Calling In Spring Bears, Alaska Style
by Kenji King
The last two years I have been very fortunate enough to spend my spring working on Prince of Wales Island (POW) in Alaska. If you haven’t heard of this island it is known as a Black Bear hunters paradise. POW boasts a large population of Black Bear and these bears are BIG! Since there are no Brown Bears on POW the Black Bears are at the top of the food chain. That allows these bears to get much larger than the Black Bears in my home state of Oregon. Another great thing about POW is the access you get from the already established road system. Most of Southeast Alaska is very remote. There are few if any roads anywhere so you need a boat and then a lot of hiking to get anywhere. POW has had logging for over 100 years and now has over 1500 miles of road on the island. With its large network of roads you are free to explore and hunt the entire island.
I have the luxury of knowing the island very well having spent the last 10 years fishing and guiding fishermen on the rivers of the island. I may know the roads but up until recently I had spent maybe 3 total weeks of that entire time actually looking for bears. I didn’t realize what I was missing. I prefer to spot and stalk with my bow and this island is a great place to do just that. Last spring I made a concerted effort to pursue the black bears and had a great time. I drew back on three bears last year and only took one shot which ended in the “crack” of my broadhead hitting the bear’s shoulder blade. We tracked him for several hundred yards and the next day we found where he had bedded down for the night and continued up the mountain. If infection didn’t get him he would live to see another season. Not exactly how I wanted to end my first black bear hunt but I learned a lot.
This spring I was again excited to pursue the black bears on the island. When I wasn’t working I spent my time in the woods looking for bears. Sometimes my good friend Brent would come out hunting with me. Brent is also an archery hunter but his bow was back at home in Oregon so he was wielding his trusty 30-30. We found many nice bears but we had yet to take a shot.
On one evening hunt we drove up to a vantage point where we could glass a few patches of green grass they had been feeding on. It wasn’t long until we spotted a dark form coming out of the tree line. With light fading we scramble to get down to the meadow. We approach the meadow from behind a hill and can’t see the bear which should be on the other side. Moving hastily I catch a glimpse of the bear about 30 yards away.
“There he is” I whisper.
Brent had yet to see him but immediately hit the ground to avoid being seen. At this point the bear is looking right at me but he can only see my head.
“Is he a good one?” Brent whispers.
Trying not to move I don’t respond because I can only see the bear’s head. Brent crawls forward to get a look but the bear knew something was up so he turned and ran back in to the timber. After the bear ran off we took a look around. You could see the bear tracks in the mud and cut grass where he had been feeding so we knew we were in the right area. Good information to use on another day.
Spring was in full gear and the Sitka Blacktail deer on the island were having their fawns. That means a free lunch when a bear happens to find one. This is a great time of year to use predator calls to get the bears up close. If you are going to call be prepared for some fast action. The deer will come running in as well so there is never a dull moment.
Sitting around Brent’s cabin we were lacking motivation trying to decide what we were going to do.
“You want to go fishing?” Brent asks.
“I don’t know” I reply.
“Do you wanna go hunting?” he asks.
“I don’t know” I respond.
It’s a heck of a problem when you are in Alaska and you can’t decide whether to go fishing or hunting.
“Well it’s gettin’ late. If we’re gonna go we better decide soon” he says.
He was right it was silly to sit around wasting good hunting time so we packed up our gear and jumping into the suburban. Tonight Brent wanted to hunt an area where he had found a lot of sign so I dropped him off and I headed down the road. I decided to check several small grass flats in hopes of catching a bear coming out to feed. At each grass flat I checked the perimeter then set up to do some calling. I had checked several grass flats and didn’t see any bears, however every time I started calling I had deer coming from every direction. I looked over the last grass flat I planned on hunting. I didn’t see anything so I set up to do some calling from an elevated position facing the timber line. After some calling I didn’t hear much. There was a deer responding to the but it was a long was behind me. The odd thing was there wasn’t any deer coming in from in front of me. The lack of a response made me think something was up so I kept calling. Off in the distance I could hear a heavy stick snap. The bear had to be over 150 yards away but he was coming in. I kneel down next to a tree and keep calling. Each time I pause I can hear the bear closing the distance. Soon he broke the tree line at 80 yards away. He was huffing and snorting trying to catch his breath and catch the scent of the fawn screaming. He had a large head and heavy shoulders. I could see he was rubbed but I kept calling. He was coming straight in not giving me a shot so I hadn’t drawn yet. As he passed a log I was able to range him at 27 yards. Everything from there in I’ll be using my top pin. He went behind a mound so I took advantage and drew back. Once at full draw I focus on the vitals. The bear is getting close and he still hasn’t given me a shot so something needs to happen. I contemplate standing up to get him to stop and hopefully turn. At that moment he pauses at 12 yards to sniff the air. First sniffing in my direction then he takes a step to his right giving me a perfect shot. The arrow passes through the big bruin. Not knowing what just happened he retreats to the tree line but runs out of breathe and collapses only 60 yards away. It always amazes me how an arrow can dispatch a 450 pound animal in 30 seconds. Walking up to the bear I finally feel the nerves as I see how large he really is. I try to take a picture but I can’t move the big bear myself. Running out of light I quickly drive down the road hoping Brent will come out of the woods before dark, which he rarely does. Luckily he was already on his way out and he heard me pull up. I immediately apologize for ruining his evening as we rush back to take care of the bear. After a lot of effort we finally get a descent picture.
The first thing you will notice is the large rubbed spot on his head. Late in the spring bears on the island start to rub their hide as the their winter coats get itchy and the weather warms. I took this bear well into mid June and my bear apparently had an itchy head. I had spent a descent amount of time hunting, because I could, and I passed up several nice bears looking for a big one. My bear ended up being over 7 foot and had a 20 3/4 inch skull. Fish and Game found that the bear was over 10 years old. I am glad I was patient. He may be rubbed but it was a great hunt for a great bear.
If you ever get the chance to hunt on Prince of Wales Island take your time and enjoy the unique opportunities this island has to offer. Most of POW is only open to self-guided hunting. Try a do-it-yourself hunt at a facility like Thorne Bay Lodge. You won't be disappointed.
Happy Hunting……
Kenji King