The Black bears are just about anywhere you want to find them. Of course, if you are looking for "book" bears, Southeast Islands are probably the best place to look. The black bears and browns are just hammering our ungulate populations and sport harvest can't keep up. We've gone to multiple harvest in some units, even allowed baiting of browns in some units (been illegal for years until now). There have proposals in recent years that have been seriously considered to open select units for unguided non-resident hunts for browns, or at least guided by any resident, not necessarily licensed guides. But only in select units. Those proposals have not passed, however. For them to even been given consideration tells me how serious the population issue, or at least the preception of the issue, is.

It could be that we just have more and more hunters competing for the same resource as an increasing number of predators (not necessarily an unbalanced increased number of 4 legged predators). We have had two more sheep subunits to go to a drawing permit system, which is not good, I fear.

I can do a little more research for units needing management bears taken out if you are looking for a wilderness experience type hunt without need for a book bear. It could probably be done fairly inexpensively after you get here, though. If you are looking for a bear with a big noggin that will book, it will be more expensive and will probably require a charter flight or charter boat ride somewhere. There will also be others going after the same thing.

Let me know where your interests might be and I'll do some digging around.

Dave