HUNTBlackBear

Hunt the Black Bears of the Kuskokwim Mountains, A Moose will Thank you

By Nathan Woleslagle

The Black Bear, an iconic American big game species, is one that inspires awe when seen up close. In the Kuskokwim Mountains of Alaska, Black Bears are plentiful. So much so, that Alaskan Fish & Game has to continually cull them to keep populations in check. This is due in part to Black Bears preying heavily upon Yukon Moose calves. With Yukon Moose calving success rates in decline, Black Bears must be removed for these calving success rates to hopefully increase.

There is no shortage of places to hunt Black Bears within the United States and even Canada. Hunts can range from weekend outings at a bait site with a guide to week long backcountry hunts. I have personally hunted Black Bears across the United States, and I can say with absolute confidence I have never been on a more thrilling hunt than with Alaskan Adventures in the Kuskokwim Mountains of Alaska. Is it the cheapest Black Bear hunt you will find available? No, the flights into the remote bush alone are expensive for this hunt. Will you see a lot of Black Bears with a high chance of a successful spot and stalk harvest? Absolutely. Will you see Grizzly Bears, Yukon Moose, Wolves, and other iconic Alaskan wildlife? Yes, most likely so. The chance to see a pack of wolves, a Grizzly, or giant Bull Moose alone makes the expensive flights well worth it. I remember glassing up a giant Bull Moose through my binoculars and staring at its massive antlers for hours as it navigated through the thick aspens. That memory is burnt into my brain and one I think of often. What an experience!

As well as a high chance of a successful harvest via spot and stalk hunting, the Kuskokwim Mountains of Alaska are a sight to behold. The mountains are stunning. They are not a tall mountain range with rough terrain such as the Rockies, they are very much a classic interior Alaska mountain range. The ground is barren atop the mountains in a tundra like state. Blueberries and moss berries grow in immense abundance. So much so, that you can pick a handful of blueberries with no effort. The Black Bears feast on the berries all day long, and their scat resembles blueberry pie filling when you come across it. Trails can be found on the ridge tops of the Kuskokwim Mountains engraved into the rock of the ridges. These trails have been used for centuries by migrating Caribou herds now extirpated from most of the region, and now the plentiful Black and Grizzly Bears who traverse the ridges in a blueberry eating craze. If you need any more inspiration or motivation to do this hunt, think back to the Yukon Moose. Each spring, Cow Moose desperately attempt to raise their calves to adulthood amid a landscape that is overpopulated with Black Bears. You are truly doing the Yukon Moose of the Kuskokwim Mountains a service in removing a Black Bear from the landscape. You are giving Moose calves a fighting chance at survival with the odds of bumping into bears decreased. Come up to Alaskan Adventures with a Black Bear tag and prepare for adventure.

You will undoubtedly see Black Bears, have high odds of harvest, and you are acting as a true conservationist for the Yukon Moose. We hope to see you here! We’ll have a warm lodge, excellent meals, and memories to last a lifetime waiting here for you.