Going to AK

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taylorce1

New member
I just bought my tickets to AK yesterday. I'm going on a self guided Black Bear hunt in my in SE Alaska. I'm getting really excited as this will be my first hunting trip to AK. I'm going with some guys who have been going for the last three years so I'm not going in blind at least.

I'm taking my 06 on this trip which kind of leaves me under gunned compared to the guys I'm going with. They are bringing a .416 and two .375 H&H rifles, which kind of leaves my 06 as the little guy. My decision to bring the 06 was based on it being a Rem M700 ADL in a synthetic stock and I'll be hunting costal waters from a boat. I just couldn't bring myself to travel with one of my fancy wood stocked rifles on this kind of hunt in all that salt water, inland would have been a different story though.

I'm waiting for my new scope to come in a Leupold 2.5-8X36 VXIII and I'm going to mount it on new QR bases so if it gets damaged during the trip or hunt I can still use the old irons on the rifle. I've picked up quite a few Partitions in 200 grain over the years so I'm hoping the scope gets here soon so I can start working on load development for this hunt. I probably don't need the 200 grains for black bear but they have been lying around so I decided to use them.

I've ordered some Helle Hansen Impertech rain gear as it is supposed to be raining the whole time I'm there. I'm looking still for some good hip waders so any sugestions would be helpful. Gear is my biggest expense since I've never hunted in this kind of weather, but the whole trip should still run me less than $3000 all together.

Probably the biggest problem I have right now with the hunt is my work. We are working overtime 40-50 hours every two weeks. So I'm having a hard time finding time to work out, or should I say staying motivated to work out. Now they are talking about working Satrudays so that would make it real tough to get any range time in as well but I'm sure I'll figure it out soon.
 
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banditt007

New member
i wouldnt feel under gunned at all. Its amazing, you go to AK and all of a sudden the black bears turn into the size of the biggest of grizzlys! wait that dosent happen, yet people feel the urge to bring cannons. i dont understand it. i wouldnt feel the least undergunned with a 30-06, its a black bear! Sounds like a great trip.
 
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Fremmer

New member
I suppose it might be good to have a magnum caliber in case you run into a really big bear. A really big pissed-off bear. :D

I hear they get pretty big in Alaska. :)
 
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WeedWacker

New member
My patented minigun backpack 12 gauge wiull do the trick for a quick escape ;) But seriously a '06 should be enough for bear. Maybe the psychological knowledge that you are hunting BEAR pops in your head and you see a kodiak or somthing instead of an 600 lb black bear (maybe more like 700 lb's would be more realistic)
 
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stevelyn

New member
The black bears aren't really that big at all. Actually your .30-06 is about perfect.
Rifle calibers only tend to get bigger the closer you get to Anchorage........or the Lower 48.:rolleyes:
You going to be hunting POW?
 
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taylorce1

New member
I don't feel undergunned at all. I even asked why they were bringing such big cannons on this hunt? The answer I got was that they had bought the rifles for an African hunt they did a few years back and they have been setting in the safe untill they started doing this AK hunt three years back, and felt like they could put them to use. Most of them hunt with pistol back east where they live because they don't like using shotguns.
You going to be hunting POW?
Click to expand...

Stevelyn educate me please?
 
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moose fat

New member
Prince of Wales Island=POW. Exactly which island or city will you begin you Alaskan adventure from?

Maybe somebody on the forum may know or have been there before.

I went to collage in Sitka and lived there for eight years. Was underwater a bit, diving, hunting for Sitka Black Tailed Deer up in the mountains behind Sitka, salmon and halibut fishing.

Bring a rod and reel, during your down time you can throw a line in the water.

Take advantage of your time there.:)

Don't even think about going near devils club, look but don't touch.
 
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stevelyn

New member
Petersburg is on Mitkof Island and Kupreanof Island is a quick skiff ride away. All of it is part of Tongass Natl. Forest. The whole area is crawling with black bears. I'm sure you'll do well.

Take fishing gear with you too and enjoy your trip.
 
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Vitamin G

New member
My decision to bring the 06 was based on it being a Rem M700 ADL in a synthetic stock and I'll be hunting costal waters from a boat.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, that just sounds wrong to me. Hunting from a boat? Might as well take a 22lr. Its not like the bear will charge you.
 
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banditt007

New member
Vitamin G, i think he ment taking a boat as transportation to and from the area they will hunt. and that the gun would prob get salt spray/splashs of water on it. Thats how i took it anyway..if he plans on actually hunting from sitting in the boat...unless he is handicapped i'd give it two thumbs down.
 
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WeedWacker

New member
Sometimes ppl hunt from a canoe. It's not much different than having a blind but in the middle of the water and you cna change position fairly quietly
 
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UniversalFrost

New member
Yeah, when my dad and I went on a moose hunt many years ago we hunted predominately from a canoe. Funny thing is, after all those days on the water we ended up shooting one while walking from the camp down the trail to the canoe on the second to last day. I was always worried of taking a shot from the side of the canoe instead of a stright forward or rear shot, thinking that the recoil of the .416 rigby would tip us over. Guide said not to worry, but I didn't feel too much confidence is his voice. :rolleyes:

Let us know how the hunt went. I am looking yo go back up there in a few years to do some hunting/fishing as well and any advice on the area is helpful.
 
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taylorce1

New member
We will not shoot from the boat, we are using it as the main means of transportation. We will use the boat to get from the hunting area from the camp site and if it is calm we might glass from it looking for bears. When it comes down to the actually shooting the bear it will be done from a spot and stalk or a still position. I think shooting from the land will be much easier to get a steady shot from as I don't think the boat we will be using is very big.
 
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HowdyZ_28

New member
For those of you up there/been there, what kind of fishing tackle do I need?
I want some big halibut... I'm hoping to be staioned up there in the next year and want to do ALOT of fishing.



Scott
 
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stevelyn

New member
Vitamin G,

Quite a bit of hunting up here has to be done from a boat due to the amount of coastline and inland waterways. The areas would otherwise be inaccessible.

You can shoot from a boat as long as forward motion has ceased after you chop power. Works okay on the inland waters where you don't have any wave action. I shot my last moose from a flat-bottomed riverboat on a slough off the Yukon River.

However, bobbing around on the ocean trying to get a sight picture is a lost cause. You're better off beaching and stalking once you see the critter.

HowdyZ_28

You have a PM.
 
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