Alaska black bear tag!

for 2021? I don't know anything about tags. Sounds like there is a lottery? God forbid, preference points are needed.
 
for 2021? I don't know anything about tags. Sounds like there is a lottery? God forbid, preference points are needed.
No points in AK. They do give you the opportunity to send in as many as 6 applications though for $5 each
 
for 2021? I don't know anything about tags. Sounds like there is a lottery? God forbid, preference points are needed.

You apply now through December 16th
You have to purchase an AK hunting license to put in then it’s just $5 as @rmyoung1 said, you can put in 6 apps per species and they can all be the same hunt. There are no points, it’s a straight lottery, NR and R are treated the same although there are some hunts R can’t apply for and some hunts NR don’t need a permit for.
If you draw they send you your permit in the mail, to hunt you have to buy a locking tag as well but you can wait till a month before you go or get one there. So you can apply, draw, not hunt and only be out $30 + your license cost $120 or whatever it is this year.

The way the license year is set up this draw, December 2019, is for hunts taking place in the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021. If you wanted to hunt bears in May of 2020 you had to have drawn last year.

 
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You apply now through December 16th
You have to purchase an AK hunting license to put in then it’s just $5 as @rmyoung1 said, you can put in 6 apps per species and they can all be the same hunt. There are no points, it’s a straight lottery, NR and R are treated the same although there are some hunts R can’t apply for and some hunt NR don’t need a permit for.
If you draw they send you your permit in the mail, to hunt you have to buy a locking tag as well but you can wait till a month before you go or get one there. So you can apply, draw, not hunt and only be out $30 + your license cost $120 or whatever it is this year.

The way the license year is set up this draw December 2019 is for hunt taking place in fall 2020 and spring 2021. If you wanted to hunt bears in May of 2020 you had to have drawn last year.


Thanks for all these details. That's planning ahead further than I thought.
 
You do not have to buy a big game license to apply for the draw. A small game license will suffice - saves you a few bucks.
 
I'm still on the fence whether to apply or not. Had a great time this year, but even doing it "on the cheap" that trip cost more than my 4 western deer hunts this year combined.

It was pretty awesome though..
 
Sorry to offer incorrect info. I stand corrected.

You'd be correct for a bunch of other states. Honestly there are so many rule variations between states it's amazing we all don't have pockets full of tickets lol
 
You'd be correct for a bunch of other states. Honestly there are so many rule variations between states it's amazing we all don't have pockets full of tickets lol

I've lived here 23 years, now and still have trouble with the regs (sometimes). :)
 
That's one hell of a bear and looks like one hell of a trip. Are there any cons you noticed hunting from the lodge? One that comes to mind is traveling in the early and late part of the day. From what I can tell there is quite a bit of Kupreanof to motor past before getting to Kuiu.

No one asked, but here’s my take 😀....

I’ve hunted Kuiu twice now. You can totally do it the way Randy has hunted SE Alaska but don’t ignore the big hurdles he has been forced to clear. Broken boat motors, long boat taxis, hauling in gas, TSA tearing up your rafts, rain, rain, rain... there’s a lot that can go wrong up there. Both times I went I paid a little extra dough and stayed at Calder Mtn Lodge in Point Baker. They’ll pick you up in Petersburg and take you to the lodge where you rent a very nice canvas-topped skiff with a 90hp Yamaha motor, fishing tackle, etc. Then they cook for you so you don’t have to fly food up there. You can sleep in a dry place and use a dryer on site to dry clothes. They have a walk-in blast freezer for your bear meat and fish. Short jaunt across Sumner Strait at 30 mph to Kuiu for your hunting. There’s gas in Point Baker, as well, so you don’t have to fly in fuel. I’d think about it. Worth the money in my opinion because solving the other logistics isn’t cheap either.

I admire the heck out of Randy for doing it the way he does it. But it’s WAY tougher doing everything yourself up there. We don’t have a DIY show to live up to. Think hard about enlisting good help.


May 2019, Reid Bay, Kuiu Island
View attachment 119964
 
That's one hell of a bear and looks like one hell of a trip. Are there any cons you noticed hunting from the lodge? One that comes to mind is traveling in the early and late part of the day. From what I can tell there is quite a bit of Kupreanof to motor past before getting to Kuiu.
The lodge in Point Baker sits at the northern tip of POW near Port Protection. You immediately head west from the lodge if you’re hunting Kuiu, so you aren’t really motoring past Kupreanof. Of course, if you draw a Kupreanof tag instead, you can reach that island’s south and west shore from Point Baker, as well. A lot of black bear habitat! It’s only about 25 minutes of boating across Sumner Strait before you’re to Kuiu. Even less if you’re hunting Kupreanof. Calder Mountain Lodge’s rental boats are very nice. They get them from RB boats out of Portland, and they make the “commute” across the strait as straightforward 😃 as can be expected from ocean travel in that part of the world.
 
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Ah yes, momentarily forget the lodge is at Point Baker and not Petersburg. Both options seem to have their pros and cons. That lodge looks fantastic though.

Just bought my 2021 license. Can't wait to find out which tag I draw :D

The lodge in Point Baker sits at the northern tip of POW near Port Protection. You immediately head west from the lodge if you’re hunting Kuiu, so you aren’t really motoring past Kupreanof. Of course, if you draw a Kupreanof tag instead, you can reach that island’s south and west shore from Point Baker, as well. A lot of black bear habitat! It’s only about 25 minutes of boating across Sumner Strait before you’re to Kuiu. Even less if you’re hunting Kupreanof. Calder Mountain Lodge’s rental boats are very nice. They get them from RB boats out of Portland, and they make the “commute” across the strait as straightforward 😃 as can be expected from ocean travel in that part of the world.
 
In SE Alaska it rains and it rains a lot. A dry place to lay your head at night definitely helps your mental state after a few long days.
 

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