Brown Bear opportunity! (Maybe...)

Our part of Alaska hasn't had non-drawing brown bear hunting for many years. The issue isn't a lack of bears, it's that since they haven't had an accurate count & the federal land managers (90% of the land) manage on the conservative side. They had estimated that there were a total of approx 300 bears for many years (hard to count because of brush density & nocturnal habits in summer & denning in winter). Well hair samples using DNA a couple of years ago have now boosted conservative population estimates to 1000 bears supposedly (I dont doubt it a bit). Last year almost 40 brown bears were killed by vehicles or in defence of life & property.
SO, this October we will get a registration hunt. Residents can get over the counter tags & register at the fish & game office. When a specific # of animals have been taken, the hunt ends. The down side is that all bears killed by cars or in defence of life & property count against the total # that can be taken, so theoretically that could cancel the season before it begins. The last registration hunt in the area years ago lasted a total of 2 days.
Long story short (Too late) I MAY get a chance at a brownie with the 480 SRH this year! (Although if there are only a few animals to be taken I may opt for the Marlin Guide Gun in 450 to increase my chances of a shot opportunity.)

I wish you well in the upcoming drawing and your concentration on that front sight.

Good luck!

good luck too ya Vance

I hope it happens for you.......

just take someone that runs slower than you and it will all work out.

Good luck Vance, hope you get your chance, you have earned it: (going by your older post of the baiting ordeal you went through.)

That is awesome, Vance!! I wish you luck!

"Good luck we're waiting for the story.

Vance I hope it happens for ya with the 480 SRH. Good luck and good hunting!

What an opportunity! Good luck in the draw.

Amen! Good luck Vance!

Thanks guys.

Again, it's not a drawing hunt (Uesd to be), it's a "registration" hunt. Have to go into F&G & register along with buying an over the counter tag. When the quota of bears is filled thay notify all registered hunters, announce on radio, etc. If you are in the field you are suppossed to check in every 48 hrs (or something like that) to make sure it's still open.
The problem is all brown bears taken in permit hunts earlier in the year, or killed by cars or in defense of life & property count against the so far unannounced quota, so the hunt may not happen.
I usually end up hunting solo but if we actually get to have the hunt I think I might partner up with a rifle hunter with the understanding that if we can I'll get in handgun range, & if not he can take the shot.
Our moose population is getting down to nothing (significantly less than 10% 1 year calf survival, & almost 400 moose hit by cars in the area last year makes for a rapidly declining population)so I want to see the bears around here get a sound whacking for a few years!
Our new antler restrictions(4 brow tines on one side or at least 50" spread) are such that only 35 legal moose were taken in our area (Thousands of square miles) last year.

good luck, i hope ya get a crack at them.

Hope it works out for you and good luck if it does. Shoot him a couple of times for you, and at least one time for all the rest of us that will never get the chance. Rifle, pistol, bow or muzzle loader,plug him once for me!!!!!!!!

Vance, hope the hunt happens for you, sounds like a great opportunity. What bullets will you be using in your 480 SRH.

Dick

Thanks guys.
Dick, I currently have the Lee 400gr mold & have been casting WW lead & dropping directly into a bucket of water. Any thoughts? You have a TON more experience tha I do.

Praying for supernatural favor in your Brown Bear endeavor!

Vance, I was going to donate some bullets to a good cause.....whacking a brown bear but since you already have a good, heavy bullet you should be good to go. Your water quenched bullets will work great. I drop them onto a rag that I"ve poked down into the water, it has a hole in the center, the bullets drop onto the rag, roll to the center & drop to the bottom without deforming. I size them right after I dry them off, they will age harden for several days afterwords.
I really hope you can make it happen!!

Dick

Good luck!!!!! That would be awesome! reflex264

Good luck on the hunt. That is the way it is for Black Bears, here in Oklahoma. There is a quota, when they are checked in , the hunt is over. Last year about 300 people bought tags and the hunt was over the first day. You have to buy the tags before the hunt. Least to say there were some very upset folks around the woods the second day. This year they are bumping the quota up to double what they took last year due to all of the problems the Wildlife Dept is having with bears getting into trouble.
Hope you get to go and score.

Mike