“My father and I met Kody during a 15-day backpack hunt in the Northwest Territories(NWT) in August 2023. Kody was extremely personable, hardworking, knowledgeable, and accommodating. In getting to know Kody, he mentioned that he recently started his own outfitting service, Northern Element Outfitters, specializing in spring black bears. Although a spring bear hunt in Canada was on our bucket list, for some reason my father and I never seemed to find the right bear hunt for us. We were looking for a hunt in a more remote area with a wall tent style setup, and a low number of hunters per week. The more we spoke with Kody, it was clear that we had finally found our spring bear hunt. At the conclusion of our hunt in the NWT, my father and I booked a bear hunt in May 2024 with Kody and Northern Element Outfitters. Leading up the hunt, I told Kody I would like to bring my girlfriend along as a non-hunting companion. In typical Kody fashion, he said it was not a problem and that he would reserve the week for just my father, myself and my girlfriend. Arrival in camp was as expected. There was a wall tent that was used for cooking and dining (food was excellent), multiple large tents for the hunters and the guides to sleep in separately, a small shower tent, and a tent-style enclosed out-house. Wood stoves were provided in the tent for extra warmth if necessary. Prior to this hunt, I had very little experience hunting black bears, so I was a little concerned if I would be able to field judge them properly. At each bait site, Kody had multiple fluorescent ribbons tied at a specific height near the crib to help judge the bears. Stands are set approximately 20-25 yards from the bait site, allowing for both archery and rifle hunting. I opted for archery equipment while my father hunted with the rifle. Both my father and I were fortunate enough to take multiple mature bears during the hunt, but just being able to see bears in their natural element was the highlight of the hunt for me. Personally, I did not realize how vocal bears were nor did I know how many sounds they could make, but I found out rather quickly. My girlfriend and I also learned how inquisitive bears can be, with multiple bears trying to climb into the tree with us! Once tagged out, we were able to take the quads out with Kody to see the other bait sites and explore new country. Overall, we had an outstanding experience on the hunt and are looking forward to doing it again.”