I'd like to start planning a Kodiak bear hunt. While I have lots of hunting experience, I haven't hunted bears, and I haven't been to Kodiak.

What's the best way to start this odyssey? How difficult is it to draw a nonresident tag for Kodiak? Are these typically 7-10 day hunts, are do you hike in or float plane, etc?

Thank you.

You need a guide to hunt brown bears in AK unless you have a blood relative who lives there.

Most guides have exclusive guide areas on Kodiak that get guaranteed tags so no draw is necessary.

Most hunts are 10-15 days.

Transportation depends on area, most require a float plane, some boat and they also have a road system tag.

Guides I'd recommend include Paul Chervenak, Sam Rohrer, and Jake Jefferson. Some other good names out there as well.

If it was me, I'd try to hunt the west end of the island.

I hunted Kodiak three times and will be back.

Hope this helps a little.

Chris

Yes, that's helpful. Thank you.

I can vouch for Brian Peterson and Dennis Harms.

Thank you.

What is it about the west end of the island that appeals to you? Just curious...so you would pick an outfitter that focused there?

Two guides that I know personally are Jake Jefferson and Jim Bailey. I hunted with them around 12 years ago when Jake was working for Jim. Both are class acts and great guides. Jim Bailey is one of the last real old timers out there and he adds so much to the trip with his experience and stories. That year I passed on many bears looking for just the right size without rubs and my brother shot a 10+ the next to last day of the trip. One suggestion. Be in great shape because it will really impact your hunting and disposition.

You can't go wrong with Jake, bears are his specialty.

I don't think Jake is guiding any more. He would still be a great resource and has always had great advice.

IMO, the west end of the island is the most remote part of it and I'd recommend picking one of the outfitters that covers that area.

Paul Chervenak has the Sturgeon River area and that's a great area with some big bears taken there and it is about as wild as anywhere on this earth.

I hunted that area twice and loved it.

Some other good names mentioned on this thread and some guys who probably know a lot more than I do.

Hmmm....maybe you know more than me but I don't think that is the case unless something changed recently.

But maybe it has, I'll check.

I think you can find Jake on the AOD, if it's the guy I'm thinking of.

Jake Jefferson and he is still guiding, there's info for contacting him on his website.

http://www.alaskasgreatoutdoors.com/Jake/Black%20River%20Hunting%20camp.htm

PM me if you aren't finding what you are looking for.

Not hard at all.....just get your checkbook out and write a check for $12,000-$20,000 and go hunting. Seriously!

Don't know where you got this information from but I hunted with Jake Jefferson, Black River Hunting Camp, last August for Dall sheep. He is alive and well and still guiding and I can vouch for him. He is a great honest guide who will give you 100%. Good luck to the OP on his search for browns, I will go with Jake when the time comes.

Hawks406, I apologize for doubting your report, etal, I am going to temporarily plead the fifth on this subject. I just talked to Jake Jefferson and he has had a change of plans.........I spoke too soon. I will let Jake tell the "rest of the story" when he is ready.

After years of research, I killed a 10 footer with Brian Peterson on a 14 day backpack spring hunt.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1105955/1

http://www.ugakbay.com/

Scott Mileur on the south end is a living legend hunting out of Pinnell & Talifson's old outfit.

http://www.huntalaska.com/index.html

Couldn't do wrong with Dennis Harms...

http://www.alaskakodiakbearhuntingsafaris.com/kodiak_bears.html

Jake just posted this on the Alaska outdoor forum. He IS going to stop guiding and outfitting. I am sorry to see this, he is a great guy.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/127577-BRWNBR-is-done-guiding

Wow, that was a bit of a shock. The state of Alaska just lost a real good guide in Jake Jefferson.

+1.

Just saw that too, I stand corrected.

Too bad, he's a heck of a good guy.

For you non-residents? Piece of cake. 100% guaranteed. Unlike we residents who would have to wait for hell to freeze over first. Ya better have deep pockets tho.
Bear in Fairbanks

Yep, hoping I'm one of the lucky residents this year to get a brownie tag for Kodiak...

Although, I'm a non-resident and reaped the benefits of the current regulations, I don't understand the screwing of the AK residents in regard to the Kodiak tags.

I'd be pizzed if I was an AK resident with how they handle it.

Thats some solid advise, on Kodiak, not one footstep is on flat, dry or hard ground. I did Deadmans bay in 98. Don't under estimate the difficulty of this one.

