chocolate with some cinnamon highlights. Perfect hide. Perfect bear. Possibly 21” plus with an arrow. Also approximate age of 12-13 as they have been trying to take this bear for about 8 years.

Here is why you never give up until the hunt is really over…not almost over. 3 guys went back out in the smoke and heat for one more sit. We couldn’t use the ATVs so they had to get to a bait they could walk to. A boar followed a sow into the bait and Shazam…a legit 400# bear with a bow that...

Nice report of some good times. Love the horse idea and your family hunt photos. That sable knocking off his horns is wild.

Yea that always cracks me up. Super serious gamers computing the odds and that guy just runs in like that. I’m still laughing.

I haven’t seen it until now. Just doesn’t make any sense but what do I know about anything…8.6 Blackout…first I’ve heard of it. I feel enlightened.

That ad doesn’t even make sense…Q, which is actually a respectable company in other markets doesn’t have any products marketable for Africa. The “Fix” isn’t chambered in anything close to a DG cartridge. It’s the wrong magazine…the wrong market…the wrong gun…no purpose at all in that ad. By...

Philip you’re right about that and it makes a good point. I’m learning everything I can on any of these hunts about the behavior, body language, how to judge/score them, etc etc. and I like to share those observations with others. One commonly quoted thing is that big bears look like they...

It’s been an interesting back half of the hunt for sure. As suspected, the hotter weather has probably had an effect on productivity. There haven’t been any bears shot since day 2. We have 3 hunters left including my friend to fill their tags. The problem has also been worsened by the...

I see side clips referenced far more often on shotguns than rifles…in Champlin’s descriptions as an example but also in many standard reference materials.

Agreed…I also prefer the old Rigby round to the Remington. I have both but have more experience with the grand old Rigby. Fantastic cartridge that has taken some of my best trophies.

Speaking of bear anatomy, you will get a lot of education hanging around the skinning area of bear camp. This taller structure is an improvement to last year’s camp. You have to get these bears off the ground or you will ruin your back skinning them. Gravity is your friend in this case. The...

Good point Scott. I continue to look at lots of bear anatomy and never fail to be at the skinning shed to watch a few bears get opened up. They are built very differently than deer, which is most of what hunters have experience with.

A 416 Remington or Rigby would be my first choice for the large bears. Sure it’s heavy for moose as they die easily but you need to be prepared for bears in any moose country. 375 is often quoted as being the top end for bears but if you are comfortable with a 416, that’s just a fantastic...

That’s a great bear and one any hunter would be proud to have. Craig Boddington told me that a truly big black bear is one of the things a lot of trophy rooms are missing. I see a lot of average black bears in trophy rooms but not many jumbos.

Here the sow is chasing off threats…

These next 2 videos are interesting as they show a lot of body language of a protective sow with her cubs around threats.

The sow brought the cubs into the bait and then sent them up a tree so she could eat without watching them. If you listen, you can hear the cubs make little air sounds as they go up the tree.

One of my favorite memories of this trip is getting to see more bear cubs and rut activity. I will share some videos of the cubs. They were born this year and very small…like little footballs. Fuzzy little babies.

Interesting stuff indeed. I would love to see a photo of the jumbo you took…post it here if you don’t mind. The size difference between decent and jumbo is remarkable. I tell guys you won’t have to wonder about it…you will know right away. They are almost bow legged and swagger side to side...

It’s a good question but I’ve never heard a solid explanation for it. I have certainly seen them passed up in camp and we often put them up on screen and say take it if you want but it’s small. Some pass them up and some take them. There aren’t a lot of them. I’ve never seen a big one in...

Color phases and percentages are a fascinating subject. I don’t have my reference materials with me but can answer from some personal experience and add the guide’s observations after 20 years of taking bears in this province. Hunting on reservations in AZ, I was told the color phases were...

Good question but I will tell you that all of those are too small to shoot. The bears we are targeting would be taller than the barrel while standing on all fours. These are 55 gal barrels. With the barrel laying on it’s side, the gauge would be something about twice as tall as the barrel...

As I typically do in my hunt reports, I will be posting some lessons learned and additional photos and details for those who are interested in learning more about the area and outfitter. I smiled earlier today as one of you (you know who you are) had reached out to Dean the owner of Spirit...

Ok so here I sit in camp on day 3 of a 5 day hunt. Out of 12 hunters, 7 have tagged out or lost their wounded bears. Three hunters are out on stand and I wish I was still hunting! Here is what my friend is seeing on stand…it’s like someone opened the doors to Jurassic Park! Last year I...

I appreciate your comments. I’ve certainly done trips with faster connections and more pressure but this one had friends that were hoping to get their first bears so I wanted to make everyone more comfortable and try to account for Murphy’s law issues. So far so good…4 hunters in my party and...

Thanks but this one isn’t taken by me. I’ve been writing a daily report on it titled Big Bears During The Rut In Saskatchewan