mark nelson

I've become interested in doing a brown bear hunt, well I've been interested for years but just couldn't afford one. Not sure I can now but would like to explore the idea. So anyway I've just started researching this hunt and have a few questions and thoughts I'd like to kick around.

Spring or fall? Which would you recommend? I sorta had fall of 2007 in mind but am open to the spring of 2008. I've talked to a couple of guys about this and have been told I "should" see more bears in the spring. Thats is IF the weather cooperates, spring doesn't come too early and I come late in the season or I come early in the season and spring is late. Been there done both on 2 different black bear hunts. I sorta like the fall hunt because the bears should be bigger and their hides should be better. Thoughts?

Boat or tent hunt? I got to confess I like the sound of the boat hunt, not that I can't or wouldn't do the tent hunt, for a lot of reasons. Now I may be all worng with this reasoning but the way I see it on a tent hunt your limited to how far you can walk, don't get me wrong I'm in pretty good shape, workout three times a week..., but with a boat hunt you can cover more gound and should be able to move to where the bears are. Plus at the end of the day you come back to a nice dry, warm boat and eat sea food! Sounds good so far but I'm going to be there to hunt and shoot a bear, not just eat sea food, so if a tent hunt improves my odds then thats where I want to be. Again which would you recommend?

Area and guide? I've only got the funds to do this hunt once, yes, I do understand its a hunt but I want to do everything I can to improve the odds of being successful. If that means spending a LITTLE more to hunt with one of the better guides and in one of the better areas then thats what I'm looking at doing. On the other hand I'm not an SCI type and won't have a tape in my pocket. Based on what little I now know about BB hunting I'd be happy with something in the 8 to 9 foot range. I talked to the biologist in Ketchikan Friday afternoon and based on the above he recommend talking to giudes in Unit 4 but didn't name anyone. So with all the above in mind anyone you'd recommend? Anyone you'd avoid? Thanks for your help!

huntnfishak

I live in unit 6 in Alaska spring or fall is good, spring is snow and fall is rain in the fall it easyer tho the bearsare on the streams for the silver salmon and feed hard on them in the spring they don,t smell as bad when skining them and I like the spring hide better then the fall...
I recommend tent or a cabin for $25.00 a night, boats are nice but i like to stalk and glass and it works well on the streams here this state you haft to have a guide for browns if you are not a resident...!
what will be your gun for this hunt...? 338 magand bigger trust me you will not put it down with 1 shot, I didnt hunt browns last year but I am this year...
I hope this helps you a little

mark nelson

Yeah, that helps a lot. I've got a 35whelen shooting 225gr TXSs at just under 2600 fps that I'm planning on using. I'm from Alabama, never been to Alaska, so I'll have to use a guide.

huntnfishak

Yes and they don,t come cheap either [:@]but you can hunt black bears with out a guide but you haft to have 1 if you are non-res for brown bear sry..

Sniper151

I recommend a fall hunt for bear. The hides are normally thicker with more color and they definitely weight more than early spring. When I hunted British Columbia in the late 80's the hunts were booked two to three years in advance.

mark nelson

Your right, they aint cheap but a 8 1/2 foot, 800 pound, bear at 70 yards! That just sounds like fun!!!!!!!!!