Hunting Forum

I know this is an old thread, but I would like to get some advice from some of the bear experts out there. I am going bear hunting in Maine the first week of September and will be using my bow, but plan on taking a gun as a backup if things don't work out for the last day or so because I really want to get one. I had thought I would take a 44 mag Henry Golden Boy rifle but after reading this may consider my Browning Gold Hunter 12 ga with the lightfields and I've even given some thought to one of my 30/30 rifles. Which one of these rifles or shotgun would you experts use if you had a choice? Hopefully it will be a moot point and I'll get one with my bow though. Another thing the distance is not expected to be that far. Little help here.

Good luck! You going with an outfitter or on your own? Where in Maine?

You already know my vote from a couple of posts above.

Thanks Steve. I am going with my buddy Craig who hunts here in Illinois with me but lives in Maine around Portland, but leases ground from the paper company and hunts around Andover(I think) Maine. He and a few buddies have leased this same ground for years and have a lot of stands on it to choose from I am told. He sends me pictures every year of some really nice bear from his camera. For one reason or another like emergency operations and such I have been supposed to go bear hunting there for 5 years and I am making it happen this year. Though my brother just had a bike wreck last week and lost his leg so one of my party is doubtfull now. I have only hunted 1 time for black bear and that was in North Carolina and we never seen nothing including scat as the guy who we went with scammed us and finally told me he had only seen one black bear in 20 years. Everyone in N. Carolina all see the same bear I think as there is only 1 in the whole state. LOL I have at least seen the pics of what Craig kills in Maine so I feel comfortable that I may at least get a shot. I hope! Hope! Hope! One thing though is if I don''t get a shot with my bow I think I would perfer to hunt with one of my rifles instead of the shotgun because here in Illinois you can only hunt with slugs and can't use rifles, so I thought I may like to use a rifle as my backup just to be different.

Sounds good! There are DEFINITELY bear in Maine. I went up to Libby Camps at Oxbow a few years. Great people.

As far as my way of thinking, you should take whatever you want. A rifle will certainly do it's job as long as you do yours. Most everyone up there hunts over bait so the shots aren't long. Also, I assume you've done your homework on where their vitals are located. Definitely different than a deer.

Pictures are a requirement.