Alaska Brown Bear Hunting |
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Spring Hunt Advantages Spring Hunt Disadvantages Spring Hunt Descriptions Fall Hunt Advantages Fall Hunt Disadvantages Fall Hunt Description Hunt Prices Hunt Logistics Licenses, Fees, Permits Brown Bear Camps Brown Bear Hunt References Brown Bear Trophies |
Alaska Brown Bear Hunts and Hunting InformationBrown Bear Hunts In Unit 17 We hunt several guide use ares in Game Management Unit 17, 250 - 300 miles SW of Anchorage. Springs hunts are April 10 - May 25st, Fall hunts Sept 1. - October 10. See photos of APGS Alaska Brown Bear Hunts on Picasaweb. Just select Slideshow or Individual photos of Alaska Brown Bear. The Board of Game has opened Brown Bear hunting season Sept. 1, a full 10 days earlier.
This is a big deal. The 10 earlier days means more bears will still be on the river
at the fishing holes. There will more daylight for hunting morning and evening which
is the
prime time. We saw 8 bears from the K1 camp between August 15-31, swimming across the
river or feeding on shore. In 2009, we built and developed ground blinds and tree stands
and
we will add more in 2010. Plus this is a pink run year like 2008. The Board of Game
wants more bears killed. I have developed a new pricing system to encourage
you
to come and hunt with us and target bears. You will not find a better deal when you
figure in the high level of service and the quality of the operation and the number
of bears.
Plus moose season opens Sept. 5th so you can get 2 hunts for the price of one and I’ll
put the second animal on a kill fee basis. The other great news is the BOG will allow
you to get the moose registration permit in Dillingham until Sept. 4 the day before
the season opens instead of 5 days before on August 31st. 11 Reasons to Choose APGS for the Alaska Brown Bear Hunt of a Lifetime
We hunt trophy brown bears in the spring, April 10-May 25, and in the fall, Sept 1 - Oct 10. We hunt every year in this 1 brown bear / year area. Many fall brown bear hunters choose our brown bear and moose combination hunt. NEW: March 09 the Board of Game opened fall brown bear season 10 days earlier starting Sept. 1.The Board of Game wants more bears killed! This is a big change. The bears, at least most of them, are still heavily feeding on salmon in the river. They walk the banks looking for fish from fishing hole to fishing hole. We have set up new tree stands and ground blinds to capitalize on this. You wouldn’t think, but there is a big difference in the amount of daylight between the 1st and 10th. Much more of the prime time early and late in the day on the 1st. This change also means a brown bear and moose combination hunter can start hunting bear before the moose season opens and then hunt either after Sept. 4. We are also getting back to offering and recommending brown bear hunts later in Sept. after the moose season for 2 main reasons. 1st: the last 2 years the combination hunters left on the 16th with moose gut piles shot on the 15th and we had no one to hunt them. 2nd: We have always done good hunting bear later in Sept. after the bears have transitioned from the fish on the river to the berries on the tundra. It is a totally different hunt. More fly in and spot and stalk. Our late season bear hunter in 2009 shot his bear 400 yards from the tent on the second morning. We saw 8 bears from our camp at the head of a salmon stream valley with excellent views from the tents. The hunter watched a 9 foot bear walk less than 500 yards from camp 1 hour after he landed. (Thanks to his caribou hunting guide screwing up he was a day late reaching my camp. The big bear should have been his.) I have reduced or modified the prices and options to reflect these changes in the regulations and our offerings. I think you’ll be happy with what you see below. Since 1991, I have guided hunters for big Brown Bears in Southwest Alaska. This area is N.W. of the Alaska Peninsula, and West of Lake Iliamna. I have several Guide Use Areas ranging from the coastal brown bear areas of Bristol Bay and Tikchik State Park to 150 miles inland to the north to the upper Nushagak River and tributaries. The areas we use are GMU 17 B and C. This large area has a lot of big brown bears. I'll take it over Kodiak, the Peninsula or Coastal South East. Bear hunts anytime. I have maintained an 80% success rate with many - 100% seasons. The largest trophy brown bear squared 12 feet and is ranked #28 in Safari Club record books. These brown bears grow big and fast because they have a relatively mild and short winter with an unlimited supply of salmon to feast on all summer and an abundance of berries in the fall. The possibility of bagging a big brown bear