16b bear hunting opportunities

[wolfpup]

I am planning to go moose hunting in 16b here in mid September. It's a diy hunt with my brother in law who is an alaskan resident. Since I'll be hunting with family, I could shoot a grizzly bear if I purchase the tag and have an opportunity. My question is, does anyone have experience hunting grizzlies in 16b? I understand that it's thick and marshy/swamps so visibility is limited or can be. The tag costs me 1,000.00 and a black bear tag costs 450.00. While it would be awesome to shoot a grizzly, it is not the purpose of the trip and a thousand dollars is a lot of money for a tag if there aren't very many bears in the area. Another down side to shooting a grizzly, everyone tells me you don't eat them. Like, surely the back straps are good.? I love black bear meat and can hardly accept that grizzly meat isn't worth eating. So the short version of the question is, "have any of you guys hunted 16b? And is it worth spending a thousand dollars on a tag?
thanks

 

[Catchfish]

Anybody I know that hunts in 16b uses a bait station are you guys going to bait.

 

[wildwilderness]

16b are classified as Brown Bears. And the reason not to eat them (despite the horrible taste) is that they are more carnivorous and host a ton of parasites. Fish bears are nasty greasy and eat stuff that will kill you.

If you have the money buy the tag, hope to kill a moose, then wait on the carcass.

 

[william schmaltz]

Are you accessing by boat or plane? If boat, figure out which stream and go to the ADFG anadramous fish map. It’s it’s a salmon stream and the portion of the stream you’re on has had observed spawning pinks, chums, or coho; do a little more digging on it and probably buy the tag.

If you’re flying into high tundra with berries probably get a tag. If you’re in the timber/swamp and no berry tundra or salmon streams are within several miles, I would probably pass.

 

[wolfpup]

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a tag. Wasn’t needed unfortunately but there was a lot of bear sign. Got flown in for moose hunting by a transporter and was fortunate enough to shoot a 60” bull first thing the next morning. So no bear hunting to speak of but saw lots of tracks by the river and scar and jumped one out of its bed while hiking but it didn’t show itself. Smelled them different times very strong but no encounters. Didn’t hunt specifically for them along the river. Was nice to have the tag just in case but an expensive feeling of being prepared. Probably would do the same thing again though