POW Blacktail recomendations for Dad's retirement

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Dec 28, 2015
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My dad is retiring in June 2019. I want to take him to Alaska for a hunt in the fall of 2019. Budget wise and logistically a Sitka blacktail hunt is within our realm. I initially broached the idea of flying into Kodiak to hunt but dad said "I didn't survive cancer to get eaten by a damn bear!" Fair enough. So, my research has led me to Prince of Wales island hunt. It seems there are a lot of good options for DIY/self guided. Does anyone have any recommendations for one of the lodge based self-guided hunts? I have found several just through google and the prices seem pretty fair and within our budget. Dad will be 60 by this time and a lodge based hunt will probably be more up his alley. A couple of the ones that I have found are Thorne Bay Lodge and Coffman Cove. They have good reviews on other forums and I have talked to both on the phone already and both were very friendly and knowledgeable. Both places offer a nice lodge, rental vehicle, boats if needed and maps for self-guided hunters. Anyone have any reviews for these places or have other places I should check out? My plan is if we go with a lodge based hunt is to go ahead and book about 1 year in advance (both places recommended that I secure my dates atleast 7-9 months in advance). Also, it seems POW has a decent interior road system and a DIY hunt with a rental vehicle and hiking/spiking out for a few days at time is an option as well. Communication through PM is fine if you have info you wish not disclose on a public forum. Thanks for your help. The Rokslide community has always been a great place for info.
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
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Alaska
Based on hunting both places, I can say that in my opinion POW is a much more physical hunt than a Kodiak hunt. I wouldn't worry too much about the bears. You'll see other people on POW, using the road system and typically once you leave the road it's quite steep, at least where I went. I was a bit underwhelmed by the amount of deer I saw while I hunted POW, cannot say the same about Kodiak.

Both places are great, I just enjoy Kodiak a bit more. Best of luck!
 

Kimbersig

WKR
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Oct 11, 2016
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we hunted Kodiak a couple years ago. saw bears, they saw us, smelled us, came around camp at night, etc. they get hunted enough that they want to give you a wide berth. I really wouldn't worry about them. rent an electric bear fence to give you some added protection and peace of mind and you will be fine. Kodiak is awesome! we saw probably 30+ different bucks in a week. most of them you could glass up from camp. never hunted POW but I guarantee Kodiak would be a place you'd never forget.
 
OP
T
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
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Any ideas for a lodge based self guided hunt in Kodiak? I'm not going to be able to convince my dad to spike out in brown bear territory. He has zero experience in big bear country. I have camped in Montana and Wyoming in grizzly country a few times so I have some experience. Honestly, dad doesn't really want to rough it anymore. He prefers lodges or hotels, or car camping if he must camp. I want to make this as a good of an experience as possible for him. I feel like he would have a better time on the hunt if he had a decent place to rest every night. Keep the suggestions coming. I'm receptive to all info.
 

Kimbersig

WKR
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Oct 11, 2016
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305
I don't know of any lodge based hunts for DIYers. might google to see if any of the villages have anything like that. there are road system hunts on Kodiak but I'm guessing the quality isn't that great. There are some boat based hunts that you get do DIY. sleep on the boat every night, they cook for you and everything. Northcountrycharters.com I've been fishing with them and they are awesome dudes. I will be doing a boat based bear hunt with them in a year or two.
 

Lapaiki39

FNG
Joined
Jun 21, 2015
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You can call Gary Sampson at the Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge. He does unguided deer hunts in the fall. He's out of Old Harbor and has a nice lodge. I haven't hunted with him but have been fishing twice. The lodge chef Jeannie is world class.
 

Mt Al

WKR
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Montana
I went to Thorne Bay, Adventure Alaska, twice for spring bear and fishing in 2006 and 2009, so not deer. Was an excellent place to stay, awesome people, great facilities and equipment. When bear hunting we would go into the woods, off the road, blow the "wounded deer" call and we'd be surrounded by deer. Was a riot, other than not getting a bear either time. We spent most of our time fishing, was a blast. If you go to POW, strongly recommend Thorne Bay or Coffman Cove.

No idea what the deer population is, but it wasn't tough hunting at all. Get on a trial in off the road between Thorne Bay and Craig, or on the road to Whale Pas, and just keep walking, turn off into the woods a half mile or mile and good to go, but remember a GPS! We brought waders and crossed the Thorne River and didn't see a soul, or a bear, but saw deer. Soooo many deer. Couldn't swing a cat and not hit a deer, back then.

Going out on the skiff and setting crab traps, then back out to cook the legal ones at night was great. We did terrible in the salt on the skiff, Montana's used to fly fishing vs. using down riggers or bottom bouncers - not good. I did a guided fishing day each time for salmon and halibut. Strongly recommended! My daughter caught two 60 pound halibut in one day, a king and a bunch of others. Memories will last forever.

