Bear hunt options in Alaska are numerous. Hunters conduct black bear hunting all across Alaska, and they achieve fairly high success rates due to the abundance of black bears in the Great Land. We offer boat based transporter services for spring black bear hunters. This means that these are unguided hunts, in which we are not allowed to accompany you to shore or offer any help in taking an animal or processing it in the field. Our role is to provide food, lodging and transportation into the field. With that said, there are things you can do to be more successful on your bear hunt.
Big Dan’s Unguided Hunt Transportation
When you use Big Dan’s as a hunt transporter, you’ll be taken into the field in our 50-foot catamaran, the Double Down. We’ll transport you from our Homer base to nearby areas with healthy populations of black bears. You’ll be able to glass the shoreline for bears and also go to shore to spot and stalk bears in the surrounding area. Take the time to get into shape. Alaska terrain is challenging, and in order to stay mentally prepared and in the moment, your body needs to hold up. Physical conditioning is always a high priority when hunting in Alaska.
Get in the Bear Hunt Mindset
Just as essential as physical conditioning is mental preparation. Hunting is often hours and hours of waiting and watching, followed by seconds of chaos. Staying mentally prepared for the moment can make all the difference between success and failure. In addition, a positive attitude will help you stay focused, hunt harder, overcome obstacles and embrace the challenge. Hunters’ consideration of these factors can often make the difference between success and failure in a bear hunt. The best hunters are mentally strong, physically prepared, and ready to hunt hard until they take an animal or the hunt ends.
Practice for Success
Practice shooting your gun regularly and often. Bear hunt success comes down to finding an animal, getting into position, and making a good shot. If you have practiced long and hard with your rifle then you’ll have the confidence and skill to make the shot when it counts. There should be no hoping that the bullet will find its mark, you should know that you will make a good clean shot when the moment comes. This can’t be understated. Bears are strong animals, and a big bore rifle is the norm when hunting them. Know your gun, the ammo you are shooting and be truly prepared to shoot accurately.
Prepare your Gear
Make sure that all of your gear is up to the task at hand. Once you are in the field, there’s no chance at editing your field kit. Boots must be high quality and broken in. Rain gear needs to be the best that you can afford and be ready to hold up to the elements. Packs need to be strong, functional and comfortable. Knives need to be sharp and able to be sharpened as bear hides are tough and thick and will beat up inferior knives. Anything you bring in the field in Alaska on a bear hunt should be proven to work and ready to handle a torture test.
Know the Regulations
It’s your responsibility to learn how to field judge bears. Black bear cubs or sows with cubs are not legal to harvest. Neither are glacier bears. Learn the physical characteristic differences between boars and sows, and how to tell the difference between a mature and immature bear. Most hunters hope to shoot a large, mature bear, so you’ll need to know how to determine if the one you are looking at fits this criteria.
You will also need to know how to field dress a bear and to follow the ADF&G guidelines. Before June 1, all the bear meat must be salvaged and packed out with you. Evidence of sex must remain attached to the hide. Skulls and hides must be sealed by ADF&G, so you’ll need to be able to field dress the bear appropriately. As a good hunter, you should also know how to care for an animal once it’s down, so take the time to learn what you’ll need to do to your black bear once it’s on the ground.
