Brown Bear suggestions (ammo, techniques, etc...)

[Matt in AK]

I've been invited on a short-notice blacktail deer hunt in PWS on an island where we can also hunt brown bear.  I shoot a 338 Win Mag with Core-Lokt bullets but wasn't real impressed with how my bullet stayed together on a moose this year.  Any other suggestions for factory ammo?  Any guesses on where the bears will be found in mid-Nov?  Above treeline, on beaches, nibbling my toes....?

[myronman3]

just go out and start singing to 'em.    worked for treadwell; kinda.  

[DzrtRat]

I've heard those bears have learned to associate gun shots with a deer they can steal.....

...always seemed like an odd way to call up a grizzly, but it might work!

~Rat

[Yukon Jack]

Matt,
My guess is you are looking at hunting Hinchinbrook, maybe not.  At any rate, in November, look for them low around the streams for the big boars.  Be careful, Hinchinbrook is brushy as can be and you'll get really close before even knowing they are there.  That is where Mike got mauled last year by the sow (a little high but still in the trees) near the Double Bay Cabin.  That big bruiser that was making its fame on the internet was killed on Hinchinbrook also.  There may be a few straggling pinks in the lower pools of the streams, that would be a good place to check first.  November in the sound can have warm weather or blustery winter weather, so the deer could be down on the beach or high in the meadows.  If you find a stream with a few salmon still in it, that would be the place to check out for bears.

[Yukon Jack]

As far as the ammo, when I'm hunting around the big bears with my 338, I use either 230 grain FailSafe's or 250 grain Nosler Partitions.  Whichever shoots the best from your gun.  Winchester factory loads the FailSafe's and Federal has the 250 NP's in their Premium line, if you don't have time to work up a handload.  I would not use the Corelokts on the bears.  Just my .02

[Lawdog]

Matt,

For deer size critters I use 210 gr. Partitions and for the big bears I'd go with 250 gr. Partitions.  Both are available from Federal in their Premium cartridge line.  Partitions have a long history of doing what they were designed to do and not failing.  I have been using them for over 40 years and no failures yet.  Lawdog

[Matt in AK]

Thanks Yukon Jack and Lawdog.  Sounds like 250 gr Nosler Partitions get the nod.  I'm going with the bear load only and won't carry any lighter loads for deer.  Even when I'm hunting the deer...the bear might be hunting me.  We're actually going to Montague and I'm pretty darned excited.  I've halibut fished within sight of the Island before and it all sort of reminded me of something out of Jurassic Park.

Off to New Jersey tonight to participate in a bare base ops exercise for a couple weeks.  Good news is I get to go in first so I'll have a couple nights under the stars before the tents show up.

[Daveinthebush]

The deer hunting depends on the snow conditions. There may not be any out there yet, snow that is.  Usually the deer are high in the medows, 2'000 feet plus.  As the snow reduces the food resources they move all the way to the beach in heavy snow years.

Bears are where you find them, streams and grass medows may be best.

[akpls]

I'd give the Failsafes another look.  In a very unscientific test I did last year they came out on top.  I shot the .338 WM Failsafes (230gr.), Swift A-Frames (225 gr.), Barnes X (225 gr.) and Noslers (225 gr.) into a box of phone books at a 100 yards and then recovered the bullets.  Not only did the Failsafes penetrate farther, they also retained almost 99% of their weight.  The A-Frames held together quite well retaining 95%, but didn't penetrate as far.  The Noslers finished last.  Most of them were usually under 90% in retained weight.  Like I said, very unscientific and phone books definitely aren't flesh and bone, but I was a bit surprised at how poorly the Noslers performed.  Perhaps the Nosler 250's may have performed better, but I had none on hand.

[Yukon Jack]

Hey Matt,
Isn't Montague still a registration hunt?  If I remember correctly, last year that hunt was closed after the first or second day because the limit was filled.  Keep a check with ADF&G about the closure on Montague.  The Cordova office would be an excellent contact.

Lord knows you don't want to take a bear after the area has been closed.

[Daveinthebush]

Yukon,  Yes we need to check the special regs and the emergency orders.
We are responsibe for them even though we might be in the field and have no access to a phone or computer.  Hunts are often closed down and you might not even know it.

Kind of a screwed up way to do things but it is Alaska!

[Yukon Jack]

Dave,
It does sound like a great hunt.  I love hunting on Montague.  I just remembered that it seemed there was only 4 or 5 bears available for harvest on Montague and how quickly those were taken last year.  Just making sure Matt had the info for his bear hunt.  Don't want to run into any legal trouble out there.

Are you guys heading for Zaikoff or Rocky Bay, or further down?

[Daveinthebush]

I was checked back in 2001 about 56 miles east of Kaltag by 2 F&G Federal officers.  I had 2 caribou on my dogsled, legally taken, within season.......should have been nothing wrong except I forgot to take my old license out of my hunting pack and replace it with the new one.  They had me scared for a bit because, yes it was a violation.  They eventually let me go with a "we'll check the computer and get back to you if your lying."  After several evidence pictures they took off and I never heard back from them again.

Seems like history!  Well I don't know.........since I moved to Valdez I have had my boat 2 years.  In that time I have been checked nine (9) times by the state police.  Seems excessive to me.  Is it becasue I was checked once or what I don't know.  The guy I teach with has only been checked once in three years and I was parked along side of him the day he was checked.

Maybe paranoid....... :roll:

[talon]

Daveinthebush, Don't believe you are paranoid. Perhaps game enforcement activities increase as the numbers of licenses increase and the availability of game decreases. Here in Minnesota we are having the same "possibility" of being checked as you, and possibly others in other States are seeing the same pattern. I've been stopped by the same warden 3 times in one day!  One thing for sure is that I make double sure I dot all the 'i's" and cross the 't's" before I go to the field/water... and take NO gambles in the process of taking game. Paranoia is an unreasonable concern. I look at the situation as not taking a chance of not having enough concern (looks like a hair split, doesn't it?).

[Matt in AK]

Yep.  Montague is registration for brownies and I'll be checking prior to departure and while there.  Deer are a bit simpler....reg wise.  I decided to go with the Federal Premium ammo; 225 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claws.

[TOMMYY01]

A couple of months ago, I was trying to decide on  45-70 OR 30-06. Well, I don't know if I will ever get a chance to go bear hunting, but if I go I want a show stopper. I decided on the 45-70. It's a step lower than a howitzer, and that is good enough for me. If I decide to hand load I know I can.Although, I don't know if my shoulder will take it, I can handle at least 3 shots. :grin: Just my .02 worth.                                     Tommy