Relais 22 is a perfect hunting motel lodge. They have everything you need, ATV fuel, rentals, repairs, food, bar, and a perfect isolated cabin for you to relax on your next bear hunt. It is your bear vacation getaway. Inexpensive, clean, with great people to serve you on your Canadian experience..

Bear Hunting, bear baited stations, bear hunting guides, bear motel, bear camp, hunting outfitter in Quebec

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Here are some cool Bear Hunting Blogs & Boards


http://all-in-general.com/directory

http://www.hunting-trail.com

http://www.biggamehunt.net/forums

http://www.blackbearnet.net/board/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.cgi

http://www.alnery.com/forum/index.php

http://www.huntingnet.com

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/big-game-hunting

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/index.php

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/index.php

http://www.huntingforums.com/forums/index.php

http://shootersforum.com/index.htm

http://forums.huntingresource.com

It lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Canada and Alaska south into Mexico, from the Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic to the[Pacific Ocean|Pacific. This includes 40 of the 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces and territories|Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island. Populations in the east-central and southern United States remain in the protected mountains and woodlands of parks and preserves, though bears will occasionally wander outside the parks' boundaries and have set up new territories, in some cases on the margins of urban environments in recent years as their populations increase. Although there were probably once as many as two million black bears in North America long before European colonization, the population declined to a low of 200,000 as a result of habitat destruction and unrestricted hunting culls. By current estimates, more than 800,000 are living today on the continent

==Physical description==

The American Black Bear is about 1.8 m (6 feet) long. Females weigh between 40 and 180 kg (90 and 400 pounds); males weigh between 68 and 225 kg (150 and 500 pounds). Cubs usually weigh 200 to 450 g (between seven ounces and one pound) at birth. The adult has small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, a large body, and a short tail. It has an excellent sense of smell. Though they generally have shaggy black hair, the coat can vary in color depending on the subspecies, from white through chocolate-brown, cinnamon-brown and blonde, found mostly west of the Mississippi River, to black in the east (the same is generally true in Canada, the border being between Manitoba and Ontario). Further adding to the confusion, they occasionally have a slight white chest blaze on either side of the river.

Although they are able to stand and walk on their hind legs, they usually stand or walk on all four legs; when they do stand, it is usually to get a better scent or look at something. Their characteristic shuffling gait results from walking flat feet|flat-footed (called plantigrade), with the hind Leg (anatomy)|legs slightly longer than the front legs. Another reason for the apparent shuffle is that they commonly walk with a pacing gait. Unlike many quadrupeds, the legs on one side move together instead of alternating, much like a pacer horse. Each paw has five strong claws used for tearing, digging, and climbing. One blow from a powerful front paw can kill an adult Elk (Cervus canadensis)|elk.

== Habitat and behavior ==

They prefer forested and shrubby areas, but use wet [[meadow]]s, high tidelands, ridgetops, burned areas, riparian areas, agricultural fields, and avalanche chutes. They also frequent swampy hardwood and conifer forests. Black bears sometimes hibernate during winter and may build dens in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in banks, caves, or culverts, and in shallow depressions. After emerging from their winter dens in spring, they seek carion from winter-killed animals and new shoots of many plant species, especially wetland plants. In mountainous areas, they seek southerly slopes at lower elevations for forage and move to northerly and easterly slopes at higher elevations as summer progresses. Black bears use dense cover for hiding and thermal protection, as well as for bedding. They climb trees to escape danger and use forested areas as travel corridors.

Females generally reach breeding maturity at 3 to 4 years of age and with adequate nutrition can breed every 2 years. In poor quality habitat, they may not mature until 5-7 and may skip breeding cycles. Males are sexually mature at same age, but may not become large enough to win breeding rights until they are 4-5 years old (they have to be large enough to win fights with other males and be accepted by females). Mating is generally during summer, from Mid-June to mid-August with some variation depending on latitude, but with embryonic diapause (delayed implantation), the embryos do not begin to develop until the mother dens in the fall to Hibernation|hibernate through the winter months. Because of this delay, gestation can be 7 to 8 months, but actual development takes about 60 days. However, if food was scarce and the mother has not gained enough fat to sustain herself during hibernation as well as produce and feed cubs, the embryos do not develop.

