Where to hunt in Canada for Black Bear?

[Zambezi]

Can one "free range" hunt BB? Meaning can one buy a license for a BB and just hunt the wilderness along a river during a fishing trip...

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Can one "free range" hunt BB? Meaning can one buy a license for a BB and just hunt the wilderness along a river during a fishing trip...

I'm sure that it can be done, on fishing trips in northern Saskatchewan I have seen numerous black bears on the shore line but I think it would be a challenge, for a couple of reasons. You can not shoot sows with cubs and the cubs may be hidden if they are young, it is difficult to determine the sex of a bear without observing their behaviour, bears in general can move through the brush without making a sound, it's almost eerie, ghost liken and I would think very difficult to track. This is of course during a spring hunt when fishing for northern pike, walleye and lake trout is normally done. Another consideration is that the the fur coat of the black bear will worsen as the weather warms up and they loose their winter coat. The hide will become patchy as they rub their winter hair off. A fall hunt along the rivers either in a power boat or drifting will probably give you better results for a spot and stalk type of hunt. The leaves are typically off the trees by then so it would be easier to see. The furs are will be thicker as the bears are preparing for hibernation but you do run the risk of missing on your timing to hunt them. Once the grass gets a killing frost and it looses its nutritional value the bears get serious about denning. And the fishing is poorer or the season may be closed.

 

[WAB]

I would think that it would be very possible with coastal bears in the fall. We do it in Alaska so I would think that coastal BC would be much the same.

 

[DG Gunsmith]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Albert County New Brunswick... Supposedly, we have the largest Black Bear population per square mile, in North America... I happen to be a Licensed Guide... The Bears aren't usually huge, here... Mostly between the 200lb-400lb range, but, there was an 800+ lb'er shot here, in 1971...

 

[Woodcarver]

Alberta was good for me a couple years ago. A boar and a sow, both were over 7', and a 3 day limit of goose. Alberta Bush Adventures. Great folks. Joel Deslauriers and his folks run a top notch outfit. All the bear are over bait. This was a hunt they donated to DU Colorado that I won the bid for. The former Colorado State Chairman hunted with them the year before and also took 2 good bear.

This is the boar

Sow

Joel picked up all the little geese and made me hold up the big ones

 

[93marlin]

After hunting in Ontario for 4 yrs prior to covid, I'm heading to northern Manitoba near the Saskatchewan border in 2022.
Ontario was getting too many people for my tastes. BC is also on my list if Manitoba doesn't work out.

 

[WAB]

Do a little research on Newfoundland and Labrador. They used to kill some absolute toads there.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Can one "free range" hunt BB? Meaning can one buy a license for a BB and just hunt the wilderness along a river during a fishing trip...

Residents can certainly do so.

 

[Manny R]

I would hunt on Vancouver Island

 

[Tgood1]

My feeble opinion is newfoundland, Bob effords, I ve hunted there 3 times.really mature old bears and fun hunt, hell u can drive up from GA

 

[Manny R]

Post of Information:
Wherever you decide to hunt in Canada; I would book ASAP. The reason is Bears have not been hunted since 2019 and I am told there are large Brusiers in quantity that hasn't been seen in a long time.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

After hunting in Ontario for 4 yrs prior to covid, I'm heading to northern Manitoba near the Saskatchewan border in 2022.
Ontario was getting too many people for my tastes. BC is also on my list if Manitoba doesn't work out.

Good luck, have a great hunt.

 

[Hookboy88]

Thanks for the information everyone

 

[93marlin]

The largest that I heard of was killed by a truck in northern Ontario a few years ago. Around a thousand pounds.
I've hunting in Ontario for several years. Lots of bear in the 150-250 lb range.

 

[dobber]

The largest that I heard of was killed by a truck in northern Ontario a few years ago. Around a thousand pounds.

Was the Ontario/Manitba border, hit by a Miata - bear apparently was under the car, lifted himself out crawled into the bush and died, was weighed a day or two later


"A black bear was hit and killed by a car near Winnipeg Canada, in 2001. The official recorded weight was 856.5 pounds, but it is estimated that the live weight of this large male was more than 886 pounds. The driver was not injured and there appeared to be little damage to the Mazda."

 

[93marlin]

Was the Ontario/Manitba border, hit by a Miata - bear apparently was under the car, lifted himself out crawled into the bush and died, was weighed a day or two later


"A black bear was hit and killed by a car near Winnipeg Canada, in 2001. The official recorded weight was 856.5 pounds, but it is estimated that the live weight of this large male was more than 886 pounds. The driver was not injured and there appeared to be little damage to the Mazda."

That sounds about right. I'm heading for Manitoba in August about 4 hrs north of Winnipeg. There was getting to be too many people in the area in Ontario where I went...