Alaska Brown Bear Hunting : Alaska Grizzly Bear Hunting Guide Smokey Don Duncan, Master Guide, Alaska Bear Guide

Alaska Brown Bear Hunting Alaska Private Guide Service Smokey Don Duncan, Master Guide #136
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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
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Spring Brown Bear Hunt Special Offer:

I have 2 openings for spring brown bear during the prime time. April 24 you arrive and May 4th you depart camp. $9000 guide fee with no bear kill fee. License $85, bear tag $500, wolf tag $30 with $200 kill fee. You get to Dillingham and we take of you from there. The snow and ice conditions looks great for a spring snowmobile hunt.

You'll have to call Tom O'Connor our pilot directly since I'll be in the bush. You'll need to down load 3 copies of the contract from the contract page on this web site. Only 2 copies of the other 2 forms, medical and liability. You'll buy your license and tags in Anchorage or Dillingham upon arrival. Pick up point is Dillingham.

Fall Brown Bear Hunt Specials:

Starting Sept 17 after moose season. 1x1 8 days $7500 and 1x1 10 days $8500 each. Dates will be booked from Sept. 17 first and then towards Oct 10. You won't find a better deal than this. You may find a few cheaper ones but nothing with the logistical support and success rates that we have. The fall hunters have the added advantage of being able to hunt the moose kill sites, salmon feeding areas and the open tundra and hillside berry patches.

Alaska Brown Bear Guided Hunt Information

11 Reasons to Use APGS for the Alaska Brown Bear Hunt of a Lifetime

Brown Bear Hunt High Success Rate over 16 year period of 80%. With a 95%+ client brown bear hunt satisfaction rate.

Experienced Alaskan brown bear hunting guides. Average bear hunting guide's age is 50, averaging 7 + years brown bear hunting with me in the coastal bear area.

We have Spring brown bears hunts and Fall brown bears hunts every year.

We hunt 1 brown bear / year areas. Not one brown bear /4 year areas.

We have brown bear hunts in areas that even old men, who should be having bypass surgery, can hunt brown bear and be successful.

Our areas in Unit 17 are true Alaskan Brown Bear hunting areas, just as good or better for success and size as Kodiak, the Alaska Peninsula, or the South East Panhandle. More brown bear hunt, less money.

The Alaska Grizzly Bear hunting is in Unit 19

Mobility during the brown bear hunts. During the Spring Brown Bear Hunting Season we have snow machines and our own ski plane for covering long distances quick, spotting trophy brown bear tracks and/or bear dens or moving to a spike camp or cabin. During the Fall Brown Bear Hunting Season we have jet boats working on the river systems for hunting brown bears at the salmon feeding areas, on our moose kills and to reach nearby spotting bluffs along the river. We have our own wheel plane for accessing upland tundra ridges and camps where we can spot brown bears on nearby berry patches.

Comfortable, fully equipped cabins, base camps and ready to go spike camps with (state of the camping art), "Arctic Oven" tents and steel frame tents.

Large remote areas of State land for hunting brown bear with out Native corporation or Federal land hassels or restrictions.

Combination hunting available Spring (brown bear and wolf) and Fall (moose, caribou, wolf, wolverine, black bear and, waterfowl along with world class fishing). Free World class fishing available at most fall brown bear camps.

We hunt trophy brown bears in the spring, April 10-May 25, and in the fall, Sept 10- 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.

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 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. Since the possibility of bagging a big brown bear is real, even a ten + footer, I ask my clients to restrict their sights to mature males. 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. 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.

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

We have no real spring opening date now so if the brown bears start popping out earlier we can hunt them.

Brown bear dens and fresh tracks can be spotted by plane or by riding snowmobiles and glassing.

When the snow is hard, planes and snow mobiles can go almost anywhere.

Brown bear tracks can be measured for size verification.

Big brown bears are more likely to kill a moose or caribou and stay there a while.

We have longer daylight hours.

The brown bears can't hide in the snow covered brush as easy, they stick out and they travel more.

The first brown bear you see is likely to be a big taker.

As the snow melts and the rivers open; I use jet boats for mobility. That gives us a way to get through the transition period and continue brown bear hunting.

Plus; wolf, ptarmigan and hare are open until April 30.

Many hunters have said that the thrill of riding the snowmachines through the scenic mountains and valleys was worth as much as the brown bear hunt! -- top

Spring Brown Bear Hunt Disadvantages

If 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 Description

April 10 - May 3

The 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. The plane has skis or wheel skiis on so it can land where we brown bear hunt. 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 3-25

About May 3: 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. 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 narrow vegetative corridor has the moose 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 Advantages

The hunt price is cheaper because we are already out there and the camps have been set up for moose, caribou and fishing.

All the brown bears are out and about and you generally see more bears.

We have more ways to make this hunt physically easy. If you can walk to the boat you can have a legitimate hunt.

Combination hunts are possible. We now have an earlier bear season that overlaps the moose season. A moose and brown bear combination hunt is more successful and convenient than it used to be. Wolf, caribou, black bear and wolverine season are also open and are priced on a kill fee basis.

