Hunting the great Alaskan Brown bear

   We're providing more detail on this hunt as bear hunting is the least understood of any other hunts.

   The question we are asked most often is, “What is the best time of year to hunt bear?” Now that is a loaded question! First lets take a look at country they live in. Brown bear in this area den very high in the mountains. It's usually the big or old boars that emerge first, and this is late March and April. There hides are prime and we see no “so called” rubbed bear that are so common in areas of milder climate. Brown bear den up in late November or December with the big boars being the last to den.

   Method of hunting is by snow machine and snow shoes, in late March and early April. This can be fairly demanding physically, but the size and quality of bear that can be taken make up for any hardships and effort experienced. In May bear are coming down to the rivers and tide flats where hunting is much easier, as all bear will be out of their dens and moving a great deal, with the rutting season starting the middle of May. The weather on these spring hunts is usually very good– and we are getting long days like 20 hours of daylight in May. As the snow goes away the hunting is on foot and hip boots are required.

   Brown bear season ends June 15th in one of our areas. We hunt black bear till the last of June. Hides are very good and some good fishing can be had for sea run Cutthroat and Dolly Varden at the same time.

   Fall Brown bear season opens the 1st of September, and we hunt through December. Bears at this time of year are feeding on salmon in the low country and berries in the higher areas. Hides are good but lack the fullness of spring. Of course the later in the season the better the hides. Daylight gets less and the weather not so good the later in the season one goes. Fall bear hunts are usually less demanding and some combo with other game be can worked out.

   All bears are unpredictable. Contrary to popular belief, black bears are probably more dangerous when physical contact is made than brown/grizzly “according to records”. Brown bear are very aggressive at times, and some conditions. Most of the time they are very shy, but can appear and disappear like ghost in the night or “summer wages“. All bear are twilight feeders by nature; but to keep their reputation of being unpredictable, bears are seen anytime of day or night, mainly when least expected. All bear are sensitive to weather conditions.

   When guiding bear hunters, we prefer rifle hunters. Their rifle should be of dependable make as when hunting in Alaskan bear country adverse conditions are the norm. No matter what caliber the hunter should be very experienced with its use. Of course we recommend a healthy caliber and heavy bullet, but more important is to have a rifle that can be handled properly. Any questions on this are welcome as we are very critical on firearms used.

   Hip boots are necessary foot gear (in style for manly foot wear), good quality rain gear, sleeping bag, backpack and clothing that is appropriate for the hunt date booked. Some recommendations will be sent when a hunt date is booked with more information appropriate for that time of year. Good binoculars with high light transmission is a must: 8x56 or 10x50 are very good for bear hunting, however the 9x35 & 10x40 will do very well. The mini or so called pocket type are not of any use in this area.

Lets keep moving folks

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