is real, even a ten + footer, A 9 foot brown bear will have a skull size close to 27 inches. In the spring of 1999, I added snow mobiles, and 5 hunters took 5 Alaska brown bears with the two largest squaring just under 10 foot and the smallest was just under 9 foot, with the average hunt lasting 3 days! Ever since, we have been doing great brown bear hunting in the spring. While my success rates will vary from year to year, season to season and will vary with the hunters' ability and desires; overall it remains excellent for the industry. When comparing success rates, remember, if they paid us we took them. We didn't just pick the cream of the crop so to speak. We catered the brown bear hunt to what they could and couldn't do. And we dealt with unpredictable weather conditions. Still we came up with an industry high success rate. Also keep in mind there are plenty of guides who are excellent at client recruitment because they are good at looking you in the eye and telling a bald face lie. Success rates mushroom. A 6 _ foot bear is magically transformed in to a nine foot brown bear with a good photo. And there are several lying guides who operate in unit 17. When you read this web site or talk to me you get the truth. Good and bad. I do what I say I’m going to do. We have an excellent reputation because we provide an excellent hunt (never perfect) at a fair price. We do not make our money by dumping you in a crappy spike tent and leave you with next to nothing edible as some guides do One guy who chose another guide later told me this; “My buddy and I paid $19,000 each for a moose and brown bear hunt. First we had to pay extra expenses to fly in that was suppose to be included in the hunt. When we got to camp and looked at the food; we had 1 can of Spam and 1 freeze dried / day. If I had not brought my own bag of candy; I would have starved. We had booked the hunt for unit 17 which is brown bear country. We got one small bear in unit 19 which is grizzly country between the 2 of us. Smokey; I work hard for my money, this was my once in a lifetime hunt.” And this was a master guide providing the hunt!! I don’t have to lie to sell a hunt and I am not going to You can call and order my brown bear hunting video with 4 different spring brown bear hunts plus lots of never before televised footage. The cost is $8.00 with shipping. Call 907-457-8318. Which is the best season and when is the best time to hunt?. Below is a detailed description of the pros and cons.Many people have asked me; which season or camp is best? There is no set answer. The weather conditions are what they are when you are there. The season and camp/cabin locations will dictate whether we use snow-mobiles, jet boats or planes for mobility. We have the mobility, adaptability and flexibility which leads to a high degree of bear hunting success. Many factors change each year. Weather, ice break up, snow depth and hardness, physical ability of the hunter, river height, moon phase, salmon runs, berry production and sometimes plain old luck are all important and changing factors. Our various forms of mobility (boats, planes, snow mobiles) and adaptability (large guide areas, and different methods of hunting them) along with the flexibility, (cabins, base camps, comfortable portable spike camps) and experienced, dedicated and ethical brown bear hunting guides makes my operation your best choice. Hunting brown bears does not have to be hard and a smart hunter will be patient and flexible. We will advise you which camp is better for your hunting style and abilities. Below is a brief discussion on advantages and disadvantages of the spring and fall brown bear hunts, followed by a more descriptive narrative. -- top Spring Brown Bear Hunt Advantages
The prime time for hunting spring brown bears with the snow mobiles is between April 10 and May 5th. That is when the bears traditionally start popping out of the dens and the snow conditions are good. After May 5th we may fly in on skis, wheel skis or straight wheels and hunt on foot or launch a boat on the rivers -- top Spring Brown Bear Hunt DisadvantagesIf you can not ride a snowmachine or snowshoe you should not come on this hunt. To ride a snowmachine you must be able to go from sitting to standing quickly, ride with one knee on the seat or both feet on one side. Off trail and mountain riding experience is a big help. We can quickly teach you if you can move and listen to what we say. Good conditions and a capable rider almost guarantee brown bear hunting success. In the spring, you generally see fewer brown bears because fewer are out and the first one you see is more likely to be a shooter. Warm weather makes soft wet snow. Ice bridges on rivers and