Alaska Brown Bear hunting – Spring or Fall?

gssafaris.com

By: Robert M. Anderson



Whether a fall hunt for Alaska brown bear is better than a spring hunt is more of a personal choice than anything else as I am not sure one is necessarily any better than the other. The selection of a spring hunt versus a fall hunt is normally based on a number of personal factors including timing, opinions about the quality of the hide, weather, etc.

A lot of people like the spring hunts because there is not much else going on (i.e., nothing to hunt) in mid to late May so this is somewhat of an off period from an antlered big game hunting standpoint.

By the same token, some people prefer to hunt in the fall because there may be other activities available such as fishing and antlered game available (i.e., Sitka deer on Kodiak Island and in SE Alaska) depending on where you are should you tag out early.

Regarding the condition of the hides, some people believe that the hair is better in the spring as the bears had developed their full winter coats before going into hibernation and their hair continues to grow to a degree during their winter sleep. With spring bears, there is always the possibility that the hide will be rubbed - generally severe rubs will be quite visible and these bears are avoided. You typically don´t have the rub problem with fall bears.

In the spring, the bears are coming out of their dens and they are hungry – plus this is the rut so the boars in particular are very mobile at this time of year as they are searching not only for a mate but also for food. Considering the time of year, the bears will gravitate down to the lower elevations and the beaches where there is green grass and carrion available – which makes them much easier to spot. In the fall, while the bears will still be searching for food, they have already put on as much weight as they can for the winter and may become somewhat lethargic depending on the weather and time of year. Of course, the later you wait to hunt in the fall, the greater the possibility of getting hit with severe weather that not only limits your ability to travel but is a catalyst for hibernation. Of course you can have bad weather in the spring as well, but you are not as likely to experience a major snowstorm that shuts things down completely in the late spring.

By law, non-residents cannot hunt brown or grizzly bears without using the services of a registered guide unless you have family residing in Alaska that are within one degree of kindred. You also can not hunt Dall sheep without a guide. So you will be guided for either brown or grizzly bear.

These particular bear hunts do not include any other species except black bear and wolf regardless of season. There is no additional charge to take either a black bear or wolf, but you must purchase the appropriate big game tags for these species from the State of Alaska prior to your hunt.

Unlike Africa Safari Hunting, there generally are no trophy fees on big game animals in Alaska. As with black bear and wolf, you must purchase the appropriate tags from the State of Alaska prior to your hunt, but there is no additional fee for the animals if/when harvested. There are hunts where you pay a set price to hunt a single species (moose for example) and generally nothing else. However, in the event that the opportunity to harvest a caribou or grizzly presents itself (and you have the appropriate big game tags) and you do take an extra species then there would be an additional charge – but that is not considered a trophy fee. This would be considered as upgrading to a combination hunt, which generally sells for a higher price than does a single species hunt for sheep, moose, or caribou.

Regarding the number of bears you will see per day – I can´t answer question that other than to say you only need to see one – the right one. You will spend a lot of time sitting and glassing and the number of bears you see per day will depend in large part on the weather, whether the bears are late coming out of or early going into hibernation, the availability of food and the presence or absence of females in estrus during the spring.

Contact us today for a free consultation on our Alaska Brown Bear and Grizzly Bear Hunts at http://www.gssafaris.com

Robert M. Anderson

307-473-1268



Certified Wildlife Biologist

Hunting Consultant & Africa Program Director

Global Sporting Safaris, Inc

bob@gssafaris.com

www.gssafaris.com