September 28, 2006 

Dear Rick and Nancy,

     Please accept this letter as a “thank you” for the outstanding bear hunt that my brother Tom and I experienced while hunting with you earlier this month.  But rather than just say “thank you”, I thought I would express my appreciation in this unsolicited letter of recommendation that you are welcome to share with any of your prospective clients. 

     Tom and I chose to drive from our homes in Michigan to Maine, a beautiful drive at a great time of the year!  We took two days and arrived in Maine in just a little over twenty hours of driving.  As suggested by Rick, we stopped in Medway to purchase our bear hunting licenses and dawdled a bit to admire several bear mounts on display at the store. 

     We then proceeded on to the Theriault home in Millinocket where we met Rick, Nancy, Trapper (their German Shorthair) and our other hunting partners for the week.  After a casual time to get acquainted and moving into our respective guest rooms in their beautiful, 4200’ lodge, we enjoyed a sumptuous meal of boiled lobsters (two per hunter!) and “all the fixins” as prepared by Nancy. 

      Following our lobster feast, Rick reviewed the hunting “ground rules”, procedures for the week, and answered questions from the hunters.  And finally, it was time to get serious about our final preparations by shooting our bows at 3-D targets and sighting in rifles.  This activity was followed by observing videos to assist us in sizing bears, and locating the double-lung “kill zone” required by Rick of all his hunters. 

      Beginning on Monday, each day followed a similar format.  Following breakfast, there was time in the morning for site seeing, fishing, target shooting, and the like.  Then at noon, Nancy provided us with multi-course homemade meals that impressed all of us as to both quality and quantity of the food.  And all of this topped off each day with baked goods, including assorted pies “made from scratch” by Nancy.  Another delicious meal was served to all of the hunters when we returned after the hunt. 

     Immediately following the noon meal, we gathered for transport to our hunting stands for the day. Upon arrival at our designated stands, Rick would personally walk us in, freshen the bait, and leave us to sit on stand for 5-7 hours until dark each evening.  Rick remained continuously available by cell phone should a bear be shot or other hunter needs arise. 

     Rick had been baiting so many sites, since the middle of the summer, that no hunter was required to hunt a stand that had been hunted by those from earlier weeks in the season and all hunters were placed considerable distances, even miles, apart.  Also, Rick knows in advance how many bow and gun hunters he will have in camp and assigns stands based on those hunting styles.

     In our case, we had decided to hunt with our bows and did not even bring guns with us to the hunt.  We were always placed in strategically located hanging or ladder stands that were positioned so as to maximize the bow hunter’s shooting opportunities. 

     While my brother Tom saw bears each of the first three nights, he “blew” the only shot opportunity he had at a lone adult bear when it saw him move while drawing his bow.  I, unfortunately, had a great time hunting, but did not see a bear those same evenings. 

     By our choice, Rick moved both of us to new stands on Thursday.  That evening Tom saw no bears, but I had a large boar at my bait for over 30 minutes.  Unfortunately, he never gave me the double-lung shot required for a clean bow kill.  This same evening Matt, the third hunter that daily shared the truck with us, shot a boar with his rifle that weighed over 400 pounds.  What a treat to be involved in observing the field dressing and carrying this magnificent animal back to the truck. 

     On Friday, the last day of our hunt, I returned to Thursday’s stand and observed a smaller bear back behind my bait just before a different large boar came in to the bait. This boar, like the one the night before, was at the bait for over 30 minutes, but never gave me the shot opportunity I required before releasing an arrow.  As with the night before, had a gun been my weapon of choice, I’d have easily claimed either one of these big boars.  But then, all archers know that this is a potential limitation when we make that choice. 

     However, while I was being entertained by this big bear at my bait, Tom finally got the right bear, in the right position and claimed a boar that weighed over 300 pounds.  As with Matt’s bear, this one also ran less than 50 yards before expiring.  Once again, it was my pleasure to observe Rick track and then field dress Tom’s bear and to assist him and others in carrying it from the woods to the truck. 

     I have hunted with outfitters and guides in several states, and both Canada and Mexico and I can say, without reservation, none of them could “hold a candle” to the services and benefits of hunting with Rick (and Nancy) Theriault!  There is no aspect of guiding hunters that they do not excel at – from accommodations, to food, to hunting stands, to the siting of game, to tracking, dressing and caping, they do it with style and success.  On top of all that, they are also fine people whom you will call friends when you depart from their lodge at the end of a great week of hunting! 

     I know that Tom shares my opinions and we would recommend Rick and Nancy, without reservation, to anyone looking for an outstanding bear hunt in the state that has the largest Black Bear population in the lower 48!  In fact, Tom has already re-booked in order to bring his teenage son on his first bear hunt next fall. 

With warm regards, 

Gary Haner