Alaska black bear in May?

[razorsharptokill]

Going to Alaska for military duty in May. I'll be there about 10 days and will likely have opportunity to hunt one weekend. I'll be at Eielson AFB. Can anyone give me some advice on areas, seasons, fees, recommended gear? Are the bugs bad by the middle of May? I've got a 50lb self bow I built and a 48# Hoyt pro medalist. I've got Zwickey and Snuffer bh's which would be better. More penetration or more blood?

[gbarmer]

I used to live in that area, For a easy to get to hunt go up to Murffey dome rd and find the trails on the north side and hike down to were you can glass the slopes, you can find black bears there.

[John/Alaska]

Contact AkDan or one of the others that live in that area (north pole/fairbanks. They should be able to give you the info on that area. I'm 200 miles from there so not that much help. You might also ask the same ?? over on the pow wow in case they don't catch your post here.

[High Desert Hunter]

Pretty thick black spruce around Eielson, I moved from there back in '94. There are areas on base that can be productive, but the best areas are up on the Yukon, Minto Flats, and across the Tanana river. I know many don't agree with it, but I believe baiting is the ethical way to go in this area, not saying you can't spot and stalk, but once you walk through the woods there you will understand why. If you are interested in sitting a bait, I may have a friend that I can put you in contact with to help out, if he is still running the same stands he used to. May will be loooooooooooong days, mosquitos, and the bears should all be out of their dens, and not rubbed yet.

Dave

[razorsharptokill]

Looks like it will be April now. Not sure I'll try to hunt, looks like we'll be limited on off time. If it changes, I'll PM or email you High Desert. Thanks for the offer to help.

[AkDan]

RSK,

That early in the year I'd contact dave in the bush.  Look up Jumper in the search engine.  he hunted with him last spring.  I do believe april is early but if you're going to have a hope the coast would be it IMHO!

Murphy dome is a place to go if you have no other place to go to.  I for one have yet to find bears on this hill and most people baiting are having as much luck as I am while trying to spot stalk them.  

April 28th, my anniversery, I am out usually freezing my butt off trying to land a grayling (yearly tradition).  Standing on ice, possibly in snow storms in super cold water.   Needless to say this is about the time the EARLy bears come out, or may not come out.  There should still be snow high (though this winter we are having a very light snow year so it could be earlier).   The weather is about as predictable as the weather man is right.

lisc is 85 bucks
tag is 225

If you are looking for a quality hunt and you do have a little time I couldn't agree more with what HDH posted.  

I however cannot help you with black bears.  To be brutally honest I have yet to kill one in Alaska.  Though I do go after them on occasion, after leaving Mn and seeing hordes of bears, Alaska black bear hunting over bait really doesn't do much for me.  Sure it's a fun way to get out in the spring but so far I've had as much luck attracting grizzlies and wolves as I have black bears.

[High Desert Hunter]

AKDan, sounds like my experiences with baiting, I too gave up on it. The only bear I took was right before I left, a Toklat Grizzly from the Castner Creek drainage, sadly it was with a rifle. My friend did have 2 bait stands that were very productive for everyone but me, they are across the Tanana in the vicinity of Salcha. April is early, and that time of year(or any time for that matter) the coastal hunting is much better, and the bears are generally a good bit larger. At one time I knew a gent who had a decent sized cabin cruiser who got himself, or someone else a close to 7ft bear most years, he has left Alaska for now though. Razor just let me know, be glad to help if I can.

Dave

[AkDan]

Dave,

Is this fella still running the stand?  If not you wouldnt mind point a guy out to it?  I keep humoring the idear of running another one.  I know I can run my buds bait stand, not so much as a hit last year and up till that point it was a pretty productive site though nothing for size still would be fun to get my wife on a bear.  That's IF she'll get off her duff and start practicing again.  Bought her a Timberspirit recruve, all bacote with a maple and paduke accent stripe, man it's a beaut.  Gathers dust on the wall in my hunting room  :( !

[High Desert Hunter]

Dan, did you get my PM? He says he is now running a bait up on Minto Flats, so email me and I will forward you the directions he sent.
beerman3133 at yahoo.com

Dave

[AkDan]

email sent.

Thanks Dave

[razorsharptokill]

Still here guys. Not sure how much time off we'll have. I'd be satisfied just getting out in the woods up there to be honest. Nothing worse than having to rush a hunt. I guess it could be a scouting trip huh? When I get more details as to exactly when I'm going and when I'll be off, I'll let y'all know. Thanks for the input.

[AkDan]

You'll have plenty of woods to roam.  Sorry I wont be around or I'd take ya out.  April I'll be gone chasing turkeys and hopefully starting may I'll be running a charter boat for the summer in southeast.

[Jumper]

RSTK,
  I just picked up on this thread. Dan mentioned earlier to contact me, he is correct, I will gladly help in any way that I can. I hunted black bear up here last year and took a nice one. Only way that happened though was because of the experience and help of Dave Armstrong. Great guy that lives down in Valdez. I know that he would love to help also but he is swamped with guys who want to come hunt this spring. I will be going down to help him with it some if time permits. I am also going to try to run a bait this year but it will be my first time and you know how that goes. The area that I have been directed to is also up in the mountains and should still be under snow in April. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you call me when your here so we can get together and shoot a bit. We will try to get the local Tradgangers together and grill out at my place or something.

[jrchambers]

i live in fairbanks but dont do much hunting up here but for birds.  i live in seward in the spring and summer. i have a bait on the other side of resurecion bay. I plan on a ground blind due to the area and lack of brown bear hits it shouldnt be too scary. every afternoon i hiked up to the bait i scared at least two bears off before i get there. I got one last year not too big but great coat.  if you want easy one day hunts there are some mountains right out of town even right behind the dump. not to say they are garbage bears you can just spot them from there and take two to three hours to walk up and stalk.  once you are up there there are lots of big cracks that make stalking easy. i shot one with my rifle. i came over a ridge where i spoted one from the road and was no more than 20 feet from it. wish i brought my bow..

[daveinthebush]

Just found the thread. First, you probably need an out-of-state license and bear tag. Yes I run hunts for veterans, even those that use stick bows like Jumper. Did he post a pic of his rug from last year? I have no idea when and where I will be hunting this year except I have BadgerMatt coming up for a hunt, last week of May/1st of June with my son. Otherwise I got ambushed by a Texas lady, hog tied and married last week. I have to go down and retrieve her at some point and she is coming up again in May to finish the honeymoon. It may be a toss up...honeymoon or bear hunt...I have to think it over. But contact Scott and me with a PM and we can probably help in some manner.