Coastal Black Bears- Why do you go? Why Don't you go?

[Ballistic]

I've become extremely interested in other adventures with some of the most common ones enduring intense pressure in recent years. Given the lengths one has to go for caribou or Moose hunting, I'm looking at Bears and deer around prince William sound. If you hunt coastal bears what do you like? What don't you like? If you don't go why? Is there a barrier to entry I didn't think of or just generic lack of interest?

 

[Rack Daniels]

Moose and Caribou is of more interest to ME, always has been. Alaska hunt period sounds like a dream regardless.

For me, it’s overall expense…

 

[Lmartin5]

Following...

 

[Kiwi]

I would definitely go if I wasn't required to hire a guide. That's my barrier to entry.

 

[BrooksRanger]

It’s honestly too easy. Not much of a true hunt involved. If you’re fat, okay it might be a hunt for you but it’s really like catching fish in a barrel.
Oh, and they also don’t taste very good. Not as bad as a coastal Fall bear, but they still have residual salmon taste.

 

[44hunter45]

Be aware that Spring hunts are on a draw basis. Fall hunts are OTC, but most consider salmon eating bears to be inedible.

 

[Ballistic]

It’s honestly too easy. Not much of a true hunt involved. If you’re fat, okay it might be a hunt for you but it’s really like catching fish in a barrel.
Oh, and they also don’t taste very good. Not as bad as a coastal Fall bear, but they still have residual salmon taste.

I am fat, at least of varying grades depending on what I'm hunting that year. This year I'm "Sheep" fat. I was not aware of meat issues in spring, and was shocked at how great my spring SK. bear tasted changing forever my interest in hunting them.

Be aware that Spring hunts are on a draw basis. Fall hunts are OTC, but most consider salmon eating bears to be inedible.

I don't see that.. 6D is a registration hunt, I don't know what all that entails. Some research indicates limited permits that can run out, some shows season closure after harvest quota is met.

 

[Nuts]

Guide and cost: Biggest Brown Bear barrier to me. I would do it as an add on to a moose hunt. But that's about it. Black bear would be fun and the seasons are long. We have discussed going after them a couple times. The limiting factors for black bear being: Time. Would take away from other hunts. And what to do after you shoot one. We have all harvested them and have skulls, mounts and rugs. So really not sure other then the adventure if any of us really want another one. I will shoot one while hunting other species though. It will have to be big.

 

[Packout1]

Went on a really great southeast Alaska packraft black bear hunt last year, as a resident. Ponied up the $, flew out with a great pilot, packrafted all around the most game rich island I’ve ever been on, up and down a tidal channel that is a hydraulic miracle. Saw moose and deer constantly, missed a shot opportunity on a mega bear, and came home with a 6.5 foot beauty at the end of the day. My friend got a similar bear as well.

Do I regret it? Maybe a little… having already spent several weeks on backcountry trips in SEAK, it wasn’t really anything new, just a new location and a new goal. The meat is a little funky, all I can do is make stew out of it to get the taste out. The hunt was not super challenging, but took some perseverance to find a nice one.

Would I do it again? Yes, big time, with a caveat… no I wouldn’t hunt black bears (actively). Instead, next time I go down there in the spring it is going to be with the usual goal of catching steelhead in creeks and rivers. Using the packraft to explore would be ultimate. Sleeping in a tent with the bears doesn’t really bother me, so I would love to check out some rivers that others stay away from due to access/no FS cabin. I would probably take some sort of rifle or something to leave in the boat in case a very large bear is just asking to get shot.

No regrets, but I could’ve spent that week off and that money flying in for a second mountain goat hunt this fall… which I really would’ve rather done.

 

[geetar]

Only reason I've never been is it's a really long ways from my house to shoot an animal that lives in my state as well. I've also never hunted whitetails outside my state.

 

[David Gough]

It's hard to beat a cast and blast. Halibut, lingcod, rockfish, etc. I've missed one black bear, but put the stalk on some bruisers over a couple years. I also hunt bears in other states.

The area is hard to beat. Non-guided hunt and fishing. Can't wait to head back next year.

 

[Ballistic]

Only reason I've never been is it's a really long ways from my house to shoot an animal that lives in my state as well. I've also never hunted whitetails outside my state.

So, it's just about shooting an animal?

 

[geetar]

So, it's just about shooting an animal?

If that's what you read from what I wrote then sure that's all it is I guess. No buddy it's not just about shooting an animal. I've probably got more " unsuccessful hunts " than successful ones to my name if you count shooting an animal as successful. It just logistically seems like a long ways to go from home to hunt animals that live in my state and the neighboring ones. If it was just about shooting an animal I'd just stay home and shoot one here. What I'm saying is if I'm going to go to a place as far from home as Alaska then I'd like to pursue and animal that is not something I can shoot on the east coast such as a caribou or Sitka blacktail deer or even just catch fish that we don't have here like salmon, halibut, ect. Hope you have a great time if you go.

 

[Ballistic]

If that's what you read from what I wrote then sure that's all it is I guess. No buddy it's not just about shooting an animal. I've probably got more " unsuccessful hunts " than successful ones to my name if you count shooting an animal as successful. It just logistically seems like a long ways to go from home to hunt animals that live in my state and the neighboring ones. If it was just about shooting an animal I'd just stay home and shoot one here. What I'm saying is if I'm going to go to a place as far from home as Alaska then I'd like to pursue and animal that is not something I can shoot on the east coast such as a caribou or Sitka blacktail deer or even just catch fish that we don't have here like salmon, halibut, ect. Hope you have a great time if you go.

If it was, then it was. I just sought clarity. I've been fishing there several times and am trying to invent other reasons to get up there. If ever you wish to fish it, I'd love to help. Particularly if you like doing things on your own.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

Where I’m at here on the Oregon coast I’m able to kill a really big bear every spring I have a tag which is most years. I’ve got a tag currently but killed a 400ish pound boar last spring so we still have a lot of bear meat so even here I’m not trying very hard. I quit keeping the hides many years ago so the idea of bear hunting Alaska isn’t high on my wish list. Would love to kill a Sitka Blacktail though! Hopefully in the next couple years…

 

[BrentD]

Only reason I've never been is it's a really long ways from my house to shoot an animal that lives in my state as well. I've also never hunted whitetails outside my state.

Maybe so, but hunting them in alaska is absolutely nothing like hunting them in north carolina.

 

[Ballistic]

Where I’m at here on the Oregon coast I’m able to kill a really big bear every spring I have a tag which is most years. I’ve got a tag currently but killed a 400ish pound boar last spring so we still have a lot of bear meat so even here I’m not trying very hard. I quit keeping the hides many years ago so the idea of bear hunting Alaska isn’t high on my wish list. Would love to kill a Sitka Blacktail though! Hopefully in the next couple years…

Whoa, tell me more about these Oregon bears?

 

[Joe Hulburt]

Whoa, tell me more about these Oregon bears?

Moderate climate makes for a long growing season in Western Oregon. I’ve only killed two that made B&C Records book but a half dozen 400 pounders. I suppose if skull size is important Alaska might be a benefit but I don’t really know that for sure. Last year…

 

[Joe Hulburt]

Probably the biggest bodied bear I’ve killed. Skull was just average sized but he was 13 years old and fat as a Spring bear can be.

 

[glass eye]

I will never shoot another coastal black bear even in the spring when they are considered edible. Taste horrible, waste of baggage fees to bring home.