This hunt takes place on the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge as well as 700,000 acres of private native land that is an inholding of the refuge. This is the only outfitter allowed to operate in this area. This is a prime hunt for three reasons: 1) There are lots of bears. The outfitter reported that one hunter last year saw 87 bears, including 40 single bears. 2) There is a lot of color variation in pelt color. "We see just about every color of brown bear available," the outfitter said. "We get white bears with black stripes, blonds, tans, golds, browns, very dark bears, just about everything. 3) There are some very big bears, including some that square more than 10 feet and with big skulls.

On the federal land, the outfitter conducts hunts in some "really, really" remote places with lots of salmon and lots of berries. "Basically it's an underutilized and untouched area," he said. "You should be in superb good physical condition to hunt the refuge. You might have to shoot a bear three miles from camp, hiking over rough, brushy tundra, but the refuge is where you have a good chance of getting a big bear. A hunter should see and have a chance to stalk several bears in the nine to 10-foot class. We hunt from hilly vantage points, glassing for bears. Guys in good shape can capitalize on any opportunity when a big bear presents itself."

The native land is a lot easier to hunt. "There are a lot of bears on the native land," the outfitter said, "but that doesn't mean there are a lot of 10-footers on the native land. However, we tell hunters that they can expect to see a pile of bears and they should be able to get one between eight feet and 10 feet square. You might not get a 10-footer, but you're almost sure to get a bear if you want one. And you don't need to be in as good a shape to hunt the native land, which is like a pasture inside a farm. We can use boats to access everything, including all the salmon spawning beds that attract bears. There are salmon in the creeks and salmon in the lake. It's a lot easier hunting than the federal land but there aren't as many really big bears."

This area is approximately 400 miles west of Anchorage at the head of Bristol Bay. You'll fly into Dillingham and catch a charter (price not included) to the hunting area. Ptarmigan hunting is included.Camp consists of a 10x10 dome tent with cooking vestibule, sleeping cots, cook stove and lantern shared by client and guide. Because the camps are remote, the outfitter packs light and expects hunters to pack light. He uses electric fences to protect camp from bears.

"Here's what a hunter can expect on a hunt on the native land inside the refuge," the outfitter said. "There are a lot of bears. It's good to have guys who can hike because later in September and early October the bears get more up on the hillsides, looking for berries. You don't need to plan on a five-mile hike from hell or anything like that, but the hunter needs to be able to hike a mile or two. On my earlier hunts an older guy who's not in good shape can do well because the bears are concentrated down along the salmon streams. But on the later hunt a bear might go up and feed on berries for a couple of days and then he'll come back down and eat fish for a day or so, and then he'll be back up on the hillsides again. It's a good hunt for a guy who definitely wants to shoot a bear because there are lots of them. A hunter who has had a tough-luck story is going to be happy with this hunt. Maybe he has gone on one of those tough spring hunts where he saw one bear the whole season, or he had to sit the whole season in a pup tent in a storm. On this hunt you can shoot 7 1/2 to 8-foot bears just about every day, so the hunter can ber a bit selective and still expect to go home with a nice trophy."

Joe Emerson's fall 2010 report