POW Island Black Bear

[JustinWCA]

I've taken 8 bears off the island over the past 22 years, both spring and fall, spot and stalk and over bait. All with a bow except 1. I sent you a PM, ask me anything.

 

[bcbear3]

I've taken 8 bears off the island over the past 22 years, both spring and fall, spot and stalk and over bait. All with a bow except 1. I sent you a PM, ask me anything.

Where do you prefer to stay on island?


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[Coopsdaddy]

How hard are the tags to draw?

 

[AK Troutbum]

Approximately 8% chance of drawing for fall, 21% for spring.


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[Coveyleader]

The fall is a much better hunt in terms of action but with everything else going on, hard to do. Nothing like walking down a salmon stream in the dark amongst da bears.

 

[AkReaper]

So far everything for my first deer hunt, and first trip to POW is working out. Gonna be there 11/11-11/19 God willing we tag out on our deer, I would really like a chance at one of these brutes. Is this time frame still gonna be possible for a blackie? Really want to tag one and I hear these are awesome bears.

 

[Coveyleader]

Anything is posible, but that is really late in the year for black bears on POW. If you're an AK resident, no big deal. If a NR, I don't think it would be worth drawing a tag to hunt that late.

 

[jgatherum]

I've taken 8 bears off the island over the past 22 years, both spring and fall, spot and stalk and over bait. All with a bow except 1. I sent you a PM, ask me anything.

Justin, I have a POW bear tag Spring of 2021. Would love to talk to you more about it. Can you email me your contact info? [email protected]

 

[roosiebull]

i think Dall island would be an epic spring bear hunt... either have someone drop you off on a boat or float plane, and camp 5-7 days... probably have the whole island to yourself and there are some massive boars out there.

in 2003 i worked out there for 13 months. we worked out of Craig, but would run out there, work, anchor up in one of the many bays (the west side of Dall is little bay after bay the whole length of it) camp, get up and work all day, and usually run back to Craig that night to unload, but sometimes stay a second night.

spring was our best weather by far... we got there Early April and the weather sucked, but mid April to the end of May was the nicest weather of the year... no weather at all, it was warm and nice, ocean was as flat as i have seen an ocean for 5-6 weeks straight, and we saw a pile of big bear. it would be an awesome spring bear hunt, and Dall is small enough you could actually cover some country. the back side is heavily logged (which is good for spring bear) and the west side is full of bays, and almost all of those bays offer good bear habitat.

if i ever went bear hunting in SE, i would be trying to make that happen. it's not crazy far from civilization, but it's very remote. we never saw anyone out there.... almost the whole time i was there we were all alone. wouldn't see anyone out there doing anything.... a couple times a few guys in our industry would come out there because we were doing well, but those guys didn't like the open ocean and would do a trip or 2 and head back to Ketchikan.... only other people we saw out there all year was a group of crazy kayakers that left Ketchikan, went around Dall and were going to Craig..... i couldn't believe that, but it was cool. the whole west side is pretty much untouched by man.... super cool country and couldn't imagine a cooler place to chase bear, and there are some absolute giants out there.

 

[Coveyleader]

My 2 cents, if you get a boat, know what you’re doing. That country is no place to “learn” how to run a skiff.

I’m not afraid of the dark whatsoever, but running a skiff back after dark will have you a bit on edge. Logs floating everywhere. The minute you step in the boat, please put a life vest on, and have a water proof safety kit in your vest.

Beautiful place, just respect the water. You will have a blast. Avoid easy to get to areas, and areas where a dock or lodge is located.

 

[roosiebull]

My 2 cents, if you get a boat, know what you’re doing. That country is no place to “learn” how to run a skiff.

I’m not afraid of the dark whatsoever, but running a skiff back after dark will have you a bit on edge. Logs floating everywhere. The minute you step in the boat, please put a life vest on, and have a water proof safety kit in your vest.

Beautiful place, just respect the water. You will have a blast. Avoid easy to get to areas, and areas where a dock or lodge is located.

very good point. on the inside you can have some crazy hard current, huge tides, so hitting wash rocks is very possible... lots of wood in the water like you mentioned. lots and lots of boat deaths up there guys running around skiffs. conditions change in a very short amount of time up there. i have worked on the ocean my whole adult life, and a good amount of my "memorable" boat rides have been up there.

 

[Scott/IL]

How early in the year do you typically start seeing bears come onto the beaches? I have the tag for this spring and was all set to head up there in late May, but plans change. Hoping to maybe head up earlier, but having mixed thoughts on if it’ll be worth it.


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[Coveyleader]

Anytime in May is good on normal years. The good thing about early May is the beaches will green up first and the bears will head down to them. It would be colder though, especially out in a boat. As it gets later, the grass gets high, and it can be hard to see them. That, and it's green everywhere then so bears start leaving the beaches so to speak. If you're talking month of May, any time would be good. April, that would be too early for me, although on an easy winter year, you could find them in April I'm sure.

Another thing to keep in mind, is where you will be hunting. POW is remote, but it gets pressure and by late May, June, depending on the location, those beaches may have been hunted.

 

[Glory]

How early in the year do you typically start seeing bears come onto the beaches? I have the tag for this spring and was all set to head up there in late May, but plans change. Hoping to maybe head up earlier, but having mixed thoughts on if it’ll be worth it.


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April 21st is the earliest I have killed one. I have always considered the first few weeks of May to be prime time for bears. I wouldn't worry too much about early May. Check the tides and make sure you line up with some beach showing in the evenings. Bears are funny critters though. You can go 3 or 4 days and see minimal bears, and then have a few days were they seem to be all over the place only to have them disappear again.

 

[roosiebull]

April 21st is the earliest I have killed one. I have always considered the first few weeks of May to be prime time for bears. I wouldn't worry too much about early May. Check the tides and make sure you line up with some beach showing in the evenings. Bears are funny critters though. You can go 3 or 4 days and see minimal bears, and then have a few days were they seem to be all over the place only to have them disappear again.

the 2 years i have spent up there, May was the best weather month of the year too. the first year i spent up there i didn't believe the gulf was open water, we had almost a month of 1-2" swell and beautiful weather straight.... second time up there was similar. much nicer than the summer weather (which isn't bad by any stretch)

if i was going to chase bear up there, it would probably be the 2nd week of May if i had a week, and would probably start a week earlier if i had 2, but that would just be to avoid other hunters.

it's pretty funny, about the second week of May, every time you go to the store or restaurant, half of the people are in camo..... lots of people head up there for bear. no surprise though, there are a lot of bear, and a lot of really big bear.

i would love to go up there and hunt west Dall for a week, never saw a person out there bear hunting, and we were out there every day..... some big unpressured bear. i think the problem is, you have to drive by a lot of bear to get there. the whole west side is little bay after bay until you get way down south on the island. pretty country up there in general

 

[Glory]

Before the draw was instituted, camo clad hunters kinda kicked off summer. Now you barely see them. I still do some day charters for bear hunters, but the amount of hunters on the island is nothing like it used to be.

Agreed on Dall and that country. Takes some pretty good weather and a lot of fuel to access those areas. You are exposed for that entire run down the w side of Dall.