Simple, as far as I'm concerned. A non-resident is required to have a guide. Guides are allocated a certain number of tags in their unit. Therefore, if you book with a guide, you're guarenteed a tag. A resident has an extremely small chance of drawing. Different areas are alloted different numbers of tags depending on how Fish & Feathers think the resource can handle the pressure. Therefore, the chances of a resident getting a tag are something like 4% or perhaps less. Why should a resident have a 4% chance and a non-resident a 100% chance? Just me bitchin'.
Bear in Fairbanks

Are the tags earmarked to non-residents? Or could you just pony up and pay a guide and have a guaranteed tag?

You have to apply through a guide as a non-resident/non-resident alien.

Cash burning a hole in your pocket?

When I hunted with Jake he said I had about a 30% chance of drawing. He didnt have an exclusive area where my chance would have been 100%. So I guess a non res odds depend on the area and outfitter on Kodiak.
Jake will be missed. I would have liked to went with him again some day. Was lucky to have take a nice bear with him. His number 100 as seen on the alaska outdoor thread. Dean

I put in 3 tags a year for 10 years and never drew. I didnt just put in for the coveted tags on the west end either, I always put in for at least 1 higher odds area (if you wanna call it higher odds as those odds still sucked). That system is completely [bleep] regarding the Kodiak bears, its strictly about money!

AC: Nice to hear form ya. hope yer doin' well.
Your comments are spot on.
B.I.F.

Others might have better insight, but why not consider the Alaskan Penninsula as a possible location?

Good luck,

Bob

I prefer the Peninsula to Kodiak hands down!

But if you lived on Kodiak, would you?

Prob not! But I was just trying to give the OP some other ideas.

Bob

Probably not,Kodiak is special and I love it there too.

I packed a 10'er on Kodiak for 7 miles once and on the Peninsula it would've only had to get to the closest place to get a Supercub into. I've found the weather equally hideous at both!! A pic of a Brown Bear from each location,

Bear #1 just in the Spa, is he? Having his nails done?

Are the bears on the peninsula as big as those on Kodiak? Is it significantly cheaper to hunt the peninsula?

Yes and not really...in that order.

bhtr

Jake Jefferson quit guiding and took a job on the slope. Great guy and a wealth of info for sure.

A bud that took a bear on Kodiak last year, stopped by yesterday.

His guide was Mike Muncy. The hide measured 10' 2", skull greened at a tad less than 30-1/4". Said he has to send it somewheres to be measured again (Reno?), now that it's been "long enough"?

Did tell me which island he shot it on, but forgot to write that part down. Killed it with a M70SS in 375.

Two bears for him last year, also took a decent black bear in Canada.

Muncy usually hunts Amook Island which is on the West side along the north shore of Uyak Bay. Very few bear skulls have ever measured 30"... They have to wait 60 days before the official measurment can be made.

Every few years they have an awards ceremony for the biggest critters entered since the last... All of the biggest entries are invited to Reno where they are remeasured by a panel to ensure they got it right. They have been known to do DNA testing when things are suspicious.

Failing to send a trophy to Reno for the panel scoring means it is left at the bottom of the entries in the book with an asterisk until it is verified.

Very few bears have ever been shot in that league.

Amook sounds about right, based on the sound of it?

IIRC, he killed it on the last full day, or next to last day of his hunt? He was pretty excited about the size of the bear when he returned from the hunt.

Guess he's going to Reno with the skull then, for the official measurement.

He had some early problems with working up a load for the 375 last year, but finally got it down to around 2.5" @ 100 yards. Forget now which bullet he settled on?

Wanted me to lend a hand because I've helped him with loads for other rifles in the past, but took a pass on the 375 chore. Bad shoulder has turned me into a first-class recoil wuss.

When he had it at around 4" early on and was upset, told him to find a bigger bear, because I wasn't getting involved. ;O)

He shoulda gotta 700! Those 70s just don't shoot!

Never owned a M70, so can't really comment. Most of my favorite bolt guns are older M700s or M98-based DIYs. One with the original 8x57 barrel (chopped to 20") and one in 25-06 w/Douglass SS barrel.

Same guy bought a slightly-used M70XTR some years ago, in 7mm Rem. magnum that wouldn't group worth a rat's ass with anything, factory ammo or reloads.

I floated the barrel (several pressure points in the walnut stock), cleaned it thoroughly (bore and bolt innards were crusty), lightened the trigger a wee bit and got it to around an inch at 100 yards, rested, with his "best" reloads.

He was going to have it bedded, but put a Bell & Carlson synthetic (POS foam-filled thing) on it, instead. Killed an elk and a coupla muledeer with it and I don't believe he's used it since?

Only "good" rifle he owns, is a M700SS/syn. variant in 300 Weatherby.