Alaska Grizzly and Black Bear Hunt

This is considered one of the very best baited brown bear operations you will find in Alaska. The outfitter of this camp in the Copper Valley has been operating since 2009. They took the first baited brown bear and have taken more than any other outfit since. Bears in the Copper Valley are considered Brown Bears by Boone and Crockett and Grizzlies by SCI so you can call them whatever you want. Brown bears and Grizzlies are basically distinguished by lines on a map. These bears run 7-9′ in this area but 9 footers are super rare. Most years the biggest bear will be 8.5′. The Grizzlies that are taken on this hunt have some of the most incredible hides with hair that is often 6″ long or more. Black bears are just average size blackies with exceptional hair and 50% color phases.

The Hunt

Grizzlies over bait is more like hunting big mid-west whitetail bucks over bait than black bears. These bears are exceptionally smart and wary! It is a ten-day hunt for a reason. The outfitter has been watching the numbers and quality of bears in this area for over a decade and they have some old boars that have been on camera for nearly the full ten years that have never seen in person. Hunts are conducted on the tributaries of the Copper River, many of which are whitewater. Jet boats are used to get to most of the bait sites and the cenery and experience blow any other baited hunt out of the water. This hunt is done mostly on the ground in blinds which is an exceptional opportunity for the archer. There are some treestand options, but as anyone knows who has hunted a smart animal from a treestand, you cant get away with anything, and these Grizzlies are smart.

Lodging & Food

Camp is small cabins with a separate bathroom/shower house. The outfitter is the cook most days and he loves to cook and eat well. This is a social situation so he tries to only book groups that come together. They do not book hunts more than a year out because camp often fills with repeat groups. Groups consist of 3-4 hunters.