Hunting

About my hunts…
I conduct all my brown bear hunts game management areas unit 16B, just 80 air miles west of Anchorage. This is one of the most productive areas for brown bear in Alaska. Our season opens August 10th and runs through May 25th. This area located on the eastern slopes of the Alaskan Range is covered with berry fields and hundreds of miles of rivers and feeder streams that are spawning grounds for millions of spawning salmon which are the two most favorite sources of bears.

In my area the brown bear population is not only steady but growing, and our hunting season is one of the longest in the state.

Any bear living north of the 52 degree range is considered a grizzly by Boone and Crocket. We are located 51.5 degrees north. Mature bears in our area resemble large grizzly…7.5-9 foot bears. Scientifically, there is no difference between a brown bear and a grizzly. One lives along the coast, one inland.

How we hunt…
Brown bear hunts are ten days in length. I live in the Alaskan Range and have a fishing lodge in my hunting area. Many of my hunts base from our lodge, however, most of our actual hunting is done from spike camps. We reach these spike camps by plane or boat.

Talaheim Lodge…

The five log buildings at Talaheim Lodge offer plenty of comfort and room with home-powered electricity, shower, and radio phone. Normally we hunt from our spike camps and return to the lodge for a few days during your hunt to freshen up, relax, and regroup for the next hunt.

And for the fishermen out there, the fishing just outside our front door can’t be beat. Rainbow trout, grayling, and salmon can be caught right from your hunting camp. Since most of our fall hunting is done from salmon streams, there is plenty of time for fishing.

Our camps…
Although my lodge is permanent, the spike camps are not. We can tear down one of these camps in less than 30 minutes. I use Eureka nylon wall tents with cots, propane stoves and in severe weather… oil heaters. Our portable camps allow us to hunt where the bears are, not where the the permanent camps are set up. We have lots of camps, several canoes, rubber rafts, river boats, and an airplane. We definitely got the equipment to get you there… the rest is up to us and nature.

Weather…
Expect fall weather in Alaska to be rainy 50% of the time. Alaska’s falls are not known for beautiful weather, however, August and September seems to be better than late September. Expect early morning frosts, days into he mid 50′s.

To Book a Hunt…
We require a one-half deposit to hold a hunt. If you cancel I return the deposit only if I book the date in question. With a long notice there is no problem rebooking such a trip. I charge a $200 fee to rebook a hunt. you may use your deposit for a hunt the following season, however, full payment is owed to reschedule a hunt.

All final payments are due when arrive in hunting camp. You must cover hunting license and tag fees, hotel fees in Anchorage, plus round trip airfare from Anchorage to our hunting camp.

About your guide…
I have been hunting, fishing, and living in this area for over three decades and I carry a commercial pilot’s license and logged over 15,000 hours in fixed wing and helicopter. I’ve earned a aircraft mechanic’s and inspection license.

Our equipment is well maintained, and all my guides are highly experienced…we think safety first.

So, if you want more out of your bear hunt than just a rug, give me a call. Although it is impossible to guarantee every client a bear, we have a better than 80% success rate over the past several years. If you come with the right attitude that you will hunt hard, you can expect even a greater chance that you’ll get your bear.

10 Day Hunts – call or email for quote…

Write or call… Mark Miller
P.O. Box 190043
Anchorage, Alaska 99519
Tel/fax: (907) 440-0614
Talaheim@gci.net