Black bear end of july, what rifle?

29 June 2012, 04:58

J D

Headed out the end of july for my first time to alaska, for black bear. . I got a 280 and 308 in plastic stocks a 300 win mag in a lamanate.
Any of those should do. I am also thinking about my 9.3x74 double for a second bear. I am not sure about the double holding up well and range limited to about 100 yards. We will be hunting from a go-devil boat from the house and possible from a camp set up futher inland.Man I wish I could do a brownbear, but at 7 k it's not in the cards now

JD.

JD

29 June 2012, 05:29

chuck375

Best of luck! Have a great time! And where and with whom can you hunt brown bear for $7k? That sounds awfully cheap for a brown bear hunt, I might be interested for my boys.

29 June 2012, 05:56

J D

Thanks chuck, I seen several brownbear hunts offered for that over the last 3 years. My black bear hunt is a free-be. I have a buddy who is a go devil dealer up there. He been down hear to New Orleans twice for some fishing and French Quarter tourist stuff while picking up a load of go-devils. We will do some dog training fishing and shoot a blk bear or two While I am there. It should be fun, most importantly it should be cool. It was 98 here today.

JD

29 June 2012, 06:30

chuck375

I'm in Colorado Springs, not only has it been 100 degrees we have this little fire thing happening here ... Have a great hunt. I'm planning to take both of my son's black bear hunting in B.C. next May (I'll observe and maybe fish, I got my brown bear last September).

29 June 2012, 07:21

J D

I spent a week in Glenwood springs and there about last summer. We left Glenwood after the first day drove around for a week before heading back there. It tears me up thinking about what that fire is doing, that is some great country.

JD

29 June 2012, 08:28

chuck375

Yeah, the real shame is that so many people are underwater on their houses due to the housing bust, that they may end up owing on houses that are gone. That and the forest will take a long long time to come back. We count our blessings that so far no lives have been lost. The fire fighters have been nothing short of heroic in their efforts.

29 June 2012, 23:19

vicvanb

quote:
Originally posted by J D:
I have a buddy who is a go devil dealer up there. He been down hear to New Orleans twice for some fishing and French Quarter tourist stuff while picking up a load of go-devils. We will do some dog training fishing and shoot a blk bear or two While I am there.
JD

Better check the hunting regs for non-residents requiring guides for bear hunts.

29 June 2012, 23:57

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by vicvanb:
quote:
Originally posted by J D:
I have a buddy who is a go devil dealer up there. He been down hear to New Orleans twice for some fishing and French Quarter tourist stuff while picking up a load of go-devils. We will do some dog training fishing and shoot a blk bear or two While I am there.
JD

Better check the hunting regs for non-residents requiring guides for bear hunts.

There is no regulation barring a non-resident from hunting black bear on his own!

JD just put a good coat of car wax on the outside of all the steel and use your 9.3X74 double for black bear! Just clean it every night, and keep a piece of electrical tape over the muzzles, and it'll be fine! Lots of the guys in Alaska hunt everything with double rifles. Several of them post on the double rifle forum!

Where I usually hunt there are lots of brown bear, but very few black bear. The country up around Talkeetna/Trapper Creek has lots of black bear. down south on POW Island have tons of black bear, and no browns. The blacks on Prince of Wales Island get very large as well, becdause of the good salmon diet!

...........................Good luck JD post some pictures when you get back.

30 June 2012, 02:34

J D

quote:
Originally posted by vicvanb:
quote:
Originally posted by J D:
I have a buddy who is a go devil dealer up there. He been down hear to New Orleans twice for some fishing and French Quarter tourist stuff while picking up a load of go-devils. We will do some dog training fishing and shoot a blk bear or two While I am there.
JD

Better check the hunting regs for non-residents requiring guides for bear hunts.

Black bear no problem, brown or griz you need one or a blood relative who is a resident

JD

06 July 2012, 09:58

chazgreen

I think I read "end of July". Expect to see a lot of bald bears by then; lots of insects however. In my experience bears start to rub hides when they come out of hibernation in April. Finding a nice bear that isn't pretty badly rubbed in late July may be a challenge; bring your spotting scope/Chaz

07 July 2012, 02:02

Fourtyonesix

some black bears here in ak wont' really rub, they might thin a little bit but won't be rubbed up like a spring bear would be. late july they will be just about ready to start growing fall hair, but hides will be pretty thin.

