Kodiak Brown Bear Spring vs Fall

[JM151]

I’m planning a bear hunt in Alaska. I’m looking at Kodiak Brown Bear. The outfitter I was talking to only does Spring. What’s are the pro’s and con’s between Spring vs Fall?

 

[Scottf270]

Spring has longer days. Bigger boars typically come out first and are roaming for sows. Vegetation and brush are easier to see through. Weather is getting better, though late spring melt and storms are a possibility.

Fall can see bears still on fish streams. More bears are still out and about so you could be dealing with small bears running around. Bigger boars can be nocturnal. If fish runs are poor, bears may den earlier or move off the streams. Weather is usually getting worse and daylight is shorter.

You can kill a monster either season but having hunted Kodiak in the spring and the peninsula in the fall, I prefer the spring season at least on Kodiak.

The year I hunted the peninsula, they moved the season back 7 days later. It dramatically affected his success rates for 2 fall seasons as the fish runs were over and weather was getting worse.

 

[JM151]

Spring has longer days. Bigger boars typically come out first and are roaming for sows. Vegetation and brush are easier to see through. Weather is getting better, though late spring melt and storms are a possibility.

Fall can see bears still on fish streams. More bears are still out and about so you could be dealing with small bears running around. Bigger boars can be nocturnal. If fish runs are poor, bears may den earlier or move off the streams. Weather is usually getting worse and daylight is shorter.

You can kill a monster either season but having hunted Kodiak in the spring and the peninsula in the fall, I prefer the spring season at least on Kodiak.

The year I hunted the peninsula, they moved the season back 7 days later. It dramatically affected his success rates for 2 fall seasons as the fish runs were over and weather was getting worse.

Have you seen any issues with them being rubbed out on Kodiak in Spring?

 

[wyosteve]

My interior grizzly was taken on May 6 and had a perfect hide. My brown bear taken on June 1 was rubbed pretty good, but my friend’s on the same day was not rubbed. Personally I feel the earlier, the less chance of being rubbed. Going again this year in mid-May so will see what happens. I’d prefer a non-rubbed smaller bear to a bigger one that’s rubbed. Just personal preference.

 

[BRWNBR]

Kodiak bears are often rubbed when they come out of the den. Don’t matter what time of year, temperature, etc. they can be rubbed. By mid may it does seem like a lot more of them are rubbed though. Sometimes it gets frustrating trying to find a bear with the size the hide and the location to pursue. Peninsula hides are typically better I think

 

[JM151]

Kodiak bears are often rubbed when they come out of the den. Don’t matter what time of year, temperature, etc. they can be rubbed. By mid may it does seem like a lot more of them are rubbed though. Sometimes it gets frustrating trying to find a bear with the size the hide and the location to pursue. Peninsula hides are typically better I think

I wanted to hunt Kodiak for the larger skulls but at the same time I don’t want one rubbed out.

 

[JM151]

My interior grizzly was taken on May 6 and had a perfect hide. My brown bear taken on June 1 was rubbed pretty good, but my friend’s on the same day was not rubbed. Personally I feel the earlier, the less chance of being rubbed. Going again this year in mid-May so will see what happens. I’d prefer a non-rubbed smaller bear to a bigger one that’s rubbed. Just personal preference.

I agree….I would go slightly smaller to have a quality hid. For interior grizzly would you go spring or fall?

 

[Scottf270]

Kodiak will have more rubbed hides as Jake said. Some will honestly be pretty bad. My buddy took one and I have seen many pictures of very short hair overall with long leg hair that looks like gym socks or leggings. Not all hides will be bad, but I wouldn't count on a perfect hide.

If it's a big bear, it would have to be damn bad for me to pass on one because of hide issues. Giant bears are hard to come by even on Kodiak. If you have the money to make multiple trips, maybe you pass less than perfect hides, but most of us probably shouldn't do that.

I sense your looking for a big bear with a perfect hide and I hope you get one. But if you have a good safe hunt and are blessed to take a true giant, be happy how God made him and accept him , flaws and all.

Bruises, scars, rubs and imperfections represent a life well lived. Even for humans.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Not bear related, but you get the bonus of also deer hunting if you go in the fall. If you haven't tasted Sitka BT deer, you don't know what you're missing.

 

[JM151]

Kodiak will have more rubbed hides as Jake said. Some will honestly be pretty bad. My buddy took one and I have seen many pictures of very short hair overall with long leg hair that looks like gym socks or leggings. Not all hides will be bad, but I wouldn't count on a perfect hide.

If it's a big bear, it would have to be damn bad for me to pass on one because of hide issues. Giant bears are hard to come by even on Kodiak. If you have the money to make multiple trips, maybe you pass less than perfect hides, but most of us probably shouldn't do that.

I sense your looking for a big bear with a perfect hide and I hope you get one. But if you have a good safe hunt and are blessed to take a true giant, be happy how God made him and accept him , flaws and all.

Bruises, scars, rubs and imperfections represent a life well lived. Even for humans.

More than likely this will be one time hunt and if I’m lucky enough get one I would like to do full body mount. I guess I need to do some research on what rubbed out bear looks like.

This outfitter only has Spring hunts because he doesn’t have a good salmon location for the fall. So if I wanted to do fall I would have to look at Peninsula or interior grizzly.

 

[gonhunting247]

My interior grizzlies all had rubbed hides to varying degrees in the spring. Some were very minimal and it seemed that it definitely helped to be there earlier in May, but bear sightings picked up a lot more a couple weeks or more into season, so it was a tough trade off. They all have looked pretty cool though!

 

[BRWNBR]

More than likely this will be one time hunt and if I’m lucky enough get one I would like to do full body mount. I guess I need to do some research on what rubbed out bear looks like.

This outfitter only has Spring hunts because he doesn’t have a good salmon location for the fall. So if I wanted to do fall I would have to look at Peninsula or interior grizzly.

Rubbed bears come in all shapes and colors even. Poodle bears. Lions mane. Mange. Buffalo hair. Saddles. The list goes on. If a bear has a mild rub, mount it rubbing! A bald spot or such doesn’t ruin a bear any more than a broken tine ruins antlers. Just what it is.

Everyone wants big bears with big heads with great hair. That’s pretty standard. As others have said, I wouldn’t let a rub stop me from dropping the hammer on a 10’ bear. Don’t mount it, save 6-8k and trash the hide, mount the skull and keep the claws. Put that taxidermy money towards another trip.
Brown bear hunting is addictive and unlike any other hunt, if you’re not careful it takes you over!!!

200 and something bears ago I was still a normal person who didn’t get antsy as soon as the eves of the house dripped, or want to stop and glass every hillside that had berries or I could fish for salmon and actually look at the salmon and not stop and measure every bear track I saw. No longer. Bear hunting is in me…I love it!!