Manitoba is one of the few provinces in Canada where baiting for bears is allowed. We have a high population of Black Bears with Chocolate, Blonde or Cinnamon Black Bears available. We have a spring and a fall season. Spring, being the off season, is the ideal time to get back in the woods after a long winter. In the spring, the hair on a bear is over six inches long making an ideal rug or mount. In the fall the hair is shorter but all the hairs are the same length giving it that just come out of the barber shop look. Hunters should carefully observe any bear for an extended period of time to ensure that it's not a female with cubs. Female bears are usually smaller and less bulky in appearance then male bears. The ears on female bears appear to be large and close together and the head seems to be narrow with a pointy nose. Female bears also tend to stay near the cubs making it easier to tell the difference between male and female bears.

The ears of a mature male bear appear to be small and set wide apart and the head is more massive in shape with a blocky snout. By watching a bear and the way it acts around the bait you can tell if it is the dominant bear in the area. Taking the older males drastically improves the mortality rate of young bears as the older males kill more bears than all hunters combined. This increases the population and creates a healthier gene pool among the bear population. We offer a six day hunt for bears (Monday to Saturday). Bear hunting season opens the end of April and runs until mid June. Fall season runs from the end of August to the first week of October. Temperatures can be in the 90's during the day and fall to the low 40's in the evenings. No more than six bear hunters per week. Limited amount of tags available so booking early is advised.

Please Note: Our hunting management area has expanded to 750 square miles and we are able to take more hunters as a result. Bows must have a minimum 40 pound draw weight and a broadhead that is not less then 7/8 of an inch in width. Rifle hunters should use a 270 or larger caliber. Wolves can be hunted with an unused big game license during the fall big game season only. The bear hunting area is located in the south-east corner of Manitoba in Big Game Hunting Area #35 and Area #35A. Whitemouth Lake is the southern boundary and Whitemouth River is the eastern boundary. The hunting area is located within Sandilands Provincial Park and Northwest Angle Provincial Forest which makes ideal habitat for large trophy bears.

Portable tree stands are used during the bear season. They are placed 10 - 12 feet above the ground and about 15 yards from the bait site for bow hunters and 50 - 75 yards for rifle hunters. Ground blinds can be set up with advance notice. Hunting will take place during the more productive evening hours.