Papa bear adventures

[ultramag3]

Has anyone hunted with Papa bear adventures out of Bethel? We are thinking about doing a moose hunt with them. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Bill S.]

Yes I have. And I would do it again. Weatehr didn't cooperate the first half of the hunt but then we were one out of three. Should have been 2 out of 3 but that's another story. PM me if you want particulars

[B&C 04]

Has anyone hunted with Papa bear adventures out of Bethel? We are thinking about doing a moose hunt with them. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Have you checked out Renfro's Hunting service? They are also out of Bethel as well. It was a toss up between the two and we went with Renfro's, I have heard lots of good things about Papa Bear also just never hunted with them.

[AKHUNTINFOOL]

I have been dropped off by Papa Bear on several hunting and fishing trips. They run a first class operation and we have always been completely satisfied with their service. On one trip the satellite phone we ordered didn't arrive before we had to leave Bethel and Papa Bear brought it to us the next day at no extra charge. You can't beat that kind of service. They have all the rafts and camping equipment to rent so you don't need to ship it. http://www.pbadventures.com/

[ninefoot]

wade renfro...

i'd go with renfro's and not only because i work for him...i know the pilots in the area, the area both outfits hunt, and the services provided. i wont talk bad of papa bear, but i have lots good to say of renfro, his integrity, his concern for his clients sucess, whether guided or unguided and his FLYING ABILITY...not to mention his area's genetics...pm me if you'd like specifics on either outift. they fly SOME of the same country...they DO NOT land in the same country. that i can assure you. wade's a hunter first and foremost, he spends a large portion of his time looking at and flying over country that HE HAS PERSONALLY HUNTED or guided in....the guys at papa bears are pilots (some are decent) but theyre pilots, first and foremost. also interesting that wade pioneered many of there camps back when papa bear was under a different owner and wade was flying one of there beavers for them. few people know western alaska from a hunters standpoint as well as wade, and i know the guys that work that country...i work that country. our drop hunts have been really producing some awsome bulls lately...check out the last moose mania from archers choice (ralph and vicki cianciarullo, good folk by the way) the two diy drop hunters (in the film) wade flew out (on wheels by the way...something papa doesnt offer) scored on sixty inch class moose, and check out this monster from this past season(also put in via wheelplane, renfros has floats and wheels and him and his pilots are great in both)...also from a diy drop hunter out of bethel...a local resident hunter named eric...also a great guy i might add...the country is absolutely producing some impressive bulls...i'd love to guide it but we hutn adjacent to our drop country, and you wont see me or any of wades other guides in the field on your hunt...chances are good you'll see other hunters on the tikchiks (papas stomping grounds)...and no i wont tell anyone where this bull came from, book a hunt if ya wanna know...he's seventy seven inches and scored int he 240's...they dont get a whole lot better. erics buddy scored on a sixty+ inch bull on the same hunt...moose hunting is all about the country, the pressure and the genetics

[yukon254]

Ninefoot If you want to see some REALLY big moose, watch Ralph/Vickies video of their moose hunt up the MacMillan River in the Yukon.... Yes they are nice folks. You seein moose from a plane??? shucks you can see by the thick bush around this bull, there aint no air support

[ninefoot]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46346[/ATTACH]Ninefoot If you want to see some REALLY big moose, watch Ralph/Vickies video of their moose hunt up the MacMillan River in the Yukon.... Yes they are nice folks. You seein moose from a plane??? shucks you can see by the thick bush around this bull, there aint no air support

lol, i humbly agree, the yukon has some superb genetics...the wolves will find you guys eventually too, everybody gets there turn ...i guided the former owner of mcmillan and his buddy to a really nice brownie in 08...and i know of the area well, shockeys area across the way has some huge bulls in it too. and yeah, we see em from the plane...but you cant fool me man, i been in alot of the yukon, and some of its great cub country...fyi, wade hasnt the time to spot and hunt, he's running a business, he knows the country, where he can land, and works it accordingly...the area only has so many places to land...good country is good country, no matter how you access it. what i like about open country is the ability to hunt moose whether theyre rutting or not...cant do that near as well in the brush. nice bull though man, you yukon boys know your moose.

and there may be no air support...but theres gotta be some kinda support right? did that guy walk from whitehorse? last i heard the territory up above you yukoners where still dropping sheep hunters off right amongst the rams with the whirlie birds...i'll take a cub ride and my boots.

oh yeah, and did you ever get my pm the other day??? was wondering if you knew the lancasters, and had a few other questions for ya...

[AK flyster]

I personally can not give a good recomendation for Mr. Renfro and his operation. We did a float trip in 2009 and he dropped us off at the headwaters of one of the local rivers. All of our group left the experience with a dirty taste in our mouth. We didn't feel that he was truthful with us and didn't give us the service we felt like we had agreed to pay for when we started with his operation.

For starters, we were planning on taking his stinson, and he crashed it three weeks before we got there. (Hey it happens and it was a mechanical failure - not his fault) The part that really rubbed us the wrong way was that he didn't tell us before hand that he didn't have the stinson. When we got on the ground in Bethel he broke the news that we would have to take three trips in his Maul, which cost us more money, and took alot more time... It all deals with expectations, and we were expecting to pay a certain price and do a certian thing. We all wished that he would have told us before hand and not had us find out when we were all the way out in Bethel.

Second, he didn't communicate the message that was given to him by our jet-boat pickup. As a result, the Jet-boat came a day early to pick us up. Supposedly this had dbeen communicated to Renfo and he was supposed to tell us. I am sure he is a busy guy and there is a ton going on with his buisness. Once again it was a matter of having a certain expectation and then not having that met.