Brown bears will almost always be attracted to the gut piles, kill site and meat poles and now we can successfully hunt them when they do.

We can set up tree stands and ground blinds for safety, spotting and get closer shots for bow hunters.

The weather is more stable. We have full use of the jet boats as the rivers are open.

You are more likely to get "A" brown bear (usually closer to 100%).

Most, but not all, fall brown bear camps have access to world class fishing.

We have been in the area hunting and fishing before the bear season opens so we know where the bears are and what they are doing.

Low water means more fish available for bears to catch and more bears on the river.

This is also probably the best method for bagging a brown bear with a bow. -- top

Fall Brown Bear Hunt Disadvantages

The disadvantages to fall hunts are; the days are shorter; more likely to rain, 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. -- top

Fall Alaska Brown Bear Hunting Description

We 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 denning mountains. When and how fast that happens depends on the quantity of fish still available which depends on the water level and how late we hunt. 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.

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. At these camps you need to be able to hike. the bull moose are in full rut 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 and usually they are the bigger ones

If the caribou are around, I can sell you a tag and you pay a kill fee. Plus, wolf, ptarmigan and wolverine season is open. Most, but not all, fall bear camps have world class fishing. -- top

Brown Bear and Moose Combination Hunt

For more information on the Brown Bear and Moose Combination Hunts go to the MOOSE HUNT page and read about the moose hunts. You’ll see why most hunters are choosing the combination hunt during the fall. We only have that combo hunt in the fall when moose season is open. -- top

Alaska Brown Bear Hunt Prices

Brown Bear and Moose

Prices 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.

Date Ranges	Guides / Hunters	Bear Hunting Days	Cost per Hunter	Bear and Moose Combo Hunts	Moose Hunt Days	Wolf Kill Fee
4/10 - 5/5	1/1	7	$11,000	NA	NA	$200
4/10- 5/5	1 / 1	10	$14,500	NA	NA	$200
4/10 - 5/5	1 / 2	10	$11,000	NA	NA	$200
9/10 - 9/16	1 / 1	7	$11,000	$9,000 (additional kill fee)	6	$200
9/17 - 10/10	1 / 1	8	$10,000	NA	NA	$200
9/17 - 10/10	1 / 1	10	$12,000	NA	NA	$200
9/17 - 10/10	1 / 2	10	$10,000	NA	NA	$200
Before 9/3	1 / 1	7	NA	$21,000	11	$200
Before 9/3	1 / 2	7	NA	$15,500	11	$200
9/3 - 9/17	1 / 2	7	NA	$11,000 (1 moose or bear each)	11	$200

NOTE: The Non-Resident Moose Registration Permit for K1 and K2 areas

Kill Fee Hunt

Kill Fee Hunt based on size of the bear; This has been a popular pricing strategy with hunters who have spent a lot of money on unsuccessful hunts with other outfitters.

Kill Fee Hunt
Date Ranges	Guides / Hunters	Hunting Days	Cost Per Hunter	Brown Bear Kill Fee
Spring	1 / 1	7	$9,000	$1200/ft. over 6 ft
Fall	1 / 1	7	$8,000	$1200/ft. over 6 ft

For example, in the Spring; a 9 ft. bear killed would mean a kill fee of $3600. The total price paid is $12,600. (9’-6’=3’x $1200=$3600 kill fee +$9000 base price = $12,600. Extra days, if available, are $1100/day.

On Call Hunt

This 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. $19,200. -- top

Logistics

Travel

You are responsible for getting to where we meet you. All hunter will travel through Anchorage to Dillingham. Early spring hunters will leave Dillingham and go directly to camp by plane or snow machine. Late Spring and most fall hunters will continue on to Koliganek. That leg will cost about $80 each way. We will meet you in Koliganek and either fly or boat you to camp. Don’t worry about booking reservations from Dillingham to Koliganek. Send me your full incoming and outgoing flight schedule and I will arrange the flight for you. Many hunters who are hunting only bear choose to leave once they have a bear. Keep that possibility in mind when booking a ticket.

Pre-Hunt Information

Before 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).

Trophy and Meat Shipment

We 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, Permits

NOTE: License. I sell you the license and tags by mail. Do not buy them from the state.

License

	Non-resident	Non-resident Alien
Hunting License	$85.00	$300.00
Fishing (7 days)	$55.00	$55.00
Fishing (14 days)	$80.00	$80.00
Fishing Year Round	$145.00	$145.00

Kill Fees

Black Bear	$800.00
Wolf	$200.00
Wolverine	$400.00

Permits

There 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 Fees

I 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 Charges

Charges 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 Camps

I 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

References

Buck & 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, TX; 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 -- top

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.

Smokey Don Duncan, Owner, Master Guide #136 and P.H.
Tom O'Connor Registered Guide #1204 and Pilot
Don E. Young Registered Guide #1205
Wayne Gregory A.G., Fishing and Waterfowl Guide
299 Alvin St. Fairbanks AK 99712
Phone: 907-457-8318 Email: apgs@gci.net

Alaska Brown Bear Hunting Alaska Private Guide Service Smokey Don Duncan, Master Guide #136