Lifetime Dream Alaskan Brown Bear Hunt

[deerhunter5555]

Well to say I am speechless is an understatement. My wife informed me last Friday that she is sending me to Alaska on a Brown Bear hunt for my 50th birthday present. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to hunt Alaska. Particularly for brown bear.

It started as a teenager, flipping to the back of an Outdoor Life magazine and seeing giant prehistoric brown bear skins stretched out on a barn advertising hunts in Kodiak Alaska with two legendary brown bear guides. By the time I had turned 18, the hunts were about $5000 all in and that amount was out of reach in my mind at the time. In hindsight, I could’ve and should’ve found a way to swing it as I had no responsibilities in this world. I let fear of the all mighty dollar keep me away from my dream all these years. Life continued and kids came along, and although I was blessed to have experienced many hunts out West and in Canada, I watched as prices continued to climb for Alaskan Brown bear. Years later, as my personal finances improved, the Alaskan Brown bear hunts could have been afforded, but not “justified”.

My sweet wife came to me last Friday and said she is sending me on this Alaskan Brown Bear hunt but would need a short list of guides to call. She said that she had been using Google searches but that she wanted to send me to an outfit that I wanted to hunt with and not just any found on her Google searches.

To be continued…

 

[Steve O]

I hope she is sending you with the guy who hunts the original P&T guide area. I’ve only deer hunted there but it is very cool and historic. Congratulations.

 

[jrs1087]

That's awesome!!!

 

[keller]

Thats awesome. I did something similar as soon as made the final payment on my house. Brown bear was my #1 bucket list. Was nothing short of my expectations. As stated by the op it was in reach when prices were lower but fear of the unknown got me. Only regret was not doing it sooner. Best of luck and hope it is everything you dreamed of!!

 

[keller]

Get this book

 

[deerhunter5555]

-cont. Part 2

I gave her 4 or 5 names of some of the best in the business. This will probably be a one shot deal and I am after an exceptional animal and adventure. After a few more questions from the wife, we narrowed the list down to Phil Shoemaker and Billy Molles. She was on a mission and began emailing them with questions and their availability.

I had the absolute privilege of speaking to Billy on the phone Sunday, and I have never talked to a more genuine and salt of the earth kind of man. He was exactly on the phone as he presents himself in his videos on YouTube. Just my kind of guy. Billy has had some physical setbacks from years in the bush abusing his body. He told me straight up that he is taking time off to allow his body to heal and that he feels God leading him in other directions. He said that if his body will allow, he will ideally only be guiding two or three repeat clients a year when he returns. I was a little disappointed by this news, but I still had an amazing conversation that I will cherish.

Next was Phil Shoemaker. I have followed Phil for many years on the 24hrcampfire forum. I knew he is at the top of the pile as far as Brown Bear outfitters go, but I was just timid to even ask my wife to invest this amount of money. My wife began emailing Phils son and after many questions and emails, we have decided on me hunting with the Shoemaker’s. Experience and genetics of the game you are chasing just cannot be priced. I want someone who has been there and done that in any situation that I can face with an Alaskan Brown bear.

To be continued….

 

[Steve O]

Taj is a good one. Billy too. Sounds like you are on a good path but you definitely won’t be hunting the old P&T area. Taj says the Peninsula is much more wild than Kodiak anyway. I’m jealous.

 

[deerhunter5555]

-cont. Part 3

Mr. Shoemaker’s operation is on the Peninsula and hunting pressure is almost non-existent. 1.2 million acres that he is the only outfitter permitted to guide hunters on. He takes 6 Brown Bear hunters per year on all those acres though he is permitted to take many more. They harvest some of the largest Alaskan Brown bears in the world. They routinely take B&C animals and they have harvested bears that were found out to be 30 years old. Taj said that bears die of old age in his hunting area every year. These are some of the things that narrowed the field to the Showmakers for me. We have a contract coming any day now to seal the deal.

