It's time! Planning a spring bear hunt, Part 2

Spring bear season is upon us! It’s all I’ve been able to think about the last few weeks. I’ve been following along as others have already been out finding success and seeing more and more bears every week it seems. And even as I write this, I’m watching a bear hunting video on YouTube. It’s been a busy winter of working multiple jobs and I’m itching to get back into the woods soon.

Earlier this spring I wrote about planning for an upcoming spring bear trip. I’ve been slowly picking away at my to-do list, acquiring gear, booking rental vehicles and juggling a variety of logistics. We’ll be flying to a destination, renting a vehicle and then using a packraft to access terrain we want to hunt. It’ll be a true planes, trains and automobiles trip, Alaska style.

One of my largest hurdles was signing up for a Known Shipper contract through Alaska Air Cargo. Part way through the approval process, I realized that Club 49 members actually qualify for up to 100 pounds of air cargo when they fly within the state. I had known about the free checked baggage, but was unaware of this amazing perk. I shifted gears and found instant relief knowing that the success of my trip, logistically, didn’t revolve around being approved for becoming a Known Shipper in time. If it comes down to it, I’ll be able to ship either meat, hide or gear via Air Cargo on top of my free checked baggage and carry-on. Hopefully I won’t be carrying on another bear hide to stick under the seat in front of me this year.

I also recently acquired a larger, hard-sided Vault gun case to fly with. It can comfortably fit multiple firearms and is considerably more durable and spacious than what I was using previously. One of the logistics I had to battle in the past was wasting an entire checked bag with only a firearm, since my previous case was small and couldn't accommodate more gear. I opted for a larger case this year so that I can utilize more of my 50-pound checked baggage capacity to fit in even more equipment. Items like my tripod, trekking poles, some bulkier clothing, game bags, sidearm and my knife can now fit alongside my rifle. This allows more space in my other two checked bags and less cases and packs that I have to lug around the airport. I am greatly looking forward to how travel goes.

Accessing huntable terrain on this trip may require use of my newly-acquired packraft. I’ve taken it out on a couple of trips to get a feel for it and have been adjusting my plans ever since. It didn’t come with a patch kit, and I’ve been piecing one together as well as building a dedicated packraft gear bag. The river we plan to use has looked low and was iced over until fairly recently due to the cold winter. Heck, the lake that we plan to access was still covered in ice based on the most recent satellite imagery! We may have to make some drastic decisions during the trip on how we will access terrain if the water travel seems unrealistic.

The weather will have the greatest effect on this year’s trip. A slow melt will mean less green grass. This will focus bears on certain spots to feed, which isn’t an entirely bad thing. But finding those spots will be key. Nonstop rain in the forecast could mean that the waterways I plan to use may be too swollen to float safely. If the weather breaks during our trip, we might actually be hitting things just right to capitalize on another epic trip.