Now that my fall hunts are all wrapped up I'm already scheming for next year. I've been wanting to hunt alaska for a number of years and have been building up a ton of miles on my Alaska Airlines CC in anticipation of that. Trouble is chasing mule deer in August and September with my bow is my all time favorite and I never seem to be able to put a hole in my schedule to head up to Alaska for the more typical hunts up there, so I'm thinking spring bear will be a good way to do my first trip up there and I'd appreciate a little guidance.
I know spring bear can be hunted off the road system, over bait, off a boat etc but I'm looking for an adventure as much as a successful hunt. The idea of a fly-in trip is most appealing to me and I figure logistically this is the best time of the year to get in with a transporter as it's not as crazy busy as the fall season. Also this may be a hunt I end up doing solo so a fly-in trip that puts me where I'll be hunting rather than having a long approach from the roads would be beneficial.
I'd appreciate some guidance on timing and elevation etc. I'm thinking mid-may from what I've read if I'm hoping to hunt lower elevation and chase the snow melt/green up up the south facing slopes. My initial thinking has me looking at the Alaska and Chugach ranges. Any recommendations on transporters to talk to would be much appreciated, I see a few who do pretty cheap drop trips in the Mat-Su area but would rather pay a little less or fly a little further to an area someone isn't running hunters into all season every year.
Meat quality is pretty important to me as well and from what I've read that time of the year with bears coming out of hibernation and not getting on salmon yet that shouldn't really be a worry. Schedule wise something in June would be fine with me as well if it were in the interior somewhere bears aren't hitting salmon yet. From what I can tell though bear densities aren't nearly the same in the interior aside from the river corridors though that's more the part of Alaska I'd love to see.
Anyone who's tried this before and has any tips to offer I'd greatly appreciate it.
I know spring bear can be hunted off the road system, over bait, off a boat etc but I'm looking for an adventure as much as a successful hunt. The idea of a fly-in trip is most appealing to me and I figure logistically this is the best time of the year to get in with a transporter as it's not as crazy busy as the fall season. Also this may be a hunt I end up doing solo so a fly-in trip that puts me where I'll be hunting rather than having a long approach from the roads would be beneficial.
I'd appreciate some guidance on timing and elevation etc. I'm thinking mid-may from what I've read if I'm hoping to hunt lower elevation and chase the snow melt/green up up the south facing slopes. My initial thinking has me looking at the Alaska and Chugach ranges. Any recommendations on transporters to talk to would be much appreciated, I see a few who do pretty cheap drop trips in the Mat-Su area but would rather pay a little less or fly a little further to an area someone isn't running hunters into all season every year.
Meat quality is pretty important to me as well and from what I've read that time of the year with bears coming out of hibernation and not getting on salmon yet that shouldn't really be a worry. Schedule wise something in June would be fine with me as well if it were in the interior somewhere bears aren't hitting salmon yet. From what I can tell though bear densities aren't nearly the same in the interior aside from the river corridors though that's more the part of Alaska I'd love to see.
Anyone who's tried this before and has any tips to offer I'd greatly appreciate it.