This whole process has made me realize a few things about myself. This may seem odd or dramatic to some, but I have been carrying around a burden all these years. Because I chose to not follow my dreams at an early age, I was unnecessarily carrying regret. I had written this dream out of my life. The minute that my wife came to me and told me about this unbelievable opportunity, I could feel the burden lifted. A burden that I was completely unaware that I was even carrying,

 

[sebastian.cassell]

Can you have your wife talk to my wife and sell this Alaska grizzly dream to her

 

[deerhunter5555]

I hope she is sending you with the guy who hunts the original P&T guide area. I’ve only deer hunted there but it is very cool and historic. Congratulations.

She is not. Those were the ads I was referring to in the back of Outdoor Life when I was a kid. He was on my short list, but I think I prefer to hunt the Peninsula on this one.

 

[BRWNBR]

This is an amazing story. I’ve had the pleasure of guiding several hunts for husbands just like this. Surprise trips. They are a joy to do! Treasure your wife’s investment in you at her sacrifice. Not many women do this kind of stuff.
Shoemakers are good people. They are good at what they do. The experience will be one you will never forget. Brown bear hunting is usually never as people imagine. If you are doing a spring hunt get in the best shape you possibly can. Fall hunts usually require less mobility. But still…you’ve waited a long time for this. Be prepared. Mentally. 16 hours a day glassing. Seeing zero bears sitting in 40-60mph winds and rain. Cold. Wet. Disappointed. Go to bed. Get up. Early. Do it all over again. Walk three miles. Sit in the wind and rain again. Rinse. Repeat. Prep for going home with no bear. Odds are that you will have one but it’s not for sure. Prepare that way so you enjoy every aspect of your adventure!!

 

[VernAK]

In the past few years, I've referred four friends to Phil Shoemaker and all four came away with nice bears.

 

[TXHunt]

CONGRADULATIONS!!!! You have an amazing wife, which is a huge blessing in itself!! I can't imagine how PUMPED you are! Reading through your first post, those exact two names are who came to mind. What year are you going? Spring or Fall? I can't wait to hear about your adventure when you return.

I too have been dreaming of hunting Alaska my whole life. I am finaly at a point in it that I can afford to start going on these cool hunts I have been dreaming of. I couldn't quite bring myself to spend Kodiak or even Peninsula money but I am booked for a Unit 16, just above the Peninsula, fall Grizzly hunt and can not wait!!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

She sounds like a keeper. Can't wait to see the results. Good luck.

 

[deerhunter5555]

This is an amazing story. I’ve had the pleasure of guiding several hunts for husbands just like this. Surprise trips. They are a joy to do! Treasure your wife’s investment in you at her sacrifice. Not many women do this kind of stuff.
Shoemakers are good people. They are good at what they do. The experience will be one you will never forget. Brown bear hunting is usually never as people imagine. If you are doing a spring hunt get in the best shape you possibly can. Fall hunts usually require less mobility. But still…you’ve waited a long time for this. Be prepared. Mentally. 16 hours a day glassing. Seeing zero bears sitting in 40-60mph winds and rain. Cold. Wet. Disappointed. Go to bed. Get up. Early. Do it all over again. Walk three miles. Sit in the wind and rain again. Rinse. Repeat. Prep for going home with no bear. Odds are that you will have one but it’s not for sure. Prepare that way so you enjoy every aspect of your adventure!!

Thank you sir for your comments. It will be a Spring hunt.
I have watched days and days of these hunts on YouTube. Particularly Modern Day Mountain man… one of the things I respect about Billy was that he showed all of the trials and tribulations as well as the successes. The interviews of the hunters drive home just how miserable it can be.
One of the coolest things about the last few days is it has caused much reflection of my life. I want to embrace the journey and pour my all into it. No regrets!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

That's the spirit! Heck of an attitude to have. All in.

 

[BRWNBR]

No interview or tv show can really communicate what this experience is like!! You can get some ideas but man…others experiences just pale in Comparison to the emotions you will navigate. I have guided hunters in Ak for over 25 years and put over 200 bears into clients photo albums and each one is so different. Tears. Sobbing. Hugging. Silence. Yelling. Disbelief. Excitement. Sadness. All at once sometimes!!

Take care of that wife. I buried one. I never realized how much she did for me till she was gone. Your are navigating a special season of life with this experience.

 

[VernAK]

For those that can't hike the hills any more or don't want to spend the $$$, there's some less expensive grizzly hunts over bait in Eastern Alaska.