Available Alaska Bear Hunts --- Search HF Aventures
*Guide Required* With the exception of one registration hunt area near the city of Kodiak, all bear permits are regulated entirely within a draw system for residents and non-residents. This is a standalone draw system as much of Kodiak is public land where most outfitters have exclusive rights to these federal use concession areas. This means that applicants must have a guide-client agreement signed prior to applying and the outfitter will submit your application for you with their unique UVC code. Draw odds may be up to 100% as the outfitter will select who will be applied based on their hunt booking schedule and will not flood their own drawing. Prospective applicants should look at Kodiak with a “guidefirst” approach. Guided Kodiak bear hunt prices range from $20,000 to $45,000, depending on the area, accommodations, success rates, and hunting style. Hunters should speak with our Advisors for more information on selecting a Kodiak brown bear outfitter.
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*Guide Required* South of the Boone & Crockett boundary line, hunters will find themselves with plenty of options to hunt brown bear. A registered guide or resident-relative is required for all non-residents. Hide condition, hunting style, and vegetation play a huge part in differentiating one hunt from another. Those looking at an extreme hunt with a chance at a 9' plus bear will most likely look to the Alaska Peninsula. This rough spit of land is known for making its own weather and growing giant bears, if you can endure the elements long enough to find one. This management unit offers an open registration permit system for all brown bear permits. The spring and fall seasons alternate each year, meaning even years have a spring season (May) and odd years have a fall season (October). Hunters may only harvest one brown bear every four regulatory years in this unit. Guided hunts range from $24,000 to $38,000, with most reputable outfitters being booked two to four years in advance.
The volcanic playground and first island in the Aleutian chain at the end of the Peninsula is Unimake Island. All bear permits here (unit 10) are allocated through the draw for residents and non-residents. Eight permits each season (spring and fall) will be available. Keep in mind, you must sign a guide-client agreement with the designated outfitter before applying for these special permits and will be competing against quite a few resident applicants. Even those lucky enough to draw a permit will still find themselves looking at a $35,000+ invoice for their own guided hunt, mostly due to the remote location and extreme logistics needed to hunt this famous isle.
Outside of Kodiak Island or the Peninsula, brown bears can be hunted in the southern portion of the state. Many times, these hunts can potentially be combined with moose, Dall sheep, or caribou on a trophy fee basis.
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*Guide Required* Keep in mind that Alaska does not distinguish hunts between subspecies of brown/grizzly bears. The bag limit set statewide is for “brown/grizzly bear” and utilizes the same locking-tag required for non-residents to purchase before the hunt. This means that you are subject to the same bag limit per regulatory year and could not harvest two brown/grizzly bears in the same regulatory year (July 1-June 30) if the bag limit is one bear. Some units allow for up to two bears being taken each regulatory year. It is up to the hunter to keep track if they have met the current bag limit. Some brown bear areas only allow one bear to be taken every four regulatory years. Alaska’s harvest and permit system will not keep track of this bag limit for you, so make sure you have your own records clean and organized!
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Backcountry Black Bear Pack List - Spring (April thru June) (GearFool)
Almost all units in Alaska continue to offer non-resident seasons for black bear with year-round seasons. Bag limits range from one to up to five bears per regulatory year. Keep in mind that a regulatory year is July 1-June 30. You may not take a bear in the fall and expect to be able to hunt the following spring as well if that unit has a bag limit of one bear. Remember, a guide is not required to hunt black bear anywhere in Alaska.
The three units that require unguided non-residents to apply and draw a permit in order to hunt are in the southeast of the state. These hunts continue to be draw only to limit the non-resident hunting pressure on the area and preserve the opportunity for the local outfitters, most of which are boat based. See the following table for more hunt information for the islands of units 2 and 3. Keep in mind that you cannot draw the exact same permit (hunt code) two years in a row, even if you do not use the permit the first year.
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Alaska’s application deadline is 5 p.m. (AKST) on December 15, 2023.
Our online/print magazine has everything in one location: Application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning and much more. If you would like access to all of our research join today!
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| UP-FRONT FEES | |
| Annual Hunting License | $160 |
| Application Fee (each choice) | $5 |
| LOCKING-TAG FEES (Purchase Before Hunt) | |
| Brown/Grizzly Bear Tag (Guide Required) | $1,000 |
| Black Bear Tag | $450 |
Alaska Bear Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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