I was thinking about booking a bear hunt in Maine. All my hunting has been on private leases and I have never hunted bear or been on a paid hunt. I was recommended a guide service called Ross Lake Camps from someone I know. Reading around it seems success rates are very high with bear hunting and many guide services produce high success rates. Any advice on this hunt or input on this particular company would be appreciated.

I don't know this particular outfit, but there are many good ones in Maine. I hunted twice with an outfit called #9 Lake Outfitters -- once for moose, and once for black bear. I highly recommend them, they are first rate.

I didnt succeed in hunting bear in the last reason :(. You should find good guide service

Where? In Maine?

I have a good friend (Jesse Cote) that lives in Caribou, ME. He runs a guide service and does fall hunts over bait. He's running over 30 bait sites and has a very high success rate. I've been twice and will be back. I carried my son for his high school graduation present.....




He has a web site and FaceBook page: Back Woods Guide Service.
I highly recommend him. You'll find no one that works as hard as Jesse to ensure a successful hunt. Kills aren't guaranteed, but you'll be happy.

Here's an article I did on one hunt there..... Handgun'n Black Bear In Maine

I can't get the link to work right, so you'll have to scroll down to the article.

Thanks for the responses. I have emailed a couple, including Cote with Back Woods Guide Service. Waiting to see what they say. I am bringing my wife and young son so I will need to have a certain level of comfort for them. She isn't really the,"roughing it," girl but when she says she wants to come I cant really tell her no.

Jesse has a really nice lodge. She'll be very comfortable.

Very nice graduation present for your son, I'll bet he was very happy! Father & son hunts are pretty special.

Dick

Last year I booked a moose hunt with them when I got the news that Dad obtained a Maine moose permit for one of the best trophy areas in the state and at the height of the rut. When Dad passed on Fathers Day, I informed them that the hunt will have to be cancelled. They were really good about it and sent the deposit check back to us. Some places would not do that.

I would safely say they are on the up and up as far as working with people from that point.

Thanks for all the information. I have been responding with a couple places. I am traveling from the Florida Keys so the travel logistics are important to me.

My Father also wanted me to try and get some info on Antelope hunts for this year. Anybody have any input on that? I know there was an article going around a few months back but I cant find it. Any recommendations of guides or states?

Check these guys out. They're well worth it:

http://9lakeoutfitters.com/