Sitka blacktail

[hunterl]

Two buddies and I were looking at going on a DIY Sitka blacktail hunt in 2022. We’ve all commercial fished up there so we know what the weathers like and we all grew up hunting Columbian blacktail so we kinda know what to look for in habitat. I was wondering if anyone could point us in the right direction? I know everyone says kodiak, prince of whales and Ketchikan. So I’m looking for the best hunt on a budget. We’re a bunch of 22 year old kids trying to knock some stuff off our bucket list early. If you guys could help that would be great!

 

[Brad@Argali]

We did go to Kodiak last August and it's a very do-able hunt on a budget. Was definitely the cheapest Alaska trip I've done so far. We were on Kodiak, and it was great. No reason necessarily to only look there, but you can fly commercial into Sitka, then fly out on a bush flight into the field from Sitka and you won't need to rent a car. And if you're going to go to the trouble of flying to Alaska to hunt, I'd recommend doing a bush flight for better hunting and less pressure, or at least figuring out how to get away from the crowds. A little extra money but well worth it. Willy at Kodiak Air Service is who we used last year and who I'm going to use again this year. Also, check out the YouTube series we are releasing right now on our channel to see what our hunt was like.

 

[alaskalund]

Fly outs can be excellent, but multiple carriers sometimes end up dropping hunters in the same spots. South Prince of Wales has been a hot spot for a while now, so there are a bunch of people looking for insight on Facebook groups and booking fly outs from Ketchikan. Prince of Wales has an extensive road system, and a car rental can be cheaper than a fly out, but any logging road you find, someone else knows about too. Also know that only select areas of POW are open to non-federally qualified users on Aug. 1. The vast majority of the road system on POW doesn't open until Aug. 16 for non-locals. If you come up for the opener, you will be limited to state land, unless you fly in to the southern part of the island. I haven't hunted Kodiak or Sitka. I grew up on POW and now live in Ketchikan.

 

[wildwilderness]

Kodiak is “easy” for Alaska. Fly in and island air will pick you up and air taxi you where ever you want. Go in August and won’t be crowded. More pressure during the fall rut, and more bear problems

 

[wildwilderness]

Another bonus of august in Kodiak is the fishing will be great, can fly into the higher lakes to save hiking, the sun will be out a long time, velvet bucks sit out all day, meat is excellent. Only draw back is possible fog delays in flights.

 

[Bighorse]

I kinda like that idea of flying into Sitka and chartering a float plane! If your gear strategy is dialed in then the logistics are okay. Meat processing for the return trip will get complicated if you don't have a friend in town. That could be remedied easy enough by booking with a lodge or whatever that has a freezer and fish cleaning station one night upon returning to town. Sitka in general won't provide the biggest trophy deer but it's some of the most authentic AK Badassery you'll stomp on. In your 20's with strong legs.....go and get some boys! Budget 3K each for AK airlines, Air Charter drop, and Rooms. Good luck and be safe.