I'm VERY interested in a brown bear hunt somewhere in Alaska for 2009. Are there any good quality hunts/guides that are in the $11-$12,000 range any more? Kodiak, SE or Peninsula. Looking for a place with a realistic chance at something 9 ft. Thanks

You can find brown bear hunts for that price but I don't know wbout getting a 9 footer. Most of the areas with the really big bears is in very remote country and the cost of getting there and setting up operations is getting quite spendy these days. You might want to talk with Phil Shoemaker or 458 WinMag from this site, he can give you better info that I can.

darkside. I,m afraid that $11,000 to $12,000 does not qualify as VERY interested these days in the best bear habitat. Certainly not in any area where you are likely to take and honest nine foot bear.

There may be some hunts available at those prices and I would check out some booking agents but be sure to check references carefully.

Phil,

What does a quality brown bear hunt cost now days?

Darkside,
We offer 10 day BB Hunts for 12,000.00 Spring or Fall. Realistic CHANCE @ a true 9'+ Bear although 8-9' is the norm. We take a 1 or 2 true 9'+ Bears per Season.also the Blonde color phase is very prevelant in our area. Out of 8 Bear hunters this year we were 80% successful on BB with 2 over 9'. Please check out our website @ www.nwaoutfitters.com and drop me a PM if interested.

Thanks for the replies and PMs gentleman.

458
I can assure you I am VERY interested, perhaps just out of touch as to what a quality hunt would cost, thats why I defer to you guys for insight. Just have to save a bit more... hopefully the wife can't tell the difference between a cubic ziconia and the real thing
Thanks for the info.

Marabou, PM on the way.

You have a PM and I wasn't trying to be flippant about your seriousness. there are a number of really great guides and hunts out there.
Prices of av fuel in King Salmon hit $6.75/gal this summer and since everything must be flown in and many of us are booking two to three years in advance who knows what things will cost then.

quote:

Originally posted by darkside:
I'm VERY interested in a brown bear hunt somewhere in Alaska for 2009. Are there any good quality hunts/guides that are in the $11-$12,000 range any more? Kodiak, SE or Peninsula. Looking for a place with a realistic chance at something 9 ft. Thanks

I know an outfitter down on the penninsula who just finished his season, 9 hunters, 9 bears in 9 days, hunting 2 on 1.

He is 100% success rate every year. I beleive he charges around $12,500 or $13k? It can be done. avg. bear is about 9'. good luck.

cold zero:

can you email me with the outfitters name and email address.

thanks,
Bob S.
rslus@hotmail.com

two on one - 9 hunters and 9 bears in 9 days and 100% every year for $12,500 ? The man should be booked full for the next ten years.

Just be sure to check references as well as AK F&G for average skull size, age of bears killed and % of sows killed in case that is important to you.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
two on one - 9 hunters and 9 bears in 9 days and 100% every year for $12,500 ? The man should be booked full for the next ten years.

I always try to put out the most accurate info' possible. Upon checking the brochure, the correct price for 2007 was actually $11,500. He generally is booked several years ahead.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:

Just be sure to check references as well as AK F&G for average skull size, age of bears killed and % of sows killed in case that is important to you.

References can never be checked to closley.

As for avg. skull size most hunters do not follow up later to provide that info', so that is unknown. As 458 win points out, you can get the names of the past hunters and look the info' up with F. & G. and get the skull sizes that way.

Avg. age of bears taken is guesstimated to be 8-9 y.o.a..

Of the 9 bears taken in 2007, two were sows.

Avg. bear taken each year is about 9'. # of hunters taken each year is 8-10. 1 on 1 hunts available for $2K more.

As for success rate, there was one hunter in 2001 who did not get one. There was a 0% success rate for all 4 hunters on a sprg. hunt in 2002, due to a late sprg.. Sprg. hunts usually proved lower success rates. I do not beleive they offer sprg. hunts any more? All 4 hunters were invited back and later all took their bears, at $0.00 additional charge. Other than the above mentioned 2001 & 2002 seasons , all hunters have taken their bears on the first hunt, usually within the first week, as far back as memory allows. I beleive the area hunted borders Butch King, about 80 air miles outside Port Heyden. If you consider that a good area....

