Eyes Of Hunters The World Over
Are Focused On The Kodiak Bear
Kod ak is more famous for the
bear that roams its wilds than for
any other one thing.
This is a truism, of course, but
it must be said once again.
Bear hunting has attracted hunt
ers from about every part of the
world. Hunting the big Kodiak
bear has been described by well
qualified hunters who seek onlv
trophies, as one of the most thril
ling of hunts as found anywhere in
the world.
It is big business. For that reason
you have the paradoxical situation
of a land that is abundant in na
tural animal feed, able to support
both the wild bear and also cattle.
But the two ventures—.hunting and
cattle-raising, are diametrically op
posed to each other. Whether the
bear must go and cattle raising
should be uppermost, or Kodiak
should hang onto its bear and fos
ter its fame, we will leave to pro
ponents of the two schools of
thought.
The hunter’s whim to spend thou
sands of dollars on a bear hunt has
prompted a number of guides to
establish camps, furnish boats and
planes in an endeavor to cash in
on that whim.
Many fine camps exist on the
Island. Notable among them are
those of Alf Madsen, who has been
a guide since 1928, when he first
started with his father, Charlie
Madsen.
Alf says guiding is a different
story now than it was then. From
tents, camps now consist of well
stocked and furnished cabins, as
suring comfort to the hunter, a de
mand of most of them. It took days
in the early days to reach camp,
now the huniter is there in a mat
ter of minutes. Where the hunter
spent 12 days to reach Kodiak, that
too, is a matter of hours.
Madsen says the number of
Bears killed by his clients through
the years number approximately
500. Many of these were Boone &
Crockett winners. One of his most
recent, a bear taken by Erling Han
sen, of Seattle, may prove to be a
(trophy specimen.
He numbers among his clien's
Harry Selby, famous white hunter
from Tanganyika, Africa; Gov.
Alan Shivers, of Texas; Robert C.
Ruark, famous columnist and au
thor, as well as many others in
cluding ambassadors, admirals, big
businessmen, doctors and political
figures. Madsen’s camps are lo
cated at Uganik Bay, on three
lakes, Little River, Uganik and
Karluk. He also has camps located
on the Alaska Peninsula. All are
reached by his own plane. He also
uses a fine cruiser, the Explorer
and another boat, the Polaris.
Operating under the trade name
of Munsey’s Brown Bear Camp,
Park Munsey has a camp in Amook
Pass which is in Uyak Bay. He also
has a camp on the Alaska Penin
sula. Park says they had a total of
19 hunters out, and 18 took bear.
He has been a guide since 1956.
Joe Maxwell, who is also located
rt Uvak. is another guide and out
fitter. He has been in the business
since 1952. With 150 bears killed
by his hunters, Joe says he has had
one trophy bear. He has had five
parties out this year.
Joe has one main camp with
cabins, and several auxiliary camps
w:‘Vi cabins and tents. He uses his
34-foot boat in h;s hunts, and also
dories with outboard motors.
The name of Kristjan Helgason
& Son has been synonymous with
bear hunting on Kodiak Island for
the past 12 years. Helgason is pic
tured elsewhere. He is located at
Terror Bay, and has been highly
successful in providing some good
specimens for his hunters. He has
several cabins, equipped with elec
tric lights, oil heat, beds, a freezer
and radio-telephone.
Well known, too, are Bill Pinnell
and Morris Talifson, who have a
well-equipped camp at Olga Bay.
These two men have furnished
some nice trophies over the years,
enioying a large measure of suc
cess
Hal Waugh is another guide who
has been highly successful in tak
' ing his hunters to the big fellows.
He lives on the mainland, and in
ahe past few years, comes only oc
casionally to Kodiak.
The name of Eli Metrokin has
been linked with bear hunting
since the early days of Charles
Madsen. He has a camp also.
Cost of a hunt may seem pro
hibitive to most people. Prices
range from $1,000 to $1,200 or
more per person. This is for a
THIS IS CHARLIE MADSEN, long-time resident here, who was
Kodiak’s first big game guide and outfitter. He was a well-known
. figure throughout Alaska, participating actively in the period we are
reviewing in this issue
\
period of from 10 to 12 days, with
excellent meals, and all the com
forts furnished for a good hunt. In
the light of the costs involved in
setting up camps, the time and ef
fort expended prior to tihe hunts
and during the hunts, fees charged
cannot be regarded as exorbitant.
To the trophy hunter who bags a
big “Kodiak” the cost is soon for
gotten in the thrill of a good hunt.
It is evident from the foregoing
that bear hunting as an industry
adds considerably to the economy
of the island and Kodiak in par
ticular. It is Joe Maxwell’s conten
tion that hunting brings in more
money to Kodiak Island than any
other industry, outside of fishing.
As to the future of bear hunting,
most of the guides are optimistic.
Interest in bear hunting—has not
diminished. If anything, it is on the
increase.
“Are there as many bears as ever
on Kodiak?” In answer to that, Alf
Madsen said: “After 30 years of
hunting and from what other
guides say, I would say that the
population is very healthy. Many
large trophies and possible record
breakers will be taken in the years
to come. Other guides concur and
state the bears are reasonably plen
tiful.
The average size of a trophy
taken from Kodiak Island today is
apout 816 feet, says Madsen. The
normal weight of such an animal
is about 700 pounds. A large male
during the fall season will weigh
anywhere form 1,000 to 1,320
pounds.
“In summing up the picture on
Kodiak Island bear hunting, I
would says that with the fine State
control and U. S. Fish and Wildlife
management of the Kodiak Bear
Refuge, sportsmen may hunt for
many, many years to come,” Mad
sen concluded.
For many years the National Geo
graphic Society has se£ht expedi
tions around the world to find geo
logical treasures. Now it’s found
one in its own back yard. Power
shovels excavating the site for the
society’s new headquarters in Mid
town Washington have unearthed
the remains of a grove of giant bald
Cypresses that grew in an ice age
swamp. The trees may be 500,000
years old.
SEEN IS Kristjan Helgason of
Terror Bay, guide and outfitter,
as he readies his shootin’ iron for
another big hunt. He has been
guiding for the past 12 years.
Photo by Ameigh.
KODIAK OUTDOORSMEN
Win a Prize!
A K-4 Weaver Scope and
plaque or Life Membership for
the largest deer rack brought in.
Bring rack and membership
card to Curley’s Barber Shop
for registration.
SPONSORED BY
KODIAK OUTDOORSMEN
THE CHORE OF SKINNING out a big Kodiak becomes a pleas
ure to the hunter lucky enough to lay him low. Photo by Aif Madsen
THE ENORMOUS SIZE of the Kodiak is realized in a picture
such as the above. A fine trophy for anyone. Photo by Alf Madsen.
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