Meet your outfitter Scott Flinn and the Boobe Brook camp

No matter what weapon your have chosen, long gun or bow in the end its all proper shot placement. They're not whitetails, and the vitals are totally different; you cannot 'blow' the shoulder apart and expect success. These critters are as tough as they come. We want you to be successful and have the ability to successfully retrieve your trophy. 

Beyond these photo visual aids above, please find in the 'Main camp,' usually on the kitchen table, two painted 3-D bear models, the vitals, main vessles and skeletal systems have been painted on them. Its a great visual tool to judge at different angles where your bullet or arrow will end up. Go ahead, pick them up, and let them help you solidify the anatomy. Feel free to photograph them, but please leave them for others; they were specifically hand-painted exclusively for Boobe Brook Outfitters.

You'll notice a pattern in the schematics in the video.

 #1 either broad side or slightly quartering away is when you take your shot. 

#2 try to ensure the closest front leg to you is moved forward (BEST choice) or straight up and down (2nd choice), but never with the leg back (this brings the scapula directly across your vital organs and increases the risk of deflection, broadhead or bullet).

#3 DO NOT forget to watch the last spot you saw and heard them make noise. They don't all 'death moan.' But if they do its an important piece of data to text your guide. 

#4 Try to keep track daily of how many different bears you see, the time they came in, genders, etc.  Tell your guide what you've seen.

#5 NO ONE gets on the ground to find a bear without their guide. It's just TOO dangerous and deemed grounds for dismissal. We need everyone to be safe.

Judging size of 'shooter bears'

The 50 gallon drum photo is used because most of our stands have this sized bait barrel on them. Use the barrel as a great way to judge size in a few ways. You'll note the red lines drawn on top of the ribs of the barrel, and at the top of the barrel that part is self-explaintory. So what do you do if the barrel isn't right side up? Simple it will be once your guide refreshes your bait prior to leaving you. Find a spot on a tree or nearby object and mark those heights in your brain. And/or if the barrel gets dragged onto its side know if the bear can fit inside and disappear, welll its not a big one. The big ones barely fit inside and take the whole inside up. Also if you compare the circumference of the barrel to the girth (width of the bears body) and its equal to the barrel there's a great chance you have a dandy in front of you. 

Identifying Boar vs Sow

Remember it is imperative that each hunter can recognize a boar vs a sow. It is illegal during spring to shoot a sow with cubs. Our guides will remind you that its best to be patient and ensure what comes into your stand doesn't have cubs and is what you'd be proud to place your tag upon. Remember the 'black ghost' has the largest ground shrinkage that you'll ever see (spring coats can be as long as 4-6" in length and fluffed up they look huge, until they don't).

You'll notice a life-sized bear mount in the 'Main camp' living room. Scott Flinn, your outfitter, will discuss camp rules etc the night of your arrival. He'll also ask those new to camp to guess the weight of this bear. Its a great visual to keep in mind. 

As seen in the 'boar vs sow' photo, they look different, but can easily confuse even the most senior hunter. Here's some extra things to focus upon.

Boars: the snout is square, VERY square in shape. The heads are larger, making the ears generally sit more to the side of the head (but young bears can fool you). If they're large, they have an indentation/crease running down the center of their head. They have very broad chests and walk almost like a bull dog; chest being wider than hindend.

Sows: the snout is shaped like a upside down ice cream cone (pointier at the nose vs straight out like a boar). The heads are often smaller, making the ears appear to be sitting more to the top of the head (but some big sows look a lot like a boar). Sows have pear shaped hindends (fat bottomed girls) and their chests aren't generally wider. ALWAYS look for cubs they don't always come in first.