So let me get this straight after reading these posts.
Average 9'
? How many were over and how many were under
average age 8-10 yoa
imo and 8 year old bear will not be a 9' Bear
We killed a 24 year old Boar in the Spring 2007 that was 9'4" our bear was aged by the state and his skull was 27 2/8" after drying period.
? How is he killing 9 bears in 08 or did you mean 07
To average 9' out of 9 bears 1 Bear has to be 9' 4 woulld have to average 8'6" and 4 would have to average 9'6".
C'mon guys not to put a damper on the conversation but true 9'+ bears today are not easy to come by anywhere in alaska. No outfitter in their right mind will portray guaranteed success on 9' and above bears. The reality is there is always a chance but for a hunter to set their sites on a 9'+ minimum the reality is he may not tag out as they are not the norm these days but the exception.
Just my opinion speaking from experience

I mentioned that everyone who books should first check references. I was wrong. The first thing any prospective hunters should do is seriously examine the outfitter's claims and run a BS test. If two of the 9 bears were sows they probably had 24" skulls and were under eight feet. That means the other seven had to all be huge boars to keep the average up.

I don't know the outfitter here. Actually I may if I knew his name. but I have no reason to doubt most of this claim. Nine bears in nine days certainly is possible. but always 100% successful ? How long has this outfitter been hunting this area and is it exclusive? There are not that many areas that will support taking that many large bears every year and contnue to supply large bears 100% of the time.

Booking a big hunt is exciting and we all want to hear great things about where we are going but using a little common sense beforehand is one of the best things you can do to make sure you have the type of hunt you have been dreaming about. There are a number of great outfitters out there and this guy certainly may be one. His prices certainly are resonable for as good as he sounds. He certainly should be booked a few years ahead.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
I mentioned that everyone who books should first check references. I was wrong. The first thing any prospective hunters should do is seriously examine the outfitter's claims and run a BS test. If two of the 9 bears were sows they probably had 24" skulls and were under eight feet. That means the other seven had to all be huge boars to keep the average up.

I don't know the outfitter here. Actually I may if I knew his name. but I have no reason to doubt most of this claim. Nine bears in nine days certainly is possible. but always 100% successful ? How long has this outfitter been hunting this area and is it exclusive? There are not that many areas that will support taking that many large bears every year and contnue to supply large bears 100% of the time.

Booking a big hunt is exciting and we all want to hear great things about where we are going but using a little common sense beforehand is one of the best things you can do to make sure you have the type of hunt you have been dreaming about. There are a number of great outfitters out there and this guy certainly may be one. His prices certainly are resonable for as good as he sounds. He certainly should be booked a few years ahead.

M.S;

I made a reply to your post. the computer ate it. You should re read what i posted as you mis quoted me several times.

458;

As stated above, I am not an employee of said outfitter. Just a multi time satisfied customer. I consider the outfitter to be the most honest guy I have hunted with and I have hunted with him several times and I have hunted all over N.A. a fair amount by anyone's standard, to know a good "situation" when I find it.

Would it be fair to say that B. King sells his hunts for almost double that price and he is very close by. Fair to say they hunt each others bears and the bears roam? If the bear is one one side of the line he is a $21,000 bear and a couple of miles over he is now a $12,000 bear?

He has both been in business and in that location for many years, not a new operation. As for the 100% success rate, I know of another animal they hunt, that over the years their record is something like 122 animals, for 125 hunters, who hunted at least 10 days. What is the math on that? Coincidence, or just a good operation? Bottom line, it is a prime area, just not charging prime prices.

I do not know if the area is exclusive. I just try to state what I do know. i can certainly find out. The brwn. bear hunts are always sold out. they are usually booked a couple of years in advance, but not as many years as some other guys, including you are. Reason, no web site, no t.v. shows or commercials, no print ads in magazines or newspaper, no email, no internet hunting chat room memberships. 95% of customers are word of mouth referrals from past clients sending their friends, family and other club members. Safe to say, no aggressive marketing campaign.

Exclusive areas only serve to make sure they are not overhunted by a number of fly-by-night outfitters. There are a few guides who do well on state lands but they have no control over who and how many other outfitters may hunt the same area. Your outfitter sounds like like a real deal. Does he have a name? It's hard to book without one.

I hunted with George Wescott of Alaskan adventures. He hunts Kodiak Island Unit DB134. He charges around $11,500. I got a 9 ft 8" bear. He has a quality area with some big bears as they only give out 2 permits in the Fall and 3 in the Spring. He works hard to get you into the bears and he has good equipment and is very knowlegeable about the area. PM me if you would like additional info or pictures. If you draw a tag and are in shape the chances of getting a bear over 9ft is better than average.

quote:

Originally posted by Marabou Slasher:
So let me get this straight after reading these posts.
Average 9'

C'mon guys not to put a damper on the conversation but true 9'+ bears today are not easy to come by anywhere in alaska. No outfitter in their right mind will portray guaranteed success on 9' and above bears. The reality is there is always a chance but for a hunter to set their sites on a 9'+ minimum the reality is he may not tag out as they are not the norm these days but the exception.
Just my opinion speaking from experience

O.K., you may want to check Butch King's web site then. Per the web site in 2007, he took 11 bears over 10'. I know for dam sure his avg. bear every year is over 9'.

