Black Bear Hunting

Ontario is the top destination in the world for Black Bear hunting and our camp just happens to be located in a region with the highest amount of Trophy Black Bears. We are located east of Lake Superior in a region considered a boreal rainforest. There are countless hundreds of lakes and streams with towering pine trees and giant outcroppings of Canadian Shield rock, which produces great winter den sites for bears. The prevailing winds over thousands of years have blown sand from the shore of Lake Superior over the region producing a sandy soil that is perfect for wild berries to grow.

There are natural clear areas and areas cleaned out by forest fires and logging. In these sandy soil areas new grasses grow, which bears need to aid their digestion, along with a plenitude of wild Blueberries and Raspberries. All this food combined with the perfect habitat allows the Black Bears in our region to grow fast and grow big.

Murray Lake Cottages' has a large BMA (Bear Management Areas) totaling many square miles. Our BMA borders the Chapleau Game Preserve and contains some of the best Black Bear habitat in Ontario. We start baiting well in advance of the hunters arrival. People must remember that big bears are very smart and it takes a skilled hunter to harvest one. As a result of our efforts bear hunting guests can expect a 90% success rate with a 100% sighting rate. The only reason why our success rate is not 100% is because many returning bear hunters know the size potential of the Black Bears in our area and pass on smaller bear while waiting for a trophy.

Black Bears in our area are common in the 150 to 350 pound range with the average being around 200-250 pounds. Last year our biggest bear was 365lbs, and another one at 350lbs. We also had bears on camera that were bigger than any of these but failed to harvest them. We have harvested bears over 500 pounds but they are not common. The largest Black Bear ever officially documented in Ontario was in 2010 when a 1000 pound Black Bear was hit and killed by a logging truck on highway 101 just southeast of our lodge. We do not want you to think you will ever see a Black Bear that big but it goes to show you that the potential for a Black Bear to be considerably bigger than our camp's 500 pounders is very possible.

In Ontario you can hunt Black Bear with a rifle, bow, muzzleloader or shotgun. We suggest you read though the Ontario Black Bear hunting regulation because there are parameters and restriction when dealing with bow weight, caliber and grain size of projectiles. Non residents also need to complete a Firearms Declaration Form to bring firearms into Canada. Most of this information is on our Bear Hunt Details Page. If you have any questions at all please ask us. We are always here to help.

Bear Hunt Details & Hunt Package
Black Bear Hunting Photos