Ross Lake Camps
Summary of Bear Season 2007
Hopes
for the 2007 bear season were set high by the middle
of summer this year. Record setting amounts of natural
food in the woods for the bears during both 2005 and
2006 summer and fall seasons had allowed for high reproduction
years in the winter dens, and it was evident by the
number of sows that were seen with sets of twin and
triplet cubs in the spring and early summer around
the woods this year. The biology reports from the
Maine Department of IF&W biologists were very good
news as well. They were speaking of very high cub
weights in the dens over the winter, and had seen some
of the best overall health of the bear population in
decades while collecting their research data over the
winter months. Within the first few days of prebaiting
at the end of July we knew we would be in for an awesome
year of hunting. The bait sites ALL went active inside
of a week of the first food placed in the woods, and
sign of multiple bears feeding was found on almost
every site as well.
The
weather was ideal for opening night of the hunt, and
5 bears were brought back into camp that night to start
us off and running right from the get go. Those first
bears ranged from 76 pounds up to 256 pounds and all
were males. Two other hunters had opportunities that
night as well, and there was also a show put on by
some Lynx cats that showed up at 2 different hunting
sites. By week’s end, 14 hunters had tagged 9 bears
and missed 2 others. A total of 34 different black
bears made appearances on the stands, and everyone
in camp had bear action at their sites throughout the
week.
Second
week
of season was sure to be a special one. In camp with us was our first Mother
and Son hunting combination, and son Colby was determined that Mom Julie would
get her first black bear before he would even hunt for himself. Also in camp
was a returning customer bringing his 10 year old son, Levi, on his first ever
big game hunt. Monday night was a night to burn in the memories of all involved
for many years to come. Eight bears were brought into camp that night, and there
was a ninth that was missed. Included in the 8 was a monster bruin weighing
in at 428 pounds that was taken by 10 year old Levi with his .32 Winchester Rifle. Julie
also scored on a very nice 125 pound boar with Colby right at her side through
the hunt.
 
More
excitement came on Tuesday when 2 more bears were brought
into camp. One of them was taken by Colby Kimble with
his mother accompanying him on the hunt, just as he had
sat with her the night before. Both bears had identical
weights, so we’ll have to wait for next year for the
tie breaker! Tuesdays other trophy was a bear displaying
all evidence of a blonde color phase. The bear was light
in color over its whole body with distinctly blonde hair
over lower portions of the back and carrying down all
4 legs onto the feet. The under fur of the whole bear
was white in color. Biology reports are pending, but
this does appear to be a legitimate color phase bear
which is an extreme
oddity in Maine. Two more bears were brought in to camp later in the week to
finish us out with 12 bears tagged, 1 wounded, and 1 missed by 14 very happy
hunters in camp.
Third
week of season kept the bear action rolling hot and heavy
with 10 more bears tagged
by 14 more hunters. The action was hot and heavy at the beginning of the week,
and the amount of bear sightings on the hunting stands continued to be nothing
short of remarkable. Highlights included a 240 pounder shot by first time bear
hunter, Eric Bucci, and another double successful father and son hunting
combination that took home a 168 pounder and a 128 pounder. The weather took
a rainy and windy turn toward the end of the week and slowed things down, but
Friday rewarded a young man from Pennsylvania who had worked a full year at a
fast food restaurant to save the money to pay his own way on his first guided
hunt. Congratulations to 16 year old Jake on taking his first
black bear!
Fourth
week of season proved to be somewhat challenging with
some far changing weather conditions that went from the
first frost of the season at the beginning of the week
to 78 degree temperatures by week’s end. Some bears
moved off of the sites to some late season natural food
sources that came into season, but 9 more bears were
tagged by the 14 hunters in camp that week, and 3 other
hunters that were looking to shoot only the biggest bears
all passed on mid range animals at their sites throughout
the week.
The
2007 bear hunt turned out to be a great success at Ross
Lake Camps with a total of
40 bears taken. Nine of the 40 weighed in at over 200 pounds, and the average
size of the bears harvested this year was up more than 30 pounds over the annual
average. Over 120 separate bears were sighted on the stands by the hunters throughout
the course of the season. On a common year there are many sightings of sows
with twin cubs at the bait sites, but this year, we had reports of 5 different
occasions with a sow seen with triplet cubs. Judging by what we saw with both
the high populations and good health of the bears during the hunting season,
2008 should be as good if not even better!
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