I do not know what his success rate is. His 10 day hunts are $19,500, extra days are $750, wolf trophy fee $2,500. Most people would consider Butch to be a marquis name for brwn bear and he has been producing quality bears for many years on the penninsula and deservingly enjoys a fine reputation.

Bottom line, that area has a long history of producing 9' and better bears year after year, due to the genetics and the professionalism of the outfitters who hunt that area. He would not have been able to maintain his pricing structure for this long, if he did not regularly produce the results to justify his price.

Any outfitter can get lucky one year and have a 9' avg, do it every year and that is a good area with a good outfitter.

Just my opinion, from someone who already has an 11' B. & C. bear and extensive AK. hunting experience...

Cold,
Now your talking about a 20,000.00 hunt. Not something in the 12,000.00 range. For 20 k i would also expect to get a bear over 9' Remember what the topic was.
Bear hunt for 10-12k chance @ 9'+ Bear.

CZ,
What was the skull size on your 11' bear?

..Boy am I glad I live up here !!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
CZ,
What was the skull size on your 11' bear?

28 3/16"

quote:

Originally posted by Marabou Slasher:
Cold,
Now your talking about a 20,000.00 hunt. Not something in the 12,000.00 range. For 20 k i would also expect to get a bear over 9' Remember what the topic was.
Bear hunt for 10-12k chance @ 9'+ Bear.

M.B.

I think you missed my point. The bears roam, basically you are hunting the same bears as the neighboring outfitters. one guy is charging $19,500 and the other $11,500. There is no fence in between the areas, right?

Each outfitter is free to set his own prices. The guy who charges higher prices, will likely have customers who have higher expectations. Does that mean they will actually get a better bear? Maybe not. You are not buying a bear, you are buying a hunt.

The other nice thing is, the $19,500 is a 10 day hunt, the other guy will hunt you till the season is over, if necessary, or you quit and can't go on. which would you rather have?

Very nice bear CZ. Congrats.

It'd be nice to see a picture of the beast if it's convienient.

Scott:

The photos are not digital, but old style film with negatives.

I need to scan the photos. I have a scanner, but lack the computer skills to get it done. I need to get the better half to do it for me and then try to post it, or email it to whomever.

Body size was much larger than head size, in relation. Stomach girth was 82", I thought that was big. Kind of like a weeble, fat body with a small head. D. & C. Expediters in Anchorage told me it was the largest hide they had ever had in their shop. I videoed the hide being measured laid out on a blue tarp for measuring (without 3 guys stretching it ). The video of the kill, is actually much better. 4 shots, a reload and then a fifth. Very exciting.

Everyone should go brwn. bear hunting at least once.

quote:

Originally posted by Marabou Slasher:
To average 9' out of 9 bears 1 Bear has to be 9' 4 woulld have to average 8'6" and 4 would have to average 9'6".
C'mon guys not to put a damper on the conversation but true 9'+ bears today are not easy to come by anywhere in alaska. No outfitter in their right mind will portray guaranteed success on 9' and above bears. The reality is there is always a chance but for a hunter to set their sites on a 9'+ minimum the reality is he may not tag out as they are not the norm these days but the exception.
Just my opinion speaking from experience

Further detail on sq. sizes;

sow 8' 8", age guesstimated at 10-15 y.o.a.
other sow much smaller

boars over 9';
10'1"
9'8"
9'6"
9'2"

The rest of the bears were under 9'. Or basically, 4 bears over 9', 4 bears under 9', with one sow much smaller.

All 9 hunters went home with a bear.

quote:

Originally posted by Marabou Slasher:

imo and 8 year old bear will not be a 9' Bear

Just my opinion speaking from experience

Both the outfitter and one of his guides agree that "In this area, it is the unusual bear that would be eight years of age and not be a 9' bear, due to the genetics in this area".

I guess there is a difference of opinion, on the age vs. size question.

This statement, of course is based on their many years of experience in the area in question.

