Brown Bear Hunt, Alaska, Kodiak Island

I am talking to an outfitter about a Brown Bear Hunt on Kodiak Island in May. The hunt is a 10 day hunt. The price for one on one is $11500 and $8250 for two on one. I have reserved the one on one with the option of two on one if I can find another hunter. The hunt comes with a guarantee by the guide that if he doesn't put the hunter on a mature bear, then he will offer a hunt for the next year an half price. According to the outfitter the success rate is 80%+. So if anyone is interested in joining me for a Brown Bear hunt in Alaska on Kodiak Island, please send me an email at wyn925@gmail.com.

Good luck....post lots of pics.....

Sounds like a good price, what little I know about it.

Usually these hunts run from $18000 to $20000 on Kodiak island. So this is an exceptional opportunity.

Is the cost all inclusive or is their a kill fee? Is this a boat hunt or from a camp?

Wow, good luck! And yes, please provide pics!

To my understanding, this is hunting from camp, glassing for bear.

I had a friend do that hunt (not sure which outfitter) about 3 years ago, they landed on the float plane , spotted a bear before even getting off the beach, they where done in less than a few hrs with a BC bear. Not the norm for sure, they where even featured on the Discovery channel as they where there filming. They had to use the SAT phone to get a plane back, so they weren't stuck there for the 10 days and they where to far from what ever small settlement is on the island..

iirc, the cost was in the 12-14k range with a small discount for 2 hunters, but not positive. He felt it was well worth the $ spent. He told me he would go back if I decided to go, but I don't have 12k sitting around for a bear hunt.

The cost covers everything but your air transportation to Kodiak City, transportation of the trophy, and nonresident hunting license which is $500. I checked with Alaskan Airline and the cost of flying from Dallas to Kodiak City is $902 round trip. So with two hunters to one guide, total cost is less than $10000 ($8250 for hunt, $902 round trip flight, $500 hunting license). I can send all the paperwork from the outfitter if interested and can furnish of the phone number of outfitter.

It's illegal to fly and hunt in the same day in Alaska, so be careful of any outfitter that spots game from the plane and then goes after it the same day. Same Day Sam is a nickname given to a pretty well known outfitter up there that got caught doing this and paid some severe fines, and then his hunters lost their trophies and where also fined.

For a hard to find, big ticket animal like a brown bear, you really don't want to be competing with a total stranger on getting one. First you have to decide who gets to shoot first. Usually it's the flip of a coin before you start hunting. What happens if you don't see anything for 9 days and then a huge bear is spotted and you lost the flip of the coin for first shot? What happens if you and the other guy are sitting in different spots, you have first shot, but he spots a bear and shoots it anyway? How much time out of your hunt do you want to spend helping the other guy skin and pack out his bear? And most importantly, how many people do you get along with on a back country hunt? I can only speak for myself, but after a day or two, I'm about done with just about anybody. And then they are just annoying me for the rest of the trip.

Those are good points. My perspective is that the cost between one on one and two on one is $3250 difference. And if I don't get a bear, I can go back next year for $4125 (half of original cost of $8250). So it just makes sense to try a two on one, if I can find another hunter, especially another hunter from Texas.

Make sure you visit Big Ray's in Kodiak. They're pretty much the only option for sporting goods on the island other than Walmart and they have dang near everything you would need. Even if you don't buy anything it's a great place to shop and visit.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Just do me a favor and be careful. A buddy of mine, Matt, was attacked by a bear up there while he and I were station together. Here's the read, there are some pics that may be disturbing....
http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/galler...-attack#page-22

Good Luck WAF. Kodiak is a great place. My brother lived there for seven years.
Grizz do you know if Mack's Sport Shop is still in Kodiak? I never did get a chance to hunt blacktails. Maybe next year.

I believe Mack's is now Big Ray's. I searched Mack's and the photos I saw of the outside and inside of the building were the same as Big Ray's, right down to the Brown Bear mount. I'm not sure how long ago it changed.