black bear_01

Here at Matagamon we specialize in archery, pistol, and rifle hunts. We have ladder stands and or ground blinds. So we can set up the hunt for you with which ever you prefer!!






Bear Hunting Information for Matagamon Wilderness

1 week spring hunters 2011 016Spring Black Bear Hunt

We are currently going into our 4th Spring Bear Hunting Season this year. Thanks to the Penobscot Indian Nation, Matagamon Wilderness is able to offer a Maine Spring Bear Hunt. We have 12 Bear permits per year, and are able to hunt on 9,000 acres. This acreage abuts 204,000 of pristine un-hunted land which we find to our advantage. This land is a very remote section of Maine and holds a large number of Black Bear. We take you out to your stand by 4-Wheeler as the roads are not passable by truck.

This hunt gives sportsman the opportunity to hunt a big game animal in the Spring of the year. With the breeding season in June, it makes for an exciting week. The likely hood of shooting a big bear greatly increases during this season. Our 2011 season a hunter shot a bear that scored in the Boone and Crocket book. It scored 20 2/16!

For the adventuresome hunter, a Spring Bear Hunt is an action packed hunt that will leave all with a memorable experience. In the morning before you go to the stand you might want to try your hand at catching one of our Native Brook Trout, or Landlock Salmon down front in the river. The Spring Bear Hunt is a six day hunt and includes your license, as well as meals, lodging, transportation to and from your bait site, and game care. All you have to do is get here, and we take care of the rest!!

Spring Bear Hunt Rate

$2500.00 per person, plus $500.00 license fee / per week
Hunt includes: Maine guide, active bait, transportation to and from bait site, game care, your own private cabin, maid service and all you can eat, family style meals and includes License. $1000.00 per person dedosit required (non refundable) at time of reservation

Fall Black Bear Hunt

Our Black Bear Hunts are done over active bear baits with Professional guides. We only take up to 16 hunters per week. We have a 4:1 hunter to guide ratio. You will be hunting from a 12 foot ladder stand or a ground blind which ever your more comfortable in. Our stands and blinds are setup in key locations with ample cover for the black bear and the hunter. The shot distance for bow hunters is no more than 20 yards, and for firearm hunters it is a 20-50 yard shot. We use game cameras to help in the success of your hunt. We set the hunt up for you whether you are handicap, or a youth hunter that needs a guide to sit with you!

We currently hold leases from North Maine Woods, Irving Woodlands, and the Bureau of Public Lands. This encompasses (7) Townships totaling over 250 square miles. (5) Townships border a game preserve of over 204,000 acres of un-hunted wilderness. We can start baiting 30 days prior to opening day. So when you start hunting, the baits have been maintained for a month. We lease enough area so it doesn't matter which week you decide to hunt. We have enough bait sites for 2+ bait sites per hunter.

Now booking for hunting season. Give us a call and we will setup your hunt of a lifetime!!

Fall Bear Hunt Rate

$2800.00, plus license - per person/ per week -
Hunt includes: Maine guide, active bait, transportation to and from bait site, game care, your own private cabin, maid service and all you can eat family style meals $900.00 per person deposit required (non refundable) $1000.00 at time of reservation $500.00 by May 1st.


Take Two Bear

$4800.00 per person/per week
One Bear by Hunting / One Bear by Trapping. Hunt includes: Maine Guide, active bait site, transportation to and from bait site, game care, your own private cabin, maid service, and all you can eat family style meals. Trapping includes: trap, and all trapping equipment, game camera, plus all the same as the hunt. (trapping license required)


Bear Trapping


$2800.00 per person/per week
Trapping includes: Maine Guide, trap, trapping equipment, game camera, active bait site, transportation, game care, your own private cabin, maid service, all you can eat, family style meals. (trapping license required)
All repeat guests are $2000.00

Hound Hunting

$3000.00 per person/per week
Hounding includes: Maine Guide, Houndsmen and hounds, transportation, game care, your own private cabin, maid service, and all you can eat family style meals. 
Limited number of hunters.


October Combo

A.M. Bear trapping and afternoon partridge hunting.

$200.00 off all Military Men and Woman. (Thank-You for everything you do for Our Country!)

Youth 1/2 Off with a Hunting Adult

Non-Hunting Adult $850.00

All Deposits are nonrefundable unless we are able to rebook, and prices subject to change.

What to expect during your hunt here at Matagamon Wilderness

The hunt includes: Maine Guide, active bait site, transportation to and from the bait site, game care, your own private cabin. maid service, and all you can eat family style meals. We prepare the hide for a taxidermist, cut up, package and freeze the meat. 7-day hunt runs from Sunday to Sunday. You may also fish for Salmon, Brook Trout, and Togue (Lake Trout) in the nearby river, lakes, and ponds.

