Kuiu bear tag; ? sitka hunt too

[DEHusker]

So I drew a Kuiu bear tag this year. Not getting into the Covid stuff here...

Saw that the tag was from Sept 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021...wow, long season. Cool. My question is this: Is sitka hunting any good on Kuiu? I would possibly plan a fall hunt this year for both species if I knew the blacktail hunting was good. I've always wanted to hunt sitka bt deer in AK and thought maybe this was the year. What are the logistics for a black bear/sitka hunt? When do the bears start to hibernate on Kuiu? Can I still get OTC deer tags for Kuiu (maybe up to 3 tags)? I know salmon stream fishing is the way to go in the fall but the meat is probably not good. Thanks for the help

 

[Coastal Raider]

I’m from Sitka, Alaska and have hunted Kuiu for spring bear successfully multiple times. The deer population is pretty low on Kuiu due to the wolves and the fact that Kuiu has one of the highest black bear density’s of any island, anywhere.

I highly recommend spring season if you want to salvage the meat. They are easy to hunt for; just glass beaches and tidal flats.
I took my son this spring and he harvested a great big boar with a 19-2/16” skull and a perfect hide. One of my favorite places on the planet!
You can hunt deer on Admiralty Island, just north of Kuiu if you choose to hunt the fall season. However, nothing in Alaska is “just over there”. It’s big country. Hope that helps.