When doing a bear hunt where your base camp is a large boat I would assume you cruise the beaches In a small boat until a suitable bear is spotted and you beach the boat down wind and make a stalk. Are most shots on the beaches/shore? Average distances? Is this better for Brown or Black Bears? When is the best time to go? Would love to use either a Winchester 71 or Sharps .50-90. Any combo hunts if feasible?

I've hunted with David Bentiz out of Wrangell on his boat. We anchored in a cove and took out a skiff riding around glassing the shore line for bears. We saw LOTS of bears. When we saw a good one we would tie the boat off from shore with an anchor and rope set up. Beaching is a bad idea with the tides. We finally found a really good one and we landed, down wind, and stalked up the beach. Late May, early June was the best time for big bears that hadn't rubbed too bad. You'll see lots of rubbed bears, it's not a science. You can go fishing in the spring but I don't believe there is any other hunting. I hunted 17 years ago with David.

We went back on a second self guided hunt and did nearly as well but we had a friend that lived on Kosciusko Island and he let us stay with him and use his 4 wheeler. We shot blackies out of clear cuts.

Boise's experience was similar to mine. I hunted out of Sitka in the ABC's we salmoned fished and put out crab pots at night. Anchored in coves and launched skiffs during the day. I used stocking foot wadeing pants with wading boots found it much more comfortable than hip waders.

Eli Lucas out of Petersburg is black bear hunt . outstanding hunt I have been there in the fall and we hunted the salmon streams full of fish and bears eating almost non stop. this was my first hunt. fish and game measured the hide at 7 foot 1 inch. the skull went 19 13/16, 3/16 short of book. the second trip in the spring was easy, lots of boat riding, glassing and bears. my friend and I again got a bear each. some fishing is possible as well as wolf hunting. we saw wolves each trip on several occasions. clean boat, good meals and people. 100% go back if I can.

You can hunt the shore or you can hike inland to big grassy meadows or points of lookout. We saw more bears hiking once we got to our spot for the day. I enjoyed the hiking in more. We did see some nice bears from the boat but the bigger ones were boat wise and didn't stick around long.

contact dale adams of adams alaska safaris.none better

I've had more luck anchoring near big tidal flats and walking in. Or walking up rivers from where they meet the ocean. Quieter than running a skiff around.