The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Alaska Hunting Forum All else being equal, would you pick Kodiak or The Peninsula?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Ok, please be patient with me as I'm sure many of my questions will be rehashing old discussions, but I'm early in the process of deciding where I want to go for a quality brown bear hunt. As I understand it, you have to apply for a draw to be able to hunt Kodiak Island. I also understand that some of the better spots on the Peninsula alternate by years as to their availability for hunting. Both situations probably warrant a degree of patience in getting to a particularly desirable spot, so I'm willing to wait. I have heard good things about Kelly Vrem; in fact, I met with him in Reno in 2008. He seemed like a super nice guy and I even recommended him to my friend and neighbor that lives across the street who ended up having a very successful and enjoyable hunt with him a couple of months ago. And then there's the legend and lore of hunting Kodiak. From my uninformed perspective, does the fact that hunting there is by draw imply that it is more desirable and in demand than other spots, such as on the Peninsula, or is that simply because of its smaller size relative to demand? Is the cost of two hunts comparable? I'm open to other islands and areas, and still hope to learn about them as I decide on what's best for me. Thanks for any insight and suggestions! | ||
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I'd take the penn. The next record will come off it. A lesson in irony The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of free Meals and Food Stamps ever, to 46 million people. Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us... "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." Their stated reason for the policy is because "The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves." Thus ends today's lesson in irony. | |||
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I think I'd take the peninsula too. For an Alaskan resident, hell could easily freeze over before I'd get drawn for Kodiak. As a non-resident, you'd be virtually guarenteed a tag tho. Bear in Fairbanks Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes. I never thought that I'd live to see a President worse than Jimmy Carter. Well, I have. Gun control means using two hands. | |||
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You can apply for Kodiak and if not drawn still hunt the peninsula as long as your guide has a spot. Spring hunts on Kodiak seem to be more successful than fall and typically produce larger bears while with a good guide on the peninsula the success rate is about the same. Kelly does have a good area and produces big bears. Anyone who claims the 30-06 is ineffective has either not tried one, or is unwittingly commenting on their own marksmanship Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master guide FAA Master pilot NRA Benefactor www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com | |||
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The non-resident drawing tags for Kodiak (or brown bears anywhere in the state) require co-application with a guide registered in the area you wish to hunt. From what I understand, guides are designated a "quota" of non resident tags for thier areas. Most of the hunting areas are within a Federal wildlife refuge and co-managed by the State and Feds. Although they are techincally "random" drawings, most of the non-resident tags have very few applicants and a 100% chance of pulling a tag is common once you've partnered with a guide. | |||
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Kodiak is more lore and legend than anything. It's the name and the place to go. Doesn't mean that it is better than other places in the state. A lot of Alaskans apply for Kodiak only because it is Kodiak. | |||
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The Pen, Hands Down! | |||
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i've had more hunts on kodiak turn out better and with less people involved...all the hunts i've done on the pen haven't been as good. killed bears in both places, seen bears in both places. seen more people on the penn by far. even had problems with other hunters. but if i had to choose... kodiak for a spring hunt peninsula for a fall hunt | |||
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Well.. - I had exactly the same considerations a few months ago. I made a lot of research and I am sure I made the absolutely best choice - I go with Phil on the penninsula fall 2011...  | |||
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A variety of interesting opinions---thank you for them all. One thought I've heard is that areas on the Peninsula are not reserved for a particular outfitter and that sometimes this can be an issue. I even got an email today from a well-known outfitter from there and he said, "The residents may be present here but again last spring they were not really any of them who impacted us. The state of Alaska is moving towards reinstating a sole use area system for guides on state land, hopefully this will be in place for the 2010 fall season." With that in mind, if you were wide open to where you might hunt, could it be advantageous to go where outfitters get the sole use of an area? And what are your thoughts about going to a place like Unimak vs Kodiak/Peninsula? Would you find similar outfitters offering top services available there like you would at the other two? | |||