Wade was very friendly and did a good job flying us out in some poor weather, but we just left witht he feeling that his business and communication skills needed some work. Bottom line... would I use him again... no. Would I use Papa Bear.... Yes. My family has used Papa Bear in the past for rafting dorp-offs and was very satisfied with the service and meeting of expectations.

[ninefoot]

I personally can not give a good recomendation for Mr. Renfro and his operation. We did a float trip in 2009 and he dropped us off at the headwaters of one of the local rivers. All of our group left the experience with a dirty taste in our mouth. We didn't feel that he was truthful with us and didn't give us the service we felt like we had agreed to pay for when we started with his operation.

For starters, we were planning on taking his stinson, and he crashed it three weeks before we got there. (Hey it happens and it was a mechanical failure - not his fault) The part that really rubbed us the wrong way was that he didn't tell us before hand that he didn't have the stinson. When we got on the ground in Bethel he broke the news that we would have to take three trips in his Maul, which cost us more money, and took alot more time... It all deals with expectations, and we were expecting to pay a certain price and do a certian thing. We all wished that he would have told us before hand and not had us find out when we were all the way out in Bethel.

Second, he didn't communicate the message that was given to him by our jet-boat pickup. As a result, the Jet-boat came a day early to pick us up. Supposedly this had dbeen communicated to Renfo and he was supposed to tell us. I am sure he is a busy guy and there is a ton going on with his buisness. Once again it was a matter of having a certain expectation and then not having that met.

Wade was very friendly and did a good job flying us out in some poor weather, but we just left witht he feeling that his business and communication skills needed some work. Bottom line... would I use him again... no. Would I use Papa Bear.... Yes. My family has used Papa Bear in the past for rafting dorp-offs and was very satisfied with the service and meeting of expectations.

hmmm, to each his own. we're talking moose hunting here and the differences in the two outfits, not a basic drop fly fishing trip in one of the MANY good fly fishing rivers in the area. wade has never owned or flown a stinson, your speaking of the norseman that had an engine failure during that year. i will leave it at that as this is not the place, i would be happy to discuss many things via pm ...I MAINTAIN EVERYTHING IN MY FIRST POST, KNOW BOTH OUTFITTS WELL, AND MAKE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM RECCOMENDING EITHER ONE. and will simply state here that theres two sides to every story. i worked for wade the year you mentioned, and i know the EXACT circumstances and what was going on with the plane, and the drop offs that summer. three trips in a maule IS more expensive than one in a norseman, thats the facts. and the problem with the boat pick up used during that year has been completely eliminated and is currently being conducted by a very reliable local (a member of this forum) anyone with any questions regarding anything about the two outfits can freely pm me...ethics, capablility, location, how many people and other groups you'll be in close proximity with, how many groups or hunters had JUST USED the exact same location, genetics in the areas, and pilot skills are all things worth thinking about when considering a drop hunt. i could care less what drop off hunter uses wade or anyone else...i'm a hunting guide for christsakes. but if it were me looking for an air taxi for HUNTING purposes in that part of the state, then i'd go with wade anywhere in western alaska. communication skills are nice, but there are many things i'd put in priority before that when speaking of a very busy bush pilot/business owner. appreciate your experience from your viewpoint though,

[AK flyster]

Thanks for the correction on the type of plane. I always get the names norseman and stinson mixed up... even though they are completly different planes. I flew in the norsman that wade used to own about 15 years ago when it was flying out of Seward under a different operator. That was one awsome plane. I wish there were more of them around today.

[HuntNBgame]

Ninefoot If you want to see some REALLY big moose, watch Ralph/Vickies video of their moose hunt up the MacMillan River in the Yukon.... Yes they are nice folks. You seein moose from a plane??? shucks you can see by the thick bush around this bull, there aint no air support

Yea, but they also say it's a 6 hour wait after flying

[tboehm]

hmmm, i know the EXACT circumstances and what was going on with the plane, and the drop offs that summer. three trips in a maule IS more expensive than one in a norseman, thats the facts. ,

If the plane wasn't available he should have informed them and the fact that the maule is more expensive should have been made up. He quoted a price and the specifics for a hunt and then changed them and charged more. That is not good or fair business.

[yukon254]

Ninefoot, no didnt get your PM, box was full, cleaned it out now so fire away. Yes I know the Lancaster boys.

Kiddin ya on the planes, I know how it is. Wish we had some open country, its all bush country where we do our moose hunts. I agree on the helos and sheep. To each their own but its not my style. Spent 5 years guiding in the St Eilas, all with ponys and hiking boots.

[flhunter]

I typically don't post much on forums, but felt I needed to say something on this one. After months of research and nothing but postive
things said about both services mentioned in this thread. A friend and I took the plunge and went drop camp moose hunting Sept. 2010.
I would caution anyone that is about to spend several thousand dollars and 2 weeks of time to contact me via PM and
I will be glad to talk specifics. We unfortunatly found out too late about MANY problems with our choice of service and our 12k was already gone!

[B&C 04]

I typically don't post much on forums, but felt I needed to say something on this one. After months of research and nothing but postive
things said about both services mentioned in this thread. A friend and I took the plunge and went drop camp moose hunting Sept. 2010.
I would caution anyone that is about to spend several thousand dollars and 2 weeks of time to contact me via PM and
I will be glad to talk specifics. We unfortunatly found out too late about MANY problems with our choice of service and our 12k was already gone!

You don't have a PM otion. Interested in knowing which service you did take though....