Maine fall bear hunt

[Red4arm]

I will be arriving in Maine for my first hunt I have ever paid for on Sept 11th. My outfitter is Wade Kelly with Tylor Kelly's Camps. This will be a bait hunt. I will be using a take down recurve I built 59# , carbon xpress 250 with Magnus Stinger heads. I really don't know what to expect. Can any of you with experience with this type of hunt give me a heads up?
I plan on posting daily pics and updates.
Thanks for any help with gear or clothing essentials recommended to take?

[Izzy]

Its beautiful up there and there is no shortage of bear.Listen to your guide and ask him if there is a boss bear known to frequent your particular bait site.If not,,, a good Maine bear is anything close to 200#s in my experience although they get much bigger on occasion up there.I was lucky enough to kill a 290#er and I know a couple of fellass that killed P&Y 400#ers last fall.Bring a pole is fishing season is still open and you might get some nice brookies from some of the ponds and lakes.I enjoyed good fishing on several Maine bear hunts.Last but not least, if you like the area and guide start applying for moose!Good luck and enjoy.

[BUFF]

good luck... you will have a blast

here is what you can expect

http://buffsblackwidow.com/oldvideos/bearhuntday33.wmv

[JPE]

where is the camp you hunt out of? we hunt just outside mapleton with squapan mountain outfitters. If you are near this area there are a lot of bears. bring a thermo cell if you have one. keeps the bugs away and does not bother the bears. be ready for all sorts of weather, we went from longjohn to shirt sleeve weather last year.
                 Jim Pyles

[Bill Carlsen]

Yep....a Thermacell is as important as your bow and arrows. I would also advise bringing a bear pepper spray along. Every once in a while  you will run into a sow with cubs. At our hunt up in Portage  I have had guys false charged by sows as they were leaving their stands. Pepper spray is a good thing to have with you. You may never need it in 100 hunts but once will have you changing your underwear.

Scent control is key so bring along your soap and shampoos. In addition you might want to bring along some clean, unscented bath towels. I don't know about the lodging up where you will be but every place we have stayed at washes their sheets and towels with perfumed detergent so we always bring our own scent free towels just in case. We always take a shower just before we go out so...be prepared. You might also bring at least one set of medium to heavy weight warmer clothing. Mostly it is pretty warm at that time but some times it can get frosty as the sun sets. Good luck and post some pics.

[Jason Hansen]

My Dad and I were up in Oxbow, ME last year.  It was our first bear hunt and we absolutely loved it.  Maine has some beautiful country.  One thing I would recommend is a Thermacell.  I always thought these things were another gimmick, but honestly they DO work!  As soon as I got back, I bought the olive drab model with the holster.  Also, make sure to be quiet and pay attention while in your stand.  I was amazed at how quiet they really are coming into the bait...it's not like hunting whitetails.

You'll have a blast and I know you won't want to leave.  

[Red4arm]

Thanks for the advice, I will for sure take my thermocell. I loaded up on scent control stuff this weekend.
Working on making some extra stings right now.
It's close to 100 here today, I am looking forward to some cooler temps up there. The high up there today was 73! Sounds nice.

[David Mitchell]

Yes, they come in very quietly--sort of drift in like smoke!  Even the smallest sound that would not alert a deer will have them doing an about face and simply leave you amazed.  I have spooked them just by accidentally ruffling a feather on my arrow when the bear was still about 15 yards away.  I'll be back in Maine in September hunting with Eldon Jandreau in Portage--my fifth hunt with Eldon.  You'll have a great time.

[Hit-or-Miss]

I'll be up that way as well, but at the start of the season and for the following 2 weeks, in the Rockwood area, doing a self guided hunt. I wouldn't be too concerned about the bears in Maine attacking folks. There was a fisherman in Downeast Maine attacked back in the early 90's, but he used a 4" knife to fend it off, hiding behind small trees and stabbing it in the face. No cubs, it wanted his sandwich, if I recall correctly. I think the story was in the Maine Sportsman at the time. You might possibly see a wolf or a cougar around Moosehead lake, but pretend that you didn't, as the wildlife department states that there is "no residual population" of either predator in Maine. But there are plenty of both sighted over the last 15 years Statewide. Aside from my recurve bow, I'll have either my Ruger .41 Magnum or my Cold Steel Bowie knife strapped on, depending upon how hot is gets, not for the bears, but for the wolves and cougars that ARE there that don't officaly exist...LOL!!! I also use Ben's 100 bug dope, as the bugs are 1,000 times more aggressive than the bears.

[Kevin L.]

Wade is a great guy and supports the Maine Traditional Archers heavily each year. Dittos on the Thermacell, be sure to bring plenty of refills. It always seems to run low right at dusk, when the action picks up.

[johnnyk71]

my dream hunt. good luck!

[hitman]

I agree with David Mitchell. I've been with Eldon at hunterspoint and you could not do better.