My trip this year up there was cancled to some unforseen events so my B-law wants me to go hunting with him on the Peninsula next year for Brown Bear. He claims they have been Salmon fishing there and see lots of bears and there is public land to hunt. Being that he is not the biggest hunter in the world I am wondering if this is true or would I be better off going in unit 13 bear? Any advice would be welcome.

Which penisula are you refering too? Ak or Kenai! I have taken hunted the Ak Penisula twice for Browns and successful both times.

My brother in law was talking about hunting around the King Salmon area and maybe a little south of there.

The Alaskan Penisula is a good area for Browns. I hunted south of Becharof Lake on the East side of the penisula. Landed at low tide on the beach during the spring of 1986 & 1990. Is the hunt a fall or spring hunt? I believe it is open for spring hunting in the even years and fall hunting in the odd years. I am not sure if this is still the way the seasons are run, they were when I hunted. These areas offer great hunting. Spend alot of time spotting and less time in camp (weather permiting) and you should have a successful hunt. How many days do you plan on spending on your hunt?

According to Alaskan Game 2005 game regulations.
Dakor can in fact hunt Brown bears with his brother-in-law. He must purchase non-resident license and tags. He is allowed to hunt without the aid of a guide as long as his brother-in-law is a resident of Alaska and of at least 19 years of age.

dakor

Your right. Having been a resident up there for so long I thought I knew all that stuff backwards and forwards. I would be the last to try and put out any false info. on purpose.

Anyway there are plenty of bears below King Salmon. Do be prepared for other hunters though. Many do-it-yourselfers and guides are hunting the same areas.

You'll want to check on the overlap of the moose and bear season. I don't think the seasons run at the same time on much of the Peninsula. You may find trying to put a bear/moose/sheep hunt together in a 2 week period might a trick.

Since I gave you some bum info. please feel free to contact me for a straight answer on planning your trip. I've done it many times.

Regards,

Mark

Mark no problem I can understand how things can get mixed up with regs. I think if we go by King Salmon it would just be for Browns and as for Moose or sheep I think I would go in unit 14 if I have time and the seasons line up. They live in outside Wasilla and have been seeing some sheep around some areas they hike and they also have some nice Moose around where they live. But I am mainly after a Costal Brown or even a mainland bear would be fine with me. I just want to shoot one in my life time that cannot be asking to much of the hunting Gods can it? I figured there would be lots of hunters around there if he has been seeing bears. All part of the game I guess. My 375 H&H Improved should be done in a couple of months and I already have the itch to take something with it. Mark I will shoot you an email when I have somemore questions and thanks again for the info.

I fished several seasons out of Chignik, about an hour south of King Salmon, and there are alot of big bears out there. Some of the local guys (native) use their commercial salmon boats to cruise into the really hard to get to areas to spot bears and stalk. I can recommend Ernie Carlson as a guide in that area. Personally saw a 27" green skull in about 94(?). Ernie is a straight shooter. Many(big)Moose also abundent.
Good luck with your hunt, some of that area requires a native guide. But it is the best way to get on a good animal.
LT

I forgot to mention he was also thinking about the Kenai area as well. I guess they have been seeing bears there fishing to. Low_tech that sounds like a huge bear to me. Thanks for the info and the name of the person. That is what I like about this site lots of information.

I took my Big Brown near Cold Bay in a region that has produced many big Bears in the past. I also hunted Caribou and Wolves in the Lake Illimna area two years ago and saw 69 Bears in six days of hunting. If I ever went back it would be in one of those areas. Good luck and good shooting.

Phurley sounds like you had a very good hunt!!! You saw 69 bears in 6 days that is crazy!!! Thanks again for the info I will be checking those places out.

Try out of Bethal. I hunted 2 times on the Alaska Peninsula with success but last year I hunted caribou out of Bethal with Papa Bear and saw as many if not more bear while caribou hunting there than out of King Salmon and we didn't see another hunter during our trip.

IFLY4U thanks for the info I will take a look at the area. Thanks Again!!!

dakor:
I live on the Kenai Peninsula. I wouldn't plan on brown bear here. There is a limited number of bears that the Game Dept. will allow to be shot. Most of them are shot by citizens In Defense of Life or Property, so they don't open the regular hunting season.
I hunt in Unit 16B, because its just across Cooks Inlet from my house. It probably has the highest per bear per square mile in Alaska. But, they are hard to hunt and the hides are very seldom as good as a hide from the Aleut. Peninsula or Kodiak.