Interior Grizzly Hunts
What To Expect:
These 10-day Alaska hunt-and-stalk interior or “common” grizzly hunts take place in the interior of Alaska. This hunt is either held during the springtime, when bears are coming out of their dens from hibernation and beginning to breed, or in the fall on the blueberry patches while going through the process of hyperphagia (which is when bears must eat large amounts of food before going into hibernation). The average bear harvested is between 6’ and 7’6”. This area has a lot of color-phase bears; we have seen and harvested grizzlies that were brown, reddish-brown, black, blonde, white, and Toklat.
Clients will fly into Anchorage from their home airport, where they will be picked up by an A-Team representative or take a taxi service to their hotel or Airbnb, where they will spend the night. The following morning, they will fly out of either Anchorage or Willow and begin the hunt. Since clients cannot hunt the day they fly, they will spend the first day setting up camp, glassing for bears, and making a game plan for the next day.
We typically hunt from or near our base camp; this makes it easier for less-mobile clients and helps keep us from spreading scent up and down the valley. (We have killed many bears within 1,000 yards of the tent.) If conditions allow, and the client is of proper physical and mental strength, we may wish to backpack around and explore the tens of miles of mountain drainages that make up the hunting area.
If Hunt Is A Spring Hunt Expect:
Our spring hunt takes place in late June. You will fly into the field on June 20th, and on the first day of the trip, because of Alaska's "same day airborne law," you will not be able to hunt this day. However, we will be setting up camp, and we will start glassing and looking for animal activity, that way you can get familiar with the area.
The next day, we start hunting early in the morning. The sun really doesn't set during June, so we will start hunting around 5 a.m. on the 21st and hunt until around noon. After this first sit, we typically eat a late breakfast and take a nap until evening when the first productive glassing session will start, as we typically hunt during the cooler evening hours and sleep during the daytime.
On this hunt, we try to be as patient as possible, as previously stated, we do not hike around very much to avoid spreading scent around. The days are rather long, and this hunt can be very boring at times, but you need to be aware of your surroundings, as these bears just seem to appear out of nowhere.
Expect temperatures ranging from cool nights that could drop into the high 30s, and daytime temps that can get into the high 70s. Rain is very common, and it is not unusual to see snow and hailstorms this time of the year as well.
If Hunt Is A Fall Hunt Expect:
In the fall, we have much shorter days, and we need to take advantage of our hunting light. In September, we are hunting bears high in the alpine above treeline, where bears typically spend many hours a day feeding in the berry patches.
Weather is a lot colder on this hunt, and a client should expect lots of rain and fog, with temps in the 30s to mid-50s. This hunt is a spot-and-stalk hunt, and we spend most of our day on a glassing knob, scanning the nearby hillsides for feeding grizzlies.
This hunt is also great if you want to combo it with black bear or wolf, as they inhabit much of the same country this time of year.
Also Note, On all of our bear hunts, we try to make sure the first shot is under 200 yards to allow for maximum accuracy and to put as much of your rounds' foot-pounds of energy into the bear as possible. I will post some photos on this page that illustrate proper bear shot placement. You should also be well aware of what your weapon does at 300, 400, and 500 yards as well. This has to do with the fact that once the bear is struck with the first round and adrenaline takes over, you need to keep putting bullets in the bear as it runs and until it stops moving. Your guide will also assist with backup shots in this scenario.