The cubs are generally born in January or February. They are very small, about 10-14 ounces, and are blind, nearly hairless, and helpless when born. Two to three cubs are most common, though up to four and even five cubs has been documented. First-time mothers typically have only a single cub. The mother nurses the cubs with rich milk, and by spring thaw, when the bears start leaving their dens, the cubs are fur-balls of energy, inquisitive and playful. By this time they are about 4 to 8 pounds (2-4 kg). When their mother senses danger, she grunts to the cubs to climb high up a tree. They are weaned between July and September of their first year and stay with the mother through the first winter. The cubs become independent during their second summer (when they are 1.5 years old). At this time, the sow goes into estrus (heat) again.

Cub survival is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in teaching her cubs what to eat, where and how to forage (find food), where to den, and when and where to seek shelter from heat or danger.

American Black Bears are omnivores. They eat a wide variety of foods, relying most heavily on Poaceae|grasses, herbs, fruits, and mast. They also feed on carrion and insects (mainly for the larvae) such as carpenter ants ''(Campanotus spp.)'', yellow jackets (''Vespula spp.''), bees (Apidae), and termites (Isoptera), and raid bee's nests for honey.

They sometimes kill and eat small rodents and ungulate fawns. Like the Brown Bear, they readily eat dead creatures (carrion). Like many animals, they seldom attack unless cornered or threatened, or wounded. They are less likely to attack humans than grizzly bears and typically have long since run for cover before one catches sight of them. Grizzly attacks are most often defensive, while black bear attacks on humans, although extremely rare, are often predatory. This makes feigning death when a black bear attacks ineffective. It is estimated that there have been only 56 documented killings of humans by black bears in North America in the past 100 years.

Black bears eat a great variety of vegetation and nuts, as shown in the list below. The list reflects the different types of habitat in which it is found, from prairie to swamps to both eastern and western types of forest.

(''Diospyros virginiana'')
*[[American pokeweed]] ('' Phytolacca americana'')
*[[Beech]] mast ('' Fagus grandifola, F. mexicana'')
*[[Blackberry]] and [[raspberry]] (''[[Rubus]]'' spp.)
*[[Black cherry]] (''Prunus serotina'')
*[[Black walnut]] (''Juglans nigra'')
*[[Blueberry]] and [[huckleberry]] (''[[Vaccinium]]'' spp.)
*[[Buffaloberry]] (''Shepherdia canadensis'')
*[[Rhamnus californica|California coffeeberry]] (''Rhamnus californica'')
*[[Sabal Palmetto|cabbage palm]] (''Sabal palmetto'')
*[[Chestnut]] and [[chinkapin]] mast (''Castanea dentata, C. pumila'')
*[[Clover]] (''Trifolium'' spp.)
*[[Cow parsnip]] (''Heracleum lanatum'')
*[[malus|Crabapples]] (''Malus'' spp.)
*[[Cranberry]] (''[[Viburnum]] spp.'')
*[[Dandelion]] (''Taraxacum officinale'')
*[[Dogwood]] (''Cornus'' spp.)
*[[Elderberry]] (''Sambucus canadensis'')

http://www.hunting-trail.com

http://www.forums.huntingclub.com

http://www.huntingnet.com

http://www.racksandspurs.com

http://www.huntingforums.com

http://www.thehunterslife.com

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com

http://www.discusstheoutdoors.com

http://www.muleymadness.com

http://www.huntingmessageboards.com

http://www.mainehuntingforums.com

http://www.biggamehunt.net

Index Here

 

A great Quebec Canada Bear Tale!
(yes I stole this from another web site, but I do give you the link and reccommend the site
as well! I couldn't resist because it is so well written!) click here for original bear article.

A Quebec Spring Bear Hunt
by Arthur Elmendorf

This is the day to day account of our Canadian Bear Hunt. The hunt takes place in northern Quebec, on the Gouin Reservoir. The Gouin is sixty miles long and forty miles wide. It is dotted with islands and sandy beaches, and surrounded by complete and total wilderness. My three partners on this hunt are John Carney, Ralph Shaw, and Big Mike Martinez. All are experienced whitetail hunters who share the common bond of love of nature.

Day 1

We left my home in the Adirondack Mts. of northern New York on Sat. June 14 at 8am. We headed north pulling a trailer full of gear with dreams of big bears and good fishing. The first stop would be Plattsburgh N.Y., so Ralph could exchange some money from American to Canadian. I've learned from past trips it pays to have Canadian money when you head into the bush.

That done we proceeded north to the border crossing in Champlain N.Y. With a little paperwork and $50 each to bring our guns into Canada, we were on our way again in a short time. This was going to be a fun ride listening to the old war stories of past trips. My name is Art and I was the driver with John riding shotgun, Ralph and Mike in the back.

