I will be in the ABC's black bear hunting for the first 7 days in June? Anyone have any suggestions to minimize blood donated to the bugs? Thanks/ Chaz

Deet ;;;; Head net;;;Keep all skin covered ;; More Deet. ; Citronella candles....More Deet;;Avon skin so soft or some of the new mixes;;;More Deet;;;;Bandana to keep the sweat and Deet out of your eyes;;;

quote:

Originally posted by chazgreen:
I will be in the ABC's black bear hunting for the first 7 days in June? Anyone have any suggestions to minimize blood donated to the bugs? Thanks/ Chaz

100% DEET dont waste your $$ on the 20%-40% stuff. I have never used a headnet but that sounds like a good idea. After a week in Alaska you will realize that what they call mosquitos in Minn., Iowa etc. dont even qualify as pests & I allmost forgot dont put your bottle of deet in the same pocket as your favorite Compass,(deet leaked & ate the compass) or touch anything plastic with deet on your hands it eats plastic
Good luck on your adventure!!

I've had pretty good luck with the thermacell for keeping the bugs away, combined with a headnet if they are really tenacious.

The ABC's do not have any Black Bear ..... guess again?

Admiralty / Baranof / Chichagof Islands Brown Bear only.

Take a look at the Regs. Unit #4 ... no Black Bear season !!!!!

Maybe Unit #3 on Kuiu or Kupreanof.

quote:

Originally posted by muskegex:
The ABC's do not have any Black Bear ..... guess again?

Admiralty / Baranof / Chichagof Islands Brown Bear only.

Take a look at the Regs. Unit #4 ... no Black Bear season !!!!!

Maybe Unit #3 on Kuiu or Kupreanof.

Better switch to PWS??

You Rang?

If you really are in the outside areas of PWS for the first seven days of June, there is a good chance you won't be bothered at all. But, blackflies and 'skeeters WILL be hell more toward the interior. They might be delayed depending on how cold and late the spring is. Never had any trouble on the west side from about Chenega Island south. Dunno about the east side though. Eshamy clear over to Unakwik get PDBuggy. Gumboot has the formula.

I remember sitting inside one sunny, beautiful Fourth of July at Main Bay, listening to the whitesocks ricochet off the screens, sounding like rain.

Here's one to get you excited. Picture is a bit "hammed up" but he's still a good'un!


Good Luck!

;;;There are lots of Black bear options when on a boat based hunt based any where in the central and northern southeast including the mainland....Its not too far accross the Strait or Passage to Black Bear hunting....The 20-40 % Deet works well for the morning and evening noseeum hatches...Or if you have a reaction to 100 % deet....It,ll take the paint off an aluminim hard hat..... Man its snowing again .. This isn,t Valdez .. We had nearly 4' in the last 3 days...

Charles,

I hunted out of Sitka for black bear by boat in early June. The day we arrived it was sunny and we saw 3-4 mosquitoes. After that it was off and on rain and bugs were not an issue. I always took a small pump spray of OFF anywhere I went in Alaska but I didn't use it at all on my boat hunt.

Mark

Hi Mark; good to hear from you. It was a good speed goat hunt last October with the Moffatt family. I suspect it was Bob Grahm's last hunt; he is not well. Give my regards to all at the Moffatt Ranch/ Chuck

Gumboot458; where does one get 100% DEET in the lower 48? Would hate to assume I could find it at the last minute.

PWS/ That is a dandy; thanks for the post/ Chaz

Muskegex/ I ment the ABC's as a general geographical area. I hunted Chichagof in '95 & again in '03, but it was mid May & I suspect it will be a different ballgame come June 1st. /Chaz

Chaz ,, You can get bug dope every where up here ,., I prefer the big arrosal cans ..,., The Ben,s 100 in the little orange plastic bottle is handy to keep with you .. It,s made right down the street from my brother,s house in Brewer,, Maine....Cutter and Off make simular products..... If you arn,t used to it ,it may bother you .. It,s a good idea to have some Avon "Skin So Soft" it works well and is actually a skin lotion type product....

Chazgreen,

I see you're a Michigander. I grew up in Swartz Creek, just west of Flint. The worst place I've ever seen for mosquitos was back there in a swampy fallow field of a friend of mine. There were still woodchucks to shoot in the ragweed so being young and blood thirsty, we'd go after them. Headnets and gloves and such were pretty hot so it meant using about 1/2 of one of Gumboot's little orange bottles of Ben's 100% deet every time. I think I ruined my tolerance for the stuff that way as it seemed to soak into my sweaty carcass. I don't remember the number but I recall smacking something like 20-30 'skeeters with one slap on my shoulder. Big ones too. The worst I've ever seen bugs is up in Canada though. 'Skeeters and black flies. Spooky amounts. Worse than northern PWS. Makes you wonder how anything with blood could live there. Bugs are one of the reasons I live on the outer coasts now.

Cheers!

PWS

Not to poo poo on any advise, but I work with pesticide development, mostly for Mozzies. I recomend Deet between 25%-35% and reapply every 2- 4 hours the 100% is a waste of funds and some formulations will damn near strip paint. If you want to know more PM me and I'd be glad to talk to you

505ED

Gumboot 458/ will the aroma of the sprayed bug repellant be a consideration for the bear hunt? / Chaz

,. ., Bears live primarily according to their nose .....If you are winded ,,your winded .......Plenty of smokers have killed bears and sometimes I can smell a smoker hundreds of yards away ..even if they haven,t had a smoke for a few hours.......You may be able to get by not useing it when hunting but I can almost garrentee you will need it once you make the kill...A couple little pump bottles will do .......Your guide will prob have a supply on the boat...Where you get your liscense ,,,,,[Orion,s sporting goods ] if in Sitka, probably,,. Will have it as does the grocery store that is in the same building......I doubt it was planned that way , but where ever you can get liscense and tags in Alaska you can get bug dope..and on the coast , tide books ...You should grab one ,, interesting reading when nothing is moveing around........What are you going to shoot your bear with ????? if you don,t mind me being nosey,,,,Have fun ....

Gumboot458/ I will use the same rifle I used for Brownies in '95 & '03; Ruger .338 stainless. I have worked up an accuracy load for Hornady 225 Interbond that should do the job. I had used Swift 250 A-Frames for the big boys. Other than some trigger work to get it down to 3 lbs, the gun shot great right out of the box.

,,,,,,,,

quote:

Originally posted by chazgreen:
I will be in the ABC's black bear hunting for the first 7 days in June? Anyone have any suggestions to minimize blood donated to the bugs? Thanks/ Chaz

Back when I was younger and an avid squirrel slayer in the lower 48, I used to take vitamin B6. I am allergic to deet so that was always out of the question, and some of those other repellants work minimally. Start taking it about a week prior to hunting and continue thru the season. Not only is it a natural bug repellant but it is also good for you and won't have any side effects, oh yea, it won't wear off or add unwanted odor either. B6 and a good bug suit go great together.

Hey There PWS! Them damn bugs in Quebec were the worst I have ever seen. I was in a swamp near Mobile Alabama that was pretty horrible too- not as extreme in the numbers, but those skeeters HURT when they sunk in their proboscis.

Look forward to seeing you in May- Turkey killing time is nearly upon us!