Since Kelly Vrem booked my dates for unit 11 before my partner and I settled on a final decision , how is the Brown Bear hunting in unit 16; also w/ Kelly Vrem.

There is a very healthy brown bear population in unit 16. 16A allows 1 bear per regulatory year and 16B and 16C allow 2 per. Any idea as to what area in unit 16 you will be hunting?

GSSP:
I've hunted/trapped Unit 16B since 1966. Probably more bears per square mile than any area in Alaska. However....The hides are not as good as the Alaska Peninsula. Most of the Guides operating there are the "new guys." The older guides have the good areas sewed up already.
Lots of brush. Not much glassing from a hill there. Some spring hunts are glassing from camp on a river, then when a bear comes out of the den, you try to head them off before they get in the brush.
Most fall bears are shot on a river/creek while they are eating fish. I'd save my money and go with someone on the Ak. Peninsula.

M70Nut:
Could you tell me where Unit 16C is located?
Thanks.

M70Nut,

16B, south of Skwentna.

My mistake, there is no 16C, the regs have 16B listed twice, 1 near Wolverine Creek and the other is the "rest" of 16B.

GSSP'
My father and I have hunted with Kelly in his spring unit 16 3 times. All 3 trips were sucessful and we have yet to take a bear less than 9'6" and thats honest squaring with no stretching. The area is great and the bears are great. The hunt is rough as after the den/moose kill/bear is spotted by super cub a suitable campsite is located and guide/hunter are dropped off and the next morning stalk the bear.If the bear is suitable the shot is taken and bear skinned out taken back to camp and then back to main camp on Judd Lake.Sounds easy enough???All the stalking is done on snowshoes(read torture) den/kills will mostly be in a very vertical area(guys like me from south carolina would call them cliffs). The bears make the struggle worth while as they are beautiful and have prime hair.These bear in this unit are much more blocky(look like offence linemen) than the bears on the penninsula which look longer/leaner(like a really big tight end).Kelly and his staff are top notch. His numbe 1 and 2 brown bear guides are Scott#1 and Chris#2,between the 2 they have accounted for over 100 sucessful brown bear hunts.That will stack up with anyone anywhere I believe. Kelly will give honest answers to any question as will his staff.If you are hunting with him or his staff for brown bear you should have a great hunt. My father and I will be going with them May 10-25 2008 on the penninsula for 2 more brown bears.My father is 66 and says this will be his last brown bear hunt in Alaska,he says this after each hunt but it only takes the mention of going back again for him to say OK let's go ask Kelly if I can hunt with Scott(they have never been skunked).This will be our 5th hunt with him.If you find a good thing stick with it, thats what we have said sense our first hunt with Kelly.We don't book hunts for him,we have just been very happy with each we have taken with him.
Thanks
Wesley Timmerman