CZ,
A 28"+ skull is a gargantuan bear no matter what the hide squares. Again, congrats. In 2000 I got lucky on a 27"+ bear around here and it is still one of the biggest taken around Dillingham. There have been a few better than 28 taken but not many. Most in Unit 17 are 24 or 25" clear down to 17". The 17" are of course cubs. If it helps any for your own enjoyment and if you desire ours also, you can have a CD made from your negatives and thus be able to apply it to the computer. I have done this a little and the quality is pretty darn good.

quote:

Originally posted by cold zero:

quote:

Originally posted by Marabou Slasher:
So let me get this straight after reading these posts.
Average 9'

C'mon guys not to put a damper on the conversation but true 9'+ bears today are not easy to come by anywhere in alaska. No outfitter in their right mind will portray guaranteed success on 9' and above bears. The reality is there is always a chance but for a hunter to set their sites on a 9'+ minimum the reality is he may not tag out as they are not the norm these days but the exception.
Just my opinion speaking from experience

O.K., you may want to check Butch King's web site then. Per the web site in 2007, he took 11 bears over 10'. I know for dam sure his avg. bear every year is over 9'.

I do not know what his success rate is. His 10 day hunts are $19,500, extra days are $750, wolf trophy fee $2,500. Most people would consider Butch to be a marquis name for brwn bear and he has been producing quality bears for many years on the penninsula and deservingly enjoys a fine reputation.

Bottom line, that area has a long history of producing 9' and better bears year after year, due to the genetics and the professionalism of the outfitters who hunt that area. He would not have been able to maintain his pricing structure for this long, if he did not regularly produce the results to justify his price.

Any outfitter can get lucky one year and have a 9' avg, do it every year and that is a good area with a good outfitter.

Just my opinion, from someone who already has an 11' B. & C. bear and extensive AK. hunting experience...

Now THAT I find very hard to believe. 11 bears in 1 year that all squared over 10 foot? There's some serious stretching going on here....

O.K. This is what i was rtying to portay for the topic started and all the reply posts.
As a guide in AK who has been guiding for over 10 years for Moose, BB, Sheep, and Bou all i can do is be honest about what a hunter can expect from our outfit. There are no guarantees on any of our hunts. This is real hunting. I am not going to post an opinion that i feel would bring in a hunter for our company under any false hopes or expectations. All i can be is honest about what REAL expectations someone can expect if they were to book a hunt with us. That is what the owner has asked me to do and i will continue to do so as long as the folks on here will allow me to and at least respect that we are an honest group.
Guided Hunting in AK is a very expensive proposition for everyone and with all the bad storys i have heard about and read about on this entire forum a little honesty seems like it woould be appreciated. The gentleman I guide for is just thst a true gentleman and a man of his word as i am myself. I was actually a client in the early 90's with him and and had successful and unsuccessful hunts with him. But rest assured that every time i hunted either successful or unsuccessful it was everything he said it would be and more and that is the reawson i became involved with him as a guide and friend.
We have had many hunts over the years with clients most killed a great trophy some did not sometimes by choice sometimes it just did not happen BUT i cannot tell you of all the clients we've had that any of them went away saying they did not get their hunt of a lifetime.I'snt that really anf truly what its all about. I can also tell you i have never heard of more people rebooking with us whether successful or not as we are always in the hunt.
Big Bears are there Its all what makes the heart go pitter patter because what is not a trophy to you or I may be the trophy of a liftime for someone else.

Just my opinion

Slasher
www.nwaoutfitters.com

Scott:

Thanks for the tech tip. I will look into that. I wish the photos were digital. But, it is the video, that is great. I never get tired of watching the kill scene. He took enough lead to be used as a pencil. He was everything I was looking for, right down to the fighting scars on his face and the 5"+ white claws. He looks substanially larger than the legendary internet brwn bear taken on Hitchinbrook Island.


M70:

You may well be right.

Nevertheless, that is what his web site currently says. Maybe some of you guys checked it out?

He does have a very large exclusive area and it does border state, or federal land. So he can really spead his hunters out. Even so, that is a tall order, or accomplishment. Whichever the case maybe. If you liked that stat....I beleive he takes about 30 guys each year.

In all fairness to Mr. King, he does have a long history of producing very large bears, reliably. I beleive he is a past winner of the SCI outfitter of the year award. I brought him up to make a comparision, whose operation is very close by. Price paid and what you get are not always the same thing.

I paid a cheap price for my bear. It is hunting not purchasing a bear.

I don't doubt that his clients kill very large bears, i've been to his website numerous times myself and seen them. And maybe he gets the occasional 10 footer but to claim to have taken 11 in 1 year is a stretch IMO......no pun intended of course.
If you don't mind me asking, who did you hunt with when you took your brownie??

I thought you guys would get a kick out of some mail i rec'd earlier this month from R. & R Guide service in regard to the upcoming sheep lottery deadline.

Already taken care of

Anyway, their Unimak Island brwn. bears hunts are averaging "9' 1/2" bears and better".

Interesting....