posted
If you are hunting in the spring there will not be may salmon in the streams. Spring time most generally has the best weather. A short flight from Anchorage depending on the direction you could be in Prince William Sound, or across Cook Inlet in Unit 16? Two entirely different areas. But both of them have quite a few black bears. If I can help you send me a PM.
Posts: 252 | From: Alaska | Registered: Feb 2008
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amicus, the date change had some to do with it but on good fish years, especialy near the hatchereys like Unakwik, Esther, and southwest the fish are still swimming through september, we usualy quit fishing them at the end of august due to quality but there could be good quantity, and as far as i know there are carcasas on the beaches for at least two months after september. if you didnt see a bunch of black schools of humpys then it was a bad fish year.
Posts: 828 | From: kenai alaska | Registered: Mar 2006
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also if there isnt alot of fish i see bears at the verry head of the fjords right up around the glaciers, this is usualy where the beaches are sandy or loose gravel and i have seen them digging alot, I dont know what for because i dont think clams live it that much silt.
Posts: 828 | From: kenai alaska | Registered: Mar 2006
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Had a great hunt this year in May with Homer Ocean Charters.. Got a very nice boar and some nice Halibut too boot. "Spot and Stalk" on fresh spring grass.. probably saw 40+ bears from the boat [our 60' home base for the hunt]
I was lucky and had 4 boars that were stalkable at different times in the inlet I was concentrating on.
Three others on the hunt [ all trad guys] had shot opps. But 2 guys had no shot opps at all. The guy who I feel was definately the most experienced hunter on the trip never did get to try and close the deal with a bear.. and definately not from his lack of trying !!!
I had a great time and if $$ situation ever allows a futuer hunt I would do it again in a Heartbeat!!
BTW, my taxidermist called a couple days ago and said my bear measured just shy of 6' but should make 6' after finishing my rug. He said hide was a bit dry [ salted and dry ] when measured, and that tanning would return it to a more realistic lenght.
Gene
Gene
-------------------- 67 1/2 Super Kodiak 64 Kodiak 69 Super Kodiak Big River replica 54 dual shelf static tipped Grizzly 54 dual shelf Compass Kodiak
PBS Associate Member Traditional Bowhunters of WA. Posts: 2493 | From: La Center, Wash. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Weather was very nice, no bugs, nice and cool during the day, did have some snow 1 day, the day we decided to fish, imagine that! But fairly nice, little rain, really a great trip!
Posts: 843 | From: Cartersville, GA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Our weather was also great.. I actually spent from May 18th thru June 4th there this spring and only encountered a very slight mist in the air one morning and this was after the hunt..
Cost.. this year was $3000 per person for HOC[ 6 max on the boat]. I paid $550 round trip for airfare from Portland Ore. to Anchorage add aprox $250 if you want to connect on to Homer roundtrip. I was lucky, as I have a brother who lives in Anchorage and I borrowed his pick-up for the trip down and back to Homer for I and Thomas Burns, another hunter on this trip. I just left it parked in HOC's parking area while hunting].
I think $350.00 was really close for hunting/fishing license and bear tags.
We went out on Sunday AM and returned on Friday afternoon around 5 PM.... When not hunting, which was best from 5 PM till about 11Pm] We got to spend plenty of time fishing for halibut in the surrounding waters. I actually caught an aprox. 38# halibut while anchored in our regular spot for hunting one afternoon.
I left two beautiful damascus knoves [ by "Skullworks" along with $320 as a gratuity for our wonderful 2 man crew.. My total for the hunt was right at $4350 including the shipping of fish and bear hide and skull..
You really need to consider a room both the night prior to the hunt and the evening you return to Homer, to have time to insure all your sending home [ game and fish ] is taken care of and that propper shipping instructions are understood by the shippers as you need to stipulate the day you want your frozen boxes to arrive at your home if you use Fedex... I would suggest having all game and hides processed [ packaged and frozen]and taking it with you on the plane home.
Here's the thing.. my hide and head was frozen [on the boat] and still frozen upon return to Homer, The skull needs to be removed from the hide if your not getting the rug etc. done in AK. Otherwise you can't fly with it.. therefore I had to wait until after we left Homer for it to be taken to the processor as it took two days to defrost enough to remove the skull [ done by a local taxerdimist that meets the boat on return to port] and seals the hide [ he's under contract with the state to do this] so that it could be included in my fedex shipment.. Had it been seperated prior to freezing on the boat, it would have made shipment home with me on the plane really simple and alot cheaper.
Save lots of money by having your fish processed and bring them back frozen on the plane... about a $1.00 per/lb to totally process fish and vaccumn seal and "flash" freeze, plus about $25.00 for a styroform lined box.
Overnight fedex is waaaay expensive... total cost was $458 total [including processing and boxes] This was for 2 boxes, one with 31# of fish and one with 41# of hide and skull [also frozen]total wt of the 2 boxes was 80# so close to $5.75 per pound vrs maybe $75-100 for extra luggage on the plane.. smaller weight are even worse.. I paid $147 to have 14# of halibult processed and shipped to a buddy form this trip, who lives in california.. probably closer to $10.00 pr. lb in this case. [including the packaging]
One more thing not mentioned... Alaska requires you to take all of the meat from "Spring" bear. I made prior arrangements thru HOC to donate the meat to a resident family in Homer. Fall bear does not have to be saved as it usually does not smell or taste very good due to the "Fish Diet" :
Hope some of this info helps a bit in your planning... I'd do it again in a heart beat
Gene
-------------------- 67 1/2 Super Kodiak 64 Kodiak 69 Super Kodiak Big River replica 54 dual shelf static tipped Grizzly 54 dual shelf Compass Kodiak
PBS Associate Member Traditional Bowhunters of WA. Posts: 2493 | From: La Center, Wash. | Registered: Feb 2007
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As far as the question "is it worth it" I would gofor the experience of hunting Alaska. If the goal is just to get a black bear there are plenty of places in your home state of Michigan you could bag one. But for all the experiences listed above I would definitely go.
Posts: 470 | From: Canton Georgia | Registered: Sep 2009
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Great story Lloyd. Brings back good memeories and a strong desire to go back. 4 of us hunted with HOC in 2001. I got the only bear and a 85# halibut. It was an awesome time had by all. The days on front and behind the hunt are an excellent idea. Baggage on the plane then was a lot easier then and we were able to take everything with us. i think I was the only one to pay extra and it was only $75. We each brought back 90# of halibut filets.
-------------------- PBS regular UBM life member Compton Posts: 1012 | From: Imperial, MO | Registered: Jul 2005
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2K is a bargain. Most of the boat based hunts are now around $3500 plus air. The prices have gone up a lot in the last few years, but they are great fun. Alaska is a place you will want to go to more than once. Homer Ocean and Alaska Coastal Marine are both very good for boat hunts.
Posts: 373 | From: Midland, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2005
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I live in Alaska, and the black bears are thick here. There are some areas where they are doing anti predation hunts due to decimation of the moose population. I think there's a guy that has a lodge on the Yentna river that will take you right into the middle of one of the largest populations of black bears in the state. If you hit it at the right time, you won't have to get very far up river to get into the bears. If you travel to Alaska in the spring, we have the Great Alaska Sportsman Show every year at The Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. There you can get the absolute best deals on hunts or combos. Good luck! Oh, and bring a back-up weapon. As they say, "Welcome to Alaska, step off the airplane and into the food chain". Grizzly bears are no joke.....really.
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