creeks start to break up. The huge lakes get overflow on the ice. These conditions make mobility tough or impossible by plane and snowmobile. Sometimes you must leave that area, go further north towards K2 or switch to jet boats to keep from getting stranded during the transition period. The weather can be colder with snow. Low lying fog is more likely making it difficult to see mountain tops and high passes. You should probably buy a higher priced plane ticket that allows you to leave early since a large percentage of my hunters tag out quickly. -- top Spring Brown Bear Hunt DescriptionApril 10 - May 3The spring season is actually an extension of the fall season. That is, it opens in the fall and closes in the spring May 25. Early Spring: We start hunting about April 10. Before then there are some but not many bears out of the dens. Everything is covered with snow so we use the snow machines to get around. We can use our plane that is equipped with wheels or wheel skis to spot bears and dens from the air. Then we can set up a spike camp close by or ride the snow machines and set up to hunt them the next day. Our typical day would be riding out looking for bear tracks, dens and moose kills. We can cover many miles with the snow machine in a day. We also let our spotting scopes cover even more country. Basically, we are covering ground waiting for the big brown bears to pop out and looking for any signs that they have emerged. On a bright day, with the sun right you can see dens and tracks from many miles away. A mountain with no sign in the morning may have a fresh open den or tracks across it in the evening. We know from experience where they like to den. Sometimes the brown bear will come out and walk around and sun himself near the den and then go back in. He may stay there several days going in and out. Just as likely he may pop out for the first time and start walking and never return to the den. Some of those brown bears will go a ways and dig another den and crawl in and stay for up to a week. No matter what they do initially, they will eventually look for something to eat. That is usually moose, dead or alive, anything. Maybe a kill from last fall. When they moose hunt they cover ground and leave tracks to find. If we can spot a brown bear in the morning of a warm day, he’ll eventually bed down when the snow gets too soft for easy travel. Then we have all day to catch up with the snow machines and sneak in on him with snow shoes. When the snow gets hard again, he’ll travel more. Brown bears love to hunt moose when the snow is too soft for moose that are wallowing in it helplessly. The moose kills are generally in the valleys. When they kill a moose, they will usually stay on it and fight other brown bears for it. In the cases of dens or kills, we set up to watch and wait for a shot. The dens are usually high up on a steep mountain and climbing to reach them is no easy chore. And staying there after sun down without freezing is tough. On this early spring hunt, you must be able to walk some. But most importantly, you must be able to ride a snow machine. -- top Later Spring May 5-25About May 5: We have to move from the snow machines to the boats for mobility because the snow is melting, the lake are covered with overflow and the smaller creeks are opening up. Of course each year can be different. We may also fly in with wheels and land on wind blown ridges, set up an arctic oven spike camp and hunt on foot from there. When we use the boats, we hunt pretty much the same way we do in the fall. The boats will get us around to where we want to hunt. When I first started hunting this area, the season didn’t open until May 10. Usually we head up river towards the mountains. We hop up on ridges to glass long distance up and down the drainage. There are berries that over winter and the caribou will be calving soon and the brown bears will be nearby. Another method we have used is flying into K2 or similar area. The moose are in the narrow vegitative corridor and the brown bears will work it looking for them. When they do, we see them and can take them. It is more of a stationary spot and stalk in that we glass from camp keeping an eye on the 360 degree view. And then go like heck to cut off a bear when spotted. The brown bears will also den in these areas. We are always looking for a moose kill. The boars will be looking for a sow to breed, so they travel more. Since the brush doesn’t have any leaves, visibility is excellent. -- top Fall Brown Bear Hunts AdvantagesTHE SEASON NOW OPENS SEPT. 1 AND MORE BEARS WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON THE RIVER FEEDING ON FISH. YOU CAN HUNT FROM TREESTANDS AND GROUND BLINDS UP TO AND AFTER DARK.
