A hunting guide in Maine successfully snared a new state-record black bear sow.⁠ ⁠ Zack LaFreniere spent nearly a week monitoring a bait site in Penobscot County before tagging what’s now the heaviest sow ever taken in the state. ⁠ ⁠ “In Maine we can lawfully harvest bears several ways: with bait, hounds, and also with snares,” says the 33-year-old outdoorsman, who guides bear, deer, and moose hunters through his Wild Ferns Guide Service. “Foothold and conibear traps can’t be used, but snares can. They require a good bit of effort and skill to set them right to fool a big old black bear… I use the camera to make sure only a large bear is coming in before setting a snare for it.”⁠ ⁠ LaFreniere said it took six days of monitoring his remote camera photos to confirm a giant bruin was hitting the bait. Then he baited and set a snare. LaFreniere digs a hole to hold a pipe, places bait at the bottom, and positions the pipe near a mature tree to anchor the cable. The snare is also fitted with...