A few years after I get out of college I would like to go on a Brown/Grizzly hunt. I know very little about these hunts and was hoping some of you could enlighten me on things such as Canada vs. US, inland vs. coastal, cost differences, spring vs fall, sizes in different areas, ect. Or if you know of any good dvds on the subject.

A lot to cover there. Brown bear hunts are very pricey, though. Check with some outfitters.

Think $15 - $20k for the huge coastal brown bears, and $7 - $12k for the smaller inland grizz.

quote:

Originally posted by GuyM:
Think $15 - $20k for the huge coastal brown bears, and $7 - $12k for the smaller inland grizz.

If you have the cash the trip is worth it however.

Unless you plan on living in Alaska or Canada, you are going to be dropping a lot of money on this.

My research indicated that you are going to have a much better chance statistically speaking on Brown Bear than Grizzly. To the best of my knowledge, the difference between the two is where they live. The Brownies live in a "small" area of Alaska on areas containing salmon waters, and they eat a lot of fish. (I also think the big bears they shoot in Russia are browns as well.)

The spring hunts are entirely dependent on the weather. If its too warm, they are out early. If its too cold, they will hibernate through your hunt. You are also more likely to get a bear with rubs on its hide.

Brown Bear traditionally they run larger on Kodiak Island, but there are so many of them now that it may be quite hard to find a real monster (10 ft) compared to the old days- and in any case you may well never see one that size no matter where you go. Average local shot brownie is 7 foot squared. Average guided hunter is 9 foot. Trophies are officially scored on skull size, but you can't tell from a living bear the skull size.

Grizzly are a bit different. Size really depends on how well they eat. A 7 foot Brooks Range grizzly is a really good bear. If you want a really big Grizzly, you will need luck, and then it would probably be best to find a area that has fish that is out of the geographic region for being classified as a Brownie. In general, coastal is more moderate and will have bigger bear.

Costs will be very dependent on the outfitter used. In my experience with hunting you get what you pay for. Its my experience that most Grizzly hunting is incidental to other animals (sheep, moose, etc.) while Brown Bear and Black bear are usually the whole single goal of your hunt.

Since you are a while off, try going to some outdoor expos or hunting conventions and talk to outfitters. If you want to go another route, find a booking agent you trust and let him do most of the ground work- but realize that you need someone you can trust. In any case you probably need to book and put down a deposit 1-2 years ahead of the hunt.

Good luck with the hunt!