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Not likely stateland guide areas will be in effect by 2010. Fairly moot though since unit will be closed fall 2010. Also most areas on AK penn are federal land anyway. There are definantly small areas of state land mostly in the flat land on the Bristol bay side. By far all the best bear hunting is on the federal refuges and they are allready tied up. DRSS NRA life AK Master Guide 124 | |||
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Meant to say unit 9 will be closed fall 2910. Also there is some real good bear hunting on Native land on lower penn as well and like the federal land the Native corperaton land is tied up as well. DRSS NRA life AK Master Guide 124 | |||
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Is that guide saying that residents will not be able to hunt in that area? "We band of 45-70'ers" | |||
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Kodiak Island!!! The best place in the World For hunting the grandest Big-Game Animal. The Alaskan Brown Bear. | |||
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My First Post At AR! I was once under the spell of the Great Brown Bears. after many years of reading everything I could possibly get my hands on and going to the big hunting conventions for a dozen years, I finally made the leap. I did my first Grizz hunt in '96 Saw two giant bears but due to poor snow conditions & swirling winds they were not for me. I ended up taking a young bear that squared a little over 7 1/2 feet.  I was never truly satisfied with that bear even though it has a perfect unrubbed hide. Went back in the fall of '98 (unit 13 one bear per year unit) Did not see a big bear but did kill two nice wolves. I saved my money, read my ass off and studied every mounted bear I could possibly lay my eyeys on, joined the APHA , ordered every back issue, watched every brown bear video I could get my hands on,and bought every book on brown bear hunting I could find (P&T,Keith Johnson, etc...etc.) I neeed to hunt the giant coastal browns in the worst way imaginable. I booked a 14 day spring backpack hunt on Kodiak with Brian Peterson for 2001. I trained like a madman and dreamed of the giant bears in my sleep. I had the hunt of my lifetime. I lived the dream for about a full week, hiking past pristine waterfalls, nearly taken out by huge thundering avalanches with the hunt culminating in the take of a gorgeous 10 foot one inch Boone & Crockett bear with white claws and a perfect hide. For as long as I live, I'll never forget standing on the black sand beach with a bright moon overhead illuminating the spectacular snow capped peaks of Kodiak Island. I was alone staring in amazement at the incredible beauty of Kodiak and with tears in my eyes,being overwhelmed with the fact that I had truly done it. I had acheived what was just a dream for so many years, the feeling of chills and immense satisfaction that comes with such success are difficult to put into words.     From my years of studying the big bears I feel the same as some of you guides in that Kodiak no doubt produces a wider skulled bear on average. I also feel that the bears of Kodiak Island seem stockier than the bears found on the Alaska Peninsula The bears of the Peninsula seen to be built more like a Polar Bear in my opinion, longer, lankier with a slightly narrower zygomatic arch. I feel that either place can, will and does produce honest 10 foot bears, but if you were looking for that one in a million 11 footer that the Peninsula might be better than Kodiak due to the genetics of the bears found there. Thanks & looking forward to being a solid contributor to this website. | |||
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Don't know what the guide in springs posting was thinking but any decistion by ak dept of commerce and community devlopment or DNR has no bearing on resident hunters. It's only about controling commercial operations on state land. There has allready been a state supreem court ruling aginst exclusive guide areas on state land (1988 osecheck decistion) and the DNR (who is implementing this)has a lot of leagle hoops to to jump through before tis can become law. This really won't affect the non resident hunters to much ether just the guides they choose to use. Once this go'es into effect im sure there will be an immediat leagle challenge. DRSS NRA life AK Master Guide 124 | |||
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Salomonella welcome to AR we were posting here at the same time. By the way quite a good posting for your first. DRSS NRA life AK Master Guide 124 | |||
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I shot a 9'9'' brownie with Vrem a while back on the way of the Penninsula, fall hunt--top notch all the way. Kodiak is all luck on the drawing and I do not have much of that for drawing tags....  www.african-montana-taxidermy.com life member of SCI life member of NRA NTA Master Scorer SCI Scorer for Rowland Ward www.african-montana-taxidermy.com | |||
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All that emotion, time and money spent and you bring a disposable camera?  Go figure... JK. That bear's gorgeous. Some day!______________________ Hunting: I'd kill to participate. | |||
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Those photos were taken before I went digital in 2001. I kick myself to this day that I didn't have a higher quality camera. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Alaska Hunting Forum All else being equal, would you pick Kodiak or The Peninsula?
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