Where to hunt Kamchatka Brown Bear
True to its name, Kamchatka brown bear is to be found in Kamchatka – a large, and nearly isolated peninsula on the Pacific coast of Russia. Volcanic activity, hot springs and the ocean create a unique environment that attracts thousands of tourists to Kamchatka, not only for hunting, but for salmon fishing, bird and bear viewing, etc. This is a place nobody ever regretted visiting.
Price distribution
A Kamchatka bear hunt starts at just under $10,000 and may go up to $15,000. Combination snow sheep and bear hunts go for about twice as much. A big chunk of the price of this hunt is transportation to remote wilderness, and so group offers, for 4 or 5 hunters and perhaps observers, are the best value – with luck and good choice of partners your cut of the price may be well under $8,000.
Learn more from our blog story
The biggest question for Kamchatka bear hunting is whether to go in spring or in the fall. There are marked difference in season length, hunting methods, and opportunities to combine bear hunting with other outdoor pursuits. Let our blog post walk you through the main features of each season so that you can make the right choice.
24 Mar 2017 Kamchatka bear hunt: spring or fall?When to hunt Kamchatka Brown Bear?
There are two main seasons for bear hunting in Kamchatka: in the spring, and in the fall. The spring season runs from April 15 to May 15, when the bears leave their dens and are feeding actively to make up for the time they spent in dens. The fall season is from August 20 to September 30, and is centered on salmon rivers, where the bears come to feed for the hibernation.
Hunting methods
Almost all Kamchatka brown bear hunting is done by spot-and-stalk. In the spring season a bit of tracking may be added in, as in most cases there are large areas still covered by snow. Hunters usually scout the area on snowmobiles, and after they locate a suitable bear, they approach and stalk it on foot. In the autumn, the hunting is mostly typical salmon river bear hunt, with the hunters going slowly along the valley, looking for bears that are gorging on the fist. Kamchatka bear hunting is dangerous game hunting, and the hunter must carry an appropriate weapon. A .300 magnum firing a stout, heavy bullet is the recommended minimum, especially for bear + snow sheep combination hunts.
Why hunt Kamchatka Brown Bear?
Warmed by volcanoes, and blessed with abundance of food, from salmon rivers to dwarf pine cones, Kamchatka is home to some of the biggest bears in the world, surpassing most areas of mainland Alaska and Canada, and second only to Kodiak (and that maybe). Most bear hunting in Kamchatka takes place on wide open spaces, with good concentration of bears, allowing the hunter and the guide to select and target the best trophy animals. The bear population in Kamchatka is healthy and growing (in fact, it has boomed since trophy hunting opened in 1990s, presumably due to decrease in infanticide), and money from trophy hunters support depressed economics of remote rural communities. Great hunting in a unique place at affordable rates – what else can one ask for?
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