What should expect to spend??

[BKS]

 I know absolutely nothing about bear hunting other than what I have read. I would like to start planning for a fall hunt maybe next year or a spring the following.

 Can anybody give me a roundabout figure on what I would spend to do this. I know it will depend on when, where, with who, how you hunt etc, but some general guidelines would be appreciated.

 I don't like hunting when it is warm,I want to use my 45-70 guide gun, and don't think that Canda or Alaska is doable,  other than that, I'm open
 

[dukkillr]

Probably more than any other guided hunt, black bear hunts run absolutely all over the map.  A primo boat trip in Alaska could be more than 5,000 and a cheap drive up hunt in the northern US could be 1000.  I would suggest that if you want to stay in the US and hunt a baited one bear hunt you'd probably be in the 1500-2500 range for a quality place.  If you want to go to Canada on a one bear fly-in hunt it would be 1500-3000 with the better trophy areas being even more (Like Vancuver Island).  If you want to go to Canada on a two bear hunt figure 2500-4500 depending on the quality of the area and the distance from the last road.

Maybe others can chime in, I have no idea what a dog hunt would cost?

[drdougrx]

It really does depend.  I'd say the guide fees for a week of bait hunting should be about 2k or less in the lower 48 and Eastern Canada.  I've seen Alberta hunts in the $3,500 range and as duck said...VC island is off the charts. I did a bear hunt in Sept 2008 in Maine and paid $1,500 for Sunday to Sunday all included and $160 for non-res license.  Tipped the guide $150 and the kitchen staff another $100...so...not including all the new crap I usually buy that I'll never use, the hunt was still under 2k...and then we had the bear rugged at $160 per foot...that's another story.....

Anyway...you should include the cost of taxidermy for a 6' bear to be on the safe side if you're going to mount it.