Spring Black Bear Drop Offs

It’s spring and by now you can see the bottom of the freezer – there are just a few packets of last years fish left! Soon spring black bear season will be starting and that means fresh meat for the freezer. That’s right - black bear are good eating and spring is a choice time to harvest them. The best cuts are the rump roasts, back straps, tenderloins and ribs. Don’t waste a single scrap - many hunters I transport rave about the bear bratwursts, Italian bear sausages and breakfast bear sausages made by their local butcher shops. I have personally tried the bratwursts and summer sausages made by Pioneer Meats in the Mat-Su Valley and they are excellent. My next bear will be going to them – I can’t wait to try the breakfast sausages! Every year many hunters ask for recommendations on where to hunt in Prince William Sound. First, I must point out I’m a licensed game transporter so I can not guide you, but I can say the most successful hunters I transport are those that camp. That’s right: they camp! No cabins, no lodges, just tents – that’s the trick. Hunters who stay in cabins and lodges tend to spend too much time hanging out at the lodge or cabin. Lodges and cabins are fixed locations that the game in the area key into and avoid. If you have a bear that hangs around a cabin or lodge, more than likely it’s an immature bear trying to scavenge food from the occupants. It’s not very good sportsmanship to shoot a begging bear. In addition to this, they tend to be small and not as healthy as those that fend for themselves. Camping places you in the territory of the game. You will both hear more and see more wildlife. Often game will check out something new in their territory such as a camp. Hunters who camp not only get more game but they fork out less money. Hunters that stay in lodges are spending more than double that of hunters that camp. Let’s face it if you are spending more than $200 per person a day to hunt from a lodge maybe you should check into the price of a full beef freezer package from Mr. Prime Beef in Anchorage! Camping not only gives you the advantage of being in the territory of the game it also gives you the opportunity to distance yourself from other hunters. In a lodge you have to share the area with other lodge guests. The next most important tip I have is: Do your homework: Many hunters I transport check the forums for hunters who write about their hunts. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has tons of info on their web site and you can call up the biologist who studies the area you are looking to hunt in. Google Earth maps will give you an idea of what the terrain is like. Also, take the right gear: if you didn’t use it the last four times out hunting, more than likely you won’t need it (unless it is safety/emergency gear). Bringing the same duplicated gear as your hunting partner is a waste of space – be sure to check each others gear and if you both have the same items, pick the better of the two and leave the extras at home. Having too much gear will bog you down loading, unloading and lugging to and from your campsite. How long should you hunt: this is very important and too often we have hunters that plan too short of a hunt. You will need a day to set up and a day to pack up and you should plan for at least 2 days of solid hunting and that’s at a minimum. Bad weather also needs to be factored in. Personally I plan for at least 5 days, which gives me three full days of hunting. Whittier Water Taxi caters to Alaskans: we provide a wide range of transportation services through out Prince William Sound. Our rates are the lowest and our service is the most reliable. We operate from mid March through mid-December. Whittier Water Taxi is a licensed big game transporter #928. We are also a licensed transporter for the Alaska State Parks. Plan your Alaskan adventure now checkout out web site www.whittierwatertaxi.com or give me a call Captain Matt 1-907-362-1291.