Kuiu Island spring bear

Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
1,819
Im glad you got some good ones. My experience is POW is a place for large skulls but for me the hides have been bad. Snow burned paws are very common along with striping on the forehead and many of the bears are rubbed.

POW bears are jet black. Any orange seen from afar means he’s rubbed.

Hunted last spring, didn’t draw 20 or 21..... depressed
 
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Chugaglug

Chugaglug

FNG
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
75
Location
Montana
They do have freakishly large skulls. Just looked back at all our hides and they sure look good. Haven’t heard about the paw thing going to have to keep an eye out. Ours bears here in MT certainly get can badly rubbed in the late spring but it seems like it’s usually their butts and foreheads.

Yea that POW draw is a bummer, at least for me with my crap luck the last few years.
 
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
1,819
Yes, just about any boar will make P&Y. B&C is a different level of Bear although I’ve seen them.

20 inch bear is doable for sure.
 

Fitzwho

WKR
Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
957
Location
Midland, TX
On Kuiu, fall side, what other animals have you guys run into on the island. When I drew my tag I had thought about doing a fall hunt to combine with Sitka Blacktails, but I couldn't find much of any information as far as deer populations on the island.
 

dk88

FNG
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Messages
61
I am hunting Kuiu May 20-26 this year, have a group of 6 going and we can hardly wait.
 
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Chugaglug

Chugaglug

FNG
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
75
Location
Montana
Kuiu was amazing. Late spring/bad winter meant bears were just popping on the tidal flats. Got to look at alot of bears, many were badly rubbed. We both tagged 19"+. Raft/frame/motor were a pain to fly up there but were ideal for cruising bays. Southeast AK never dissapoints.
 

Geewhiz

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
2,125
Location
SW MT
Kuiu was amazing. Late spring/bad winter meant bears were just popping on the tidal flats. Got to look at alot of bears, many were badly rubbed. We both tagged 19"+. Raft/frame/motor were a pain to fly up there but were ideal for cruising bays. Southeast AK never dissapoints.
Show us photos!
 

Cyril

FNG
Joined
May 17, 2021
Messages
46
I did a guided Kuiu hunt this spring the second week of April. Snowed 4 out of the first 5 days but was fortunate to take a dandy bear. Very cold and not many out when I was there. I wish I had found this forum before I ever planned the trip because I would have planned it DIY.
IMG_0746 (1).jpg
 

Cyril

FNG
Joined
May 17, 2021
Messages
46
If you don't mind, could you share the make and model for your raft and frame?

It was the first bear we saw and I couldn't ask for a better one. The next day the weather broke with near 60 for a high. We saw 3 bears on our way out to go fishing.
 
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Chugaglug

Chugaglug

FNG
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
75
Location
Montana
If you don't mind, could you share the make and model for your raft and frame?

It was the first bear we saw and I couldn't ask for a better one. The next day the weather broke with near 60 for a high. We saw 3 bears on our way out to go fishing.
Raft is a Pristine Ventures (Larry Bartlett) pioneer x-stream. Frame is custom by a guy who lives near us, Montana Raft Frames (totally modular, packs great on mules too). Topped it with a suzuki 2.5hp. Pretty happy with the setup, we were able to cover a 14 mile spread and easy to deal with in terms of the tide swings.
 
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