Kodiak bear DB224 Uganik Lake draw WOW!

LoggerDan

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2023
Messages
507
Location
AK
Good for you! I’m sorry, I’ve never hunted Kodiak just afognak. But I can sure wish you all the luck I can. Looking forward to how she pans out.
 

Nails

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2022
Messages
27
First...Congratulations on the tag! I hope you have a great hunt.

Are you planning a solo hunt? How much time are you hunting?

I've not hunted bears there personally but have hunted that area for deer. It is thick with brush but has plenty of bears.
Do you have a raft? It would sure help open up a lot of country for you and glassing opportunities.

Will you be tent camping or trying to book a cabin?

Exciting for sure!
 
OP
Greyinggrayling
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Messages
312
Location
Anchorage AK
It’s a party tag with my husband. We both get to hunt.
We’re looking at 10-12 days in the field.
We will be bringing an inflatable boat for sure, with a small motor.
And hopefully we get the cabin! That’s one big reason I selected this hunt.
 

Nails

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2022
Messages
27
It’s a party tag with my husband. We both get to hunt.
We’re looking at 10-12 days in the field.
We will be bringing an inflatable boat for sure, with a small motor.
And hopefully we get the cabin! That’s one big reason I selected this hunt.
Oh, that's great! I hope you both have a great hunt and get nice bears!
 

Abear8

FNG
Joined
Jul 22, 2016
Messages
13
Location
Palmer
Haven’t hunted Uganik but have hunted the fall bear hunt on the north side of the island as well as goats above Uganik river . Everyone will tell you the bears can be anywhere which is very true. If I could do my hunt again the bear glassing was slow so I would have killed as many deer as we could.
 

Sourdough

WKR
Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
499
Location
In a cabin, on a mountain, in "Wilderness" Alaska.
I have hunted and guided there, maybe ten to twelve times in last 54 years. Try quickly to tie-up the use of the cabin on the lake. if the cabin is committed to others, beg, cry, snivel, wine, do try to negotiate a co-usage. An inflatable boat will help a bunch. Going up the feed creek is fun, not super productive, but you never know. Good fishing, The only time I was ever asked by F&G for my fishing license was on that lake. Beautiful lake, if the fall weather does no super suck. Best deer, if on foot with no boat is up behind the cabin. Has been twenty years I was last there. Have fun. Kill the big one.
 
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OP
Greyinggrayling
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Messages
312
Location
Anchorage AK
I have hunted and guided there, maybe ten to twelve times in last 54 years. Try quickly to tie-up the use of the cabin on the lake. if the cabin is committed to others, beg, cry, snivel, wine, do try to negotiate a co-usage. An inflatable boat will help a bunch. Going up the feed creek is fun, not super productive, but you never know. Good fishing, The only time I was ever asked by F&G for my fishing license was on that lake. Beautiful lake, if the fall weather does no super suck. Best deer, if on foot with no boat is up behind the cabin. Has been twenty years I was last there. Have fun. Kill the big one.
Thank you for your input! Your experience is immeasurable.
Yeah, the cabin is going to be competitive, not only the other bear hunters but the deer hunters as well. The silvers should have tailed off by then, so I don’t expect much fishing pressure in late October/November.
 

eyeguy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 19, 2017
Messages
263
Location
IOWA
I hunted the north central part of the island maybe 10 years ago. Guided 1 on 1 we slept in a cabelas alaskan 8 man tent. Mine was a spring hunt. I used my 375 h and h with 270 tsx. If I had a 300 wsm instead I would load it up with 180 or 200 gr nosler partitions and feel like I had a nice setup for the big bears. I took a nice 9 ft 3 in bear with great hair and good age on him. Good Luck
 

LoggerDan

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2023
Messages
507
Location
AK
Load up with with 200-210 grainers. It’ll kill any bear on that island. I don’t know about kodiak, but on afognak shots on deer were pretty doggone close and with so much brush, I liked roundnose bullets best. Aren’t as easily deflected and I feel like they do a better job of killing most anything. With your husband’s 375 right behind you,I think you’ll be ready for anything.
 
Joined
Sep 9, 2012
Messages
2,067
Location
BC
Bowhunted Uganic Lake for Sitka Blacktails over Thanksgiving back in 1986. Lots of Kodiak bears around! Every deer gutpile was cleaned up the next morning. The bears would trail us around to find them.

I’d kicked out the snow in one spot where I was waiting in ambush for a deer. The next day I found a bear had bedded down in my cleaned out ambush spot! They sure were active that late in November!

Hope your spring hunt is as exciting! Good luck!
 
OP
Greyinggrayling
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Messages
312
Location
Anchorage AK
Bowhunted Uganic Lake for Sitka Blacktails over Thanksgiving back in 1986. Lots of Kodiak bears around! Every deer gutpile was cleaned up the next morning. The bears would trail us around to find them.

