If you are a hunter and have never hunted a Maine black bear, you might want to give it a try this season, or add it to your bucket list for future consideration.
Most people who have experienced the Maine bear hunts — even those who never tagged a bear — come away with a special memory that lingers long.
Whether it is the anticipation of a big black bear suddenly appearing at the bait site, or merely the softness of early September and the long, lazy pre-dusk shadows cast in the September bear woods, it gets in your blood.
Call it a passion for bears. Here are testimonials from those who have been smitten:
“As much as I love the fall deer and spring turkey seasons, it is bear season that I get passionate about. It’s been that way for years after killing my first bear on Coburn Mountain south of Jackman back in the mid-1970s.”
— Al Raychard, columnist and Maine Guide
“The entire camp celebrated, toasted the hunt and watched the video. R.J. Ryan and I shared our perspective of how it happened and enjoyed the fact that my tag was punched and we could relax. It will truly be a trip that I will always remember!”
— Erin Merrill, columnist
“The years we hunted bears and baited our own sites will always stand out in my mind as the most exciting outdoor adventures of my life.”
— Diane Reynolds, wife of V. Paul Reynolds
Bears in Maine are as plentiful as they have ever been. Not only is the estimated bear population hovering around 35,000 animals and climbing, there is an excess that is beyond the bounds of sound wildlife management.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wrote in its 2017 Big Game Management Plan that the growth rate of the state’s bear population had to slow down to keep the bears healthy and to minimize conflicts between people and the animals.
The number of hunters and subsequently the size of the bear harvest dipped below 4,000 from 2005 to 2016, while Maine’s bruin population grew 2-4 percent each year. In order to manage the number of bears, the 2017 report recommended that the harvest increase to 15 percent of the population, the department said.
On top of that, hunter participation was already too low, the report said.
That management plan won’t be revisited until 2027, according to the department’s website.
In 2024, MDIF&W Game Section Supervisor Jennifer Vashon offered this recent interim update: “This model indicated that the bear population in 2020 was relatively stable with 1-2 percent growth annually. At this point, we are not planning to modify bear hunting regulations as additional harvest is not needed. We will be running the integrated population model with 2020-2023 data this summer/fall to assess how increased interest in bear hunting and trapping and higher annual harvest since the pandemic has impacted bear population’s growth rates.”
Some things you should know:
Bear meat, contrary to the myth, is excellent table fare if properly handled and processed.
Hunting bear over bait is not a slam dunk as many, who have never tried it, would have you believe. Bears are smart, wary critters and, for the hunter, patience, stealth and cool-headed marksmanship are still prerequisites of a successful hunt.
It’s not too late. You can either contact a Maine bear guide ( the Northwoods Sporting Journal is a good source for bear guides), or you can undertake your own unguided bear hunt.
Time is important. Get permission from a landowner to set up a bait site and a tree stand now. Most bear guides I know won’t tell you where to hunt, but they will give you free advice on how to concoct bear baits from store-bought products.
You need to start baiting in early August well before the late-month opening of bear season. Put your bait in industrial-size trash bags. Hang the bait from a sapling within shooting distance of your tree stand.
A nearby trail camera is a good way to get a feel for the feeding bruin’s habits.
On opening day, climb into your stand well before dark. Be as still, quiet and scent free as you can and wait for the action.
Seeing your first black bear suddenly materialize from the shadows of the fir thicket as the sun drops on the horizon is a real heart stopper, no matter how the hunt turns out.
V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network.
