Bear Watching Trips?

[sue117]

I will be on a cruise at the end of Sept (the last one of the season) and I would love to go on a bear watching excursion, except most of the websites I have looked at say that the best bear watching is through August....

Anyone have any idea if we should even try for this type of excursion towards the end of Sept? Will it be a bust? Should we try something else instead?

Also, has anyone taken a bear excursion of some sort and have one that you can recommend?

Thanks in advance!
Sue117

[mapleleaves]

it would help if you posted your itinerary so people knew which ports are an option, especially if it's a one-way cruise with some extra time pre or post cruise.

[sue117]

[quote name='mapleleaves']it would help if you posted your itinerary so people knew which ports are an option, especially if it's a one-way cruise with some extra time pre or post cruise.[/quote]
[B]
Crap! You are right! Guess you can't read my mind huh? :)
Thinking about bear tour in Ketchikan. The chip offers trips to[/B] [B]Herring Cove or Neets Bay, but those are within driving distance. We are willing to fly to bear places (I've looked up that much online), but again, if the season isn't good for them not sure it will be worth it. [/B]

[Budget Queen]

[quote name='sue117'][B]
Crap! You are right! Guess you can't read my mind huh? :)
Thinking about bear tour in Ketchikan. The chip offers trips to[/B] [B]Herring Cove or Neets Bay, but those are within driving distance. We are willing to fly to bear places (I've looked up that much online), but again, if the season isn't good for them not sure it will be worth it. [/B][/QUOTE]

Herring Cove, is a big chance at best, and requires, you park yourself there at least a couple hours. Most sightings are dusk/dawn. A car is required.

Neets Bay is NOT driving distance. you HAVE to fly there.

Sorry, hardly worth the effort.

Likely ALL the bear tours will be closed due to prior falling off sightings.

I have done all the bear tour locations out of Ketchikan, and you are outside of peak season. I would never consider going in this timeframe.

[fredflint]

You can do pack creek

May 11th thru September 20th

[URL]http://juneauflyfishing.com/contact_us.html[/URL]

I did it years ago a lot of fun, not cheap bet really good make sure you have a long lens on your camera

[URL]https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5PznUq60vgciAdLEGZGIO5AO8qUy9rDJ7xvXR4Atm40?feat=directlink[/URL]

This this is from late June so in September they will be a bit fatter!

[Budget Queen]

[quote name='fredflint']You can do pack creek

May 11th thru September 20th

[URL]http://juneauflyfishing.com/contact_us.html[/URL]

I did it years ago a lot of fun, not cheap bet really good make sure you have a long lens on your camera

[URL]https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5PznUq60vgciAdLEGZGIO5AO8qUy9rDJ7xvXR4Atm40?feat=directlink[/URL]

This this is from late June so in September they will be a bit fatter![/QUOTE]

With the cost of these tours, I never consider them shoulder season, and only go during peak. With the OP stating "end of Sept. " it may be, outside of their timeframe anyway.

[AKman2495]

Remember, these are designed to catch bears while they are getting fat for winter. To do that most bears near the water eat salmon. To do that, they have to be there when the salmon are running, as we say. Salmon travel in big schools and they all show up to spawn at regular times (or in regular runs). If you are there when the salmon re running, you can easily see bears at selected sites.

Sad to say that the end of September is well past the peak runs. The bears will be elsewhere eating berries and other things before winter. So I do not think you will have much success.

[sue117]

Thanks everyone. I was afraid that you all would say what you have said! :) We don't LEAVE until Sept 21 and so we wouldn't be in Ketchikan until the 25th or so.
Darn. I've never seen a "live" bear in the wilderness! :) Guess I'll have to find something else to do there this time.

Thanks for your help!

[Budget Queen]

[quote name='sue117']Thanks everyone. I was afraid that you all would say what you have said! :) We don't LEAVE until Sept 21 and so we wouldn't be in Ketchikan until the 25th or so.
Darn. I've never seen a "live" bear in the wilderness! :) Guess I'll have to find something else to do there this time.

