Hunting Black bear down near Kenai this weekend, good or bad idea?

[MichaelRyanSD]

So given the fires and what not, a few of us were thinking about going down to the Crooked Creek recreation site for some camping/fishing/hunting. We were thinking about getting down there Friday night, and get up early Sat morning, what do you guys suggest for an area near there for us to drive/hike into? Again not asking for anyone specific spot, just a general area, or maybe just some tips on the area and what to look for as far as potentially good spots go.

 

[AGL4now]

I don't know where Crooked Creek is located..........But, if your looking to see bears now that everything is a wall of green vegetation, if your NOT well about timberline, my guess is you are just going to get exercise. I would suggest the "Tenderfoot Camp Ground" or there abouts.

 

[cod]

Deja vu, again. Try Bear Lake area just outside of Seward.

 

[HuntAK59]

I don't know where Crooked Creek is located..........But, if your looking to see bears now that everything is a wall of green vegetation, if your NOT well about timberline, my guess is you are just going to get exercise. I would suggest the "Tenderfoot Camp Ground" or there abouts.

Crooked creek is just before the kasliof. The exact condition you've stated, thick green. You have about a 1% chance of seeing a bear there, but luck can be on your side!

 

[AGL4now]

Tenderfoot camp ground is on Summit Lake. I walk the Summit Creek Trail throughout the summer and I see a bear eating flowers back there about one in three of the trips.

 

[4merguide]

So given the fires and what not, a few of us were thinking about going down to the Crooked Creek recreation site for some camping/fishing/hunting. We were thinking about getting down there Friday night, and get up early Sat morning, what do you guys suggest for an area near there for us to drive/hike into? Again not asking for anyone specific spot, just a general area, or maybe just some tips on the area and what to look for as far as potentially good spots go.

From somewhere close to Crooked Ck....???........unless you're on a bait........bad idea.

 

[MichaelRyanSD]

So I think we decided on Bear Lake, where are some places to camp around there, camp grounds in particular. All I found online was RV parks, but couldn't find any camp sites.

 

[AlaskaHippie]

So I think we decided on Bear Lake, where are some places to camp around there, camp grounds in particular. All I found online was RV parks, but couldn't find any camp sites.

Ummmmm.
You're aware I hope of how residential Bear Lake is.
AGL gave some pretty solid advice. Treeline is your friend this time of year, and Bear Lake offers a dense overgrowth, houses, and people.
Good luck.

 

[Sollybug]

Hike the Iditarod train north from bear lake and find some areas? You might have to camp in town. You also could hunt up the road in moose pass where there are many hiking trails.

 

[akjeff]

Good idea? Yes any hunting is a good idea. Odds of success...??? Who knows and who cares, just get out there.

 

[brule]

I've been hiking/hunting bear from Seward to north of Moose pass the last couple weeks. The boars have been chasing sows, saw the first one chasing on May 26 already. With all the "green" out there even a bear spotted will be tough to keep track of while you're stalking. I live in the Bear Lake area, and while the range to the east holds some blacks, we've been dealing with Brownies and cubs down low the last week and a half. My suggestion would be the Kenai lake area and north. Find a well maintained hiking trail and use it as access to the higher country. Anything spotted from the road will probably be a long tough hike to get to. Get yourself up high and keep glassing. The mountains around Seward certainly hold a good population but getting to them is often treacherous.

 

[4merguide]

what do you guys suggest for an area near there for us to drive/hike into?

Hmmmmm.....I didn't think Bear Lake was actually "near" Crooked Creek park. He would have been better off just staying in Cooper Landing.....

 

[4merguide]

I don't know where Crooked Creek is located...........

Crooked Creek flows into the Kasilof River. After you drive over the Kasilof river bridge, headed south, you will also drive over Crooked Creek. You get to the park just south of Tustumena Lodge, off of Coho Loop Rd.

 

[MichaelRyanSD]

So I've been reading/heard the best time to hunt is dawn and dusk, given the long days during summer, would that be like 4-5am and 11-12pm. Or is it a more traditional dawn and dusk, like 6-8am and 6-8pm?

 

[AGL4now]

You are WAY over thunking this. If you do not own at least one pair of "Quality" binoculars, buy some. If you own a quality pair of hiking boots use them. Anyone spending time hiking the high country this spring has seen 20 to 30 bears. There are LOTS of bears. GO Hunt. I fail to grasp how anyone (Other than a blind man) could not harvest a black bear in three years of hunting Alaska.

So I've been reading/heard the best time to hunt is dawn and dusk, given the long days during summer, would that be like 4-5am and 11-12pm. Or is it a more traditional dawn and dusk, like 6-8am and 6-8pm?