Alaska Brown Bear Hunts

An Alaska Brown Bear Hunt is considered by renowned big game hunters to be one of the World's top premier hunting safari experiences. A mature Alaska Brown Bear is the largest of its species in the World, being larger than its cousins in Europe and Russia. A huge boar can weigh nearly 1500 pounds with a skull approaching 20 inches long and a hide that will square out at more than 10 feet. While Alaska Brown Bear normally avoid human contact, even going out of their way to leave an area with new human activity, they can be awesomely aggressive when they are threatened. This is especially true when their food source is disturbed, when breeding in the Spring, when accompanied by cubs, or when surprised or wounded. Then these big bears can be surprising fast and deadly. More than a few hunters have felt the terror when one of these big bears was provoked and aggressively attacked at an unbelievable speed.

The largest of Alaska's Brown Bear are located on Kodiak Island and the Alaska Peninsula down through the Aleutian Chain. The Coastal Brown Bear from Cordova down through Southeastern Alaska run a close second. The food source in these areas is rich and plentiful with nature providing a bountiful harvest in the Fall when the Salmon return to spawn in the hundreds of rivers and streams. At this time they put on weight rapidly and will be waddling fat when they prepare to den in November. The State of Alaska does a good job in managing its Brown Bear population. The Alaska Peninsula is managed by reducing the hunting season. The yearly two week season is split with a Spring hunt being offered on even number years 2008, 2010 etc. and the Fall hunt being offered on odd numbered years 2009, 2011, etc. On Kodiak Island the Bear population is managed by limiting the number of hunters allowed to hunt. This is done through a permit drawing system. These permit applications are submitted in May and December so you must plan your hunt a year in advance. We will take care of submitting the application for you but will need you to commit to the hunt and supply us with your personal information. On Kodiak Island and the Alaska Peninsula only one Brown Bear is allowed per hunter every four regulatory years. In Alaska Game Unit 16B the limit is two Brown Bear per season and they do not count against the one Bear every four year regulation. In Unit 6A the limit is one Brown Bear per season and they do not count against the one Bear every four year regulation.

The weather can be unbelievably bad in these remote areas of the World. It is not uncommon to encounter strong winds with rain that appears to be falling sideways. Hail, sleet, and snow can plummet this primitive land that is populated with few people. Yet the big Alaska Brown Bear seems to thrive and is immune to these extreme weather conditions. It is quite common to see a good trophy Brown Bear out on the side hill scrounging for the last of the blue berries or walking down the beach in the worst of these weather conditions eating the spawned out Salmon. Come and hunt Alaska Brown Bear with us for the experience of a lifetime.

During the Spring, Alaska Peninsula Brown Bear Hunt, the bears come out of hibernation during May. They lounge about their dens for a few days and then come down out of the snow looking for food and the boars hoping to participate in the annual breeding season. The weather can be miserable so bring top quality rain gear that is designed to withstand strong winds and keep the rain out. Ankle fitting hip boots are a must and can be purchased on line from Cabellas. The general method of hunting is to spend the daylight hours glassing the beaches and slopes and watching for a worthy trophy class Bear. Most often we walk to a vantage point to see more of the country and glass for a big boar. Once a good Bear is located the stalk is planned and executed. More likely than not the stalk will require that you intercept the bear as he travels down the mountain. The Fall Brown Bear Hunt is conducted in October and we will spend more time hunting near the streams and rivers while the Salmon are still spawning. You will generally hunt along Salmon streams or in areas that the Bears frequent as they travel from one favorite fishing hole to another. The weather can be worse in the Fall with shorter days and the temperatures getting colder as the season advances. It is generally in the worst of the wind and rain that you will find the huge Brown Bear out feeding. They seem to be impervious to foul weather. However, guides and hunters are not so bring warm clothes that dry easily and dress in layers so you can put on and take off clothes as needed.

On “The Lost Coast” Brown Bear Hunt there is an abundance of food in the form of succulent plants, a wide variety of berries, and huge runs of Salmon that return to the rivers and streams to spawn in the summer and fall. As a result the Brown Bear get a lot of protein and can reach sizes to 10 foot squared. An excellent time to hunt Brown Bear is October and November on “The Lost Coast” around the Icy Bay area. For the most part, the fishermen have left the rivers. As a result, the airplane traffic is down and the area has quieted. This is the time when the big Brown Bear move about more freely and begin to gorge themselves on the remaining Salmon to get ready for hibernation that begins in late November and December. Whether you hunt in the Spring or the Fall you will hunt in country that has consistently produced some trophy quality Brown Bear.

If you truly want an opportunity to take an outstanding trophy Alaska Brown Bear, plan to hunt with Alaska Trophy Hunting. In these areas you have a chance to take a Big Alaska Brown Bear that will be ranked near the top of the Best Big Game Hunting Trophies in the World.