Unit 17B Brown Bear

[Max333]

Hey Guys!

Hope you’re doing great !

So I booked a brown bear hunt through Steve’s outdoor adventures for this coming August in unit 17B Alaska with guide Justin Johns. Hoping to shoot a 9 footer with my bow! This is my first western hunt and I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about that unit, the guide or anything at all that you think would be helpful

Thanks !

 

[wildwilderness]

Alaska just did a big aerial depredation cull in that gmu. They killed 94 brown bears. Hopefully it wasn’t in the area you will hunt?

Brown bears with a bow can be tough! Not sure I could pass on a legal bear with a bow to hold out for something bigger… good luck should be an adventure either way

For a first western hunt that is diving off the deep end

 

[Max333]

Alaska just did a big aerial depredation cull in that gmu. They killed 94 brown bears. Hopefully it wasn’t in the area you will hunt?

Brown bears with a bow can be tough! Not sure I could pass on a legal bear with a bow to hold out for something bigger… good luck should be an adventure either way

For a first western hunt that is diving off the deep end

Wow no way I did not know they killed 94 bears in that unit that kind of sucks lol. This was in 2023?

I’m definitely not looking to pass a legal bear. This hunt im looking to just be successful if everything works out I’ll try for Kodiak one day in life.

Yep I was just so sick of hearing people say “oh we should do this hunt or that hunt one day” and never wanting to put things together so I said screw it im booking this hunt and going off the deep end!

 

[wildwilderness]

Yes that was last year-

94 brown bears eliminated in government predator control measure

Bears are on the minds of environmental and wildlife biologists after 94 brown bears were killed north of Dillingham between May 10 and June 4.

www.alaskasnewssource.com

Once again not sure if that is in your guide area


The best brown bear hunts are on Kodiak and the Peninsula but they are very expensive (gmu 8,9) or if you can draw gmu 10 it’s pretty much a guaranteed bear.

Kodiak is pretty much a 100% draw for Non Residents since they currently give half the tags away as outfitter welfare- a source of contention for the residents who can’t draw. (Not even if they pay for the outfitter- NR only tags)

The Peninsula is OTC but you pay for it

 

[Max333]

Gotcha yea guide is in the western third of 17B.

Yep I definitely want to do the peninsula or Kodiak but as this is my first western I’m doing a little less expensive and “easier” hunt.

We shall see but hopefully this hunt works out. The guide does moose also and it’s supposedly a really good moose area so if successful I’ll probably book a moose hunt with him in the future lol

 

[Max333]

Just looked and that’s exactly where I’m hunting…

 

[Nick Muche]

Which outfit?

 

[Alder_]

I think he said Justin Johns, who also has a concession in 17A.
I don't think all 94 bears were shot in 17B.
I think most of them were in Unit 18, but that's just across the border.

Lots of bears in that country.

 

[Max333]

Yep it is Justin Johns any info on him?

Also per google - The bears were shot from the air in and around Wood-Tikchik State Park in southwestern Alaska

I am hunting Tikchik which is kind of annoying but looks like it was mostly cubs they took out. Either way I’m just going to go into it with a very positive attitude and hope to shoot an 8’+ bear

 

[BRWNBR]

Justin’s good people. Bear numbers will likely be down a bit after all the predator control they are working out that way. A 9’ bear will likely be rare over there. Guided out there quite a bit and only ever saw one bear over 9 I knew of. But they are there! Amazing country. Get a fishing license!

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

I’d ask about combo package.

Good luck. Hunted the wood tikchik lakes for a few years. Saw plenty of brown bears. Very few moose (I was moose hunting).

 

[kodyshriver]

How did the hunt go? I used to work for Justin and think about that lake system almost daily. Hope you came away with great memories and pictures, at the very least!