Esteemed Alaskan Outfitters Who Post on AR, I ask the following and would love to have your comments -

From my observations on bear hunting in Alaska -
There is a difference between hunting interior and costal bears. The differences being size of the bear and hunt method. Interior bears are hunted by glassing. Costal bears by glassing, cruising in a boat looking at a shoreline and looking in streams where salmon are moving.

From a "chance of success" perspective - which hunting method or area leads to the best chance of taking a good representative brown or grizzly bear?

From a "physical effort" perspective - which hunt is the most demanding physically?

What are the "range of costs" to hunt on the coastal/Kodiak areas vs the interior areas?

Lastly, what can the hunter do to enhance the chance of success?

Thanks

Dogcat
I am not an outfitter but have been to Alaska many times.
First I don't believe there is no easy brown bear or Griz hunts.
The biggest factor is food sources and the weather.
Even the interior griz you may be hunting from boats on rivers and streams. Either method a lot of luck and glassing is required. Mostly trying to cover a large area looking for those bears.
The interior bears are slightly smaller but occasionally you can harvest 8 1/2 to a 9' bears. I would say the average is closer to the 8' mark. People think when they go the Kodiak island they will be seeing only 9' and 10' bears not true I would say the average is high 8'.
Most costal bear hunts are $15,000 plus interior a few thousand cheaper.
To me the best chance for a bear I believe is while on moose hunts or in the spring when the moose are calving.
Just my 2 cents
I will be going for another this fall with Tom Shankster.
Try it you will like it.
Larry

Brown Bears can also be hunted in SE Alaska on the ABC Islands (admiralty, baranoff, chichagof) and on the SE Mainland. Admiralty Island has the densest population of Brown Bear anywhere.

These Bears do not have the large jug heads of the Kodiak or Peninsula Bears but the body size can be similar to the average in those places.

These coastal hunts are conducted from vessels as base camp and some from tent based base camp.

From a "physical effort" perspective - which hunt is the most demanding physically? ... most spring SE coastal hunts are not physical demanding at all but the Fall hunts can require hiking up salmon streams.

The hunts via a deluxe yacht are comparable to the northern rates (sometimes less) but the small vessel and tent camp based hunts can be found for allot less, comparable or less than an interior Grizz hunt rate.

My rates this spring are $12,500 for the tent based Brown Bear / Black Bear combo hunt. Hunting the beaches and tidal flats via skiff.

Dogcat
The book by J.Y. Jones "Ask The Grizzly/Brown Bear Guides" is a good reference that breaks down the different types of methods used, success ratios and expected trophy size in each of the different areas at AK brown bears are hunted.
"Unpredictable Giants" by Keith Johnson is a fun read... Basically a collection of short stories about bear hunts as told by hunting guides. Great book to get you pumped up for a planned bear hunt.
Good luck on your quest.