You fly in camps are positioned so you can watch large areas right from or close to camp. The bears are in the open where you can see and stalk them. -- top Fall Brown Bear Hunt DisadvantagesThe disadvantages to fall hunts are; the days are getting shorter as the season progresses; no snow mobiles or 4 - wheelers allowed. The big bears got big by not being stupid. They do not generally lay around in the open during the middle of the day, which makes the prime time, early and late in the day. Even with spotting scopes and jet boats, we can not cover as much ground as we can on a good day of snowmachining. If September has a lot of rain, and the rivers rise substantially, most, but not all, bears will leave the fish sooner than normal but then they are forced into the more open tundra for the berries. -- top Fall Alaska Brown Bear Hunting DescriptionWe have several different camps and options available. The basic types are: #1) Hunting along the river hunting the salmon holding holes, moose gut piles/meat pole and the adjacent tundra. #2) Using the boats along the river and hopping up on different ridges along the river to spot up, down and across the river looking for bears on fish, traveling and eating tundra berries. We can hike the ridges inland to cover more upland country. More spot and stalk hunting. #3) We fly in, usually to a ridge where we can see bear country. We use a combination of hiking and glassing to cover the country. The bears typically go through a transition during the fall hunting seasons. During the summer and through August into Sept.; the bears are feeding on salmon and staying close to the river. At some point, the bears start to move off the fish and toward the tundra berries, mountain berries and dening mountains. When and how fast that happens depends on the quantity of fish still available which depends on the water level. If the moose hunters at the upland K2 and the KS3 camps are not seeing bears on the tundra, we know they are still on the river. So either way we are prepared. The plane can also help us find the bears. We can easily cover large sections of river with the jet boats. Some of the best bear feeding areas (on fish) are a very short distance from my K1 jet boat base camp. When we hunt these feeding areas we use tree stands and chairs in ground blinds near where we park the boat. If the moon is out, we can hunt into the dark on full moon nights. We can legally and legitimately hunt after dark. When the bears are silhouetted against the water, all we need is some moon light or clear skies and star light to make a close killing shot. The prime time in any area is the evening twilight. On the river, they become active since the fish can’t see them as well so the catching is easier. The bigger bears (smarter ones) on the tundra will also be active in the morning until the sun hits them hard. Traveling bears will be spotted all during the day. When the weather turns sour with hard wind and rain, the bears generally hold in the cover. When it clears up; they’ll be out in force all day filling their bellies. Eventually, the bears will start to leave the fishing spots and head out to the open tundra and alder patches on the hillsides to feed on berries. The tundra and mountain hillside are always covered with some kind of berries. Then we spot and stalk hunt from the camps, K2 and KS3 and fly -in spike camps. When I say spot, I mean you can see a long, long ways and cover a lot of ground so spotting scopes and good binoculars are needed and used. Most of the spotting can be done close to or from camp but being able to hike is required to take full advantage. During this time, bears stay put on berry patches giving you enough time to make longer stalks. It is not unusual to see as many as 9 bears in a good day of glassing. The bull moose are in full rut and we sometimes find a moose that was killed fighting or a rut crazed bull that mistakenly challenged a bear and lost. We can almost always get a bear from a fresh moose kill. Many times, several bears will find the kill and fight over it and usually the bigger ones command and control the kill site. Plus, wolf, waterfowl, ptarmigan and wolverine season is open. Most, but not all, fall bear camps have world class fishing. In the Fall 2008 we shot 5 bears. For the first time in 19 years, a wounded one got away. 4 bears were shot from the boat or the hunters got out of the boat and shot bear close by. One bear rolled down a tall, steep hill hit the boat! 2 bears were taken the first day. 2 other bears were taken within one day of moving and hunting on the river. 