After four hours, and many stories, we pulled into the parking lot of the Comfort Inn in Mont Laurier. This was the last town before entering the bush for the last leg of our journey. It was now about 3:30 in the afternoon. We had dinner, looked the town over, and turned in early. After a good nights sleep, and breakfast, we continued north to the turnoff for Parent. We will now be riding on dirt roads for the next 200 miles. Four hours later, we pulled into the Shell Gas Station in Parent for gas and to call the outfitter. We still have 50 miles to reach the outfitter. All are in good spirits and ready to start the hunt.

We arrived on the banks of the Great Gouin at about 12:30 to find our guide waiting. His name was Red and he was a happy fellow who spoke no English at all. Very warm and friendly, made us feel welcome. The camp is called Pointe Aux Dores (Walleye Point) and is located on an island. This is a fishing camp where the Pike fishing is second to none. All gear had to be off loaded and reloaded onto a boat to cross over to the island.

We were welcomed by the outfitter, Roger Moran, who also helped us off load and settle in. The cabin was very clean, and comfortable, gave me a good feeling about things to come. It had a good-sized kitchen living room combination, two bedrooms, each with four bunks. The backside faced the lake with great views. Everyone helped put the kitchen together and food away for the week ahead. It was now time to head down to the main lodge to settle up, and buy our license.

Red (our guide) was anxious to show us our stands. Seems he had seen some nice bears on his trips to the bait piles. We decided to hunt that evening, went back to change into hunting gear. We headed out in three boats following Red down the lake to the first stand. The sandy beaches and lush green forests were something to see. The boats are heavy wooden, with new 10 hp motors. This seemed to be a good combination for this big lake. He had positioned the first stand in the far back corner of a small bay. The setting got everyone's attention as it was perfect. It was located about 100 yards from the water, in a stand of pines. John was first to say I will take this spot. The stand was built about 8 foot high with lots of room for a chair. The location was about 3 miles from the main camp. As John headed off towards his stand we pulled out and headed back down the lake to the second stand.

Another 3 or 4 miles and we pulled into a back bay, which looked better than the first. I thought out loud, what a spot. Another well built stand with lots of room. The bait pile was located about 70 yards from the stand. That met with my approval as it made for shooting without the smell of the bait pile. Because this is a fishing camp, heads, skins, and inners are used for bait. I stayed there as Red and Mike headed out to find the next stand. Mike and I wished each other luck as he headed out to find his stand. I remember the big smile on his face as he gave me the thumbs up sign.

The first evening was quiet for me with lots of bugs but no sign of the bears. Thank goodness for head nets and light rubber gloves. Sitting there in my stand it didn't take long to realize this was a true wilderness adventure. I was one with nature, total peace and quiet. After about 3 hours, I decided to take my boat and head back up lake to try and find John. There are so many bays and such an irregular shoreline that it could take a few minutes to locate him. I had picked out a few land marks on the trip down so going back was no problem.

Pulling into the bay, I saw John coming down from his stand. He entered the boat and related how happy he was to be there. Such a spot had to yield a big bear. It was about a 15-minute ride back to camp, to put the boat up for the night. Ralph was tired from the trip, and stayed behind at camp. We arrived back in the cabin to tell Ralph what good spots we had. We had a sandwich and talked of what we would do the next day when Big Mike walked through the door with that big smile still on his face. He said are you guys going to help take the bear out of my boat or what? So it had started, the hunt in Canada had begum with a score. Mike had shot a male he thought to be about 220 lbs.

We all walked with excitement down to see Mike's bear and take some pictures. Arriving at the boat, it was easy to see he had underestimated its size. Much closer to three hundred than two. He had a beautiful bear, thick coat,and big head. How he ever managed to haul it out alone was beyond me. We all took pictures, the guide and outfitter were happy as well. What a fine start we were off to. All would have trouble sleeping tonight.

Day 2

First light comes early in northern Quebec, around 4am. By 4:30, I had the coffee on, and one by one out they came out of their bags for that first cup. After a light breakfast, we were making plans on how we would hunt that morning. Ralph, John, and I would hunt, Mike would fish the rest of the week, and help us out with transportation. We had some wind and I knew the lake would be cutting up some.

By 6am we were headed down lake to our stands. I dropped John off first and then had to cross a patch of big open water where the lake was rough. Took an extra 10 minutes on this morning. Arriving at my bay, I watched a Moose feeding in the water. Climbing into the stand, I could see the bait was hit overnight. I did not have the wind, but sat for about three hours anyway. I could hear branches breaking on the hill behind the bait but nothing came out. Back up the lake for John, and back to camp for lunch. John had no luck either, but loved the country. We had lunch and by three were headed back for more. Red had rebaited in late morning, untouched when we arrived. Eight o'clock came and back for John. Again John saw nothing, bait untouched.

