This adventure is located in the wild remote area of the world-famous Cold Bay and Izembek Lagoon region of Alaska where you will target trophy sea ducks, puddle ducks, diving ducks and a variety of geese including pacific brant, cackling geese and potentially Emperor geese (draw required). Upland hunters and fisherman can also enjoy ptarmigan hunting and salmon fishing. Izembek Lagoon provides a unique environment for hunting and just witnessing the highest concentration of pacific black found anywhere in the world. You will never hear them say ‘you should have been here last week.’ The entire population of brant stage at Izembek during the fall, with peak numbers from mid-September until late October. January counts reveal 50,000+ brant over winter in the Izembek/Cold Bay area. Large numbers of cacklers stage at Izembek during September and October in addition to a wider variety of puddle ducks and divers. Nowhere else can one hunt for such a wide variety of species. The outfitter also offers combination hunting/fishing trips in September where you will fish for salmon and dolly varden.
September to mid-October is cast and blast time. You will target pacific brant, cackling geese, puddle ducks, ptarmigan and at times (roughly August 25th through late September) world class fishing for silver salmon. This time has become their most popular trip and is just plain fun with roughly 16 to 15 hours of daylight to fish and hunt each day. Exception are harlequin, which are present from early October until the end of the season.
Mid October to December 16 fishing goes away for the most part but the sea ducks show up and really pick up the first week of November. More divers show up during this time also. Die hard collectors usually want the last month of the season for the best quality birds to mount. Alaska limits non-residents to 4 ducks per species for sea ducks, per season and a total of 20 sea ducks for the season. Late season also requires the use of layout boats for most sea duck and brant hunts.
The outfitter has spent every fall since 2002 in Cold Bay and owns his home and lodge in Cold Bay. They also hunt the Cold Bay area for sea ducks and other species, September 1 through December 16. Izembek is the entire point of making this long journey to Cold Bay. You do not want to miss out on being guided in this Wetland of International Importance – finding your way into the heart of this wilderness for an unforgettable experience cannot be done on your own.
Hunters will arrive on a Saturday in Cold Bay and depart the following Saturday which allows for 6 full days of guided hunting for a variety of species and will cater the hunt to each group’s goals for their hunts
Sea duck and Brant combo hunts start in early November and go through December 16th, which is the last day of the season in Unit 9 in Alaska
The weather during this time of year can be extreme and it will often limit what the outfitter can do on certain days in the open waters of Cold Bay. They have multiple backup plans on weather days for hunts in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
NOTE: Due to 30 years of conservation efforts the Emperor goose, one of the rarest geese to hunt in the world, is now available to hunt through a special draw. Applicants must apply between November 1st and December 15th. Non-residents are allowed to harvest one emperor goose. If you are interest in us helping you apply, Huntin' Fool License Application Service can assist you with the process for a fee.
GETTING THERE
Guests need to get to Anchorage the day before their flight out to Cold Bay. Currently two airlines fly from Anchorage to Cold Bay, Ravn Air and Aleutian Air.
The outfitter will pick up the clients and drop them off at the airport in Cold Bay.
LODGING
The lodge is the outfitters home which has been recently renovated to include four guest rooms which accommodate two people per room, Each room has plenty of space with shelves and hangers for your things. There are two full-size bathrooms with plenty of hot water for everyone. There are two utility/mudrooms which provide a warm space for drying your gear along with plenty of boot dryers. There is a second washer and dryer for guest’s convenience. There is a lounge area with Wi-Fi, a large screen HDTV, Starlink Satellite, DVD player, and refrigerator for guests’ snacks and beverages.
MEALS
Guests begin their day with a large, hearty breakfast that will keep them warm and full for the day. Based on the time of year and the activities you are doing, lunch plans will vary. They will either pack food to enjoy when the weather and tides allow us to stay out hunting and fishing all day, or you will have a warm, filling lunch at the lodge in between their other activities.
Dinnertime is a special time at the lodge where you can share stories from the adventures of the day. With years of formal training and professional experience. their chef will prepare a wide variety of delicious, high quality entrees – many with an Alaskan flare. This experience allows for incredible meals featuring some of the fish or fowl that guests bag. Bread is made from scratch along with cookies, bars, and other treats and delicious desserts. No one will go hungry here!
GEAR
Clients will need to make sure they bring the appropriate gear to handle the constantly changing weather in this region, to include good waterproof clothing and waders. Clients can bring their own shotguns or can rent them from the outfitter at a cost of $150 for the entire trip. They offer a variety of shotguns to include Beretta A400s, Browning, Win SX4s and Remington Versa Maxs. Clent's can bring their own ammo or they can purchase from the outfitter. They just need to know in advance. We suggest getting a hard hitting ammuntion such as bismuth. Many of the birds you will be hunting are tough birds that need a good penetrating round to put them down. The outfitter will also have coolers and fish boxes for purchase to help folks get their fish and game home. We strongly encourage guests bring cash for these extra expenses, gratuities etc. There is no ATM's in town.
This is a trophy hunt that is focused on targeting species that are unattainable in most of the lower 48. If stacking up large piles of birds is what you are looking for then this is not the hunt for you, but if you are looking for a unique experience where you get to target waterfowl that most waterfowl hunters never will get the opportunity to hunt to in a breathtaking location, then this is exactly the hunt for you.
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