Black Bear Hunting List!
Last years hunting license or a copy of this years front & back.- Hunting Clothing. Bring light and medium weight clothing & rain suit. You also need an orange safety vest and hat to wear in and out from your hunting area; you need rubber boots so you don’t leave too much scent on the ground and a pair of heavy-duty rubber gloves for baiting your hunting site.
- Personal hygiene items like soap & shampoo (unscented). Scent control is very important.
- Toothbrush & toothpaste & Razor for shaving with unscented soap.
- Toilet paper.
- Towels washed in unscented soap.
- Sleeping bag & pillow - wash in unscented soap.
- Things you may want to bring:
- Two-way radio ten-mile range.
- First-aid kit with your personal medication and a list for the border and doctor note for strong drug.
- A range finder & binoculars if you need them, but you will be hunting in very heavy brush area.
- A sharp hunting knife & sharpening stone.
- Scent-away spray make sure it is unscented (i.e. no fresh earth scent.)
- Cover up scent (pine scent only) we'll be hunting in an evergreen forest.
- A tree-seat to sit on and your safety belt.
- Fishing gear if you want to go fishing after you get your bear.
- Camera & film and extra batteries.
- Flashlight with extra batteries & bulbs.
- Bear Spray is a good safety thing to have on a bear hunt. Always make sure it is fresh - check the date on the bottom of your can. (After three years it’s not reliable.)
- Money: For the Outfitter you need$950.00 in U.S. money and I recommend you bring $450.00 in Canadian money for gas, your cabin cost, to have your bear cut up & packed, to eat out with or tip your guide. Oh yeah, and to bring back something for the wife and kids.
- Bring a cooler! You will need something to bring back what you catch, and there is no sense in having to buy new coolers when you already have them.
- Things you want to eat and drink:
- Bring beer if you want beer, or you can buy it in Canada. Keep in mind if you do bring it, you might be searched at the border. (Since 9 / 11 the Canadian border is searched more often.)
- Bring any special snacks or drinks you can't live without. (You might find them in Canada.)
- Bring only the tobacco you are going to realistically use and have an accurate count for the border.
Reminders:
- Always check your tree stand before your guide leaves you. and take your safety belt & wear your hunter orange in & out it’s - the law in Ontario.
- Always check the game laws in the province you are hunting because this law is in Ontario only! So do not read this and go bear hunting in Alberta, it may not be the same.
- Remember a bear's nose is at least three times better then a deer's nose. Here’s a tip I do when baiting my area. When I leave out from baiting I always rub my rubber gloves on trees and bushes and leave the scent from my bait on everything on my way back to the truck. It seems to cover up my scent a little and leaves a scent trail from the logging road to my bait site. Try it! I got Joe doing it and a bear came in on his trail and he said that bear was smelling everything you rubbed on your way back to the truck!