Anyone have any info on Blacks in the Kenail area right now? Have many come out yet etc. I have to be up there in mid-May and you know the rest.

Thanks,

Doug

dwhunter have you ever hunted black bears around Kenai?I have a freind in Soldatna and was thinking of going up and looking for some bears also.But I don't know where or when to go.

I have never hunted the area. Unfortunately when I lived up there the only time I ventured down that way I was going down to fish. I am fortunate that I have to be up that way 3 times this year and of course my wishful thinking has got the best of me. I am going on a moose hunt in Sept. around Fairbanks so I figured that I could get my license and tags now just in case the opportunity presented itself.

Doug

Have already seen bears here in the interior, so I would strongly suspect that down south they are out and active.

I had a friend down there looking yesterday and he saw nothing. I glassed from port Valdez all the way to Shoup Bay yesterday, twice and saw nothing.

A male black bear was killed yesterday on the south trail of Indianhouse Mountain, which is south of Anchorage towards Girdwood; I was told of this by a fish and game officer as I returned to the roadside trailhead of Falls Creek, which is just north of Indianhouse - several hikers I encountered told me they saw a black bear "up the trail" although I never saw one - with the warm weather and increasing sunshine / daylight hours, they are coming out - I have gone to the Six Mile creek area north of Hope, which gets lots of sunshine but I have not seen any sign (yet) - will spend next weekend at that location looking / hunting - good luck and safe hunting - KMule

dwhunter,

We had a really warm winter and I'm a bit South of Kenai. Bears have been out over a month down here. I saw a small black this week just downstream from my cabin and a friend has had a brownie around his place for almost three weeks now. The small black I saw was rubbed.

Joe

Thanks guys,

I will be heading towards Homer on the 16th of May and have plans to fish for two days, but that could change.

Doug

For those that know the area where is a good place around Kenai to hunt bears?My friend lives on Beaver creek on the old spur highway.Do they get good sized bears around these parts?

I just got back from Homer. Didnt see any blackies. The hills on the sterling highway are starting to green up. We spent the night at 6 mile river (north of the hope junction), crossed the river and went up hill. we seen some sign but no bears. Its getting warm out there, I'm sure its gonna be a short spring bear season as far as hides go.

For you locals,
Here is my dilemma. I have booked my wife and I for two days fishing in Homer as this will be her first trip to Alaska, she wanted to fish. I do not THINK she would mind if we spent a day or two hunting if the opportunity was there to do so. I am really stretching things financially this trip so I can't afford a guide. Where might be some dropping off spots down the highway to Homer to get out walk a bit and glass, if you do not mind sharing. I hope I am not making black bear hunting sound easy in AK. But what I remember from living on the interior is the bears are mostly found by chance or by hard glassing and hunting. I am hoping for a little chance and luck!

Doug,
Just a few ideas on some trails. Try resurrection pass trail (south end, once you cross the kenai river) or devils pass,(just north of the sterling cutoff). Devils pass has alot of bears and the first 5 miles or so is easy hiking, then the uphill journey begins. Alot of bait stations out that way so the bears should be moving around.

dwhunter the 16th of May what are you planing on fishing for?

We are going with a guy I have been with before out of Homer Greg Sutter,Capt. Greg charters. We are going for Halibut one day if their are any salmon we will try for them. That is unless I can sweettalk my way into taking that day to climb the hills for blackie!! I just found out I have to be back in Anchorage in July so I could always try for fish later!My wife won't let me move back so as long as I can get back up as often as I am now even for work, I can live with it.

Well guys, I found out this afternoon that I will not be able to Fish or hunt bear up there this trip. I have to cut my trip short to be back in DC the 18th. So I am only going to be able to spend 3 days in Fairbanks. Just the fact that I am going back up again is almost enough for me though.

Doug

dwhunter - keep posting here on your "visitations" to the great land and we will possibly connect and scout us some bear Don't give up hope, lots of opportunities to hunt here - diesel dude and I are going to pws in early june, with a bit of luck we will post pictures of several chunky black bears - good luck !!! KMule

dwhunter if you are looking to fish the rivers let me know I will get you the names of some of the guides on the Kenai.These guys are probable the best on the river.One is booked out 3 years but you may get lucky.I have a sled in Soldatna and fish the Kenai every year.So I can tell you who to fish with and who not to.

Saw one bear today. Only glassed until about 10am. Will head back down tomorrow to look a little more.

Jarrett

KMuleinAK and Elim,

I appreciate your offers and I may take you up on them soon. I hope my next two trips will allow me the time necessary to play with some big furry critters.

Just came back from hunting gizzly in area 13. Someone had supposedly seem quite a few of them. I sure didn't see any, not even any signs or tracks. The weather and scenery was nice though

Was on Kenai LK all weekend looking for bears saw one. N facing shore stil has a way to go before much vegetation is out. Saw a few tracks up high
should improve soon. Lots of other hunters were
out.

the easiest way to get a black bear on the kenai peninsula is to take a boat out of Homer and cross the bay then troll up and down the coves looking up on the hillsides. I think you can rent boats or maybe you could work out a deal with a water taxi going to seldovia. when you see one have one person stay in the boat while you go up after it. if the bear goes left the person in the boat points the bown of the boat left if the bear goes right the bow is pointed right if the bear walks out of the country then the boat starts going in circles so you know to come back. most of the time the bear out walks you but once in a while it works out. if you come across a patch of green grass, look it over really well. another thing you might try is driving out swanson river road in sterling. as you drive out the left side of the road has bear stands every mile. you might be able to talk someone who has a stand into letting you shoot one but you may have to endure a lot of sarcastic laughter first. May was the best month for me on salman and halibut. I sure miss Kenai.