French River Bear Outfitters
"Black Bear Canada"
Contact us:
(519) 831-3989
frenchriverbear@yahoo.ca
Regulations and Equipment Recommendations
The term “Firearms” includes rifles, shotguns, air rifles, bows and crossbows. Bow hunters must always remember that your bow is considered a firearm in Ontario. Regulations regarding loading, transport, encasement, and use of firearms apply directly to your bow.
Bows and Firearms must be encased other than during legal hunting hours. Hunters must also wear a hunter orange vest and hat (solid orange only, camo orange is not allowed) when traveling on the ground, but hunters may remove it when in your tree stand.
For all hunters camouflage attire will be beneficial to you. Even though a bear's eyesight does not compare with most other big game, they have no trouble seeing you or any movement at the extremely close ranges that you will be hunting the animal.
Bow Hunting
For close range bear hunting over bait, bow hunters must achieve maximum cut width and depth to be successful. To the hunter, arrow penetration is of primary importance.
I recommend bow poundage of 60 lbs or more and shooting heavy slow shafts rather then light weight fast ones. Kinetic energy is more important than speed for bear hunting.
Accordingly, heavy weight 3 bladed, razor shaft broad heads are required. I recommend a minimum cut width of 1 1/2 inches with cut on contact tips.
In Ontario it is contrary to the Regulations to use any arrow/bolt that is not equipped with a head that has at least two sharp, non-serrated barb less, steel, straight cutting edges or a head that is less than 22 mm at the widest point.
Compound, recurve, and long bows require that arrow length must be at least 23.6 inches with a draw weight of at least 48.5 lbs. Crossbow draw length must be at least 11.8 inches, with a draw weight of at least 119 lbs
Firearms Hunting
Firearms laws and regulations in Ontario are very stringent. Semi automatic and repeating firearms are legal for hunting in Ontario, but Absolutely no handguns or fully automatic firearms are allowed! You must plug semi-automatic shotguns so that it will hold no more than a total of three shells in the chamber and magazine combined. Only center fire rifles may be used, no rim fires are allowed for bear hunting. You may not possess any clip/magazine that holds more than five shots for a semi-automatic center fire rifle.
Bait sites set up for firearms hunting, will be set up between 12 and 75 yards from your tree stand or ground blind. Even though you are hunting at extremely close ranges, black bears are inherently dangerous so I recommend using the largest caliber/gauge suitable for big game hunting that you are comfortable shooting with.
I recommend at least 30 caliber for center fire rifles, shotguns should be at least 12 gauge with a rifled slug barrel using sabot slugs and for those Black Powder enthusiast inline’s are legal in Ontario and once again the largest caliber you are comfortable shooting.
Black Bears are notoriously hard to knock down and inherently dangerous, so proper shot placement accompanied by heavy hitting firepower is a must!