Southeast Alaska Brown Bear Hunts
Brown Bear hunting in Alaska is often considered the pinnacle of the North American hunting experience. While embarking on a brown bear hunt with Glacier Guides, you will be hunting the renowned ‘ABC’ Islands for one of the most unique populations of Brown Bear in the world. Our hunts take place in both the spring and fall, with each respective season providing a unique experience in the style and method of hunting. The Alaskan Grandeur, our custom built and designed adventure yacht will serve as base camp, while access to the hunting grounds is done via 18 foot powered skiffs.
The ‘ABC’ Islands
Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof are the three islands that comprise the ‘ABC’ Islands of Southeast Alaska. Located at the northern end of the Alexander Archipelago, these three islands are home to one of the most distinctive and unique brown bear populations in North America, let alone the world. A must hunt for the most discriminating of sportsmen, the ‘ABC’ Brown Bears show an ancestral lineage more closely related to polar bears as opposed to the typical Alaskan Brown Bear. These islands are also home to the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States and one of the last remaining intact temperate rain forests in the entire world. Encompassing 17 million acres, the Tongass with it’s diverse ecology and geographic features provides one of the most breathtaking and stunning environments for a sportsman’s adventure of a lifetime.
Spring Brown Bear Hunting with Glacier Guides
A spring Brown Bear hunt with Glacier Guides typically consists of ten hunting days and is often done in combination with a black bear hunt. Our Southeast Alaska spring hunting season starts in mid April and finishes its the end of May. This is one of the premier times to experience Alaska as the flora and fauna that inhabit the woods and water are awakening from their winter slumber, with the renewed optimism and growth that the spring season brings. During this season, the bears are emerging from their winter dens and venturing to the beaches and grass flats in search of the various food sources that will sustain them throughout the spring. A typical spring diet for a brown bear consists of new plant growth, sedge grass, kelp, small crustaceans, and any carrion that they can scavenge from amongst the surf whipped beaches.
Download the spring hunting checklist
A Typical Spring Day
A typical spring hunting day with Glacier Guides is high on adventure and low on stress. With the relaxed atmosphere the spring season brings along with the late evening hours of a spring hunting day, mornings generally consist of a hearty breakfast and enjoying the relaxation and comfort that the Alaskan Grandeur provides. Breakfast is generally served between 9:00 and 10:00am, with the ensuing hours used to relax and prepare for the day afield. Lunches are generally “sack lunch” style to order, taken into the field as we embark on the days hunt. Occasionally, weather and other circumstances may dictate that we eat lunch on board before we depart for the field. Departure from the yacht for the hunting day typically takes place between 1:00 and 3:00pm. The most productive time to hunt the class of bears we are looking for is in the late evenings, as the largest of bears spend much of their time feeding nocturnally. Therefore, we hunt late as the bears tend to be the most active as the evening approaches last light. Travel back to the yacht after the hunt will often be in the dark between 11:00pm to midnight. A well earned dinner prepared by our chef will be served between midnight and 2:00am.
Learn more about planning your tripFall Brown Bear Hunting with Glacier Guides
A fall Brown Bear hunt with Glacier Guides generally consists of 10 hunting days to take place in September and October. These hunts occur amongst the many streams and rivers where the salmon are actively spawning, drawing the bears to congregate and feed as they prepare for their winter hibernation. The opportunity to view and hunt these bears as they fish for salmon provides a very unique and exhilarating hunting experience. Our custom Yacht, the Alaskan Grandeur, serves as base camp while access to the streams and estuaries is conducted via 18 foot powered skiffs. The style of hunting involves hiking up the respective streams, still hunting along the way and sitting over the many fishing holes being used by the bears. This is a very unique method of hunting as you will be completely immersed in the midst of the Tongass old growth rain forest, also known as the Fortress of the Bears – Kootznoowoo – by the local Tlingit Indians. Hunters should be able to walk upwards of two miles in chest waders, with the terrain consisting of slick, moss covered rocks, logs, trees, and uneven undulating ground. The hunting is generally in very close quarters with the bears, with shots often coming inside of 50 yards. A hunter should be well versed and practiced in various shooting positions, to include sitting, off hand, and prone.
Download the fall hunting checklist
A Typical Fall Day
The day starts with a home style breakfast, generally served around 9:00am. Depending on the weather conditions, a sack lunch will be prepared for our day in the field with a departure time somewhere between 11:00am and 1:00pm. Occasionally, poor weather may dictate we eat lunch on board with a departure taking place later in the afternoon. As the large boars tend to be fairly nocturnal this time of year, we find the hunting is often most productive as we approach last light. Therefore, we often hunt very late, right up to the last moments of functional light and darkness. After the days hunt, we will return to the Alaskan Grandeur for dinner, generally served between 9:00 and 10:00pm.
Learn more about planning your tripAlaskan Brown Bear Spring & Fall Pricing
- Brown Bear Hunter $48,000
- Combination with Black Bear $59,500
- Non-hunter $10,000
- Plus License, Tag, Air Charter
*Our spring hunts are done as combination with world class Black Bear. Black Bear available on select fall dates and is added on at $9,000
Glacier Guides is an authorized licensed vendor for Alaska Department of Fish and Game. We will arrange for necessary license, tag, and registration permit requirements for your fishing or hunting trip, taking the guessing and uncertainty out of the picture. Please contact us if you have any questions.
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BROWN BEAR HUNTS GALLERY
