Thiel's Guide Service

06/03/2026

Just a few pictures from this year so far....things are moving along quickly, and season will be here before you know it! We will be getting more cameras out over the next couple weeks!

05/25/2026

05/01/2026

Things are going to get busy!

03/31/2026

This is a question we get several times a year....

How old do black bears get? The answer is more complicated than it seems.

A black bear (American black bear) can live 20+ years in the wild, but most don’t. In heavily hunted parts of the U.S., many bears top out around 8–12 years, and most harvested bears are just 3–6 years old. In remote areas like Alaska or big Canadian provinces like Ontario and Saskatchewan, bears more commonly reach 15–20+ years.

That difference in age is what separates an average bear from a great one. Bears can look “big” at 4–5 years old, but the truly mature boars, the blocky heads and heavy skulls are usually 7–10+ years old, which is what it takes to reach Boone and Crockett Club level.

Age also affects what you bring home. Younger bears are typically better eating, while older bears carry more fat and heavier hides, especially in northern climates.

Most bears never reach their full potential. Not because they can’t but because they don’t live long enough.

03/28/2026

Day 2 of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Convention!!

02/08/2026

Did you know black bears don’t actually hibernate? At least not the way most people think they do. What they really do is enter a state called torpor, which is basically an extended energy-saving mode, not true hibernation. Their body temperature barely drops, their heart rate slows, and they can wake up and move if conditions force them to. In cold northern states, bears den up because food disappears, not because some internal switch flips. In warmer places, where food is still available, bears may not den whatsoever. That’s why you’ll see black bears active in December in the South while northern bears are tucked away. It’s not magic, it’s calories.

And that’s exactly why black bears get so big in places like North Carolina. When a bear has access to food year-round, it never truly shuts down. Longer feeding seasons mean more fat, more muscle, and bigger bodies. I’ve lived that difference firsthand, I shot a 150-pound black bear in Maine, where winter shuts everything down, and a 550-pound black bear in North Carolina, where bears eat almost nonstop. Same species, totally different outcomes. Size isn’t about genetics alone, it’s about time on feed. Black bears aren’t fluffy forest animals that sleep half the year everywhere they live.

Stephen Ziegler — Outdoor writer
Great American Outdoor Show | Feb 11–12, 2026

02/04/2026

We have 3 zone B bait hunts left available, and 1 hound hunt.....these spots won't last long!

02/03/2026

Bear tags should be posted to your Go wild account! Log in and see if you were awarded a harvest tag! If you have been, dont wait to book! We fill up extremely fast!

01/27/2026

For those wondering, Tomorrow is the NRB meeting to set the 2026 bear harvest qouta. After the qouta is set, tags will be drawn...im guessing we will see tags posted to your Go Wild account on Friday, but by next Wednesday at the latest. Good luck to everyone who applied for a harvest permit!

12/10/2025

This is your reminder that bear applications are due tomorrow night by midnight! Give us a call to get on our list for your 2026 zone B bear hunt! Spots are limited!