This hunt is based from a 53-foot ocean fishing boat, which is anchored in a calm bay, and then you'll use jet boats or skiffs to motor along the beaches as you look for bears.

Hunter success depends largely on weather. During normal years hunter success is 80 to 100 percent; during abnormally warm years hunter success has been as low as 50 percent. Average hunter success is about 70% with many hunters passing on bears under seven foot square. More than half the bears taken are more than seven foot long from nose to tail., and 90% are longer than 6 1/2 feet. The biggest animal taken in 2005 squared 7 foot 9 1/2 inches and had a 21 13/16-inch skull, easily qualifying for the all-time Boone and Crockett Club records.

The outfitter hunts a couple of different areas. If you want to combine black bear with brown bear (click here for details on the combo hunt), he usually hunts 100 miles of the mainland coast along the Cleveland Peninsula in Unit 1. Otherwise he concentrates on islands where black bears are more common. You'll camp on the boat almost without exception, but fall hunters sometimes spike out a night or two. The outfitter employs a 26-foot jet boat and two 14-foot skiffs for hunting from the big boat. You can take a shower each evening.

The number of bears you'll see depends on which hunt and the weather, but hunters in June usually see 30 to 75 bears a week. If you're combining with brown bear, you won't see as many blacks because the brownies keep their numbers down. Brown bear hunters usually see eight to 15 blackies during a trip with the record being 28.

You can enjoy fishing for salmon (king salmon in the spring), halibut, rockfish, ling cod and other bottomfish. Usually you'll hunt in the mornings and evenings and fish in the middle of the day. The salmon are usually in the 20 to 35-pound range with the bigger fish in the 40- to 50-pound class.

Fishing gear and tackle is provided. The peak for kings is in the last half of May and the first part of June. All salmon fishing is in the ocean.