King Baboon

As far as I know, traditional species definition isn't valid nowadays. There are apparently examples of different spp. who doesn't produce fertile offspring when interbread and different sp. that do. But that's true they are the same species.

Check out the picture of the Brown Bear in the Trophy Gallery section of The Hunt Report. It was shot by a chap from Illinois and it shows him standing by the full mount.
A pretty awsome picture.

Hawkeye47

im going to russia next year to hunt the brown bear....cost is 4500 for the hunt and 3500 upon taking the bear a second bear is an option at 4500 the last two years all the guys that have gone from australia have had nothing but high praise for the russian out fitter from airport pick up guiding skinning cape preperation to punctuality ....cant beat that
daniel

The Russian (Siberian) brownies are the same species as the American models, as is the much less aggressive and usually smaller European Brown Bear. I know offhand of no studies which try to explain why the European bear is so much less truculent and fearsome, but a Brown Bear is a Brown Bear, wherever he is found.

Age and food opportunities are usually what makes the difference in the average size of animals in a particular geographic area (along with what's-its-names law that the further from the equator an animal of a given species is found, the larger its body will be). While Kamchatca hunting is good right now, it won't take many years in the selection process to bring those bears down the the size of "everyone else's".

Hello;
I recently saw a full body mount of one these guys at my local Taxidermist's. I thought he was one of our local Grizzlies.
Grizz

M 98, Can you post contact info for your outfitter? Thanks.

Guys, I was the one that posted this picture. The guys name is Dan Coassolo for Intermountain Taxidermy. Dan sets these hunts up and mounts the bears after the hunt. You can contact Dan here and see lots more of his pictures.

http://community.webshots.com/user/dan_grace

Here is a picture of me next to the big one in the center, I am 5'10". On the last hunt one of his hunters shot the largest bear ever recorded there. I don't have pictures yet but I will. Remember to go see more pictures here.

http://community.webshots.com/user/dan_grace

Hawkeye47,
I have ticketed a lot of hunters to Russia for bear.Everyone has been successful and has had a great hunt. I fly the hunters from Anchorage to Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Pen. Pre-pay for your gun case when you ticket. You will return with your bear hides and skulls. U.S. Fish and Wildlife will be waiting for you to clear your trophies in Anchorage.

At the S.C.I. Convention in Reno, we went to Animal Artistry. They were in the finishing stages of one of the biggest bears I have ever seen that was taken in Russia. My husband shot a Boone & Crockett bear on the AK. Penn. in 1990. This bear made his look like a cub, it was that big. Don't believe anyone who tells you Russia doesn't have big bears. Even the taxidermists at Animal Artistry said it was one of the biggest bears they had ever seen.

Good luck on your hunt.

Kathi:
Were the big Russian Bears, Big in Body or Big in the head? What did they score according to the B&C sheet? What did the hides square out at? Just courious. I don't see why Russian Bears can't be as big as Alaskan Bears.

TJ,
The bear at Animal Artistry was a legitimate 11 footer (according to the taxidermists). As I said this bear was huge. I know a few years ago a client of Fred Mau's shot one that scored over 30, I believe it was 30 5/16 B & C. Check out www.huntcon.com and www.safari1.com for some good Russian Bear photos.

This is the costs for the Russian hunt. This is quoted from Dan Coassolo at intermountain taxidermy. Ron

The price of the hunt, spring or fall, is $6,800 service fee and $2,500 trophy fee for a
total of $9,300. A deposit of $3,300 is due at booking and the balance of $6,000 at
the hunt.

Tour Cost Includes: - Arrival/departure
assistance at the airport in Kamchatka. -
Russian visa support. - Issuance of
documents for carriage of 1 rifle, additional
guns at $50 each - Hunting license. - Export
veterinarian certificate - International
CITES permit - Services of guide and
interpreter - Ground transport and helicopter
transfers to/from camps. - All meals and full
camp gear during the hunt. - Professional
field treatment and packing of trophies.

Not included: - Hotels before and after hunt ($40-80 per night) - International air fares - Meals and alcoholic beverages in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Gratuities - Any city tours - sightseeing beyond normal transit to camp - Souvenirs/gifts/personal purchases - Items of personal nature - Extra or personal helicopter charters ($1300 ph)

There are 2 or 3 Agents booking hunts for $7850 plus airfare
with no trophy fees. What I like best about these hunts is that they are only a 4 hour flight from Anchorage. I'm sure these lower priced hunts are without flights to the town you helicopter out of to camp.

Hawkeye47

I have not done the trip yet
But I know that many of the "low cost" hunts drive you around in trucks looking for bears. I also know that the area Dan goes into is a back country hunt because he uses helocopters to get there. There are a lot of things on this list that Dan has that ARE included. I bet some of these things are not on the "low cost" lists.
This is Dan's list of included Cost from the list above.
I know he also travels with the hunters when he can. He has been there two out of three or four times. He takes care of the hunters. I just wish one of them were me Ron
[ Tour Cost Includes: - Arrival/departure
assistance at the airport in Kamchatka. -
Russian visa support. - Issuance of
documents for carriage of 1 rifle, additional
guns at $50 each - Hunting license. - Export
veterinarian certificate - International
CITES permit - Services of guide and
interpreter - Ground transport and helicopter
transfers to/from camps. - All meals and full
camp gear during the hunt. - Professional
field treatment and packing of trophies]