Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Boat based hunt for black bear

Please excuse me if this has been asked and answered, I did a search but didn't find much.


My wife and I made a deal with my 2 sons, if there was money left in their college fund after they graduated, we would take them on a special hunt. They both did well enough in HS to earn good scholarships which saved a lot of money so the trip is a go. We had planned to go to Africa, but time limitations and other factors will probably prevent that. So, we were thinking maybe a boat based bear hunt might be a good option.

I have looked at several websites but thought maybe someone would have suggestions or recommendations from previous trips or personal experience.

Thanks

Do you want a guide or not? If you're willing to go unguided you'll be able to find a ton of places that will give you a boat to hunt from when you book your lodging with them. I've hunted Kupreanof island twice this way.

First time saw quite a few bears and got a nice one, the second time only saw one and it was too far off to get to. However I had a buddy who managed to shoot a wolf. I had a great time staying in a cabin and hunting and fishing from a boat.

For a totally boat based hunt I don't have a clue.

Looking for a totally boat based hunt.

No reco, but good on your boys and you and your wife!

Have you done a Google search for SE Alaska black bear hunting? I just did that and there are several companies offering that service.

Check out Doyle's Boat Rental in Petersburg for a DIY boat based hunt.
http://www.doylesboatrental.com/

KC

google tells you a lot, while telling you nothing, especially in this instance.

Especially since its not a DIY thing he is after.

OP still didn't say if he wanted guided or unguided.

For a totally boat based hunt I'd be looking for a boat like this company offers. However, they don't guide, they just transport.

http://www.alaskagoodtimecharters.c...ear_hunting_trips_alaskan_black_bear.asp

This company is fully guided but I don't think I'd want to spend a week on their boat with 4 hunters/guests + crew.

http://alaskablackbearhunts.com/

Google is going to be the OP's best friend, but he'll have to do a lot of legwork or find a good booking agent to do the work. I wouldn't go with anyone that won't provide a client list with contact information. Since the OP wants totally boat based, I'd look for the less traveled destinations and probably avoid POW or Petersburg since these areas are so heavily hunted already.

I did a brown bear hunt this spring with Dale Adams, Adams Alaskan Safaris...great hunt in every way. He does boat based black bear hunts as well.

x2 on Dale. I ve hunted with Dale 3 times now and its always great. 2 times for black bear and once for brownies. The boat, the food, its all awesome. Dale and Alex are the type of guys you just want to hunt or hang out with. Plus they kill some monsters

I've done the google thing but it doesn't really provide the info you get from someone who has been there.

PhilR and fishdog, thanks for the recommendation, I'll check them out.

Not trying to be an A-hole here, but what is so hard about contacting a guide off of a Google search and getting a client referral list? Any guide service worth a damn will have previous clients willing to give references. A guide service that won't supply you with that should be avoided.

http://www.glacierguidesinc.com/references-hunting-fishing-alsaka-glacier-guides-outfitting.html

Even the worst guide service cam cherry pick a few good trips and provide those names on a client list.

Nothing hard about it, but, as Calvin said, it may not give you good info.

Again, I'm looking for info from previous trips or personal experience, not something found on Google.

Taylorce1, whats wrong with asking for personal input?

I know I would if so inclined.

IMHO a person would be a fool not to ask for personal input. And to follow it up with more research on top of that.

Dont' want to answer, don't burn your time answering IMHO.

Afraid this is true. I would always dig deeper, however I could.

I did a boat based Black Bear hunt with David Bentiz out of St. Petersberg in June, 2000. Had a great time hunting with David, saw LOTS of bears, and killed a 7+ boar. My hunt was based off his crab boat and we used an ~18 foot skiff for running the shores. David is very good at judging size and hide quality.

You can look here: StikineGuideService

I understand my experience is dated but wasn't seeing any others providing contacts.

Thanks Boise, I'll check it out.

Well I'm going to answer anyway.

IMO coming here asking for a boat based hunt without at least having an idea of what kind of boat he wanted is a waste of time. He has three other people to accommodate and one is his wife. I don't have a clue as to his situation but I know my wife wouldn't tolerate a crab boat for a week in AK sleeping in a plywood bunk.

Now if he came with a list of some boat based guided hunts or transporters, then he could ask more specific questions. He could get as well more specific answers. There are plenty of people here and on several other forums that could help him get the answers he wants.

Sure client lists for references can be cherry picked, and I'm sure even the good guides do this. However if you call or email a few of the previous clients on that list and ask them the right questions you can follow a trail back and get a good idea of the service provided. It's called doing legwork and the OP can either do it of hire someone to do it.

I think a little coming with a little more information would help the OP get more specific answers he's looking for. If he picks a few boats he can at least find out from other guides/clients if his party will be taken care of or not. Most guides will have a list of other guides that can meet someones needs if they can't provide the service the hunter is looking for.

I have been on a ton of different commercial boats in lots of areas around AK. I have never seen one or heard of one with plywood bunks, ever. Fishermen work hard and need to be able to sleep well, too. Crabbers have always been more luxurious simply because they are bigger.

There are no guarantees on recommendations, good or bad. Put a stretch of tough weather on a group that just had a great hunt and see how they operate...

Coming here to ask questions may just be an indication the OP needed help putting together his questions. There is nothing wrong with that.

I will be hunting brown bear with Brad Dennison out of Sitka coming spring. I did a fair bit of research, spent a fair bit email exchanging and then decided. He does black bear hunts as well.

not relevant to the question: I find that I often ask a question on a forum as it can do a few things, it can open more options to me that I may not have thought of and it can provide others the answer or information even if it's not going to be the exact one for me


personally I'm interested in a boat based bear hunt in the future, so this is a thread I'm going to keep an eye on, but my budget/desires may be different than yours so the more people that chime in the better

Looks like a good outfit.

I have hunted with Kurt and Trina Whitehead three times. They hunt the POW Island area, and a 7' bear is almost a certainty. POW bears run huge, and they take B&C bears every year. You can fish right off the Glacier, as well as running crab and shrimp pots daily. Here are some of our trophies:

Kurt is a hard worker, in a great area and with a nice boat.

Looked at Kurt's website, at $8k per person, I can't afford him.

GonHuntin,

Contact JJHACK - he used to offer boat based hunts in SE AK, and he may still. He posts alot in the "Africa" forum. Check with him to see if he still offers the boat based hunts. Many on this site have hunted with him in Africa and AK.

gundog

I'm going to be hunting deer and bear with Kurt in late Aug & early Sept. I'm trying to get in shape for the deer and get my gear list finished up. Any words of wisdom on what I should take or expect from those of you that have hunted POW with him? Thanks!

Wanted to thank everyone for the response. I have decided to go with Brad Dennison of Alaska Coastal Outfitters.