Handgun bear hunting in Maine places you in one of the heaviest black bear concentrations per acre of habitat anywhere in North America. Hunter success from our blinds and tree stands over bait has been outstanding with record book kills year in and year out.
Handgunners are Welcome
Yes, handgunners are welcome in the State of Maine and at Foggy Mountain Guide Service. Handgun hunting is legal in Maine. There is no special license required to hunt with a handgun. Your regular big game hunting license is all you need.
Challenge yourself to make a sure shot, and a quick, clean kill
The black bear demands shooting excellence before he will fall to a hunter. Even at these close ranges, a precision shot is essential. Your target is a 4 to 5 inch square (boiler room) area just behind the front shoulder.
The black bear is unlike any other game you have ever hunted. When hit, he will not lie down and bleed out like a deer. But rather, will run until he dies – which could be up to 20 miles. It makes no difference how good a shot you are. Unless you hit exactly in the boiler room, you will get nothing but a wounded animal.
And never rush a shot. But when you do have a good shot – take it. Do not assume the bear may go left or right, or even to the actual bait. Be positive of what and where you are shooting…it’s your responsibility.
Question: Doug Koenig clearly strives to be the best, so where does Doug Koenig go when he wants to hunt bear?
About Doug Koenig
- At the age of 20, Doug became the first shooter to fire a perfect score at the National Action Pistol Championships (Bianchi Cup).
- Doug has fired more perfect scores, in the sport of action pistol, than any other shooter in the world since his first perfect score was shot in 1990.
- In July 2003, Doug won the Gold Medal at the Great Outdoor Games in the Rifle event. The best pistol shooter in the world won the premier rifle event in the world.
- Doug has won the Master’s International Pistol Match ten times, and has been the only competitor to fire a perfect score (5 perfect scores in 9 championships).
Know your hunting tools
Handgun hunters must know their gun and what it will do under our kind of hunting conditions. Handgunners will take aim at about 25 to 40 yards on average. You are provided pre-built, permanent stands, portables and ground blinds with all obstructing branches and brush cleared from your line of fire. The best cartridges are large calibers with deep-penetrating heavy bullets – either cast lead or jacketed soft noses.
For treestand and ground blind hunting, optical sights are recommended. However, on a scope, nothing should be over three-power. Remember the woods are very dark, and the sky could reflect back from the eye-piece lens when you’re aiming downward. Check out your equipment. Open sights work well with highly visible contrasting colors – a yellow front blade with a white outlined rear notch is very good.
Also, handgun hunters should sight-in their guns downward for shooting from a tree stand. The difference in bullet point of impact when shooting across flat ground or down out of a tree can be as much as four inches with some cartridge loads even at close range – enough to make the difference between a dead bear or a twenty mile search for a wounded animal. Also shoot your gun in a level position as you may hunt from a ground blind too.
Unsurpassed opportunity to hunt a Trophy Bear
We strive to give our hunters the shooting opportunities expected of a truly world-class hunting outfitter. This requires knowledge, skill, effort, advance preparation, and experience. Bear hunting is our life, so no matter how you cut it, a part time guide can not give a full time commitment.
Our highly processed baits have incredible drawing power. They are continually adjusted as bear feeding preferences change. Your bait site, stand and blind are precisely positioned and meticulously maintained only after our careful study of prevailing winds, terrain, and game patterns.
A black bear can appear at your stand and then disappear in a blink. Powerful and crafty, the bear’s trademarks are strength and endurance. His nose is as sensitive as the most sophisticated radar system. The bears feed and travel patterns through our thick fir and dense bogs make him a challenging animal to hunt. Scent and noise control are critical to your success.
Black Bear Hunting Professionals
Wayne Bosowicz is regarded as the dean of bear hunting guides. He and his close knit staff of fully licensed master guidesn now led by Brandon Bishopn set the world standard that others can only dream of achieving. And no expense is spared to continually raise that standard.
