White Pines Lodge, New Brunswick, Canada
I booked a spring bear hunt with White Pines, through bowhuntermac. Without typing till my fingers bleed, I'd like to hit the highlights and lowpoints of this outfitter.
* The food was out of this world. Breakfast every day at 9am, lunch by 1pm and some kind of DIY meal when you got back from hunting late at night.
* The lodge was clean and comfortable. Running water, electricity by generator, gas heated water, and wood fire heat.
* The fishing, that was advertised, was in a 40 foot by 40 foot mud puddle behind the lodge. I think Alan caught the only two (6") brook trout in the puddle!
* One of the guides told us that we should shoot the first bear we see. It made sense, at the end of the week when two guys never even saw a bear.
* I saw one bear on Tuesday. Shot him and could not find him. My guide, walked aimlessly through the trees while I followed the blood trail. After about 130 yards, he said we should back out and come look again, with more help, the next morning. The next morning, two "professional" bear trackers were brought in. The wandered around like my guide did the night before. The outfitter called off the search after about 45 minutes.
* My guide wouldn't give me a straight answer about anything I asked him. His normal response was "we'll do whatever you want to do, you're the boss". This made me madder than you can imagine. I'm PAYING for your knowledge and you're telling me that we'll just do what I want? I could have done a DIY hunt if I knew this was the kind of help I'd get!
* The outfitter claimed a 90% success rate last year. My guide told me that in reality, on a GOOD week, half the hunters will get bears!
Overall, as a hunting operation, I won't give this place my recommendation.
* The food was out of this world. Breakfast every day at 9am, lunch by 1pm and some kind of DIY meal when you got back from hunting late at night.
* The lodge was clean and comfortable. Running water, electricity by generator, gas heated water, and wood fire heat.
* The fishing, that was advertised, was in a 40 foot by 40 foot mud puddle behind the lodge. I think Alan caught the only two (6") brook trout in the puddle!
* One of the guides told us that we should shoot the first bear we see. It made sense, at the end of the week when two guys never even saw a bear.
* I saw one bear on Tuesday. Shot him and could not find him. My guide, walked aimlessly through the trees while I followed the blood trail. After about 130 yards, he said we should back out and come look again, with more help, the next morning. The next morning, two "professional" bear trackers were brought in. The wandered around like my guide did the night before. The outfitter called off the search after about 45 minutes.
* My guide wouldn't give me a straight answer about anything I asked him. His normal response was "we'll do whatever you want to do, you're the boss". This made me madder than you can imagine. I'm PAYING for your knowledge and you're telling me that we'll just do what I want? I could have done a DIY hunt if I knew this was the kind of help I'd get!
* The outfitter claimed a 90% success rate last year. My guide told me that in reality, on a GOOD week, half the hunters will get bears!
Overall, as a hunting operation, I won't give this place my recommendation.
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