Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska East Afognak Spring Bear

Anyone have any experience or tips for a East Afognak spring bear hunt? Looking for transporter recommendations, gear tips, what to expect or plan for. Good buddy of mine drew for spring ‘24 and trying to help him out. I’ve hunted the other end of Kodiak multiple times but this is my first time to Afognak and his first time to Kodiak.

Roland at seahawk would be the one getting a call far as transporters go.

Thanks 79s

I used Andrew Airways as a transporter for an Afognak hunt, with no complaints. Seahawk has good reviews too though.

I am guessing the bugs can be bad in the spring there, depending on how early you go. They were BAD in the fall, on the Raspberry Straits. The brush there is also absolutely intense...alders that look waist high will be well over your head and they can hide bears really well. If you've hunted Kodiak then I won't waste my time explaining rain gear requirements. Bring a few days worth of extra food in case you're weathered in the the planes can't come get you.

Andrew airs is no more.. Island Air bought them hell happened back in 2019-2020. Seahawk when we were their loaned us their van to run around when we were shipping stuff back out of kodiak. If I ever hunted kodiak again seahawk would get my business.

Tide book, snowshoes, here is a super valuable tip, for spring you want to know when the herring season is for that location, and if there is any way to learn the probable opening date.. Have had good luck there using a predator call, also had a yucky experience there doing that. Have guided there and sometimes not seen one bear or bear track. Been there when there was four to five feet of snow. They have some huge processor ships there for the herring season. They are very, very loud, 24 hours a day. There can be 20 or more other herring boats in the same bay. Have fun. There will be one or two Guide Camps. Be good to do the research, who is operating there and contact them.

Wow, that is the first I have heard of that. Andrews’ website is still up and gives no indication that they closed but I guess that doesn’t mean anything.

Roland at Seahawk is great.

Seahawks is great, but so is Island. Never had issues with either.

Give’em a call goes straight to island air. Same same Pard..

Thanks for the info, any insight on boat-based transport or is that not advisable?

Personally, I think boat-based is the best anc I did that for a very long time.

Avoid Ten Bears...

Noted. Thanks

OnX is quite helpful in avoiding some of those alder patches on the way up!

When I was checking in my 10 footer at the check in station on Kodiak a bunch of years ago I eas proud as a peacock.
When Larry was done measuring and extracting a tooth from the huge skull, a guy walked in, he had just finished a hunt on Afognak.
His bear was an absolute monster.
29" + on the skull and 10' 5 on the perfect hide.
I think it was the biggest bear killed that year.
It was humbling.
Good Luck.

Thanks all

I work for Island Air. We transport a lot of hunters to Afognak. Nothing wrong with Rolan, he's the senior pilot on the island now that Steve Harvey retired. He's a one- man show with one airplane so he's spread spread pretty thin at times. We have 5 float planes now so much better chance to get out. Willy,Jay or Keller will do you good too. No bad transporters on Kodiak. Afognak bears are ornery. Make sure you kill one.