I am going to hunt black bear in SE AK in mid May and will predominantly be hunting from a skiff. I have never done this before and wonder how fast those of you who have done this would recommend we travel (while attempting to locate bears along the shore). Just trying to get an idea of how many shoreline miles we could cover in a given amount of time. Thanks, Rufous.

How fast? Well, not so fast that you run up on the rocks next to shoreline because your paying attention to the shore. My suggestion is glass and cruise. Turn the outboard off and look and listen. Also, you can't shoot from your skiff either. You have to go ashore and then shoot.

There are so many variables. As said above you don't want to hit a rock or flip over a wave.



To be perfect one would have charts aboard and know thier position. A GPS would make so much sense. Then you can find your way back.



The water is extremely dangerous. If you fall in you will die.



So the boat may plane and then you may go 12 knots. The waves may be too big and you may only make 5. It may be so rough, windy and foggy that you should not use the boat. I can't say.



I hope its nice and sunny, warm and calm. Keep in mind that I does not always stay that way.



The problem with big trips like that is that when you get to the boat at dawn it seems like you have to go no matter what. Don't get in the boat if it's not safe.



To add: There are "skiffs" and then there are "SKIFFS". I don't know if it's a 10' john boat or a 23' Sea Ox with twin engines?



You only need one chart or two to cover your area. You could buy them now and study them. Such charts can be laminated in plastic so as to be waterproof. You should have a compass on board as well as at least one GPS and know how to use this stuff. Find out if cell phones work there. If not then a VHF radio should be on board. All of the required Coast Guard stuff equipment should be there too.



Rocks are very hard to see as they may be covered with slime. And finally the time to reef is when you first think of it.

How are things in W-2? Mother Nature will take care of all of your speed options!
Wear a PFD put your gun in a floatintg case and have a safe trip!

TSTURM, have you been to Walla Walla? The weather is gorgeous here presently. It has been a fairly wet spring. The hills are very green. A buddy of mine drew a spring black bear tag and we were out yesterday evening. It was lovely. We saw a nice sized bear but by the time we got down to where it was it had given us the slip. We are going to try again this evening. Rufous.

My experience has taught me that you can cover more territory and see more bears if you go fast - just do it safely.

rufous,

We did that hunt out of Sitka with Parker Guide Service. He had 2 sixteen foot boats (skiffs) and I would guess we cruised the shore at about 5 mph. Seemed to about right and we saw lots of bears. The bears don't really expect danger to come from the water so they pay very little attention to the boat.

Good Hunting,

Mark

Rufous, just a quick thought on skiffs for you. Last year when we hunted POW island we used a skiff. After a long day of bear hunting we would hop in the skiff to go home and by this time it was pitch dark and fog would roll in. This fog was the thickest I had ever seen in my life and you could literly not see two feet in front of the boat. If it were not for GPS finding our way back would have been hopeless. The only problem with the GPS was that even though we followed the exact route that we took in the morning the tidal swings are so great we ran the skiff ashore. If we had been going fast we probably hould have been ejected from the boat. Just because there was water some place in the morning doesn't mean it will be there at night. Don't leave home with out your GPS it probably saved us from a cold wet night in the forest.