My bear had a coal-black muzzle and a seven-foot hide.

LATE THAT NIGHT we were admiring not one but two fine animals in the skinning shed. Gene was all grins over his 225-pound New Brunswick black bear, and for good reason. The hide was magnificent -- a perfect first archery bear.

My own bruin was awesome and well worth the wait, and he took away any of my self-doubts about passing up Vee-Bear. This animal weighed a touch over 500 pounds, the hide squared exactly seven feet, and the skull later green-scored between 19 and 20 inches.

"Well, boys, not bad for a quartet of arrow flingers," Danny teased during our after-midnight meal. "But you've got to come back next year. Old Vee-Bear should be taller and heavier then, and I'll have some new baits where nobody's ever hunted. I'll bet you all see monsters."

With arm-twisting like that, who wouldn't revisit black bear heaven -- at least one more time?

Author's Notes: For details on your own New Brunswick black bear adventure, contact: Lawrence Dyer & Sons Outfitters, PO Box 1094, Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada E7G 4G9; (506) 356-2854; www.anglefire.com/biz2/dyerscamps. Maybe I'll see you there next spring!

We were all shooting Hoyt or Reflex compound bows in the 65 to 75-pound range, XX78 aluminum arrows, and fixed-blade broadheads from New Archery Products -- either Thunderheads or Razorbaks. Danny Dyer prefers that hunters not use open-on-impact heads on bears because they often do not pass completely through big, heavily furred spring bears. In the thick bear habitat of New Brunswick, a blood trail can be hard to follow unless an arrow makes an exit hole.

Equipment Notes: Bear Lures By Brian Fortenbaugh, Assistant Editor Bears will eat just about anything -- donuts, bread, meat, grease. However, such "delicacies" aren't the only things that will draw bruins into bow range. The following companies make artificial lures specifically for attracting bears. As always, check state regulations to make sure these products are legal. 1) Tink's Smokin' Sticks-Bear put out a wild berry scented smoke for about two hours. Each stick contains three bear-attracting odors, and these odors cling to everything the smoke touches, which keeps bears coming long after the stick burns out (Tink's, 1-800-624-5988, www.tinks69.com). 2) Wildlife Research Center's Ultimate Bear Lure is a sweet-smelling liquid bears can't resist. It contains no filler material to weaken its concentration, and its oily consistency lasts well even in wet conditions (Wildlife Research Center, Inc., 1-800-655-7898, www.wildlife.com). 3) Buck Stop Lure Company's Bear Bate contains a potent blend of bear-attracting foods, and the paste will stick to just about anything for easy application. Also, this company's Bear Sow-In-Heat (3a) contains sow estrus urine that will drive big boars nuts in the spring (Buck Stop Lure Company, Inc., 1-800-477-2368, www.buckstopscents.com). 4) Xtreme Scents' Deer Candy is designed to attract deer, but the folks at Xtreme say it works equally well on bears. The liquid gel is available in Molasses, Corn, and Apple flavors. Also, try this company's Bear Lure (4a) (Xtreme Scents, 810/220-9392, www.xtremescents.com).