2010 is another pink run year and the bears will be all over the rivers, thick. -- top Brown Bear and Moose Combination HuntBrown bear season opens Sept. 1 and moose season opens Sept 5. Moose hunters along the river can now pick up their river corridor moose permit in dillingham as late as Sept. 4. So combination hunters typically come in between August 30 - Sept 4 and hunt until the 16th. For more information on the Brown Bear and Moose Combination Hunts go to the MOOSE HUNT page. Select the "resident" or "non resident" moose hunting link and read about the various moose hunts. You'll see why most hunters are choosing the combination hunt during the fall -- top Alaska Brown Bear Hunt Prices and Brown Bear Moose Combination PricesPrices now include transportation from Dillingham (in the spring) or Koliganek (in the fall) to camp round trip. Please read carefully and pick the price that best suits you. The price of gas, nor anything else, has declined in Dillingham.These prices have already been lowered to reflect the state of the economy. They are a steal when you consder the quality and level of service that we provide. Brown Bear
NOTE: The Non-Resident Moose Registration Permit for K1 and K2 areas Bear and Moose Combination Prices
On Call HuntThis is for the hunter that can't get away for a longer hunt but can come immediately when called. We call, and you come immediately. You may return once within a year. You have 10 days total hunting. $15,200. -- top LogisticsTravelYou are responsible for getting to where we meet you. All spring bear hunters will travel through Anchorage to Dillingham. Spring hunters will leave Dillingham and go directly to camp by plane or snow machine. Fall hunters can choose to fly directly to Koliganek from Anchorage with De'nina Air at $310 each way 907-332-2216. De'nina treated us right. We will meet you in Koliganek and either fly or boat you to camp. Fall Combination hunters that intend to hunt moose along the river will need to fly into Dillingham to pick up the moose registration permit and then fly to Koliganek. Don’t worry about booking reservations from Dillingham to Koliganek.(about $100 each way depending on luggage). We use Shannon's Air 907-842-2735. Or you can send me your full incoming and outgoing flight schedule and I will arrange the flight for you. Combination hunters going to hunt moose outside the river corridor will fly directly to Koliganek. Many hunters who are hunting only bear choose to leave once they have a bear. Keep that possibility in mind when booking a ticket. Airlines are so screwed up now that to change a ticket you basically give up the return and book a new one. So booking a full fare changeable ticket at least on the return makes sense. Penair flies from Anchorage to Dillingham. About $440 roundtrip. Right now they are your only choice. Penair has a habit of filling the plane with people and then leaving the luggage on purpose. Sometimes they make 3 more flights to Dillingham before they actually bring your luggage. They did this all summer last year. Even before this; I recommend mailing your rifle or bow and some of your hunting clothes to Koliganek and picking them up there upon arrival. It saves you baggage fees and airport hassles. -- top Pre-Hunt InformationBefore your hunt, you will receive a packet containing a gear list, a travel plan sheet, contact numbers and Hunting License and Big Game Tag applications. Total airfare should be between $800 -$1000 from anywhere USA (less from the NW). -- top Trophy and Meat ShipmentWe skin the bear where it falls and remove the skull. At camp, time permitting, we will flesh and salt the hide. We fly the hide out to be sealed at Fish and Game, then it is given to the expediter to freeze and ship. You can take the hide and skull with you as extra baggage. We are not required to salvage meat. -- top Licenses, Fees, PermitsNOTE: License. I sell you the license and tags by mail. Do not buy them from the state. License
TagsExtra tags are sold in camp. A tag will cover any animal/tag of lesser value.
