Anyone have any recomendations or experience with any of the boat based operations in AK? I'm planning on a spring hunt in SE AK. I know there are a ton of "transporters" (not guides) that offer these types of hunts and all are priced around about the same, but I'm really looking for some first hand experience with one.
Thanks

SE Alaska is a large area. There are indeed lots of transporters there who do black bear hunts, but I've never used them, so can't recommend one.

What part of SE are you aiming for? SE pretty much covers everything from Ketchikan to Yakutat....

dave

Dave,
I'm pretty much open to anywhere in SE. Hell, I'll consider anywhere in AK. I hunted brown bear in SE 2 years ago and was told about the incredible population of black bears in SE. I could not believe all the brown bears we saw!!That is pretty much the only reason why I mentioned SE. Plus, most of the transporters I find on the net are based somewhere in SE. I have a friend who did one of these boat based hunts a few years ago, and he had a great time. The guy he used is no longer doing it though.

Alaska Coastal Marine does spring black bear hunts out of Homer. I've chartered their boat for deer out of Kodiak, and would recommend them.

For SE, I don't have any experience with transporters...

I actually talked to Tim yesterday. Real helpful guy. I heard good things about his operation from others.
Thanks!

tip: There is an operation out of Whittier that transports hunters to places in GMU 6D (search for Whittier transporters and I am sure his website will pop up.) As far as SE, black bears are not found in all places (read the regulations)..transporters come in a couple of different ways..some will take you out and drop you off and come back and get you and then some are set up where you stay on their boat. Another method is to simply rent a boat your self, get some good navagation maps, and go exploring...that is what we recently started doing. Pick an area that allows black bears to be hunted (1,2,3) (it covers an area about half the size of Italy), and then go look for them. You should not have trouble finding black bears in Prince William Sound (Unit 6), or in places farther SE. Boat hunting is a really good, fun way to hunt bears.

My wife and I hunted with Bruce Parker out of Sitka Alaska (Parker Guide Service) three years ago. We both took nice black bears on a spring hunt (mine squared 7'6" and my wife's squared just under 7'). He also has fall black bear hunts. On the spring hunt you hunt more along the coast - the bears come out to eat the salt grass along the beach; you beach the boat down wind and make a stalk. The fall hunts are along the rivers, where the bears are feeding on salmon. Bruce's big boat is ~60' and is anchored in a cove (sleep & eat). He has two 16-18' skiffs that you go out on each day to do your hunting. We had a good time and I would hunt with him again.

A black bear that squares 7.5ft is very large. What was the skull measurement?

dave

Dave,
I think it's skull meassured around 19-20". I have the measurement written down somewhere. He was a big bear - verry long. When we first saw him Bruce (guide) didn't think he would go 7', because he could see so much daylight under his belly. I decided I wanted to take him anyways as he had a beautiful jet black coat. It was only later when we were standing around him taking pictures that we realized he was big - that's when we measured him. If you like I will email you a picture or I will try and post a picture of him. There is a picture of him on Dakota's website, here is the link http://www.dakotaarms.com/trophyroom/images/Michael_Clark5.jpg

Nice one...if you run across the measurements, I'd be curious to know...

A good friend hunted a couple years back with Dale Adams, Adams Alaskan Safaris out of Sitka. Had a great spring hunt taking a 9'+ brown and 7.5' black - he highly recommended him