Just awesome that you're bringing your father on a trip like this. God bless you. You can't not have fun on POW. I can't wait to go back. I've never hunting Kodiak but did spend a summer there in a fish cannery - not recommended!
 
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Boundary Co. Idaho
FWIW.....I hunted Coffman Cove lodge based hunt last September. About 7-8 days. Was the only guy to take a deer out of the 3 of us. Wasn't at all what I expected. We were up in the Alpine most days and sat there in the howling wind and rain completely socked in. Not sure what shape your Dad is in, but to get up there wasn't the most easy hunt in the world. Squishy boots the ENTIRE time. We drove the tires off the pick up (we drove our rig and ferried over there) and saw two bucks off the road system. I dumped one of them. Very anticlimactic. Not at all what I wanted.

Got into the Alpine the last day of our hunt. Saw a decent amount of deer. Found a bachelor group of dinky Forks and 3X deer. I wasn't interested in dealing with a dink in the last few hours before we needed to pack and prep for the ferry....which is one a week. My dreams of easy hunting and dark red antlered bucks with black foreheads were not met on this trip. Not sure I'd do it again. At least not first two weeks of September. Fished a day or two. Was fantastic. Stinky spawned fish in every stream by that time. Saw bears on the streams. Would have been easy to dump one....but the bears we saw were not the mythical giants of POW either. Kinda underwhelmed by the big island
 
OP
T
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I have received some great info via PM and from this thread. As always, rokslide community is great. I think we are starting to lean heavily towards Kodiak island. Probably going to ditch the lodge/boat idea and charter a plane and base camp. Already started making phone calls to Andrews air to get a few details. Now its time to save money and start researching some areas and of course purchase some gear!
 

Glory

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 29, 2015
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Craig, Alaska
Pains me to say it but POW is struggling with predator problems and the deer hunting is tough. Less deer and the ones that are there are acting differently with all the wolves around. Your money is best spent on Kodiak.
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
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Alaska
I have received some great info via PM and from this thread. As always, rokslide community is great. I think we are starting to lean heavily towards Kodiak island. Probably going to ditch the lodge/boat idea and charter a plane and base camp. Already started making phone calls to Andrews air to get a few details. Now its time to save money and start researching some areas and of course purchase some gear!

Good choice! Don't rule out Island Air for transportation on Kodiak either, great service every time I've flown with them. Timing your hunt around the rut should ensure a target rich environment. Kodiak will be much more of an adventure than POW, though I had a tremendous time exploring POW while bowhunting deer there in 2013. Best of luck!
 
Joined
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Chugiak, Alaska
^^^^Good advise right there. It's been my experience that all the bush services on the island (at least Island, Andrew's, Seahawk, and Vertigo), are very good and they all work with each other and help each other in times of need. That said, my money pretty much always goes to Island Air, they're a great bunch of folks, experienced pilots, they have a fairly wide assortment of planes ranging from a super cub up to a beaver, and I think they have the best prices as well.
 
OP
T
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
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848
Anyone know anything about raspberry island remote lodge? Wasn't even on my radar until I mentioned an alaska blacktail hunt at work and one of our doctors told me he's done raspberry island remote lodge DIY 3 times and had nothing but praise for them. He said second hunt sucked due to bad weather but other two hunts he tagged out in a couple days. Accomodations were phenomenal and price looks pretty decent. I see little mention of raspberry island on here or many other forums. Sorry to keep resurrecting this thread, but trying to explore all my options. FYI I have put in a call to the lodge and he is emailing me references as soon as he is back from vacation.
 

Chesapeake

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
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Never hunted Kodiak, but grew up on POW and go there about every year to hunt/fish.

I would suggest you do a boat based Kodiak hunt and make the trip long enough that you have a good chance of catching some good weather.
With a boat based hunt you can sleep in comfort, dry some gear, freeze your harvest, and catch some fish. It just seems well rounded and easy logistically.

I love POW, but..... for a non-experienced group with a truck and a 15' skiff your odds of great success are long. For one you'd need good weather, and you'd need time to learn the area. Most of the good small skiff accessible fishing spots have been stripped clean by the charter outfits, and the hills you can easily hike from the road system see lots of pressure from locals.

Its a great place, but not what it used to be.
 

Bmcox86

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Sep 26, 2013
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Dubuque, IA
Another Option would be Prince William Sound, going to Montague Island and either renting one of the Forest Service Cabins or one transporter rents a floating cabin that they move around every week. You can also camp but its pretty wet and something with a stove to dry off is a big help. Ive done that hunt twice and you will fill deer tags. Their are brown bears but I have never seen sign or worried about them while cleaning a deer. November is a good bet.
 
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