NAME:  Ursus Arctos Horribilis
LOCATION:  Brooks Range, Alaska
TYPE:  8-12 Day Base Camp
HUNTS:  Spring and Fall Offerings

Hunting Grizzly Bears With Dave Marsh

I hunt grizzly bears (spring and fall) in my exclusive 795,000 acre guide use area (25A) located in the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I have been doing this professionally in the Brooks Range since 1994 and have an intimate knowledge of the animals and the country we will be hunting. We’ll typically fly in a Cessna 185 or Helio Courier out of Fairbanks which is about 3 hours flight time from my hunting camp. This should give you some idea of how remote this area is! The significant bush flight expense, in and out, is included in the price of the trip.

We will establish a base camp at the edge of the landing strip and fairly close to a water source. It will consist of a roomy dome tent or canopy that will serve double duty as a kitchen and storage area while smaller domes will be utilized for sleeping. Because of weight restrictions and the limited space available on the plane, food is primarily high quality freeze-dried type meals or other one dish mains prepared with boiled water. This is supplemented with various high energy snacks and more traditional items from time to time. I put a lot of thought and devote a good deal of effort to make this entirely satisfactory and clients have been very complimentary in the past.

A typical day begins with plenty of hot coffee and a simple breakfast. After packing a lunch and snack pack, we’ll make our way to one of the numerous vantage points that ideally gives us a near panoramic view of a particular valley. This is where you’ll likely see a bear digging for squirrels along the lower mountain slopes, foraging along on the tundra flats, or grubbing roots on a willow bar. If the bear suits us, a stalk will be executed based on our overall chances for success. This is determined by many factors including distance, time of day, wind direction, etc. We will continue these daily treks throughout these 8-12 day adventures but we will always return to the main camp for a hot evening meal and the comfort of our sleeping bags. Generally speaking, I consider grizzly bear hunting my easiest offering from a physical stand point but the Arctic demands that you are a healthy weight and in excellent shape with top gear. As always, patience and mental toughness are a must.

Inland grizzlies never reach the great proportions of their coastal cousins but what they lack in size they more than make up for in attitude. These bears are as likely to fight as to run when encountered making for some interesting moments to say the least. Each single bear older than 2 years is considered legal game. A mature male bear will often have a dark hide and a female will be somewhat smaller of course, and commonly blond with dark legs. Please note that we have killed a variety of sizes and colors in both sexes so this is only a general observation. With only a few exceptions, every hunter that I have had specifically hunting grizzlies as their primary animal has had at least one opportunity to kill a bear and most who have wanted one as a secondary trophy have been successful. Bears are hunted in the spring on 1x1 or 2x1 trips that I personally guide during May and June. They are also hunted in the fall as primary animals which I also personally guide or as upgrades during sheep and caribou hunts which take place from early August to mid September.