Thanks for your help![/QUOTE]

Frankly, you are going at the worse weather potential of the season, and a significant negative- dark by 7pm, which impacts on scenic sailing and tour options. You are early enough to cancel, if you choose to go earlier. These last sailings are also more deeply discounted from about a month or less out. Only time I would consider booking them.

If this happens to be a one way, then also consider adding a previous cruise, getting there earlier. You MAY have to have an overnight in Vancouver/Seattle, and not able to take the same cruise, but could work a lot better with any bear priority.

[UPGrandma]

looking at Princess Cruise from Vancouver to Whittier next year - 2014 - leaving Aug 13th. We also want to see brown bears. With all the other excursions I'm thinking now of doing one from Whittier, Seward or elsewhere on the Kenai. Your suggestions welcomed. Thank you

[Budget Queen]

[quote name='UPGrandma']looking at Princess Cruise from Vancouver to Whittier next year - 2014 - leaving Aug 13th. We also want to see brown bears. With all the other excursions I'm thinking now of doing one from Whittier, Seward or elsewhere on the Kenai. Your suggestions welcomed. Thank you[/QUOTE]

Add at least another week and get to Denali Park for at least 2 nights. Brown bears are seen there. Adding more time and money, fly out of Homer, needed at least 1 extra back up day. Verify the peak times, however. Also fly in tours out of Anchorage.

If you sail to Hoonah, very good chance of brown bear sightings with a PRIVATE tour, via road. The ship tours, only go back and forth to fixed platform areas. You need to be on the move to significantly increase your chances.

Pack Creek out of Juneau, via fly in trip is another consistent sighting area.

[stsomewhere]

We were in Juneau at the end of August. We saw about 20-25 bears at Menenhall Glacier. They were catching fish in the salmon stream.

There is an elvated boardwalk abouve the stream that you can watch from.

[UPGrandma]

[quote name='Budget Queen']Add at least another week and get to Denali Park for at least 2 nights. Brown bears are seen there. Adding more time and money, fly out of Homer, needed at least 1 extra back up day. Verify the peak times, however. Also fly in tours out of Anchorage.

If you sail to Hoonah, very good chance of brown bear sightings with a PRIVATE tour, via road. The ship tours, only go back and forth to fixed platform areas. You need to be on the move to significantly increase your chances.

Pack Creek out of Juneau, via fly in trip is another consistent sighting area.[/quote]

Will look at Anchorage 1st then as hoping to do Harv/Marv whale watching in Juneau. Was thinking Kenai as we want to do a Halibut fishing excursion and was considerng that area. We were @ Denali in '96 as part of land based. It was last 2 days the park was open. I would like to go farther into park and get a chance to see the profile of Denali in it's entirity AGAIN and of course the bears or moose (saw 2 that trip). Thanks again!

[kamac56]

[quote name='sue117']Thanks everyone. I was afraid that you all would say what you have said! :) We don't LEAVE until Sept 21 and so we wouldn't be in Ketchikan until the 25th or so.
Darn. I've never seen a "live" bear in the wilderness! :) Guess I'll have to find something else to do there this time.

Thanks for your help![/QUOTE]

On the upside...your there for all the clearance end of season sales!!!!!;)

[PennyAgain]

I seek out those very end of season deeply discounted cruises to the north as I use them for transportation to Alaska where I often stay on for a few weeks.

Living as I do in Texas I miss the changing of seasons in Alaska and the coming of the early snow. What I desire, however is not what most tourists want.

I love the shorter days, the cloudy weather and then animals getting ready for winter.

The bargains are not as good as they used to be, but now and then I get a break as I don't care what sort of room I have on the ship. I just want a ride north.

I usually don't tell other passengers much about myself and spend as much time as possible out of deck soaking up Alaska. I need the travel time north to get into an Alaska state of mind (and to get rid of a work state of mind). I don't take dress up clothes and seldom eat in the main dining room. I'm just that weird old woman who is memorizing Alaska.