Weather

During the Spring Black Bear Hunt you can expect warm days (60-70 degrees) and (40-50 degrees) for the nights. For the Fall Hunt you can expect about the same, it all depends on the weather. Always be ready for some rain so dont forget your rain gear.

Bugs

Spring time there are black flies and mosquitoes, fall there ate 'no seeums' and mosquitoes. We recommend getting yourself a Thermacell. It works!! We do sell them in the store if you were not able to find one.

Clothing

It's Maine, wait a minute and the weather will change. Be prepared bring some warm clothes, sweatshirts, long sleeve, long pants, your camo hunting gear, T-shirts, rain gear, maybe some shorts and dont forget your swimsuit.

What to expect during your hunt

After you arrive here at camp on Sunday, the guides will take you to sight your gun in. Around 6:00pm we have a Lobster Bake down at the River. It gives everyone a chance to meet us and the guides. We also have our area Game Warden to come and join us and to answer any questions that the hunters may have. Monday breakfast starts at 7:00am in the dining room, breakfast is made to order and all homemade. After breakfast there are boats, canoes, and kayaks available to use in the lake or river.We have Native Brook Trout, Salmon, Togue, and Whitefish in the Lake and River to fish for so bring you fishing gear, fly fishing or spinner. 12:00pm lunch is served in the dining room, all served family style. The guides will pick you up around 1:30pm at your cabin and take you to your baited stand. (There is no more that a 4:1 hunter to guide ratio.) They will set you up and then pick you up at dark. The guides will walk in to get you if you aren't already out at the road. All archers will have a radio for contact. The guides then bait the other stands and stay in the area so they are able to hear your shot!! They will help you get your trophy out of the woods. Everyone is brought back to camp for a light supper. The bear are then tagged in the morning and then pictures are taken then the meat is taken care of and put in the freezer. After you get your bear you are able to relax, go fishing, coyote hunting, or join one of the guides for a day of baiting

Facts & Observations:

The truth about baiting bear is that it isn't as simple as it seems, with an abundance of natural feed, one must entice the bear away or have bait placement in close proximity to natural feed. Over the years we have developed bait sites, some near natural feed and some in natural travel areas. The adult bear has a large territory, with male bear traveling the furthest in their feeding habits. These bear are much more nocturnal than deer and often visit the bait site at or after dark. Young animals are more apt too be seen earliest in the day. As in most hunting, there are always exceptions to the general rule. Bear will sometimes make fools out of us and be at site when least expected.

We have found that the least activity in and around the bait site the better, a new smell that the bear is not accustomed to, will make him very cautious. The bear is used to our routine, so we try not to make many changes and that goes for the bait as well. When baiting, we try not to contaminate the area with human scent, we walk the bait in and leave, looking for the paths, any changes, tracks, etc. We almost never go beyond the bait. We also put a lot of cooking oil out on the sites, as bear will track back on their trails and any bear coming across this trail will investigate. So at any time, you could see a bear that perhaps has never been there before.

As for commercial scents, I personally advise against them as we already have the bear coming and that would be a new odor, my fear would be that it could alarm the bear. Let us stick to our routine, hunters going to their stand or blind directly as you will be instructed and leaving on the same trail when it is to dark for a perfect shot. When leaving the stand or blind, do so as quietly as possible, avoid noisy gun actions, etc. Most hunters can very quietly unload before reaching the road, then continue as far away from the entrance trail as possible. Try to avoid slamming doors, racking shells from guns, etc., even when leaving after dark, the bear may only be yards away. If we tell him by our actions and change in routine, the bear may continue to hit after dark. We need to try and fool him into our routine, so please use your head and be as quiet as possible. We can talk further down the road and also close our doors firmly, BUT that gun must be UNLOADED before reaching the vehicle.

Now we have your routine down, lets judge the size of the bear. This is tough because most hunters have not seen lots of bear to judge. The hunter with lots of experience, will have no problems, new hunters will. Look closely at the ears, if they appear large, it's probably a small bear, if they appear small then the head is larger so it is most likely a bigger bear. Ears are about the same size on small and big bear. Secondly, the truly large bear will appear to have a belly almost to the ground, a lot of daylight between belly and the ground, usually indicates a smaller bear. We judge a bear that can sit and eat out of a hanging barrel is considered a shoot able bear. We ask that you do not shoot sows and cubs, usually they come in together or often the cubs come first, you can't judge sows unless cubs are with them, so if a bear comes in, give it a few minutes to see if there is any other bears with it.

What are the requirements for obtaining a hunting license?

Applicants for an adult hunting license must show proof of having previously held an adult license to hunt with firearms in any year beginning with 1976 or successful completion of an approved hunter safety course. Residents must provide proof of residency when applying for a license.

To obtain an adult archery hunting license, you must show proof of having held an adult license to hunt with bow and arrow in any year since 1979 or successful completion of an archery education course.

You can purchase your license here when you arrive or you can do it over the internet at the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife website

Click herefor State information on the Black Bear