Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Peninsula or Kodiak Brown Bear hunting

Suggestions for outfitters??? I would like to hunt the
spring of 2006.

Thanks!

Any idea what you want? There is a big difference between guide operations and areas. Do you want a monster or nothing... or just a representative bear?

How important is the hide? The biggest bears killed are usually distracted by sows, as late in the season as possible. There hides are almost always badly rubbed and ugly. The real big old boys seldom come out during the day until they start chasing sow...

The weather can be real bad in Kodiak, but the Peninsula can be worse...

Dick Gunlogson is probably the best guide for the AK Peninsula. Kodiak has a number to choose from. The area usually considered to be the "Big Bear" area there is the Aliulik Peninsula. Rob Holt and Andy Runyan are a couple of guides working the area. Both are good guys.

There are plenty a guy should avoid...
art

SD

Thanks for the reply.

I am interested in getting as large a bear as I can. It seems
many outfitters claim an average well in excess of 9' square
and 26" heads.

I was also under the impression that the largest boars
were typically taken very early in the season as they
were the first to emerge from their dens.

I met Dick Gunlogson at SCI a few years back and
he seemed to have a great operation.

I have also heard tremendous reports on Phil Shoemakers
operation out of Becharof NWR.

Regards,

257
Some areas may very well produce well on big boars as they first emerge... but many of Kodiak's biggest bears do not even hibernate some years or do so for very brief times. They are seldom seen because they are completely nocturnal.

The guides in a given area would be better able to tell you that, but realize they are trying to sell a hunt AT A PARTICULAR TIME. The better times may already be booked. They cannot take a season's worth of hunters at the same time. How would you sell the poor times? Make sure you get the same money for all parts of the season, too.

Do not believe the numbers you hear bandied about by guides. Hide size is so easy to fudge on and there is no vested interest in keeping the numbers accurate and honest.

Hunters brag by the foot, guides advertise by the foot, taxidermists charge by the foot; who's to say that bear is NOT 9'?

The last bear I shot on Kodiak (in '03) was a 14 year old bear shot fairly early in the season and the biggest of 23 we saw. It was a representative bear. It is an 8' bear with a smidge of change.

Guided hunters do better than average when they take longer, later hunts, but an honest 9' average is hard to believe except for the highly selective outfits. Well in excess ain't happening... There just are not that many of those bears out there.

Most hunters start dropping their standards after the first week of horizontal rain and before the monsoon forecasted for tomorrow night.

I do not know Phil Shoemaker, thogh I have met him and certainly have known of him for a very long time. I have never heard a bad word about him or his operation. That is not a universal thing, BTW.

As a point of reference for size, look at the bears at McNeil River. they are not hunted and the same monster bears continue to come back each summer to fish and get photographed by tourists.

Kill two or three of those one year and see how long it takes before there is another true bruiser in the area. Now take an average of 5 or 6 per season from the same area and look at the average of the remaining bears.

That incredibly rare 10' bear is old and has been selected over time for his ability to kill cubs, so he could pass on his genes. Take that a step farther and selectively kill the biggest bears for at least the last 50 years...

There are more bears on Kodiak now than there ever have been, IMO, but they are smaller, younger bears, running very heavy to sows and cubs. Is anybody surprised?

A little review of the records at AK Fish and Game will make you realize the numbers are decidedly inflated, because they measure and record them there.

One guide was running around Kodiak last spring saying they shot three 10' bears from one bay. F&G biologist later told me the best would not go 9 1/2'. Yes, there is a huge difference between a 9 1/2 and a 10... How would you like to hunt an area that just had the three biggest bears around taken from it?

All of this is not to say they are not there, nor am I saying you cannot find a good guide, just be careful and realize the cheaper guides will likely not have the resources and areas to get you where you can actually hunt for those bruisers.
art

I'll agree with art. kodiak has alot of bears but they have few big bears. the big ones are taken off the pen, atleast for the time being until they are all shot out also.

I do got to rag on guides though. Bring along a tape measure and measure it yourself for a rough size. Guides will bullshit you like there is no tomorrow. My wifes shop doesnt charge by the foot. if its a small griz she charges a blackie price usually. shes sick and tired of a customer coming in and he was told it was a 11foot bear witha 30" skull and its really a 9' (barely) with a 25-26" skull. They are after the tip so they say what you want to hear. all are salesman (no offense to any guides hear but if the shoe fits.......)

Shoemaker has a good rep. over on the AR forum he posts under 458win (I believe thats his handle).

Joel
I do not know that I agree that the big bears are being killed on the Peninsula... a quick trip through recent B&C books shows the biggest bears mostly come from and came from Kodiak.

I think the average might be better off the Peninsula, but the biggest ones still come from Kodiak. Of course Nunivak has a decent bear or two... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The sad thing about the reward the taxidermist gets from the hunter is that the hunter is not going tell everyone the taxidermist only charged for an 8' bear when he really shot a 9'... but you better believe he is going to blame the taxidermist for shrinking his hide! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
art

Art, I'm just going off of what I see in her shop and where the bears are from. Some very respectible bears come from kodiak, dont get me wrong, but the ones from the pen are bigger on the average. She deals mostly with locals and most arent guided, knights may have a different outlook on it.

LMAO on the statement about it being the taxidermist fault for shrinking the hide. that is so true. Its to the point now where she will measure and right the rough estimated size on the invoice in front of the customer and any rubs (which is also there fault I guess) documented.

Thanks all for the great info.

I got a lengthy email today from the area 9 biologist with
some superb info. His records indicate that Shoemaker
has done better than 90% of the other guides on the Peninsula over the last several years.

I note one prominent website that had pictures of no less
than 3 11 foot plus bears. Oddly enough a couple looked
no bigger than 9.....

My preference would be to hunt early in the season.

Want to bet how many of those 11' bears are really 11'? What kind of idiots are these guys really advertising to? Early can be tougher... just dance to the right weather god and you will be fine.
art

I have obtained ADFG records for Phil Shoemakers bears
for 1999-2003. Very impressive with 3 heads in excess of
28 and one just over 30 (green).

With the alternating seasons (even-spring, odd-fall) it would
seem that a minimal selective harvest is very possible in
good areas to ensure the best chance possible at a real
bruiser. Phil seems to be very selective and takes a small
amount of hunters during each season.

I have researched Phil's outfit extensively in Becharof NWR
and cannot find a negative word anywhere.

I have booked this hunt for spring 2006. Can't wait..

Cannot help but think you made an outstanding choice! Best of luck to you.
art