End of April too soon for Black bears in Southeast Alaska?

[sam700]

I might get a bunch of time off this April and would like to use the time to head up to Alaska. I won't know for sure for a couple of weeks, but I think I could do at least a week or a bit more in the end of the month.

Are the black bears out and about by late April in the south east, say Kenai Peninsula? If not, I'm open to recommendations as to what and where to hunt.

 

[islandphish]

Don't know for sure about blacks but my guess is yes. ETA that is yes, they will be out

I spend a lot of time in the interior around Denali park.

The Grizzlies will be out by that time up there. It is a great time to see them as they will be on the open river bars digging food.

 

[moosehunt]

Late April in SE is not too early for blacks. But, if you only have a couple weeks, unless you already have things lined up, it's a bit late, to say the least. It may well be that you don't need a guide as a hunter per se, but getting someplace to hunt is not so simple. You'll probably need a plane or a boat. If you are planning on driving, I surmise you are aware that regarding SE, you can't hardly get there from here.

 

[sam700]

Yeah, I realize it's a bit late. I only found out that I may have the end of the month off a few days ago and have been trying to figure what to do with this time. If I can't get a plane or boat short notice anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Wheeler44]

Kenai ain't Se Alaska. Helping you plan your trip would be easier if you tell us where you are leaving from and what travel plans you DO have. Check regs. probably don't need a guide for blacks. Most of the bigger towns have an air service, often times out of a larger town like Ketchikan, Sitka or Juneau. Finding a place for them to take you will be the trick, might want to look at Prince of Wales Island.

 

[musher]

I would suggest calling the area biologist (AB) who manages the area you are interested in hunting. They can give you some good pointers on where you can access public lands using whatever means you have available (boat, car, plane).

They usually have a pretty good handle on the transporters in their area and can point you towards someone who could put you on the ground where you want to go.

If you're hunting the Kenai, check with the AB, Jeff Selinger, in Soldotna (907-262-9368), or the assistant AB, Tom McDonough, in Homer (907-235-8191).

You can download the current hunting regs in pdf at

http://wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=regulations.hunting

You can find contact numbers for other fish and game offices at

http://wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=info.contact

Also, you do not need a guide to hunt black bear in Alaska as a non-resident.

Hope this helps.
April's a great time to be in Alaska!

 

[sam700]

Sorry, I guess I meant southern Alaska rather than SE.

Thanks for the great info musher.

 

[Cosmoline]

You mean south-central. And based on the way the snow is melting here right now I'd say the START of April wouldn't be too soon. LOL

Seriously, the denning habits of bears varies quite a bit from area to area and a lot of factors play a role. Which side of the mountains you're on, for example. For black bears I've seen the most when the grasses first burst up and are real green. I've seen bears, porcupines, and other critters chomping them down like so many cattle. Something to do with getting vitamins from green plants and starting the digestive system up I guess, but it's like grouse and gravel.

I'd suggest getting in touch with whoever you're using as a flyin service/guide and finding out what they suggest.