Wanted Brown Bear Hunt

[Sarg]

Wow thanks for posting those beauty's bud !

I packed my 8.5ft Brown, 6.2Ft Black & camp out a long way & was very done in, this was not long after having my shoulder dislocated for 2 days (two half days) never was right again after this pack out lol !

 

[Scott CWO]

Wonder how much one of those “green” bear hides weigh and how far do you have to pack it out?

This subject is open to much speculation because very few brown bears and hides have been actually weighed. I hear all kinds of exaggerations. When Joe Want was operating on Kodiak, he had the largest skull average of all Alaska guides. He also actually packed a scale with him several times and weighed hides and quarters of some of the largest bears taken by his hunters. He said that most 10’ bears weighed 800-1000 pounds with a rare exception being larger. He said the hides weighed almost exactly 10% of live bear weight. So 80-100 pounds covers most of them when skinned close (not much body fat or pad fat) and with head and foot bones removed. A bear killed in swampy areas or during the rain will be heavier and the quality of the hide makes a difference as well. People talk about 150-200 pound hides but I’ve never carried one that heavy that was properly skinned.

As far as how far the bear is killed from camp, that depends on the day of the hunt when killed and the physical fitness and aggressiveness of the guide and hunter. Early on a hunt, it is a mistake to glass too far from camp and stink up the country. Later in the hunt if I’m not seeing new bears from my glassing points near camp, I get aggressive and range out much farther. For example, the pictured 10’3” bear was killed on day 13 on the far side of a different giant valley to the west of the giant valley we were camped in. We killed the bear at 6pm after spotting him earlier from the top of the mountain ridge separating the two valleys. We didn’t get back to camp until 4:30am and exhausted and that’s after burying the skull and hide under sticks and rocks on a river gravel bar at the bottom of the valley where the bear was killed. The GPS distance from the kill spot to the gravel bar was 1.8 miles as the crow flies. Probably 2.25 miles hiking around obstacles and through swamps. It’s not a sidewalk out there! The hide was picked up later by a Supercub pilot that landed on the gravel bar I had cleared of big rocks and driftwood.

 

[CoElkHunter]

This subject is open to much speculation because very few brown bears and hides have been actually weighed. I hear all kinds of exaggerations. When Joe Want was operating on Kodiak, he had the largest skull average of all Alaska guides. He also actually packed a scale with him several times and weighed hides and quarters of some of the largest bears taken by his hunters. He said that most 10’ bears weighed 800-1000 pounds with a rare exception being larger. He said the hides weighed almost exactly 10% of live bear weight. So 80-100 pounds covers most of them when skinned close (not much body fat or pad fat) and with head and foot bones removed. A bear killed in swampy areas or during the rain will be heavier and the quality of the hide makes a difference as well. People talk about 150-200 pound hides but I’ve never carried one that heavy that was properly skinned.

As far as how far the bear is killed from camp, that depends on the day of the hunt when killed and the physical fitness and aggressiveness of the guide and hunter. Early on a hunt, it is a mistake to glass too far from camp and stink up the country. Later in the hunt if I’m not seeing new bears from my glassing points near camp, I get aggressive and range out much farther. For example, the pictured 10’3” bear was killed on day 13 on the far side of a different giant valley to the west of the giant valley we were camped in. We killed the bear at 6pm after spotting him earlier from the top of the mountain ridge separating the two valleys. We didn’t get back to camp until 4:30am and exhausted and that’s after burying the skull and hide under sticks and rocks on a river gravel bar at the bottom of the valley where the bear was killed. The GPS distance from the kill spot to the gravel bar was 1.8 miles as the crow flies. Probably 2.25 miles hiking around obstacles and through swamps. It’s not a sidewalk out there! The hide was picked up later by a Supercub pilot that landed on the gravel bar I had cleared of big rocks and driftwood.

Wow, that is much more than an elk hind quarter packing out. Thanks for the insight on the weight!

 

[Scott CWO]

Wow, that is much more than an elk hind quarter packing out. Thanks for the insight on the weight!

Of course actual 10’ bears aren’t behind every bush.

The largest elk rear quarter I ever weighed was 90 pounds and was the biggest bodied bull I can remember. Thankfully I had horses for that one.

 

[Scott CWO]

Thank you. Those are great bears, congrats! I ended up booking with Cash Joyce of Vast Alaska.

Congrats and good luck! His area is good and just up the coast from where I guide. I’ve flown over it in the back seat of a Supercub in and out of Chignik. If Sterling guides you, tell him Scott says hello.

 

[WAB]

This subject is open to much speculation because very few brown bears and hides have been actually weighed. I hear all kinds of exaggerations. When Joe Want was operating on Kodiak, he had the largest skull average of all Alaska guides. He also actually packed a scale with him several times and weighed hides and quarters of some of the largest bears taken by his hunters. He said that most 10’ bears weighed 800-1000 pounds with a rare exception being larger. He said the hides weighed almost exactly 10% of live bear weight. So 80-100 pounds covers most of them when skinned close (not much body fat or pad fat) and with head and foot bones removed. A bear killed in swampy areas or during the rain will be heavier and the quality of the hide makes a difference as well. People talk about 150-200 pound hides but I’ve never carried one that heavy that was properly skinned.

As far as how far the bear is killed from camp, that depends on the day of the hunt when killed and the physical fitness and aggressiveness of the guide and hunter. Early on a hunt, it is a mistake to glass too far from camp and stink up the country. Later in the hunt if I’m not seeing new bears from my glassing points near camp, I get aggressive and range out much farther. For example, the pictured 10’3” bear was killed on day 13 on the far side of a different giant valley to the west of the giant valley we were camped in. We killed the bear at 6pm after spotting him earlier from the top of the mountain ridge separating the two valleys. We didn’t get back to camp until 4:30am and exhausted and that’s after burying the skull and hide under sticks and rocks on a river gravel bar at the bottom of the valley where the bear was killed. The GPS distance from the kill spot to the gravel bar was 1.8 miles as the crow flies. Probably 2.25 miles hiking around obstacles and through swamps. It’s not a sidewalk out there! The hide was picked up later by a Supercub pilot that landed on the gravel bar I had cleared of big rocks and driftwood.

Agreed, I’ve done a lot of packing. I would have guessed 100 pounds for hide, skull and pack. My worst pack was 8 miles back to the plane with a big ram in the Brooks range. Naturally the plane was on a ridge on a different mountain.

 

[Sarg]

I remember when I was up there a chap parked his plane after one trip carting out Moose meat to get next load & on returning his Super Cub was pulled to bits by Bear looking about for scraps !

I packed out a few Moose (worst job ever & I pack out Water Buff heads) & Caribou, made worse by where they live, I found it nice packing out Rams & Goats, once on the flat (plus some shot meat is not carried), surprised by the weight of a good Rams head !

 

[Justin.]

View attachment 395586
Shot this one a few years ago in Alaska and had a blast. 10’ 3”

That is the bear of dreams! Congratulations!! Full body mount required LOL!