Well in three weeks anyway, May 14th can't get here soon enough. This will be the first time I've been back since May 2007 and it has been a long wait. I'm going back for spring black bear again trying to do better than I did the last time. Last time my buddy and I tagged out in the first two days of hunting, I got a 19-1/4" and he got a 18-7/8"(IIRC)bear measured by AK DNR. Both of these bears were super lean I wonder how big there bodies would have been in the fall I'm guessing they were close to 300 lbs live weight. Hoping this time I can break in the 20" range.

Hopefully this is a primer for things to come!

My last bear!




My buddies bear!

Really nice bears, I like your choice of firearms, may I ask what caliber you prefer?

My buddy shot a .358 JDJ Contender for his bear. I'm a rifle guy and used a M700 .30-06 on that hunt. This trip I'll be using a .375 JDJ Ecnore rifle. My buddy isn't hunting this trip but I have another friend that will be shooting a M70 .375 H&H.

Good Luck !!

Have a great trip!
I should have planned better and went with you guys this year but it lands right in the middle of my youngest boys baseball season and Cub Scouts and with me being coach I shouldn't be missing his games.
My brother is on the fence he may take his 325 WSM now instead.
Have fun, hope you whack a big Bear and have my brother put you on some fish.

Your brother said the H&H is kind of a beast now that he cut it back to 19" when we were buying gear at SW. I'm sure we will do it again and you can make it up there in the future. Can't miss your boy playing ball, if it were my kid I'd stay home as well.

Hope you have a great hunt, SE Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:
Hope you have a great hunt, SE Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Yes it is! 8 hours to go and I'm off to the airport!!!!!!!

I’ve finally got some time to sit down and write a very short hunting report. I had a great time in SE Alaska just like I always do but the hunt didn’t go to plan. We really didn’t see any bears, we did see one about a mile off but on foot trying to catch up with a moving bear was tough and we just couldn’t do it.

My buddy did manage to fill his wolf tag though. We were walking single file along the channel from where we docked the boat to go fishing. Of course we weren’t going anywhere without taking our rifles so we had them both slung across our back.

My buddy was rounding a slight curve where he and the wolf spotted each other at the same time. I guess she turned around and trotted out of sight, I just saw my buddy throwing fishing poles and tackle boxes aside. He about strangled himself trying to get the sling over his head, but he managed it.

He said his first shot was at about 50 yards, he said the wolf turned which gave him a quartering shot. He hit her a little far back in the ribs and the bullet exited her guts on the off side. He said she jumped in the water and was spinning around and biting at the wound, so he racked two more shots in quick succession. The second shot hit in a hind leg breaking it and the third hit in the neck.

I’ve decided a 200 grain Accubond out of a .325 WSM is a little more bullet than a wolf needs.











So the bear hunting wasn’t great, but we had some sunny days with great weather. Spent some time with good friends and wished I could have stayed longer than 5 days. Guess they don’t call it hunting for nothing.

Taylor, who was your outfitter for the hunt? I'm leaving in 2 weeks to go up and hunt with Mark Galla out of Wrangell, when I spoke to him last he said they had gotten two bears(his first group of the season) but hardly seen any compared to most years. He indicated the weather was too nice. Sounds like you had about the same experience. Well, I can't think of a better way to spend a week than fishing and hunting with my dad.

I don't use an outfitter, my friend in the blue/grey jacket and camo waders has free use of an old friends cabin and boat. Makes this a pretty reasonable trip for me. I had around $1500 in the whole trip airfare, luggage fees, motels, food, gas, tags, and beverages. We seemed to drink a lot of beverages in Seattle on the way up and back!

Helluva deal! Your friend need any other friends?