I occasionally will do a grizzly hunt for 7 grand...but not a brown bear.

07 July 2012, 06:42

J D

My buddy who is hunting with me wants me there end of July because of pending hunt he has planed on the 8/ 13. This is a free bear hunt and a 10 day visit, all I need is a tag or two and my cold weather gear. We may go inland as far as 100 miles by go-devil boat or hunt close if the bears are there. It's going to be fun even if I don 't find a keeper, we will do some fishing and dog training also. How big do the black bears get there, I am hopeing for a 300lb or better

07 July 2012, 08:40

Antlers

quote:
Originally posted by MacD37:
quote:
Originally posted by vicvanb:
quote:
Originally posted by J D:
I have a buddy who is a go devil dealer up there. He been down hear to New Orleans twice for some fishing and French Quarter tourist stuff while picking up a load of go-devils. We will do some dog training fishing and shoot a blk bear or two While I am there.
JD

Better check the hunting regs for non-residents requiring guides for bear hunts.

There is no regulation barring a non-resident from hunting black bear on his own!

JD just put a good coat of car wax on the outside of all the steel and use your 9.3X74 double for black bear! Just clean it every night, and keep a piece of electrical tape over the muzzles, and it'll be fine! Lots of the guys in Alaska hunt everything with double rifles. Several of them post on the double rifle forum!

Where I usually hunt there are lots of brown bear, but very few black bear. The country up around Talkeetna/Trapper Creek has lots of black bear. down south on POW Island have tons of black bear, and no browns. The blacks on Prince of Wales Island get very large as well, becdause of the good salmon diet!

...........................Good luck JD post some pictures when you get back.

Better check the regs is good advice - the regs change. This used to be a slam dunk on black bears, but not any longer. There is at least one unit that non-residents must either draw a limited permit (read very limited number) or use a guide.

07 July 2012, 10:50

Fourtyonesix

JD were are you planning to hunt?
cold weather gear?? in july??
300lbs?? in july?? they'll still be bone skinny in july too, might just be startin' to toss a little layer on, but most the fat don't start adding up till later in august. at least where i am.

08 July 2012, 05:00

J D

He lives on the outskirts of Anchorage. I do not know where we will be hunting.

He say's we have two options: If the fish are in we can put his boat in about 1/2 hour from his house and be into bears in 20 minutes. If that doe not work out and we want to do the wall tent thing, We will head inland by a river in a 20 foot go-devil boat. It is a full day's travel each way, and may be a 100 miles or so. I am not sure how much of that is by boat. I was told to expect temps from the low 70's to possible the mid 30's. I was also told to expect 10 days of misting rain and lot's of fly's. My buddy moved there 20 years ago and has been hunting every chance he get's since. I saw photo's of moose , bear and caribou last year, like me he lives to hunt.

It is so hot here in New Orleans this time of year, i would go if all I could take was a photo.

JD

08 July 2012, 07:30

Fourtyonesix

you'll have a riot of a trip, just don't bank on a 300lb bear or a hide good enough to rug, it could happen, but the hides might be a little "summerish" still. they won't be growing in real thick yet, but if you've never shot a bear you won't know the difference anyway and you'll love it!!!
have a great trip, take lots of pictures and just enjoy being out there...and watch...a toad'll walk right into your camp!

08 July 2012, 18:36

J D

first bear and first trip to AK, It will be a hoot

JD

09 July 2012, 15:59

tsturm

quote:
Originally posted by J D:
He lives on the outskirts of Anchorage. I do not know where we will be hunting.

He say's we have two options: If the fish are in we can put his boat in about 1/2 hour from his house and be into bears in 20 minutes. If that doe not work out and we want to do the wall tent thing, We will head inland by a river in a 20 foot go-devil boat. It is a full day's travel each way, and may be a 100 miles or so. I am not sure how much of that is by boat. I was told to expect temps from the low 70's to possible the mid 30's. I was also told to expect 10 days of misting rain and lot's of fly's. My buddy moved there 20 years ago and has been hunting every chance he get's since. I saw photo's of moose , bear and caribou last year, like me he lives to hunt.

It is so hot here in New Orleans this time of year, i would go if all I could take was a photo.

JD

It is 37deg as I type this

here in Soldotna (45 air miles S. of Anc).
A 300# black bear is a 100# strech in south central. You will have a great time!!!

Good Luck