NOTE: A tag will cover any animal of equal or lesser value. Kill Fees
PermitsThere are no permits needed for brown bear. I sell the license and tag. However, if you are on the bear and moose combination hunt; you may need the moose registration permit. Additional FeesI charge $75 to have Tom, the pilot, seal a bear or wolf at Fish and Game which must be done before freezing, before leaving the state and between Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm. I charge a maximum of $100/animal to handle moose or caribou meat donations. Non Hunters ChargesCharges are base on whether the non hunter stays in camp, snow machines, fishes photos etc… The price must cover transportation food and lodging at a minimum. Call for exact price. -- top Alaska Brown Bear CampsI use several permitted base camps including the K1, K2 and the KK camps. I also rent a cabin on a large lake for the spring snowmachine hunts. I use temporary portable base camps, KS3, and short term fly in spike camps. The K1 base camp and the KS 3 temporary base camps are located on the main rivers where I use jet boats to move around to hunt different areas. K2 is a fly-in only camp and is up a small tributary 19 miles from K1. It is located on a ridge with a 360 degree view of prime bear feeding and denning country. Here we have a creek valley with fish spawning in the fall, berry covered hill sides and flats. We are with in sight of the local denning mountains and on a natural travel corridor for bears going from the dens to the west to the rivers to the east during the spring. Many bears are spotted from camp. The KS3 temporary base camp is much like K2 except we use jet boats to reach the rolling small hills along the river where we can hop up and spot longer distances or hike out the ridge for spotting. We also use spike camps through out my hunting areas. I typically use a custom Alaskan made, "Arctic Oven" tent which is water proof, insulated and heated by a wood stove. It is rated for -60 degrees and 100 mph winds. Like I say; my spike camps are better than some guides base camps! Base Camps K1, K2, and the KK camps are outfitted with steel frame weather and wind proof tents (10x12, 12x12 or 12x20) with wood floors, stoves, cots, pads, shower, food, privy, lanterns, cookware, and spike camp supplies, etc... Camps also have V.H.F. radios, which can be used to contact the other camps, the village and planes for in coming or out going emergency messages, or you can rent an extra satellite phone in Anchorage for business purposes. (We have two Sat. phones but they are not designated to a particular camp.) You will eat good and rest good. You should never have to sleep on the ground or in an unheated tent. And there is always plenty of good food. (Think - Not oatmeal or freeze dry every day if at all.) -- top ReferencesBuck & Brad Carroll, GA 478-256-2018; Gerry Mumfrey, TX 214-564-6300; Phil Humphrey, NY 585-765-2139; Bob Stogdill, TX 376-421-9046; Glen Buckner, ID; Joe "Kastaway" Kulis, OH 440-232-8352; John Henderson, OH 216-272-4997; Wayne Shelton, OH 330-336-7001; Bruce Robison, OH, 440-353-0768; Tracy Fisher, OH 440-298-1569; Allen Henderson, PA 724-676-5091; Bob Vanicek, PA 814-323-4647; Larry Fenton, PA 814-825- 8182; Joe Marino, PA 814-774-0517; Doug Maine, PA 814-665-3012, Jim Brozell, Pa 814-774-3790, Don Young, PA 814-833-5058; Rick Morris, PA 814-824-8119; Richard Startek, NY 716-826-2003; Ed Fernandez, WI 715-384-8095; Craig and Cory Power, TX 713-535-5500; Bob Migliore, TX 409-737-3986; Wes Neal, TX 713-946-0497; Phil Stringer, TX 281-852-6356; Jim Davis, AR 870-901-0071; Jerry Vestal, VA 434-973-5828; George Johnson, NJ 609-859-2733; Jan Smith, NC 336-434-3283; Jerry Smith, NC 336-279-6022 wk#; Bob Endres, SD 605-886-6502, Dan Wesen, MT 406-586-0775; Tom Owen WI 414-640-7865; Jerry Dennis, AZ 623-327-0934 or 623-341-9271. SPRING BROWN BEAR: APRIL 13-27, 2008, Report from Ted Martin, TXI can’t say enough about the people, services, and equipment that Alaska Private Guide Service provided for my hunt. Smokey Don Duncan, Don Young, and Tom O’Connor are truly professionals in their field. Hunting for brown bear in the Tikchik State Park wilderness on snow mobiles is an experience I will always treasure. The logistics of such a hunt is not easy, but these guys made it happen with such ease, which only speaks to their expertise. The guiding, food, and equipment were top notch. They all gave 110% and truly wanted each client to fill their tag. If you want to experience a spring brown bear hunt in amazing country, you can’t go wrong with this outfitter. My great bear will attest to that!! See our additional REFERENCES for more client listings. Enjoy the Alaska Brown Bear Success Narrations / Hunting results See our trophy Alaska brown bear pictures video or Alaska brown bear picture slide show. |
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