Hunting

This outfitter runs a strict quality-over-quantity trophy operation out of the Port Moller / Bear Lake area on the Alaska Peninsula. Hunter numbers are intentionally limited to protect animal populations and maximize every client’s chance at securing a true trophy. This is not a volume hunt — it is a focused, fair-chase pursuit of the biggest animals the region holds.

What You Can Pursue

• Alaska Yukon Moose — The Milky area is recognized as a prime moose area, with mature bulls pushing toward and beyond the 70-inch mark. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort in the field, a bull of that caliber is a real possibility.
• Coastal Brown Bear — The Port Moller Bay and Herring Bay area is one of the premier brown bear hunting areas in Alaska, with 11-foot bears taken here. For hunters serious about pursuing top-tier brown bears, this region stands alongside Kodiak as the destination of choice. 10-foot bears are a realistic target for the dedicated hunter.
• Caribou (Fall Add-On) — The primary focus in this area is big moose and big bear. In the fall, given enough time in your schedule, a caribou hunt can be added to your trip.

Where and How

• Terrain: This is wilder, tougher country than areas like Katmai — and that is exactly why the animals here are bigger and more numerous. The trade-off is effort; the payoff is quality. Hunters who are willing to earn their trophy will find the rewards here are unmatched.
• Hunt method: Spot and stalk, combined with ambush methods based on observed bear movement and predictable routes. Spring bear hunts use ambush tactics focused on wind management; snow is typically not deep enough in the valleys to require snowshoes.
• Day structure: Large bears often become nocturnal after the first few days of hunting, so the best opportunities are typically early morning and late evening. In the fall, bear carcasses (whale/walrus) concentrate dominant bears, creating multi-day opportunities timed around feeding cycles. Most hunters remain in the field once on game due to good food, shelter, and warmth.
• Camps: You hunt out of the main lodge or remote spike camps — cabins positioned in prime hunting areas, putting you closer to the animals and deeper into the action. The operation also has 12 metal-sided, bear-proof cabins with observation decks at Bear Valley, Mount Salve, and the Milky area.

Guides & Operations

• Guiding: Every hunt is 1×1 guided. No exceptions. Your guide is experienced, knowledgeable, and highly trained, and the 1×1 format is maintained specifically to give you the highest possible opportunity for success. You’re not sharing a guide’s attention — you have their full focus from start to finish. Even if two hunters choose to hunt from the same camp, they are provided with two guides to ensure individual attention and the ability to hunt separate areas.
• Lodge capacity: The main lodge accommodates up to 8 hunters at a time, keeping the experience intimate and the pressure low.
• Aircraft access: Super Cub access to field camps. The outfitter supplies warm, clean, XXL sleeping bags to reduce client baggage, useful given Super Cub load limits. Cabins with bunks, stoves, heat, and electric fences reduce yearly gear hauling.
• Weather contingency: Ground rescue via Fat Truck and industrial Argo enables access when weather halts flying — slower, but safer and reliable.

Seasons

• Fall (recommended, especially for larger groups): Bears are concentrated along the rivers feeding on salmon and are more accessible.
  • Moose: September only.
  • Brown bear: October. First hunt October 1–10 (10 days); changeover on the 11th. Second hunt October 12–21 (10 days).
  • Caribou: Fall add-on, subject to available time in your schedule.
• Spring (brown bear, dates vary by year): Bears are dispersed at higher elevations chasing sows, making the hunt more physically demanding. Requires better client fitness as bears are in the mountains. Strategy is to set up camp and use ambush tactics, focusing on wind management.

Outfitter Credibility

What makes this operation trustworthy is its discipline. The outfitter limits hunter numbers by design to protect animal populations and give each hunter a real shot at a trophy. The investment in infrastructure — a main lodge kept intimate at 8 hunters, 12 bear-proof cabins with observation decks, a bunkhouse being fully remodeled with eight private bathrooms, a trophy room, and a great room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, plus a fifth duplex cabin with private bath being added at the river site — reflects a long-term operation, not a fly-by-year outfit. Meals are prepped at the lodge, frozen, and reheated in the field, with hearty breakfasts (eggs and bacon) and field cooking via Jetboils so hunters can stay out once they’re on game.

Fitness & Expectations

You need to be in good shape to fully enjoy this experience. This is wilder, tougher country than Katmai, and the payoff for that effort is bigger, more numerous animals. Spring bear hunts in particular require better client fitness, as bears are in the mountains and the hunt uses ambush tactics. Be honest with yourself about your conditioning, and be honest with us about it when we plan — it changes which season and which camp make sense for you.

Length of Stay / Itinerary

Itineraries are customized, and the typical structure depends on which hunt you choose. Fall moose runs September only; fall bear runs in two 10-day October windows; spring bear dates vary by year. Below are example structures to help you picture the flow.

Fall Moose Hunt Example (September only)

• Day 1: Arrive at the lodge. Acclimation and gear preparation.
• Day 2: Final gear prep, scouting, and travel to field camps if desired.
• Days 3–12: Hunt (10 days).
• Day 13: Departure.

Fall Brown Bear Hunt (October)

• October 1–10: First hunt (10 days); changeover on the 11th.
• October 12–21: Second hunt (10 days).
• Departure: Your return itinerary will be determined once you get back to the lodge after your hunt. Be sure to book a flight with flexible return dates with minimal or no penalty fee. You may have to overnight at the lodge if weather prevents flying. Ground rescue via Fat Truck and industrial Argo enables access when weather halts flying — slower, but safer and reliable.

Spring Brown Bear (dates vary by year)

• Bears are in the mountains; ambush tactics; wind management. Length of stay and daily flow are customized to the year’s conditions and your fitness.

On any departure: Consider extending your time in Alaska with a day or two of touring rather than heading straight home. We can build that in.

Travel Details & Location

Fly into Anchorage and overnight.  The next day fly on a charter flight from Anchorage to the lodge.

Trip Insurance & Cancellation Info

Trip insurance is highly recommended to protect your investment on this trip. We will assist you with trip insurance upon booking. See links at the bottom of this page for the two providers we suggest for our clients.

Family Expeditions, LLC confirmation and refund policy:

If your trip is more than 90 days out from date of departure, a 50% non-refundable deposit will confirm your reservation and must be received within 10 days of booking to confirm your dates. All trips must be paid in full at least 90 days prior to the departure date. If your trip date is within 90 days, FULL payment for the trip is required. All payments to Family Expeditions are non-refundable. Should you need to reschedule or cancel your trip, we will do everything in our power to assist you in finding a suitable substitute or transferring your dates per the lodge/providers/government requirements. Trip insurance protects your investment!