Back at camp Ralph came in and had fired three shots. He hunts with a heavy brush gun, seems the bear was out too far walking the shoreline. Nothing down, but excitement over Ralph's sighting. Ralph was hunting the same stand where Mike had taken his bear. Someone had given it the name Fantasy Island, as it was indeed an island. Mike came in with some fish, one a five pound walleye, having the time of his life. We had a nice dinner, cleaned up and turned in.

Day 3

Wind again for the second straight day. Went to the stands a little later this morning, arriving at John's stand about 9am. Exiting the boat in a hurry John managed to step in some deep mud and ended up sitting in some mighty cold water. However being the trooper he is, refused to return and change, eager to reach his stand and hunt. For the rest of the trip he would have to take much heat over that move.

About 10 A.M. I had a nice bear walk out to the bait, a little small, maybe 150 lbs. He took some food and was on his way. An hour later another bear, this one smaller yet. Very exciting but not the big one I came for. After three hours, it was back for John, who had seen nothing. We decided to have the main meal of the day in the afternoon, as we wanted to hunt until dark. I had prepared and frozen most of the meals at home, made it easy at meal time.

We were back in our stand by 5pm with plans to hunt thru 8:30. It was a beautiful evening, but no bears. The pink sunsets of northern Quebec are something to see. I went back for John who also had no luck. On the way back to camp, we decided to make an adjustment and hunt from another stand, as the outfitter had several more.

Back at camp and changing our clothes when Ralph and Mike came in with another bear in their boat. Ralph got lucky and shot a nice male. Down to the boat for more pictures and story telling. Two nice bears in three days, already a good hunt. Seems Ralph had seen several and picked the one he wanted.

The outfitter, with two bears to keep cold was now running the generator all night. Red wanted us to try what he called the road stand, as it was not on the lake, but the road on the way in. We decided John would take the road stand and I would try my luck on Fantasy Island. Red knew there must be a big sow there, as only boars had been taken. This was turning out to be a very exciting hunt. I had turned in about 10:30 when Red came over to talk with us. John was still up and let him in.

The next 30 minutes I will never forget. Red, trying to speak English, invented a new language. John, trying to speak French was just as bad. I cannot remember when I laughed any harder. Even with the language barrier, a friendship had formed. After Red left, John said I did not understand one thing he said. Don't worry John, he didn't understand you either. It is a good thing that Roger (the outfitter) speaks fairly good English.

Day 4

We had to hunt our old stands one last time as we had both left chairs there. Back down the lake on a beautiful morning. We've had great weather on this hunt. No luck on this morning, but the lake had calmed down with the lack of wind. Back at camp to prepare our main meal and talk over the change of stands for the evening hunt. The road stand John would hunt was five miles away. Rogers brother Jil would take John out and return at 8:30 for him. I was to take my first watch on Fantacy Island.

It was 6:30 when I heard the echo of John's Browning BAR 338 Win Mag. He's very fond of that Belgium Browning. It was a long way off, but I knew it must be John. After three hours I was returning empty handed, but full of hope for John. It was only the forth day of a seven day hunt, all was going well. Heading back out of my bay I ran into Mike who was fishing near by and also heard John's shot.

The lake was rough again as the wind had picked up. I followed in Mike's wake, made for better ride. We arrived back at camp the same time John and Jil were pulling in. John had seen four, and taken another nice boar. The outfitter and guide were happy knowing they had done their job, and happy we were doing ours. Sitting in camp after the bear had been taken care of, reflecting on what a great hunt its been. Four days down and three bears to show for it. The only thing bigger then the bears were the fish stories Mike had to tell. They all had a good time busting on me that evening. I told them I've saved the best for last, and good things come to those who wait. I hoped.

Day 5

I slept in on day five and rolled out of my bag about 5:30, that's late for me. It was a nice morning and I decided to skip the morning hunt and relax with the guys. I took my camera and cup of coffee and walked the beaches taking pictures. This place has some of the best sandy beaches anywhere. Listening to the Loons and taking pictures was a great way to spend a few hours. We all hung out at camp talking about the hunt, the area, how enjoyable it was. After a late afternoon dinner it was time to get dressed and head back to Fantasy Island for another go.

