Hunting the Largest Carnivore on Earth
The Giant Alaska Brown Bear

Pursuing the great Alaska brown bear is certainly one of the most sought after experiences in the hunting world, and the great bears are one of our top priorities as an outfit. Nothing quite stirs my mind and heart like the sight of a brown bear in the Alaska wilderness, and after our initial early season sheep hunts, brown bear becomes our primary focus.

We are currently running hunts in Game Managment Units 19 and 16B and these units split the southern portion of the Alaska Range and cover well in excess of 40,000 square miles. GMU 19 stretches from the Kuskokwim Valley all the way East to the Alaska Range and the Revelation Mountains, while GMU 16B reaches from the eastern edge of the Alaska Range all the way to Denali and back south to Cook Inlet. Both regions have a great number of brown bear that are for the most part salmon fed bears, and while they are not going to average being as large as the bears from Kodiak or the Peninsula they will range up into the 9 ft. + size. Occasionally a bona-fide 10 ft. bear will come out of the coastal areas, but we leave it up to our hunters as to waht size of bear they are interested in. Many guys are thoroughly impressed with the first bear they see in the wild, even if it is a 7 ft. bear, while others are willing to pass by everything in hopes a 1,000 lb. monster.

Many scientist consider grizzly and brown bears to be one and the same species (ursus arctos), but we certainly realize there is difference when it comes to size, also there is a difference when it comes to the amount of money it cost to hunt each, brown bear hunts being much more expensive. Once a hunter arrives in brown bear camp he (or she) will typically spend a lot of time behind a set of binoculars, glassing the streams and sloughs where the salmon are running. Typically we will be in an area where bears may also be on the berries, but this is typically later in the season as the salmon are drying up. Our hunts are essentially backpack type hunts, that is we go light into the bush and this gives us the flexibility to make a move into a different area if the need arises. According to the particulars of the given area we are hunting, techniques may involve glassing the bears from a vantage point, still hunting the salmon streams for that up close and personal touch, or even the use boats when practical. Top notch rain gear, and hip boots are required gear on these hunts, and the best optics you can afford can make a long day of glassing go a lot easier.

Firearms for brown bear will always be the subject of much debate, but one thing is certain, we prefer that any hunter seriously wanting to hunt the big bears carry nothing less than a .338 Win. Mag with 250 grain premium bullets, and I do mean premium. We are not in the business of chasing wounded bears all across the country because someone wanted to prove a point made by some dim-witted outdoor writer. Personally I prefer that hunters use .375 H&H, and up, if they can handle them effectively. The key phrase here is certainly "handle them effectively," and if an individual can't stomach the larger bore rifles they should use something they are more comfortable with, but there is a limit in this area. We really don't want guys asking to bring their 7mm's or 30-06's into brown bear camp, and yea I have heard all about the great numbers of bears taken with the '06, and no I am not impressed by those stories. I am impressed by the numbers for the .50 caliber BMG, and if you could handle shooting this I would prefer you bring it into camp.