Bear Hunting FAQ

Question: What type of bear hunts are offered?

Answer: We offer Grizzly, Brown, and Black bear hunting trips. Here are some pictures of each type:

Interior Mountain Grizzly Bear

Coastal Brown Bear



Coastal Black Bear. 



 Location of hunting areas:
Grizzly Bear hunting takes place out of Nabesna, the north side of the Wrangell St. Elias National Park.Coastal Brown Bear hunting takes place on the Copper River Delta, out of our Katalla camp. Katalla is 50 miles east of Cordova.


Hunting Method:
Hunts are ten days.
Guided, one on one (unless you specify otherwise)
Fly out to spike camps.
The camps consist of tents complete with heaters, cots, and cook stove. All food is provided.
Bear hunting consists of long periods of spotting, and the possibility of having to move very quickly to get into position for a shot when the bear is spotted. Bears tend to roam large areas.


Hunting in Katalla is done by foot along the rivers, and the marsh flats. Sometime small inflatable boats are used, depending on how and where the bears are moving.

Nabesna bear hunting consists of spotting and stalking in the mountains or along the rivers and glaciers.

We do NOT bait bears, or hunt from the road.


General recommendation for level of physical fitness required:
We recommend that regardless of the hunt, you should be in as good a physical shape as possible.
You will not need to climb as much as a sheep hunt, but you may be required to cover some distance quickly.
The better shape you are in, the better the chances are that you will get your game.


When are bear hunts available?
You can hunt Grizzly in the spring (June 5-14) and fall (August 10 – September 30)
Coastal Brown and Black Bear hunts are offered the last two weeks in May

Topography of hunting areas:
Katalla = Dense heavy brush and forest, fairly flat, some hills. You will be wearing hip boots all the time.
Usually it is VERY wet, it has been hot on occasion, it just depends on the type of spring we get.
Nabesna = Mountainous terrain, a lot of climbing, can be cold near the glaciers. Temperatures range from 32 to 60+ degrees F.


Transportation to and from the hunting area:
Transportation to and from the field is by using small Piper aircraft, Supercubs.
It is your responsibility to get to the main camps of Katalla or Nabesna.
You will fly in to Cordova via Anchorage, and then charter to Katalla
You will need to rent a car and drive to Nabesna from either Fairbanks or Anchorage.


Type of gun you should bring:
A large rifle is recommended, perhaps a 338 or 375.
However we highly recommend you bring a gun that you are comfortable shooting.
You should also be able to fire several rounds in a row. Bears can be very resistant.


How many bullets should I bring?:
Two boxes.
We have shooting ranges on our property to test fire your rifle when you arrive. Due to the nature of airline luggage handling these days, it is likely they are less than kind to objects resembling gun cases.

Typical distance for shot:
There is of course nothing typical in hunting, but the average shot for a bear is around 75-200 yards.

More Information:
General Information-Bear hunting FAQ-Prices