Spring Brown Bear Hunt
The Spring Brown Bear Hunts are conducted in Icy Bay which is near Yakutat in Southeast Alaska. The Brown Bear normally begin coming out of hibernation in mid April. The big mature males are the first to leave their dens. Brown bear do a lot of traveling in the spring, foraging for food and searching for receptive breeding partners. Spring snow conditions sometimes make access difficult, but the bears are easy to see and track. Temperatures range from pleasant to freezing and wind and rain storms are not unusual in this far North Rain Forest. Your chances of success are excellent but unlike fall bear hides, spring hides can be "rubbed" and it’s necessary to look a bear over thoroughly before taking the shot. A non rubbed spring bear hide in prime condition is a fantastic trophy that is worthy of a full body mount. We are authorized to operate on nearly 175,000 acres of private land in Icy Bay, Alaska that is owned by the Chugach Alaska Corporation and the Alaska Mental Health Land Trust Authority.
Spring Black Bear Hunts
“The Lost Coast” of Alaska is famous for its huge Coastal Black Bear. It is not unusual for a big boar to measure between 7 and 8 foot square. The hunts are conducted from late April through June, with May being the prime time for the best hides. The hunting is done on the beaches and trails where the Black Bear begin to feed on grass after the long winter hibernation. Hunting is also done from stands where the Black Bear are patterned and the bigger boars can be selectively harvested. During the 5 day hunt clients normally see between 20 and 40 Black Bear. Most hunters fill out in the first two days. To date these Spring Black Bear hunts have been 100% successful in Icy Bay. Join us for an outstanding trophy Big Game Hunt that is full of excitement and Adventure on Alaska’s primeval coast. This great hunt is still relatively easy on one’s budget. Or splurge on a customized group hunt by deluxe Yacht along Alaska’s Southeast Coast.
Fall Brown Bear and Black Bear Hunts
Our fall Brown Bear Hunts begin on September 1 and continue through November. These hunts normally take place around the fishing holes on the Salmon streams. The Brown Bear congregate on the Salmon streams to gorge themselves on as much protein as possible to get prepared for the long winter hibernation. The hunts are conducted on private land in Alaska Game Units 5 and 6. The Brown Bear taken in Unit 6 do not count in the 1 Brown Bear every 4 years regulation. We are hunting over 70 miles of coast line where other outfitters and even residents are not permitted. Tree and shrub foliage is thick at lower elevations making bears difficult to spot. Blinds are normally set up on the Salmon holes and long hours are spent waiting for a big boar to feed. It requires a lot of patience to wait and self control to keep the human scent to a minimum. Temperatures are chilly at night but the Brown Bear hides are in prime condition. Fall Brown Bear hides usually have thick hair with minimal rub marks. On the fall Brown Bear hunts you have the advantage of being able to add a Moose, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Wolf, or Wolverine to the hunt on a trophy fee basis. You only pay for the additional animal if it is wounded or harvested. Brown Bear are available in the 9 foot plus range.
Fall Moose Hunt
We offer outstanding fall Moose hunting on both sides of Icy Bay, Alaska where the bull to cow ratio is excellent. The land we hunt is privately owned by the Chugach Alaska Corporation and the Alaska Mental Health Land Trust Authority which covers over 150,000 acres and 70 miles of Coast Line. The Wrangell Saint Elias National Park bounds the property in the back. The Moose season opens September 1 and continues through November. The genetics is exceptional in this part of Alaska. Several seasons ago a 73 ½ inch bull was taken on our property. This season another Moose was taken in the area that measured 72 inches. We encourage the harvest of trophy bulls but do allow hunters to harvest management bulls in Game Unit 5, on the east side of Icy Bay, where there is no restriction on antler size. The Bull Moose are closely managed in Game Unit 6, on the west side of Icy Bay, where we are allowing only trophy bulls to be taken that are 60 inches or greater. Moose calling can be very effective in late September and October. Moose hunting can require a lot of effort and physical stamina. Like elk hunting, it is often most productive in the early morning and late evening hours and of course during the rut from mid September through October. Brown Bear, Black Bear, Mountain Goats, Wolves, and Wolverine may be added to the hunt on a trophy fee basis.
Mountain Goat Hunting
The average Mountain Goat horn length is over 9 inches in Icy Bay with tags available over the counter. Our area is private and has been lightly hunted during the last 6 or 7 years so exceptional trophies are available. This past season our last 2 hunters both took Mountain Goats that made the Boone and Crockett Record Book. The season opens August 1 but we normally start our Goat hunts the first week of October and hunt through November. At that time the snow in the high mountains is bringing the Goats down and the hides have a wonderful thick hair that is 8 inches long. All Goat hunts are back pack style and the hunter needs to come in both good physical and emotional condition. The distance to the Goats is not far but the terrain can be brushy and the weather wet and difficult. Sheep and Goat hunting almost always involves a lot of hiking and climbing over varied terrain. In some of our areas we day hunt out of a base camp that we return to each evening. In other areas we back pack our gear to the top of the mountain and make a spike camp. Mountain Goat Hunting is under rated and is a wonderful hunting adventure offered at a reasonable price. As in all of our fall hunts, Brown Bear, Moose, Black Bear, Wolves, and Wolverine are available to be added to the hunt on a trophy fee basis.