Wayne’s tip on choosing a handgun for bear hunting
For decades, my favorite caliber has been a 41 Magnum, and it still is. I’ve killed a pile of bear with the 41 Magnum, but I just think the world of my Smith & Wesson 44 Magnum Mountain Gun. And that’s what I’ve been carrying for several years now,” says Wayne Bosowicz, Maine Master Guide. Wayne also owns a 454, but doesn’t have enough bear kills with it, or with the 500 and hot 460, to let him give an expert’s opinion.
“Wayne the Bear Hunter”
Prime Black Bear Habitat with Controlled Access
You will hunt deep in the most productive black bear habitat in North America, on nearly one million acres of private and state lands. Our prime hunting areas have controlled access – an unparalleled benefit for Foggy Mountain’s guests. We have hunted these lands since 1964. We know the habitat, and we know the black bears habits and patterns within it.
Hunters Roy Jinks, a national authority on handgun history, and Wayne Betz Roy Jinks (L) of Smith & Wesson and Wayne Betz (R). Roy is an outstanding person and long time friend of Foggy Mountain. Besides being a good hunter as shown here, Roy is one of the nation’s premier authorities on handgun history.
The black bear in your territory are under-hunted, resulting in a growing bear population, with many stands having multiple bears visiting them.
Bear Hunts in Two Vast Maine Regions
We hunt two regions of private lands. Each area has access controlled by gates, as are 95% of our total hunting territories.
1. Highlands, Katahdin and Moosehead Region
2023 Season: Hunt begins Monday, August 28th (Arrive on the 27th) thru September 1st; or hunt Monday, September 4th (Arrive on September 3rd) thru September 8th.
Maine’s vast Highland, Katahdin and Moosehead Region lies between our Ebeemee Lake base camp, and Mount Katahdin and Moosehead Lake to the north. A six day stay and a five day hunt.
Housekeeping Accommodations – We offer excellent housekeeping accommodations in comfortable cottages or camps. We match your lodging to the size of your party and the area you are hunting. We provide bedding and household equipment. You’ll have everything you need to prepare your own food inexpensively. There are also several places to eat within easy driving distance.
2. West Branch Region
2023 Season: Hunt Monday, September 11th (Arrive on the 10th) thru September 15th; or hunt Monday, September 18th (Arrive on the 17th) thru September 22nd.
Hunt Maine’s famous West Branch Region between Moosehead Lake and the Canadian border. A six day stay and a five day hunt tailored the same as our regular base camp housekeeping hunts.
American Plan – Stay in the comfort of a fully restored Maine Lumberjack Lodge. This lodge has been designated as an official National and Maine Historic Site, and features original turn-of-century decor. What’s more, you’ll enjoy home-cooked, all-you-can-eat, lumberjack-style meals, reputed to be the biggest and the best in Maine. The coffee pot always on.
- All hunts are six days lodging and five days hunting.
- The best time to arrive is Sunday afternoon.
- A 50% deposit is required on all hunts. No deposits refunded.
PERSONAL CHECKS ACCEPTED FOR RESERVATION DEPOSITS ONLY.
Please make Checks Payable to “Foggy Mountain Guide Service.”
Click Here for Maine Black Bear Hunting Rates.
Hunting License
In order to purchase a Maine hunting license you will be required to show a previous license from your home state or province. A hunter safety certificate is also sufficient.
Questions?
When you book a hunt with us, you will receive a complete confirmation kit including detailed information on equipment and clothing, plus graphic illustrations of optimum shooting angles.
Please feel free to call us at any time.
Click here for answers to some of your Hunting Questions.
Visit our Handgun Bear Hunting Trophy Room
Read about Doug Koenig’s Bear Hunt
by Dick Metcalf in Handgunning Magazine.
Read Handgunning for Bears
by Dick Metcalf in Peterson’s Hunting Magazine, November 2006.
