KODIAK ISLAND BROWN BEAR HUNT

Up to 15 Days of Hunting

A trophy brown bear or grizzly is the greatest trophy on the American continent. Rarely does he come easy. The life he lives is rugged and harsh. Born higher up on a mountain cliff than a goat would dare go in winter. His mother picked this cliff in a desperate effort to hide from her own kind, the big bad boar! Alaska’s elements and terrain become a part of his life making this animal one of the toughest on the planet. Soon his mother teaches him to live in fear of bigger bears. If she is smart the sow also teaches the cub to respect the instinctive fear of man’s smell. By the time the boar brown bear reaches maturity at seven years old, in most cases he has learned the ropes. By this I mean, he has met bigger bears and paid the consequence. He has also worked out any ego issues with humans, mixed with the instinct of their smell meaning danger.

By hunting the boar, cub mortality is reduced. Allowing more cubs to grow to adulthood. Raising the overall number of bears, making for sustainable hunting. In fact, without bear hunting, the number of bears would be reduced because more boars would be competing to mate as well as competing for food throughout the year. Having a high ratio of sow’s to boars is crucial in bear management. Also by taking mature males, we ensure that the animal continually has the opportunity to grow to its genetic potential. This ensures the longevity of trophy quality in the species, a fact that is very important to us on Kodiak.

The Kodiak Brown Bear is the largest of his kind. One in two male Kodiak brown bears has the potential to grow a Boone and Crockett Trophy-sized skull. That is the highest percentage of trophy bears in the world. Once you head north to the Alaska Peninsula only 33 percent of males have that genetic potential. We hunt the big island of the Kodiak archipelago with that dominant strain of gigantic bears.

The Hunt

Our outfit hunts spring and fall seasons across three different draw areas. A hunt’s difficulty and chance for success will depend significantly on the hunter. Simply put the more nears a hunter can go after the greater the chance of success. Just like any predator, oftentimes the first stalk is not successful. This can happen for many reasons. perhaps, a change in the bear’s direction or a swirl in the wind. Your ability to get up and continue hunting the next day will drastically increase your odds of success. This sequence can make for a very physical hunt. If the hunter is physically hindered that’s understandable the guide will wait for an opportunity with a high chance of success. We also accept bow hunters, understand though that reduces opportunities for success.

Most hunts consist of a big tent base camp (in some cases a cabin is available), I often refer to it as the hotel. Here we eat real food like sloppy joes, pizza, stroganoff, tacos, spaghetti, jimmy dean, eggs, and snacks. Oftentimes, especially on spring hunts, there is a need to spike out from base camp. In this case, we carry what we need for up to seven days on our backs for this I provide the necessary equipment and freeze-dried food with snacks. Spring hunts in general require more mountaineering gear to be carried on a daily basis.

Spring hunts consist of higher bear activity, much of which is in high snow-covered alpine valleys. The days are long. Hide quality of bears is mixed, some bears are rubbed, there is a potential to find a bear with the best possible hide. If your physically capable this hunt is for you. Fall hides overall are in better condition less bears are rubbed. Days are shorter around 8 am to 6 pm for hunting time. Bear activity is focused on finding food before winter sets in.

Hunting dangerous game is no joke. A founding principle of the Boone and Crocket Club is that all animals be taken in an ethical manner. Our guide service strives to uphold that standard. Brown bears are tough and very hard to kill. We recommend hunters bring a .338 caliber or larger. shots are 200 yards and under. The first shot is crucial, automatically hunters should reload and fire again. While requests for Boone and Crockett, Safari Club International (SCI), or Pope and Young will be respected. Guides will do anything to prevent wounded animals from escaping. A Bear that escapes is not only suffering for an extended period of time, it also becomes a danger to any other living being it comes across.

Legally hunters can hunt for 15 days on their tag. Unless previously discussed we go into each hunt prepared to hunt that full time. In reality that is 17 days with a day of travel on each end. At the very least we recommend hunting a full 10 days.

Planning

Kodiak Island brown bear hunts require you to enter the draw. This is done by entering into a contract with a registered guide, and the initial deposit is paid. Then hunters will need to buy their hunting license for the year desired to hunt, (a nonresident annual hunting license is $160). If a hunter does not draw their tag this license can also be used to enter the draw again the following year. From here the outfitter will enter the hunters in the draw system. Draw applications are excepted from November 1 through December 15. Results come out on the third Friday of February. Once a tag is drawn (in many cases the tag is drawn on the first try). remaining hunt cost is due.

Next, hunters need to plan out their logistics. Clients will need to book a commercial flight to the town of Kodiak. Hunters should arrive the night before the planned travel day into the field. A hotel room will be needed for that first night as well as the night before flying out. Sometimes weather delays hunt start or delays leaving town, in this case, more nights are needed in the hotel. The town is lively, especially during hunting season, so there is no shortage of things to do around town. Unless otherwise planned out, the guide will meet hunters at the airport and provide transportation to necessary locations related to hunting if needed. Hunters will also need to buy locking tags for the desired species to be hunted. This can be done online ahead of time or in the town of Kodiak.

We Will Provide:

• Outings will require a base camp, spike camp, or both and we provide tents.

• The base camp consists of a cook tent. A client tent with a cot and heater and the guides’ tent.

• Food at base camp is three hearty meals that are cooked, making meals such as spaghetti, tacos, sloppy joes, and stroganoff. A large assortment of snacks are also available. Extra butter to cook up that fresh kill or catch!

• A spike camp is a nomadic and mobile way of hunting. Every pound counts in this case. Tents are sometimes shared with a guide. Lightweight ground pads can be provided. Food is more freeze-dried based, like mountain house. Other items include oatmeal, sandwiches, and lots of snacks like chocolate!

• Knowledgeable guides! Often times the owner “Derrick” personally attends hunts. If not, the guide hired will be top-notch.

Base Price is per person per up to 15-Day Kodiak Brown Bear Hunt. Add a Sitka Black-Tail Deer for an additional fee.