Hi everyone, I've never been Grizzly hunting with a bow before and I'm looking forward to a trip to Alaska to do so. Does anyone have any recomendations for equipment. My deer bow is not powerful enough and I'm going to get another bow and would like to know what others have used. Alaska F&G says 50lbs is the min. draw weight and 300 +grains for the arrow. Any help and suggestions on gear or books to read would be great!! Thanks.
You can read Hunting Hard in Alaska. It will tell you about gear you should bring for any hunt in AK. It will also go over planning and alot of other good topics. http://www.huntinghardinalaska.com/index.htm
Curious as to why you think that your deer bow isn't powerful enough? Brown bears really aren't that hard to penetrate with an arrow, the hide is relatively thin. The key is to shoot a heavy arrow with a sharp cut on contact head (as you probably saw in the reg.'s you can't use expandibles on brown bears.) Are you going for inland grizzly or coastal brown bear? Do you have your guide picked out? Does he have experience with bow hunters? Are you going in spring or fall? That's going to make a huge difference in the gear I'd suggest.
I think 50 lbs with a 300 grn arrow should suffice, IF they allow you to use Rage 2 blades. :D IDK because I've never been, but I'd be using a HEAVY arrow with a heavy bow if I chase those big teddies some day. I'd go with a 70+ # bow and 600+ grn arrow, which may very well be overkill, but these bears themselves are overkill. Ask Rob, he hunts Brown Bears annually up on Kodiak. EDIT: Damn it Rob, quit typing faster than me! LOL
Even if it was legal you couldn't pay me to hunt any game with mechanical heads let alone bear of any kind...
seen a video of a guy shooting a grizzly with a rifle from100 yards and the bear dropped after all five rounds hit the bear some 30 yards away from the hunter. so the bear might use your arrows as toothpicks when your done making him mad. food for thought. :D
Seriously? How do you guys walk down a city street at night? I worry more about humans than bears any time.
I just keep remembering Fred Eichler floating down the river in that raft watching the 3 cubs on shore. Then all of a sudden mama comes charging out of the brush. That was a dirty underware moment. I seem to remember Andy Ross and his wife having one of those too when the wind changed on his stalk.
Thanks for all the help!!!! Books are being read and I adjusted my bow to 65# and been training on some good targets. One more questions for ya'll, does anyone know where you can hunt without a guide? I never really wanted to use any, I'm more then competent enough to find them on my own. Plus, this is suppose to be just my family and I enjoying the outdoors and a favorite pasttime.
For a non resident to hunt brownbear, Dall Sheep, or Mountain Goat in Alaska, You must be accompanied by a guide. Unless, you have a family member that is a resident who is over the age of 19 and within the second degree of kindred. Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Spouse, Grandparent, Grandchild, Brother/Sister in Law, Son/ Daughter in Law, Father/ Mother in Law, Stepfather, Step Mother, Step Brother, Step Sister, Step Son, or Step Daughter.