Dall Sheep Hunting
Alaska Sheep Hunting is conducted in beautiful country in the Alaska Mountain Range in Game Units 16 and 19. The hunt areas are located near Rainy Pass Lodge where Vern spent over 25 years as a professional guide. During this time he literally flew thousands of hours over these areas watching the Dall Sheep as they fed on alpine grasses and as they came down out of the mountains to work the mineral licks near the rivers. There is a decent population of Sheep here with the genetics that has produced some 42 inch plus Rams. You should expect to do some work as Sheep hunting can require some strenuous walking and climbing in the mountains. We try to take our clients into isolated areas that are not hunted much and have some good rams. These little pockets of Dall Sheep require some hiking to reach but you’ll thrill to the high alpine country.
Caribou Hunting
Caribou are the nomads of the North. A mature Caribou Bull is an exceptional trophy with its wide heavy horns and pure white mane. They are beautiful and normally these large bulls are quite difficult to come by. In the early years they were not really sought after but that is beginning to change and Caribou are now gaining the status that they deserve. During the last half dozen years the Caribou herds in Alaska have experienced a decline. We offer Caribou on our August Dall Sheep Hunts and our Grizzly Bear hunts on a trophy fee basis. However, they are not plentiful enough in these areas to really offer a good chance at a decent trophy. We are currently searching for a good Caribou hunting area and will keep you informed of our efforts.
Wolf Hunting and Winter Trapping Vacations
The country around Icy Bay has seen an increase in the Wolf population during the last several years. There are now three separate packs operating in Game Unit 5. This past season we had several hunters who had the opportunity to shoot nice Wolves during the hunt. One magnificent silver grey Alpha Male Wolf was harvested. In an attempt to control the Wolf population, we are now offering a 1 week Wolf Hunting and Winter Trapping experience. A professional Guide/Trapper will accompany our clients on a typical week of running the trap lines and sitting on stands to hunt Wolves. Transportation will be by four wheelers, snow machines, and the traditional snow shoes.
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In contrast to Africa and the popular videos that show thousands of Caribou migrating in the Arctic, the majority of Alaska does not have vast herds of Big Game. Alaska’s Big Game populations are famous, but our animals are scattered and only occasionally gather to feed in times of abundance or during the annual rut. You should expect to hunt hard and often long days must be spent to find trophy animals. Professional Alaska Guides consider a harvest of 1 trophy animal per week to be normal. If you want a really nice Brown Bear, Mountain Goat, Moose, Black Bear, or Wolf a single species hunt is recommended. Whether you hunt a single species or book a combination hunt, you will be hunting in magnificent game rich areas where the natural beauty is beyond belief.
Alaska Hunting Specialists operates a limited Liability company that has been formed by three Professional Hunters that have nearly 100 years of combined professional hunting experience. Vern Humble has been hunting and guiding through out Alaska for nearly 50 years. He has outfitted safaris from Southeast Alaska for Mountain Goat, to the Alaska Peninsula for big Brown Bear, to the Arctic for Walrus. His experience includes taking hundreds of animals through out the world including the High Altai Argali in Mongolia, hunting the jungle swamps of Central Africa and taking several big tusker Elephants, collecting exotic animals in Kazakhstan and Russia, and tooking numerous animals including Cape Buffalo and a dark maned Lion on a month long safari in Tanzania. He is a licensed Master Guide, Pilot, and sea going Boat Captain. He holds permits to Guide on the Chugach National Forest in Prince William Sound and on Alaska Mental Health Land Trust property. Neil Webster started his professional hunting career working for Graham Mower at Chelatna Lake Lodge when he was 18. He has outfitted through out Alaska for all of Alaska’s Big Game Animals. He has served for a number of years on the board of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association and was the chapter President for several years. He is a licensed Guide and experienced pilot. He has been issued permits to Guide on the Tongass National Forest and Chugach Alaska Corporation property. Garrett Cox has a degree in wildlife biology and has a number of years of experience guiding and managing ranches in Kansas, Utah, and Idaho where he worked to upgrade the habitat and to improve the health and genetics of the deer and elk herds. He has been involved in professional hunting in Alaska for over 10 years. His specialty is guiding for big Record Book Brown Bear and Black Bear. He is a licensed Alaska Guide and a certified pilot.
The three professional hunters operating Alaska Hunting Specialists are offering guided and outfitted hunts through out Alaska for all of Alaska’s Big Game Animals. They are continually seeking areas that have outstanding trophy quality animals. With their knowledge and depth of experience they are consistently taking big quality trophies of each of the species they hunt. They are dedicated to providing quality service that their clients deserve and should expect. Join us for an outstanding Alaska Adventure.