As I pulled the boat up on shore I heard the sound of the plastic pails going over at the bait pile. I took the Dakota out of the case, loaded quickly, and looked around the corner to see what looked like a good sized bear heading into the pines. I took another route to my stand, so as not to disturb the bait pile. Climbing into my stand I looked at my watch, it was 6pm. The first hour passed quickly with no bears. I heard the chatter of a red squirrel behind the bait and knew it wasn't I he was upset with. A few minutes later out walked a beautiful bear, 300 pound class. He turned right to walk to the bait and the shot was off. Within a few seconds it was over and I had my bear, yet another boar. What a hunt this had been. Only Thursday and we all had filled out. I attemped to pull him out, no way. It all happined so quickly I still had my life vest on, never had a chance to take it off. After offloading and casing my gun, headed the boat out of the bay and back toward camp for help. Looking back at land I thought this truly was Fantasy Island.

Red was on the lakeshore when I arrived at the lodge. He had heard the shot and was waiting for me. I don't know what he said but could understand the words "big on"e. I said yes, big one, and he was in his boat and headed for my bear. Walking through the door of camp an hour early got everyones attention. They didn't have time to ask, I said big one, and Mike replied lets go, we have lots of day light left. With Red already on his way Mike and I would be all that's needed to bring the bear back. By the time we arrived Red had the bear tied off and ready to pull out. We put him in the boat, took a few pictures and were on our way. Four bear in five days and two days left for fishing. This place is a sportsmans paradise that is very well run by this outfitter and his fine staff. We are already talking about a return visit for Moose hunting and fishing combo. Us whitetail hunters will long remember our vacation in the Canadian wilds.

Don't Plan Your Own ATV Holiday Trip - Get An ATV Tour Package

Sometimes you don't have to organize an ATV trip or tour yourself. Organizing an ATV trip when it involves kids and youth can be a tough call. The things that kids and youths want to do are, let's just say, different from what we adults want. They want to play catch while you'd rather climb a hill. You want to hit the obstacles while the kids and youth want to ride around in circles. Well…that's the thing with having a family ATV trip….a fine balance.

But listen, you don't have to REALLY organize the whole thing yourself. I mean, you can STILL have an ATV trip with your kids and youth without having a massive heart attack. No, really. I'm not kidding. Just get the ATV trip going with a tour! That's the answer. There are many companies with good tour packages – and don't forget to let them know that you're bringing kids along.

And while we're on the topic, I'd like to share a few ATV tour tips and advice with you here.

Sleep Sleep Sleep ! Yes, sleep well and early before the ATV tour with your kids and youth. There's nothing more dangerous than going on an ATV tour with only 2 hours of sleep. And besides, you'd be awake enough to enjoy the whole ATV tour that way. And of course, eat well too. You'll need all the energy you can muster to ride your ATV during the tour. And you'll have kids and youth to keep an eye on too! Before I forget…. WATER . Hydrate yourself.

Clothing wise, don't forget the helmet and the ATV protective gear (of course, duh!) and also what you might forget is an extra change of clothes. Bring A FEW extras, in fact. If you don't relish wearing caked-up mud clothing days on end (especially if the ATV tour with your kids and youth takes days) and smell like you've been in the dump. Clothes will get extremely dirty during the ATV tour with your kids and youth. Of course, don't forget to bring comfortable shoes for your kids too – nothing worse than having to endure the whole ATV tour wearing squishy shoes.

Water-based sunblock is a must for my kids because when they ride their ATVs out in the sun for some time, they get really bad sunburns when they come back. And if there's one ATV tour trip advice I got, it's not to bring anything glass during the trip! One, the kids or your youth might break it. Two, ATV riding can get a little rough and it could break the glass.

Most of the ATV tour trips have restrooms where you and the kids and youth can answer nature's call. And in case, they don't have restrooms or if the kids can't hold it in any longer, pocket tissues (wet ones would be good) might come in handy.

And there's one last handy ATV tour tip that I want to share with all of you readers and that's….. GET READY TO ROCK AND ROLL !

(Marsha Maung is an ATV enthusiast enthusiastically promoting ATV riding as a sport and family activity! She runs and is one of the staff for one of the hottest and fastest-growing ATV sites right now...http://www.atv4kids.com)

 

E-Mail Relais 22 Here

Mailing Address - - PO Box 743
La Tuque, Québec, CANADA
G9X 3P6

Motel: 1-819-523-6222
Fax.: 1-819-523-6222

Home: 1-819-531-4629

(Louise LaVoie): 1-819-523-4888

 

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