Hello all, I am looking to go black bear hunting this spring & was hoping for any suggestions ? pow island always seems to come up but i am wondering if any other suggestions are out there. I will be alone do have small o/b powered raft Zodiac style i can bring along. But it doesnt have to be a waterfront hunt either looking for any input thanks in advance.

Jeff,
Are you coming to Alaska just for the hunt, or will you be doing other things as well?

POW Island makes a lot of sense, because of its location and ease of getting to on the Ferry. It has an extensive road system that makes getting to good areas fairly easy.

However, if you are going to be in Anchorage or on the Kenai Peninsula, there are some opportunities on the Kenai, as well as islands in the Prince William Sound.

If you are going to be in the interior, there are many good places near Fairbanks or nearly any other place you may be visiting there as well.

Black bears are pretty common around the state (except in the far North), just about anyplace is good or is close to someplace that is good. Just as a general reference, if an area has a high number of Brown bears (coastal grizzlies), its not likely to have many black bears.

Make sure you do your homework concerning private property. When you decide on an area, find out who the Native Regional or Village Corporation is and contact them for a permit if you plan to access their lands. Some issue permits, some don't, but is easy to find.

A check with the U.S. Forest Service (if hunting in Southeast or Southcentral) can provide you with that information or contacting the BLM or Alaska Dept of Fish & Game.

Once you decide on your area, if you would like, I can put you in contact with the appropriate agency or corporation.

thanks for the reply i am coming just for this hunting trip. I am pretty familar w/POW ferry & rent a vehicle sounds pretty easy from mobility stand point. I guess what i am trying to decide on is a non island hunt and Or a specific area . I went on a bait hunt in manitoba this fall & although it was succesful (shot bear 1st hr in stand saw 8 total took 350lbs w/bow) the guided thing i didnt like nor did i like bait hunting.More so i am looking for a nice experiance w/things to do in the area maybe just exploring both before & after if iam sucessfull in taking a bear. May be is there any fishing this time of the year i could combine w/ hunting or a good place in the interior?again thaks in advance

POW Island does have some nice Black Bears.

Depending on when you want to come up here, a hunt on the Kenai could be the best all-around trip, in my opinion. There are some good black bears on the Peninsula, then you could fish for some of the giant Kenai King Salmon or fish the incredible Russian River Red Salmon run. Could also go out of Deep Creek, Ninilchik, Homer or Seward for Halibut/Salmon combo trip. You could do some incredible sight seeing, and other things.

The thing about the Kenai is the fishing is outstanding, you are likely to see some monster moose, big brown bear, maybe even a few of the Killey River Caribou, Dall Sheep and Mountain Goats, plus the weather is usually pretty good around the Peninsula during that time of year. Just try to arrange your trip when the salmon are running a bit.

Check some of the hunting and fishing regs at:
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/

The interior is a great place to hunt black bear also, but the big salmon runs don't arrive till later in the summer, when the big hordes of bugs are about.

You really can't make a wrong decision!!! Any area you pick is going to be outstanding hunting, and southeast as well as the Kenai are well known for great fishing, wildlife viewing and incredible scenery.

I don't think I've been much help, have I? Probably just confused the situation. Southeast is very easy as far as access because of the ferry and charters. Southcentral doesn't really have the road system into good hunting areas, except for the Kenai. Fly into Anchorage, rent an RV or car and head down to the Kenai.

Either way, it'll be a great trip.

well i think youve been helpfull i would like to return in the fall for moose is it poss to reccomend an are where some basic moose scouting of the area could be combined at least giving me a little heads up on where i was going ?

Well... maybe.

I guess you could scout for moose while hunting black bear, but don't think either would be done to your satisfaction. You really need to concentrate on hunting if you are going after the black bears.

One question, is this hunt for a trophy to have the hide tanned or mounted? If so, that would rule out most of the salmon run, because you would want to hunt a little earlier in the year. There would still be halibut fishing, maybe some steelhead. If you wait till the salmon runs start, the hide will likely be showing some signs of rubbing.

If it were me, I would concentrate on the bear until I had it on the ground, then do whatever else interests you. You could take a flight seeing trip at nearly any of the many local airports statewide and "scout" for moose from the air. The big moose are where you find them up here. Last Friday I was sitting in my office in Anchorage and watch a bull that approached 55" walk across the vacant lot across the street from our building. That's in mid-town. Some areas are better bets for big bulls than other places, but just about anywhere has a big one or two roaming around.

