We're looking at unguided black bear hunting on POW for spring of 2008.

We'd likely hire a transporter to take us to a remote part of the island. (We understand that many bears can be taken off the road system, but we don't want to go that far to spend time in a pickup.)

I'm looking for advice on:

1. What parts of the island are worth looking at?

2. What parts of the island should we avoid?

3. Any recommendations on transporters?

Thanks in advance.

The only really remote part of POW Island I am aware of is the south end. I'm not sure how many bears you would find there, most are on the karst topography of the northern end of the island. If you want to go to a remote area consider Kuiu Island directly to the north. It has some of the highest consentrations of black bears on the planet. You can contact the air transporters in either Ketchikan, Wrangell, or Petersburg to get info on going there. There are also some Forest Service cabins that can be rented there too. Be forewarned, however, that there is a 120 bear harvest cap on Kuiu for out of state hunters so you need to go in the spring. Contact ADF&G for more info. Hope that helps. Jim

Thanks for the reply.

Are you suggesting that Kuiu has as high or higher density of black bear than POW? That'd be great, and with no road system, it'd cut down quite a bit on competition.

We should discuss with the FS biologists.

There are roads on the northern end of Kuiu but not many people use them. It is hard, but not impossible, to put vehicles on the road system and it is a long way from anywhere. Yes, Kuiu has a higher bear population than POW. Some very large bears there too. Hope you have fun no matter where you hunt. Jim

PS. Don't forget your rain gear!!!

Deertick,

PM sent.

Mike

We used Ryan McCue http://www.rdmpilot.com/ for our bear hunt last Aug. I can definitely recommend him for transport. While not overly selective, our group was 5/5 on bear and lots of salmon. The only problem we had was with the TSA in Ketchikan.

MFH

Deer Tick,
For what's worth. I did POW on my own in late May,2006. I drove from Montana, took the ferry from Prince Rupert B.C. to Ketchikan. Overnighted at the Super 8 and took the Inter Island ferry the next day to Hollis. There are about 200+ miles of good pave road on POW and a zillion miles of clear cut road. I had a motor boat along and never had reason to use it. I stayed for a couple of days at a duplex in Craig and then rented a F.S. cabin north of there. There are bears EVERYWHERE !!!!! I killed min right in the middle of the island north of Balls Lake campground about 12 noon. He was 6 ft. 8 in and 20 6/8" I drug him out to the truck on a Cabella's game cart along a gated logging road. Lucky? Probably. There is, I believe, a perseption that you can only do well hunting along the tidal margings with a transporter. It is certainly easier than crawling around the clear cuts. With all the moisture that country grows back quickly, to say the least. Stay out of the south end of the island. The indians don't much care for the incursion. All the way up north is excellent habitat. The whole island is a giant freakin salad bowl for bears. Services are minimal. I got to know the folks at Black Bear Convenience Store in Craig pretty well as that's where I got gas and food. My hunting partner cancelled out two days before departure so I went by myself. Read that as I absorbed all costs. It was about $3500 to $4000 on my own. Split two ways it is much less painful, but then I'm and independent hard headed bastard. Any questions feel free to ask or PM. Having gone once sure doesn't make me an expert.
Oh yeah, baiting is legal, if you have the time.

Yellowstone, how about that bear rug hanging on the wall of the Black Bear Convenience store? A stinking whopper for sure! Congrats on your success. I walked a road in the Balls Lake area and saw more bear sign than I thought possible outside of a zoo.

I went the second week of June with my young daughter and mainly fished and crabbed, tons of fun. We did a little black bear hunting, saw one decent one but I "held out" and came home without a bear. Lots and lots of fish, though.

Nearly everyone I've spoken to who's hunted in May did very well. Few unguided people (if anyone) who where staying in Thorne Bay the second week of June took one. I'm nearly certain that if I focused on it that I would have at least seen way more bears and maybe would have taken one.

My recommendation (after one unsuccessful trip: consider the source!) would be to go earlier (May) and either do the rdmpilot type thing or get a transporter out of Coffman Cove/Whale Pass or some such place to go to Kuiu or some other remote place. You'll find a few transporters if you search the web. Going with rdmpilot saves you the flight to POW island (not cheap) or the time/dely from your flight into Ketchikan to get on the ferry and THEN find someone to bring you to the transporter. Another ferry can take you from Wrangle (I think) to coffman Cove where you may find a transporter.

Best of luck. We had an absolute ball aside from a very steep learning curve going from fly fishing to trolling/mooching.

I have been looking at trying to do a combo bear and sitka black tail hunt on Prince of Wales. Has anybody had experience on that type of hunt?

I did just such a hunt with Johnny Laird in 2003. The primary goal was goat. I took one in the Misties, then over to POW for Sitka, when I scored here, I went for bear. I had already killed two bear on POW in years past, and I told Johnny I didn't want a small one. I could have killed several, but no big'un presented, so I showed a rare moment of discretion. Muskeg Excursions is his outfit, and he's top notch. Don't ask me where we went, as he blindfolded me, took up my GPS, and poured strong liquor into me to confuse my senses.