Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Brown bear guides/hunters

Just a ballpark figure. How much does it cost for an out of state hunter to hunt brown bear. All costs included, license, guide fees, travel etc.?

Also, how many tags are issued in a typical year and what are the odds of someone getting one?

Here is why I ask. On this and every other shooting and hunting forum one of the most common topics is about a gun suitable for the big bears. Seems to me the cost and limited chances to actually use such a gun would severly limit the need. But there are an awful lot of folks who seem to give advice to upgrade to a caliber suitable for the biggest animal in N America, when whitetails are the largest animal they will likely ever hunt.

And on a related note. Why the fascination with the Marlin 45-70? This is the most common gun I see recommended on the internet, even though the hunter may do most of his hunting in the SE USA for whitetails or hogs. But you never know, they say, "if you hunt the big bears, a hot loaded 45-70 will kill em deader than anything else".

Now I have nothing against a Marlin 45-70, I have no doubt a hot loaded round will work. I owned one for many years, but if I were to ever win the lotterey and could afford such a hunt it would not be the gun I'd take. Seems to me a quality CRF bolt rifle would be far more dependable and just as effective in quite a few calibers with much less recoil than the hot loaded 45-70 generates. And I don't buy the faster repeat shot argument. With a gun that generates that much recoil you can work either a bolt action or lever action faster than you can get the sights back on target.

The reason for the guide gun is carry.

A guide in AK has all of the tasks a crew of 35 take care of in Tanzania.

Year before last we were out. Client was after Black bear and we had seen a good one. We had a new guide with Brooks Range experience. He had his .300 WSM 4,5-14x scope with him and was looking a bit askance at my Marlin.

But - while he could thread a needle with his rifle at two hundred yards, the gun that was with us later that trip, loaded down under 100 lbs of moose pack out each, was the Marlin.

The gun trained, cocked and ready at the brown sow coming into camp at 0 dark hundred, with her two retriever sized cups bawling, was the Marlin. (Bear deceided to go - and took her cubs with her).

Then - there is space limitations in the super cups.

Clients get catered to and rightly so - guides and their equipment get tied to the wing strut...

38" guide gun fits anywhere.

So - the name is telling. It is a "guides gun" and I have come to appreatiate these factors.

That does not make it the perfect clients rifle.

A brown bear hunt will set an out of stater back anywhere between 15.000 and 25.000 $ all told.

cmg, since you have first-hand experience with the firearm and the circumstance, you are not qualified to respond to the inquiry.

Yea, lets not confuse them with facts yet

Duely chastized he retreats to the sidelines...

thx for putting me on the straight and narrow, for I have strayed.

I'll start by answering the easy part
You can count on spending at min $15,000 for all you mentioned and easily run into double that if you want the best chance, in the best areas with the top guides.

Kodiak Island has drawings but if you book with a guide you are pretty certain to get one. Otherwise most other areas, including the peninsula, are over the counter tags.

And maybe the answer to the second half of your questions is that even at those prices most guides can't afford anything better than a Marlin

I'd still bet there are only a handful of brown bear killed each year. Probably only a few hundred. Certainly not enough to justify all the guys on the internet wanting to buy a brown bear gun.

I can see the Marlin as a viable choice. I'm just not sold on it being the best choice. I've owned several versions of the Marlins since 1976, including one of the guide guns. None were really unreliable, but none were as dependable as my bolt guns.

And not all bolt guns are heavy cumbersome rifles with 14X scopes. I have bolt action carbines that are only an inch or two longer than the guide gun. They are only a few oz. heavier with a 1-4X scope than the guide gun is unscoped. They are lighter if left unscoped. And they cost less. Based primarily on better reliability in my experience, I see the bolt gun (set up right) as a better choice. But I'll defer to the experts opinion. Using what you have faith in usually makes you better.

He11 it's only money..you can make more

JMR40 - certainly agree with your assessment. We have a Marlin 45-70 in camp that my wife likes to take with her on walks but I also don't consider it anywhere as dependable or useful as a good bolt rifle.

But, Phil ...

What about a Turnbull prepped M1886 Winchester in 45/70 or 475 Turnbull. I'm sure either cartridge will work just fine, but would it be "as dependable or useful as a good bolt rifle?"

Notice I said Marlin

What issues have you found to be a problem with the marlins Phil?

I tried to warm up to a Guide Gun but 40 yrs of Model 70's has pretty much got me hooked. I can see their merit and usefull ness but the lever action never got me by the nads!!!
!!

This has been a long argument way before this thread and it won't end here. Use what works for you and don't knock what others use. It's all a personnal choice.

Mr. Shoemaker,

now you have done gone hurting my feelings...



This a DWM Mauser 98 Argentino action in 9,3x64 Brenneke with a 22" Barrel. It has the military trigger and launches a 286gr. Barnes TSX @ 2450 fps with mild loads.

It cost me about 500 $ including the phosphate finish.

And, can you imagine the constant bickering one receives showing up in certain outfits I could name, but won't, with a bolt action?



Besides bolts just does not carry as nicely as the Marlins, is all.

grin

Marlins do carry nicely - and shoot pretty fair as well.
But I see that old buzzard above is not carrying one. And he certainly knows a thing or two about RUGGED.

Ok, ok, so here is one with him and little Shorty.



Tis true, that he says of himself, that he could break an anvil. But he also says, that I on the other hand, am hard on things.

Cmg the 9.3x64 is a hammer. Had a German client las year use one, I think it give the 375h&h a run for the money.

Wilhelm Brenneke aimed at true .375 Performance - wanted a cartridge to fit into a standard length action.

Had he - in the twenties - instead of the .366 diameter chosen the .375 there would be no .375 Ruger today.

What were you hunting?

That is a pretty new looking rifle and Ed's serious using rifles don't look like that for long.

The one we have had in camp for over twenty years has been repaired twice at the factory and last year jammed badly when my daughter was charged right here by the house. If I hadn't been right there with my 458 it would have been serious.