Its Official, Im headed to Alaska for black bear

[saylean]

I love Alaska. I am truly 100% jealous of people who live up there. I had a very short window to make it happen up there (literally a day and a morning to hunt), I was hunting a unit that generally has 15% success for out of state black bear hunters. Timing was everything on this trip and it worked out amazingly. I will keep this short for personal reasons. Long story short, I flew into the area, saw 3 bears but could not hunt due to regulations of "same day fly". One was digging in shale for pika, absolute HOG. All were within a mile of camp.

Next morning, I called in a sow and 3 cubs from 500 yards out to about 60. Hunted much of that day, saw a few more. Went back to camp, spotted one outside of camp and hustled up to a rocky knob and started to call while my buddy photographer got set up for pics. This bear was about 500 yards out too. I called with a RRCALLS (once again, Rick does amazing work). Bear commits and starts down to us. Then another bear pops out just above where that one went down. So now two bears are coming in. I glance to the right and ANOTHER bear is runnin at me at about 100 yards out from the creek bottom. Three bears, one set. It slows down, changes direction trying to wind us and walks up to me at 30 yards. I pop it in the skull as I am above it on a rock outcropping, piles up right there, not even 100 yards from camp.
7 bears called in, in one day, and one set was a triple. Incredible.

There is much more to this with many more pics, but that's for another project.
I am so blessed to have had such great hospitality, share it with a life long friend, spend what little time I was able to in Alaska and come out both successful and unharmed.
I am invited back anytime and you can bet I will be returning ASAP. When I was getting the hide and skull sealed, I got to check out a nice grizzly getting sealed too...archery kill at ground level. Died in 6 yards.

Bear was an old sow (dry, no cubs), teeth were worn nicely and was missing some claws, about 17.5 in skull, 5'7 nose to tail. Wish I would have had more time, but I am sure even if I had a week, I would say the same. Pics are of the momma and cubs I called in early morning, the creek I drank out of, one as the bear lay and general area and view from plane.

[Taco280AI]

Nice pics, hope to make it up to AK sometime

[Mark251]

Great pics!  Congratulations 

[jasnt]

That what dreams are made of! sounds like a blast.

[tgomez]

Nice sow, always wanted to go to Alaska myself. Im sooooooooo jealous! Thanks for sharing the story and picks. Was this your first trip to Alaska?

[seth30]

That is awesome!   

[saylean]

Nice sow, always wanted to go to Alaska myself. Im sooooooooo jealous! Thanks for sharing the story and picks. Was this your first trip to Alaska?

Yes, but not my last. Think I'm going for moose and bear next year.

[tgomez]

Nice, hope you tag out on both. Saving up to send my father to Alaska, he has always dreamed of going on a hunt their. I figure it's the least I can do for him  teaching me so much about hunting and the great outdoors! Anyways, good luck and congradulations on the Alaskan black bear.

[WAnoob]

I love Alaska. I am truly 100% jealous of people who live up there. I had a very short window to make it happen up there (literally a day and a morning to hunt), I was hunting a unit that generally has 15% success for out of state black bear hunters. Timing was everything on this trip and it worked out amazingly. I will keep this short for personal reasons. Long story short, I flew into the area, saw 3 bears but could not hunt due to regulations of "same day fly". One was digging in shale for pika, absolute HOG. All were within a mile of camp.

Next morning, I called in a sow and 3 cubs from 500 yards out to about 60. Hunted much of that day, saw a few more. Went back to camp, spotted one outside of camp and hustled up to a rocky knob and started to call while my buddy photographer got set up for pics. This bear was about 500 yards out too. I called with a RRCALLS (once again, Rick does amazing work). Bear commits and starts down to us. Then another bear pops out just above where that one went down. So now two bears are coming in. I glance to the right and ANOTHER bear is runnin at me at about 100 yards out from the creek bottom. Three bears, one set. It slows down, changes direction trying to wind us and walks up to me at 30 yards. I pop it in the skull as I am above it on a rock outcropping, piles up right there, not even 100 yards from camp.
7 bears called in, in one day, and one set was a triple. Incredible.

There is much more to this with many more pics, but that's for another project.
I am so blessed to have had such great hospitality, share it with a life long friend, spend what little time I was able to in Alaska and come out both successful and unharmed.
I am invited back anytime and you can bet I will be returning ASAP. When I was getting the hide and skull sealed, I got to check out a nice grizzly getting sealed too...archery kill at ground level. Died in 6 yards.

Bear was an old sow (dry, no cubs), teeth were worn nicely and was missing some claws, about 17.5 in skull, 5'7 nose to tail. Wish I would have had more time, but I am sure even if I had a week, I would say the same. Pics are of the momma and cubs I called in early morning, the creek I drank out of, one as the bear lay and general area and view from plane.

Congrats on your Harvest, glad you enjoyed Alaska.  I can say I do miss it but not the winters so much.  Shoot me a PM if you have any questions about moose hunting, I may and actually try to go moose hunting myself next fall up there.  Assuming my hunting partner stays committed.   

Randy

[Turner89]

I bet calling them, and having 3 different bears comming in was pretty cool

[saylean]

I bet calling them, and having 3 different bears comming in was pretty cool

It was crazy cool.