If you are looking for a really remote mountain wilderness hunt, the area we hunted for sheep this year has a good population of black bears. Its about 125 miles from the nearest town (by air, no roads). Absolutely stunning landscape, great camping area. Its in the northern Wrangell Mountains, near the border with Canada's Yukon Territory. We used 40 Mile Air for the drop off and pick up. I wouldn't recommend this hunt for a solo jaunt, but if you have a hunting partner, it is a really nice area.

hi alyeska338 i was wondering if you could tell me a few good areas to bear bait near fairbanks i am taking that bear baiting class in a few days and i have never hunted black bear any info would be helpfull thanks

I don't really have enough experience up that way to recommend anything. I've done float hunts along the Yukon and and its tributaries, but have no experience in the Fairbanks area for baiting.

Coldfingers and some other members that live closer would have a much better handle on that than I do.

You may ask ADF&G about good areas. There are some good black bear hunting areas around Manley, too.

alyeska338 i was wondering for all around hunting in alaska would you get a 45-70 or a 375 i plan on hunting every thing from caricou to kodiak grizzlys.

thanks

alyeska338 i was wondering for all around hunting in alaska would you get a 45-70 or a 375 i plan on hunting every thing from caricou to kodiak grizzlys.

thanks

Well, if I were just going to pick one between the 375 H&H and the 45/70, I'd go with the H&H. Problem is, no one rifle works perfectly for every type and terrain for hunting up here. As good as it is the H&H comes close, but isn't as good as others for goat or sheep, or even caribou in my opinion. If it were me and I was going to try to go with a one rifle for Alaska, it would the be the 338 Win Mag.

While still not perfect, it's pretty close. It's usually chambered in lighter rifles than the 375, has bullets ranging from about 180 grains all the way up to 300 grains. You can develop loads that shoot extremely flat, yet still has enough diameter and weight to stop bears at shoestring distances. And it won't beat you to death at the bench.

If you can have two rifles, the options really open up. Something in the 280, 7 Mag, 30/06, or 300 Mag class and then a larger bore in the 375 H&H, 416, or even 45/70.

Depending on where you live, hunting can get fairly expensive up here. If you live near one of the population centers for work, say Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, or Southeast, you will have to do some traveling to get into prime country for caribou, or Kodiak (if you are wanting hunt the bears on Kodiak), or to get into prime sheep or goat country, etc.. and it's tough to place short range limitations on yourself if you are wanting to everything Alaska has to offer. I'm not saying there isn't good hunting near these places, but if you want to hunt everything, you'll have to travel. If you want to just hunt nearby, that isn't as big of a concern, but I've yet to meet a sheep or goat hunter up here using a 45/70 or other short range cartridge.

i am looking at the remington model 700 bdl ss chamberd in 375H&H i will probly only relly use it for moose and bear. i also have the remington model 7600 in 30-06 do you think this will be adiquite for sheep distance wise also if you know any sheep areas near the interior my dad works with a guy who said he saw tons of sheep up the haul road around hatcher pass i am also lookind at the tok manegment permit hunt if you know any thing about these area and rifle please post.

There are two areas of the state that are considered the holy grail for sheep hunting, and the Tok Management area is one of them. Probability of being drawn is less than 1%, though. The other is the 14C area, probability for the last couple of years has been something like 0.02%. That's the reason you see all the sheep in those areas, they don't receive much hunting pressure. Non-existant along the major roadways. Walk in areas that are open for sheep either get tons of hunters or are so nasty that technical climbing skills are required, or you have pack in everything on your back for 15-20 miles of the roughest country in North America. You're best bet (but not only choice) is a fly-in trip. It's not easy and you will have to work for your sheep, but takes the hassle of getting into and out of an area with your camp. 4 of us went into an area in the northern Wrangells last year, saw about 250+ sheep, 6 of which were rams, 2 of those were legal and only killed one. The four of us covered about 60 square miles and climbed a total in elevation in excess of 20,000 feet over a two week period. It's work, but in the most magnificent landscape on the planet.

The 30-06 is a great chambering for hunting up here. It will handle everything. I'd personally prefer carrying something with a little more bullet weight and mass for the really big bruins, like the 375 H&H, but the '06 would do the job.

The problem with the areas along the road system, especially for sheep, is they are not open for hunting for quite aways. The haul road has a buffer zone, but is 4-wheeler accessible in many parts to the sheep areas. Hatcher Pass is pretty much off limits until you make your way a long way back into the mountains. That would be on foot and is tough going, though it can be done. Typically, if you can see the sheep from the road, they are either not in a hunting area or are in a drawing only area. That's okay, there are something like 597,000 square miles to this state, so there is room to stretch out. Take away Federal areas where hunting isn't allowed and private lands (which you gain permission to hunt, or maybe not) and you still have over 300,000 square miles. That's a big chunk of real estate.

If you come up here with a 375 H&H and a 30-06, you won't ever face a challenge that one or the other rifle can't handle. The hard part is making sure to have the right rifle in your hands when the situation calls for it!

Honestly though, unless you are hunting the big bears along the coast or on the islands, the '06 will serve you fine.