Ken Barrett's Fast Facts
For The TRCP's Life in the Open

Alaska Black Bears Fast Facts Sheet

Location: Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. I flew from Seattle, Washington, 600 miles north to Ketchikan, Alaska and took a Promech Airlines float-plane to Thorne Bay on PWI. In addition to air service there is a twice-daily ferry from Ketchikan to PWI as well; it takes about three hours. Go to www.princeofwalesonline.com for more information.

Access: Once on the island, there is access via 1500 miles of US Forest Service Roads and 1000 miles of shoreline. The vast majority of the island, which is 135 miles long and 45 miles wide, is public land. I used an ATV to access huge tracks of USFS lands.

Best time to go: The best time to go is just after the bears come out of hibernation and before they begin to rub their luxurious fur, a highly prized trophy. Anytime after the first of May is usually good, but late snows can slow things down in addition to making travel to some areas impossible. I hunted from May 13 thru May 20 and was glad I hadn’t gone earlier, because late snows still hampered, or in some cases defeated, our efforts to get to places we wanted to hunt.

License availability: You can buy a hunting license ($85 resident) and a black bear tag ($225 non-resident) over-the-counter and hunt black bears without a guide. 

Recommended equipment: Bring the best raingear and foot wear that you can find, the kind used by commercial fisherman and loggers. PWI is on the Tongass National Forest, an honest to goodness rain forest, with up to 150 inches a rain per year. Bring the best optics you can afford and a rangefinder. Black bears are not especially tough, but unlike a deer they don’t often leave much, if any, blood trail after being hit, and the cover is indescribably thick and tough. As one experienced Alaska black bear hunter said to me, “They die when they’re shot, but you don’t always find them.” My bear was hit well, but traveled approximately 75 yards before dying. We looked for it for three hours before darkness when driving rains forced us to abandon our search. We recovered the dead bear the next morning, with the help of a Walker hound. I recommend that you shoot a .30 caliber 180 grain bullet, and be sure of your shot. Know a bear’s anatomy before you depart for your hunt; it’s different than a deer’s.

Cost: Round-trip from Ketchikan to Thorne Bay on Prince of Wales Island via Promech air service was $154. I stayed with a friend on the island and then with friends of his. There are cabins for rent on PWI, and you can rent a truck with a camper if you want. Type in the words “hunting,” “black bears,” and “Prince of Wales Island” on the Net, and you’ll find extensive information on everything from do-it-yourself hunts and rentals to guided hunts and lodges. Also there are some USFS cabins available at $25-$45 per day, but they get booked up early, so plan well ahead if you want to use one. Go to www.fs.us/r10/tongass/ditricts/pow and click on cabins to learn more.

Tips and Commentary: A hunter I know told me that he and his friends were doing a ten-day self-guided, truck/camper and boat rental combination for a grand total of $2,500 each, including their airfares and non-resident hunting licenses. That’s $2,500 for a 10 day Alaska bear hunting and fishing adventure. You can’t afford not to go, if you want to experience a truly great and wild hunt in some of the most beautiful country in the world.

Special thanks go to:

Jim & Karen Baichtal
Winchester Ammunition
Cabelas
Swarovski Optik

Boston Harbor Stripers Fast Facts Sheet

Location: Boston Harbor, Rowes Wharf, Boston

Access: Rowes Wharf is accessible from the street; it’s an easy five minute walk from Quincy Market and two minutes from Boston’s New England Aquarium.

Best time to go: May through October

License availability: One does not need a license to fish saltwater in Massachusetts at the time of this writing, but I recommend checking with Massachusetts’ Department of Fish & Game @ www.mass.gov/dfwele/ before you go.

Recommended equipment: A 7, 8 or 9 weight fly rod or 6’ 6” spinning rod with 10-20 pound test line. Clouser minnows, Lefty’s Deceivers and other standard flies will work fine. Use any of the popular soft baits, poppers or spoons with spinning gear. Check with local shops to see what the hot flies and lures are; they change with water temperature and seasonal migrations of the striper’s prey, bass.

Costs: Firefly Outfitters, www.fireflyoutfitters.com, phone (617)-423-3474, with whom I fished, offers half-day, three quarters and full-day outings for $400, $500 and $625 respectively, with all tackle included. After meeting outfitter Michael Wilmerding’s boat at Rowes Wharf, you’ll be fishing in minutes.

Tips & Commentary: Whether you’re in Boston on business or vacation, to see the Red Sox or Old Ironsides, you owe it to yourself to spend a morning or a whole day out in the harbor fishing for stripers and/or bluefish. Fishing in the harbor with the Boston skyline and Logan Airport as a backdrop just goes to show that if we take care of our resources we don’t have to travel far to have a great day of fishing. Michael Wilmerding and his staff at Firefly Outfitters are very knowledgeable.  They provide you with all the equipment you need, so even if you didn’t bring a rod to your business meeting, no matter, just call Michael, book a trip, and go fishing.

Special thanks go to:

Michael Wilmerding and his staff
Chip and Teddy Collins
Simms