The trophy areas in S.E. Alaska have gone to a lottery system for tags. This applies to the self guided non resident hunter. It takes a few years to catch on. Lots of folks called to hunt fall 2012, only to find out the drawing took place last November. If you are pursuing that dream of a trophy black bear in 2013, be on your toes in November 2012 to draw that tag. Once you have the tag, there are a variety of inexpensive services available to the Do It Yourself hunter. Guided hunters can still buy black bear tags over the counter. Guide fees are moving in the 10K range.