I’d kicked out the snow in one spot where I was waiting in ambush for a deer. The next day I found a bear had bedded down in my cleaned out ambush spot! They sure were active that late in November!

Hope your spring hunt is as exciting! Good luck!
Thank you. It’s a fall hunt, so this year. Planning underway. Float plane trip has been reserved today. Inflatable boat located. We have a small motor already.
Even though it’s seven months away, it’s a big hunt that was not on our radar until now. So not necessarily a scramble, but definitely need to be johnny on the spot for some things.
 

Nails

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2022
Messages
27
Sounds like your hunt is getting off to a good start! Now, let's cross fingers for excellent weather...I'll be near you in mid-November hunting deer, so I'll be crossing mine.

I shot a bear this spring, so no bear hunting for me.
 

IDplumber

FNG
Joined
Jan 29, 2023
Messages
10
I hunted deer there in early october 2021, got on the beach and hiked up that big ridge southwest of the lake and just into your unit. It was a short hunt, about 7mi round trip and saw 17 bears, most in 224 from what I can tell on the map after changing the layers on OnX. A couple big boys down on the lake, and a ton up high eating crowberries. That cabin looks super nice, we could see it from way up high. My buddy I was with guides interior grizzlies most years and was impressed by a couple of the bears. PM me if you want and I can send you some pins of where we were and where we saw bears around 10/9/2021.
 
OP
Greyinggrayling
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Messages
312
Location
Anchorage AK
I hunted deer there in early october 2021, got on the beach and hiked up that big ridge southwest of the lake and just into your unit. It was a short hunt, about 7mi round trip and saw 17 bears, most in 224 from what I can tell on the map after changing the layers on OnX. A couple big boys down on the lake, and a ton up high eating crowberries. That cabin looks super nice, we could see it from way up high. My buddy I was with guides interior grizzlies most years and was impressed by a couple of the bears. PM me if you want and I can send you some pins of where we were and where we saw bears around 10/9/2021.
I will definitely PM you. Thanks for the info!
 
Joined
Mar 10, 2023
Messages
5
I hunted deer there in early october 2021, got on the beach and hiked up that big ridge southwest of the lake and just into your unit. It was a short hunt, about 7mi round trip and saw 17 bears, most in 224 from what I can tell on the map after changing the layers on OnX. A couple big boys down on the lake, and a ton up high eating crowberries. That cabin looks super nice, we could see it from way up high. My buddy I was with guides interior grizzlies most years and was impressed by a couple of the bears. PM me if you want and I can send you some pins of where we were and where we saw bears around 10/9/2021.
What's the vegetation like there in early October? Is it open enough to navigate where you want to go, or is it impenetrable? I'm specifically trying to figure out if hiking up onto the bench behind the cabin is going to be a major pain or not. Hard to tell from satellite imagery what is brush and how thick it is. Thanks!
 
OP
Greyinggrayling
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Messages
312
Location
Anchorage AK
What's the vegetation like there in early October? Is it open enough to navigate where you want to go, or is it impenetrable? I'm specifically trying to figure out if hiking up onto the bench behind the cabin is going to be a major pain or not. Hard to tell from satellite imagery what is brush and how thick it is. Thanks!
There’s some good hunting videos on YouTube for the Uganik Lake area. Search for Uganik Sitka deer hunt, that will narrow it down to Fall hunts.
 
Joined
Mar 10, 2023
Messages
5
There’s some good hunting videos on YouTube for the Uganik Lake area. Search for Uganik Sitka deer hunt, that will narrow it down to Fall hunts.
I've been searching the internet high and low and haven't been able to come up with much information. The only video I could find anywhere of Uganik Lake area was just a short clip of a float plane crash rescue. No hunting videos. If you have some links, I'd be happy to check them out. Thanks.
 
Joined
Mar 10, 2023
Messages
5
I have hunted and guided there, maybe ten to twelve times in last 54 years. Try quickly to tie-up the use of the cabin on the lake. if the cabin is committed to others, beg, cry, snivel, wine, do try to negotiate a co-usage. An inflatable boat will help a bunch. Going up the feed creek is fun, not super productive, but you never know. Good fishing, The only time I was ever asked by F&G for my fishing license was on that lake. Beautiful lake, if the fall weather does no super suck. Best deer, if on foot with no boat is up behind the cabin. Has been twenty years I was last there. Have fun. Kill the big one.
What's the vegetation like there? Is it open enough to navigate where you want to go, or is it impenetrable? I'm specifically trying to figure out if hiking up onto the bench behind the cabin is going to be a major pain or not. Hard to tell from satellite imagery what is brush and how thick it is. Thanks!
 
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