Kuiu island bear hunting

[pennarchery]

5 friends and I drew tags for Kuiu island black bear hunt this year we will be heading there may 17. We will be staying on prince of whales island and boating over to Kuiu. Has anyone on here done this hunt or somewhere near here. Just asking if anyone has a suggestion for hunting tactics or opinions on gear they wish they would have taken. Thanks

 

[pennarchery]

Hey Michigan how was your hunt with Calder I'm heading up next spring with a kuiu tag as well we are up in the air if we are going early may or late any advice

 

[RH300UM]

Hey Michigan how was your hunt with Calder I'm heading up next spring with a kuiu tag as well we are up in the air if we are going early may or late any advice

I've hunted POW a lot for bears. Till they got rid of OTC tags.
My experience was the last week of May.
A few years it was harder to get them from the snowfall amounts from a hard winter. If you go later most of the boars will be rubbed bad.

 

[tpliura]

Grew up on west Kuiu Island, in Rowan Bay. Hunted spring and fall bear in Tebenkof, Bay of Pillars, and Rowan Bay. If I were hunting west side again, I'd concentrate in the headwaters of Bay of Pillars or the river/mud flats of Rowan.

Do thorough map recce...Bay of Pillars has a hidden bay way in the back through swift narrows. Be carful tide change though narrows. Many folks don't know about the back bay...great beaches/bear grass. Excellent small fishing river/lake at head.

Rowan is much bigger with great opportunities to spot/stalk...two rivers at head; massive tide flats which bears love...again, be careful of tide...spent many times as a kid stuck of flats waiting for tide change.

There is also a significant logging road network on the north side of Rowan...I've countless bear on road in the 7 yrs I lived there.

You receive plenty of equipment tips...I'd offer a safety tip: Sumner and Chatham Straights can get messy very rapidly especially with a SSW wind...I've seen blow up in matter of hours. Check your forecast before heading across Sumner and return. Bring enough camping/survival gear in the event you get stuck on Kuiu....happens all the time. Have a bail out/emergency plan...there are several Forrest Service cabin on both POW/Kuiu. If your doing a self guided hunt, make sure your transporter has solid equipment and communication...bring a SAT phone or transponder. Make sure you know how to contact Coast Guard. Let someone know your plan each day. This sounds a little grim; experienced Alaskans are lost every year.

Good luck...Kuiu can be the land of giants...7.5'-8' sq roam there.

I saw this post about Kuiu Island black bear hunting....I am interested in a self-guided black bear hunt...I would like to discuss this with you....my name is Tom [email protected]