In early May of 2022 (5/8-5/14) I took my first trip to Stony Brook Outfitters in McAdam, New Brunswick for spring bear over bait. This was the first real outfitter trip I had been on and it did no disappoint. The camp is right on a beautiful lake that is full of pre spawning smallies. During the day you can do whatever you want, shoot your bow/gun, fish, take a boat ride or a nap. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and is served prior to going on stand. As with any outfitter, your experience weighs heavily on who your guide is. At Stony Brook, the owner, Bob Parker, hires a handful of really good local guides. Some are more "old school" or traditional with their sites, easily accessible, with a limited window or shooting lanes to conceal movement. Other guides run tree stands and trail cameras in a more modern approach. This first trip I had a guide who had more of a traditional approach. I used my friend Louie's 30-30 rifle and watched a barrel in a small window for the majority of day 1 with no sighting. Day 2 came and a small boar came out early in the hunt. In my haste I only waited about 10 seconds before pulling the trigger. The bear weighed about 130 lbs. An average size for the camp but for that early week it won the big bear pool. The coat had already started to rub, so I wasn't worried about messing it up too much and used it as an opportunity to try skinning and drying the hide myself. I sent it to a tannery who professionally tanned it, and it now hangs on a wall in my basement.
The rest of the week was filled with fishing. I brought a small fly rod, which I was trying to get better it. Being inexperienced I brought leaders set up for trout and broke off many small mouth, losing my best flies. It only taught me out to play a fish carefully on light tippet. Overall I would highly recommend Stony Brook and I ended up going back the next year for another trip. This time with my bow and proper fishing gear.
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