Alaska Black Bear Quickie Hunts

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Alaska Private Guide Service

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Smokey Don Duncan,
Master Guide #136

Alaska Black Bear Quickie Hunt Information

These hunts are short hunts (1-3 days) that can be booked at the last minute. These prices are good for 2011 only. Give me as much advance notice as you can and tell me how long you have to spare. All of these trips are designed to get a bear on the first night or with in 24 hours. Success in that time frame should be 85% or better depending on how picky you are. 3 days should be right at 100% and could include more than one bear if desired. I can sell you the hunting licenses and black bear tag/s. We take care of all the hunt paper work. The hunt price includes the transportation to camp but not the license and tag costs or the extra bear kill fees. We can outfit you with everything you need and process your trophy (hide and skull) for shipment home or to your taxidermist.

We can meet you several places and travel to the hunting area several ways. Just keep in mind, if you fly a bush plane you can not hunt that day but you can hunt the same day you fly on a regularly scheduled flight to a village. On any of these hunts you can return as soon as you are done hunting. Sometimes a non-hunter can come at little or no costs. Payment is with cash only or prepaid.

From Nenana:

From Fairbanks: We have 4 alternatives.

Your circumstances may dictate which of the above options we have to choose from.

COSTS:

Price includes transportation to camp and one bear/hunter.

- 1 guide / 1 hunter 1day $2500; 2 days $2800; 3 days $3100
- 1 guide / 2 hunters 1 day $1750 each; 2 days $2050 each; 3 days $2350 each.

2nd and 3rd bears cost $600/ bear + the black bear tag $225

Smokey's Recommendations:

ONE DAY HUNT:

We need to play this one by ear. What we need to know first is exactly how much time you have. When you can leave from where and when you have to be back and what the penalty is if we should be late. This is important and may effect what we recommend. If you only have one night then we need to get you to the best spot and fast. The prime time is 7 pm to 2 am. But we can stay out longer or during the day if pressed for time and success. Travel time by boat to the river camp or by truck and 4 wheeler is about the same. Flying commercial and avoiding the same day airborne is great, but the plane does not fly every day. When it does fly to or from the village it is around 10-11 am. So flying in and out is not typically an option for 1 day hunts. But flying in and driving out, or the reverse is an option. Now let's talk size and success. On any given night, the monster of the year can walk in. Most people know it right off, no doubt. And at any rate they know it is big enough to satisfy them. And on the other end of the spectrum, you can sit in the best spot with the most bears and see nothing on any given night. That is hunting. For a fact, we win a lot more times than we lose. We are good at what we do; the best in this area, maybe the State. So you want a big one or nothing! You should book the 5 day hunt for maximum opportunity. But even on a 5 day hunt, if you turn down every thing you see; the chances are 100% you will leave with nothing. BOTTOM LINE: On a one day hunt, shoot the first bear you see that will make you happy. If the guide says no "It is a dink" then it is up to you. Definitely shoot the bear you see if the guide tells you to shoot. You have a real chance of shooting 2 bears especially if the first bear comes in early.

2 DAY HUNT:

Now we hopefully have 2 Nights to hunt. In the past, on 2 day hunts, shoot the first decent size bear, we had about a 98% success rate WITH IN THE FIRST 2 DAYS. What is "DECENT"? The average was close to six foot. We like to call a 5 ½ foot minimum. Below that we will encourage you not to shoot; we prefer to wait. And maybe we know there is a good chance something bigger will come in. But as always , if it is legal, the choice is yours. With a 2 day hunt we have multiple sites to hunt, what happened the first night can be completely different than the second night. If you got one the first night you stand a better chance of getting 2 bears. As good as we are, I like the 2 day hunt. I hate taking money and sending a hunter home with nothing. Was there opportunity? If, I fail as the Master Guide to provide an opportunity at a decent bear in 2 days of hunting, 2 prime time nights, I'll consider a partial refund if you did what I said. That is, not snore, fart, move when the bear was looking at you, break sticks at your feet etc….

3 DAY HUNT:

The success rate should be 100% if you will shoot a decent bear. We have had clients shoot 3 good size bears in 3 nights. Maybe you want to be a little pickier. Fine! But don't make the mistake that many have made and automatically turn down the first bear you see. If I did my job right, and it is a gamble every time; then the first bear you will see is a big one. Again it is up to you. But if you are not overly picky, you should be able to shoot 2 bears if not 3. The 3 day hunt also allows us to take you anywhere we want one way or another.

Again, our standard hunt is 5 days. That is because no one has ever gone 5 days with out ample opportunity to kill one or more bears. It is basically 3 days worth of insurance. It also allows ample opportunity to take more than one bear. And when a hunter pays for air fare to get here we want to push the odds to 100% as best we can.

PAPER WORK:

You will have to sign a contract. The contract is on the web site side bar. It is a fill in the blank contract, name, species to hunt, number of days hunting, pick up place, what you pay me, etc… You'll also need to fill out a liability release and medical disclosure form which is located next to the contract. ( if you can get in the boat or ride a 4 wheeler and walk 100 yards you are good to go.) I have the license and tags to sell. And those numbers will go on the hunt record you have to sign before we hunt. You may have to sign a temporary sealing certificate to get the hide and skull sealed at fish and game. Then where do we send it? You'll need to tell us where and give us a CC# to charge it to or send it COD. Don't Know what to do? Full mount or rug mount? We have recommendations for rug and full mounts at not screw you prices. There you go. Done.

Fishing? Not guaranteed. Not promised. But maybe some. No part of the hunting fee is for fishing or guided fishing.

Any questions? Just call. When we are in the field, the phone will be forwarded to someone that can answer the calls and direct both of us. It helps if you give us some prior notice. If the price sounds high for a one to three day hunt; what you don't see is all the work that goes into being ready and cleaning up. In the past, it has averaged 2 days of non hunting work for every day hunting. And remember 3 bear limit. -- top

Smokey Don Duncan, Owner, Master Guide #136 and P.H.
Wayne Gregory A.G., Fishing and Waterfowl Guide
299 Alvin St. Fairbanks AK 99712
Phone: 907-457-8318 Email: apgs@gci.net

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