Québec
outfitters
beckon
spring
bear
hunters
SPRING BEAR
HUNT AND
LODGING GUIDE
18 | FISH, HUNT RIDE
PHOTO BY COWGIRLRULES
O
utfitters in Québec have
convincing reasons for
spring bear hunters to
head off to La Belle Province.
Not only is there a wide
selection of options for out-ofprovince visitors, but sportsmen
DON
also have a high probability of
WILCOX
actually getting a shot at their
quarry. And, many outfitters are just a few hours
driving time from major population centres –
including those along Québec’s borders with
Ontario and the U.S.
The No. 1 attraction, according to Domaine
Shannon operator Serge Danis, is hunter success.
“In bear hunting, it is very high,” said Danis,
whose family has operated this Maniwaki-area
lodge for over 40 years. He said 98 per cent of
Domaine Shannon’s hunters over the past 15 years
got a shot at a bear, and those who didn’t were
invited back the next year – free.
The Québec Outfitters Federation lists
50 members in the Outaouais and AbitibiTemiscaming regions alone (hunting Zones 10, 11,
12 and 13) offering bear hunt packages during the
season, which runs from mid-May through June.
“The spring bear hunt is very popular here,” said
QOF Spokesman Alain Parenteau. “They know we
have really good outfitters who sell really good
packages.”
Québec requires non-resident hunters to
purchase the services of an outfitter, and a strong
Canadian dollar hit the U.S. side of the business
hard in recent years. Québec’s non-resident
licence sales fell to less than half of the peak of
4,301 in 2004, but that number is on the rise
again as the U.S. greenback rebounds and the
loonie sinks.
There are other reasons to use an outfitter.
“First you are going to have professional
service,” said Siegfried Gagnon of Tourism Québec.
“Furthermore being part of the QOF they have to
apply high standards and an ethical code. You are
going with a guy who knows his territory, he has
been baiting for years, and they know their bear
population.”
Many outfitters buy exclusive hunting-territory
rights from the Québec government, which helps
control how many animals are taken each year,
and protects the population for future seasons.
With fewer American hunters and careful
management in recent years, Gagnon said the
bear population has “exploded,” so hunter success
rates remain very high.
The options are many and varied.
“Usually the outfitters are offering all-inclusive
trips. Six or seven nights, guides, lodges, some of
them have food, others you can rent a cottage and
have your own food. It depends on what you are
looking for,” Parenteau said.
Basic packages start around $700 and range
up to $2,000 or more for a luxurious, all-inclusive
experience. While some bear outfitters offer just
one package, many offer several options including
www.fishhuntandride.ca