Alaska Bear

South of the Boone & Crockett boundary line on the Alaska Peninsula, hunters have numerous opportunities for brown bear. This rugged region operates on an open registration permit program, with a spring season in even years and fall season in odd years. Hunters may only take one brown bear every four regulatory years. Guided hunts on the Peninsula range from $26,000 to $38,000, with most outfitters often booked two or more years in advance.

At the far west end of the Peninsula on Unimak Island lies a prime location for trophy brown bears. All permits in unit 10 are draw only for both residents and non-residents, with only eight permits available each season (spring and fall). Prospective hunters must have a guide-client agreement with the outfitter before applying as competition is steep and includes numerous resident applicants. Successful applicants can expect costs above $35,000 for the hunt due to the extensive logistics involved. In addition to Kodiak and the Peninsula, brown bear hunts are available in other southern areas of the state where they can sometimes be combined with hunts for Dall sheep, moose, or caribou on a trophy fee basis.

Grizzly bear hunting options are plentiful, and oftentimes, a grizzly bear can be added to a moose, sheep, or caribou guided hunt on a trophy-fee basis. Those hunters wishing to target trophy size grizzly bears should consult with the Advisors from Huntin’ Fool Adventures to select an outfitter that offers specialized bear hunts.

Alaska does not differentiate hunts between subspecies of brown bear (ursus arctos). Bag limits are set statewide for brown/grizzly bear and utilize the same $1,000 locking-tag that is required for all non-residents to hunt. This means that hunters are subject to the regulatory year bag limit and could not harvest two brown or grizzly bears in the same regulatory year (July 1-June 30) if the bag limit is one bear. Some units allow for up to two bears being taken each regulatory year and some only allow one bear to be taken every four-year period. It is up to the hunter to keep track if they have met the current bag limit. Alaska’s harvest reporting and permit system will not keep track of this bag limit for a hunter, so records and reporting should be maintained with exactness.